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Gregory Saunders
Director, Defense Standardization Program Office
U.S. Department of Defense

“It is standards that help to move innovations from laboratories into practical application... ASTM was one of the first private sector standards writing organizations to formally recognize DoD adoption and to work actively with DoD offices to accommodate defense needs and to ensure adoption.”

Who is your current employer and what is your current position?

I work for the Department of Defense (DoD) in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. I am the director of the Defense Standardization Program Office, where I am responsible for policies governing development and use of military specifications and standards. In this position I also represent the United States on a few NATO activities and the DoD on numerous government and industry committees and boards. My office is responsible for the DoD program on qualification of parts and manufacturers program; parts management, including efforts to limit the impact of diminishing manufacturing sources; the automated collection of all military specifications and standards; and other tools designed to help program and acquisition offices be more effective.

Where did you obtain your undergraduate/ graduate degree(s) and in what fields?

I graduated from the University of Evansville in Evansville, Ind., with a B.S. in industrial engineering.

When and why did you become involved in ASTM International?

One of my early assignments at DoD was updating policies covering how DoD adopts and uses standards from private sector standards developers. Because DoD had, at the time, adopted more standards from ASTM than any other group, it seemed like a logical place to start. I worked with staff at ASTM headquarters and with technical offices in both Navy and Army engineering offices to try to identify benefits, opportunities, and techniques that might be useful. From this experience I learned that many ASTM standards were de rigueur in construction contracting. I also discovered that DoD technical experts contributed considerable knowledge to the standards development process from their engineering and application experience, and also that they learned a great deal from the interaction with other specialists in their field. ASTM was one of the first private sector standards writing organizations to formally recognize DoD adoption and to work actively with DoD offices to accommodate defense needs and to ensure adoption.

As a result of the lessons I learned in doing that research, I wrote an updated DoD Instruction on "DoD Participation in Development and Use of Non-Government Standards" in 1979. I then went on to assist in writing the first version of OMB Circular A-119 on Federal Government Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards, and also provided input to the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995, where the requirement to use voluntary standards is memorialized in statute.

In which committees are you active? Are you a committee officer; if so, what group or groups?

During my first serious foray into technical committee work I became chairman of the former Committee F10 on Food. While I was in charge of DoD's program to use more commercial products, I served on Committees F15 on Consumer Products and F26 on Food Service Equipment. I also served on the Committee on Technical Committee Operations and have recently joined F07 on Aerospace and Aircraft. Now I am proud to serve as a vice chairman of ASTM's Board of Directors.

How do you apply ASTM standards in your work?

I rarely have occasion personally to apply any of the standards that I work with on a daily basis. However, the DoD uses hundreds of DoD-adopted ASTM standards in contracting for procurement of vital weapons systems and warfighter support products virtually every day. These standards provide the framework of technical requirements that contractors must meet in supplying defense material ranging from simple procurement of construction materials, good processing equipment or fasteners, to requiring that builders use supplies conforming to ASTM standards in the structures they build under contract for the DoD. Test methods defined by ASTM standards are also cited as the methodology that either contractor or DoD inspectors will use to verify compliance with the technical requirements of the contract.

Apart from using standards, are there advantages to participating in standards development?

One of the advantages that accrues to both the individual and to the corporation from such participation is the leveraging of technical knowledge with dozens of other experts in the field working on common problems. Our scientists and engineers also capitalize on the opportunity to meet with other leaders in their field of expertise to expand their knowledge and to stay abreast of the latest technological advancements.

One of the advantages that accrues to both the individual and to the corporation from such participation is the leveraging of technical knowledge with dozens of other experts in the field working on common problems. Our scientists and engineers also capitalize on the opportunity to meet with other leaders in their field of expertise to expand their knowledge and to stay abreast of the latest technological advancements.

What are some of your favorite aspects of your job?

I would point to three specific things I especially enjoy about my job. The first relates to the last question, and that is meeting and working with amazingly smart, talented, energetic, and dedicated people from government, industry, academia, and especially from standards developers. I don't think the standards community is unique in this way, but because we operate in such a distinctly consensus atmosphere, we probably collaborate more than people in many other areas, which gives us the opportunity to get to know some of these amazing people, meet and talk with them, face to face. For example, I've had the opportunity to work very closely with former Secretary of Defense William Perry, and I've gotten to know a former Tuskegee airman, Luther Smith (Click Here for information about Luther). They are two of the more famous folks on my list of most interesting people, and they are laborers in the standardization vineyard.

Second, because I oversee the military specifications and standards program, which touches on almost everything that the DoD buys (and that's just about everything), I have a chance to get involved in a wide variety of products and technologies. One day I may be working with an industry group on how best to define, buy, and support microcircuits, the next day we may be discussing unmanned aerial vehicles, and the following day might find me working on pressure washers. It is frequently challenging, but never dull.

Finally, all of what I work on would lose much of its luster if I didn't believe that what I was doing was making a positive contribution to the DoD, to the effectiveness of our military, and to society. I believe that the standards work that I participate in each day is helping to make the DoD a smarter buyer, providing more and better equipment and support for our military, and contributing to the U.S. economy and the competitiveness of U.S. business. That is a very satisfying feeling.

Are there advantages that you can identify that result from having an understanding of standards?

Understanding standards and the processes that produce them has made me a more informed consumer. It is important to understand both the benefits and the limitations of standards and certifications when looking to evaluate and buy products whether you are talking about major procurements for your agency or company, or your next home coffee pot. Proper application of the proper standards can help to ensure safety, usability, durability, and reliability. I apply these lessons in looking at statements of work for multi-million dollar procurements for my job as well as selecting products for home use.

Are there any words of wisdom that you can offer to professionals starting out in your field?

Standards work is not glamorous, but it is essential. It provides the infrastructure and framework for so many of the glitzy advances that are made in virtually every area of endeavor. It is standards that help to move innovations from laboratories into practical application. Blake Ross, the creator of the web browser Firefox, said,"The next big thing is whatever makes the last big thing usable." That is so true of standards. They are often the enablers that help make the last big thing usable. Standards work probably won't make you famous - but it will make you part of a dedicated community of professionals who quietly contribute immeasurably to the efficient and effective functioning of so many of the products and processes we depend on for everyday life.

2006