Thursday evening, the U.S. Army Operational Test Command honored its Operational Testers’ Hall of Fame inductees — Michael B. Nott of Harker Heights, Texas, and Gayle S. Shull of Belton, Texas — during a dinner at Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos)’s Club Hood.
During the dinner, OTC Commander Brig. Gen John C. Ulrich said, “What a great time it is to recognize people who have made significant, lasting contributions that go toward ensuring our Soldiers have the best equipment they can have when they are called to go into harm’s way.”
The 24th Annual Operational Testers’ Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. today.
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WEST FORT HOOD (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas — The U.S. Army Operational Test Command will host its 24th annual Operational Testers’ Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony — honoring two new inductees — at 10 a.m. Sept. 22 at its headquarters here.
Michael B. Nott of Harker Heights, Texas, will be the 38th HOF inductee and Gayle S. Shull of Belton, Texas enters the HOF as the program’s 39th inductee.
Nott served his nation for more than 45 years, retiring in 1992 as an Army officer after 24 years, then serving another 21 years as a Department of the Army Civilian. He began supporting operational tests while on active duty from the late-1970s to mid-1980s with assignments as a test officer for the Communications Electronics Test Board (CETD) at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and a test officer for the Battlefield Automation Test Directorate (BATD), TRADOC Combined Arms Test Activity (TCATA), Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas.
Over a 15 year period, Nott worked his way from a test officer in 1992 to Deputy Director, Mission Command Test Directorate; and also served as the Director from 2008 to 2011. He remained the Deputy Director until his retirement on Dec. 14, 2012.
Highlights of his career include working on systems such the Brigade Subscriber Node and Joint Network Node, which eventually led to the current Army communications backbone — the Warfighter Information Network — Tactical (WIN-T).
He was also instrumental in helping build the Army’s Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) in 2011, which just finished its 17th iteration in July.
Shull served in support of operational testing for more than 39 years, becoming an early leader and innovator in the areas of information technology and test technology.
During the 13-year period between 1975 to 1988, Shull progressed from GS-5 computer intern to the GS-15 Director of Information Systems for the Training and Doctrine Command’s new Test and Experimentation Command (TEXCOM).
During 2002, Shull was re-assigned to what is now the U.S. Army Operational Test Command, when the OTC Commander asked her to design and implement a technology planning and support directorate using personnel assets from three different organizations.
She managed an annual technology budget of $20 million, and led an organization of 26 military and civil service engineers and simulation specialists augmented by more than 50 contractors.
Shull’s passion for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and robotics programs at local schools contributed to a generation of local school children being encouraged to pursue STEM educations.
She remained Director of OTC’s Test Technology Directorate until her retirement on June 1, 2014.
The Hall of Fame, which inducted its first class in October 1994, has served to honor Soldiers and Civilians for their commitment to putting the best possible equipment and systems into the hands of Soldiers in both training and combat conditions.
Media representatives interested in covering the event should contact Michael Novogradac, OTC’s public affairs officer, at 254-288-9110, or email: michael.m.novogradac.civ@mail.mil no later than 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21.
Media should arrive at the West Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) gate at Clarke Road and Highway 190 Friday, Sept. 22 at 9:15 a.m., to be escorted to the event.
As the Army’s only independent operational tester, OTC tests and assesses Army, joint, and multi-service warfighting systems in realistic operational environments, using typical Soldiers to determine whether the systems are effective, suitable, and survivable. OTC is required by public law to test major systems before they are fielded to its ultimate customer — the American Soldier.
