Johnny O'Moore, Oak Ridge National Laboratory's DOE Site Manager, presents the Secretary of Energy's Exceptional Service Award to James Radle.
The Secretary of Energy has granted the 2021 Exceptional Service Award to James “Jim” Radle, who led the Mobile Uranium Facility team for nearly two decades. The team, which is a joint effort between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, twice deployed to Iraq to remove dangerous materials and trained annually in various geographic locations often selected for extreme climate conditions.
“Mr. Radle has been an integral part of the Nation’s efforts to minimize, and where possible eliminate, weapons-usable nuclear material,” DOE stated in the award letter. “In doing so, Mr. Radle has played a vital and unique leadership role in securing or eliminating thousands of kilograms of highly enriched uranium and other high-threat materials around the world, as well as ensuring the Department’s capability to quickly recover these materials should the need arise.”
DOE noted Radle’s endurance of adverse working conditions, extreme weather, and isolation from his family for months on end.
“Despite these extreme circumstances, his expertise, leadership, charisma, and dedication enabled him to build a team with a unique camaraderie that remains to this day and which is well positioned to respond to emerging challenges,” DOE’s award letter stated.
Radle, a mechanical engineer by training, retired in 2021 after 38 years of service. At the time of his retirement, he was in the Uranium Process Chemistry Group led by Glenn Fugate. The group is in the Nuclear Energy Fuel Cycle Division in the Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate.
“Though Jim is sorely missed, the goodwill and camaraderie that he built up in his team continues as they carry forth with their critical global security mission,” Fugate said.
~ Amy Reed
