Â鶹´«Ã½

The Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) presented its , which honor individuals for their selfless service and dedication to the Army and its soldiers.

Kris McBride, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Alabama (North), received the Major General Anthony J. Drexel Biddle Medal for outstanding contributions to the Association of the U.S. Army.

Rey Almodóvar, co-founder and CEO emeritus of Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation, received the John W. Dixon Award for outstanding contributions to national defense from industry.

"I am deeply honored to receive the John W. Dixon Award from the Association of the United States Army. This recognition reflects the perseverance of those I've had the privilege to serve alongside in supporting our soldiers and national defense. It has always been my belief that the strength of our nation lies in the selflessness of its people, and I remain committed to serving our Army and its mission, now and in the future,� said Rey Almodóvar.

Drexel Biddle Medal

The Major General Anthony J. Drexel Biddle Medal for outstanding contributions to the Association of the U.S. Army will be awarded to Kris McBride, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Alabama (North) and a past president of AUSA's Third Region.

She is currently vice president for recruiting for AUSA's Redstone-Â鶹´«Ã½ chapter.

"Her exceptional reputation within the community, coupled with her profound understanding of the Total Army and its current priorities, is unparalleled," Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, acting commanding general of Army Materiel Command, which has its headquarters at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, wrote in a letter endorsing McBride for the award.

"Ms. McBride has consistently demonstrated her unwavering advocacy for the Army throughout her distinguished career," Mohan wrote. "From her impactful contributions to the industry to her leadership roles within the Association of the United States Army, including presidency at both the local chapter and the Third Region, she has consistently proven herself as a dedicated supporter of our nation's defense."

Nominated by Marc Jacobson, president of the Redstone-Â鶹´«Ã½ chapter, McBride is a community volunteer and retired defense industry executive. She is a part-time senior business counselor for the University of Alabama in Â鶹´«Ã½'s APEX Accelerator, where she advises small businesses interested in doing business with government at the federal, state and local levels.

McBride served in various leadership positions in AUSA's Redstone-Â鶹´«Ã½ chapter for more than a decade before becoming the chapter president from 2013–2015. During her tenure, she led the chapter to two Best Chapter awards, added a Young Professionals Program to help ensure the future health of the organization, began a program to brief National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers on benefits available to them and worked on an hourlong Memorial Day special that aired in prime time on a local television station to increase public recognition of soldiers' sacrifices.

McBride was AUSA's Third Region president from 2016–2020, guiding 19 chapters in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Panama and Puerto Rico to generate support for the Army, soldiers, their families and Army civilians.

Since 2017, she has served as chair of the 2nd Army Recruiting Brigade's Regional Partnership Council, which includes raising awareness of the opportunities offered by Army service.

"Kris is a trusted voice and bridge-builder for the Army in North Alabama," Mohan wrote. "Leveraging her extensive networks with academia, industry leaders, elected officials, local veterans, civilians, soldiers and their families, she consistently works towards enhancing the Army's mission and well-being."

Dixon Award

The John W. Dixon Award for outstanding contributions to national defense from industry will be awarded to Rey Almodóvar, co-founder and CEO emeritus of Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation.

Almodóvar co-founded Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation, known as INTUITIVE, in 1999, and during his 25-year tenure, he spearheaded one of the most successful aerospace engineering and analysis companies in Alabama.

In February 2023, he was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.

Additionally, Almodóvar was chairman of the board of directors for the Â鶹´«Ã½/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, and chairman of the School of Engineering Industry Advisory Board of his alma mater, the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez.

In October 2016, Almodóvar was appointed by Alabama's governor to the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission and has since served on the Business Committee. In February 2019, INTUITIVE was proud to partner with the U.S. Space and Rocket Center to establish a state-of-the-art planetarium, the only place in the region to showcase cutting-edge technology for guests, camp trainees, school children and adults of all ages to experience shows about the solar system, galaxy, universe and beyond.

Through the years, Almodóvar has dedicated his engineering career to establishing a first-rate regional, statewide and nationally esteemed corporation that has grown steadily and earned recognition from industry leaders, national publications and, most importantly, its own employees.

Almodóvar "has proven time and time again to be a selfless leader," Vergenia Shelton, INTUITIVE's current president and CEO, wrote in nominating Almodóvar for the award. "He leads by example, and INTUITIVE excels not only technically and professionally, but with the highest levels of ethics and integrity. Under his leadership, INTUITIVE evolved into a successful and progressive nationally recognized Best Place to Work professional engineering and analytical firm with a reputation for solving our nation's toughest challenges."

Shelton also lauded Almodóvar's dedication to his community. "He spends countless hours dedicated to teaching, mentoring and developing others to overcome obstacles and become successful," she wrote.