Former Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Director and Vice Commander Dr. David “Dave” E. Walker was honored posthumously by the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel, or JDMTP, at the Defense Manufacturing Conference in Tampa, Florida, in December 2022. The late Walker, a beloved former director of AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and director of Air Vehicles, was a passionate advocate for DOD-sponsored manufacturing technology programs. Walker, who died unexpectedly in January 2020 at the age of 61 following a storied career spent in service to the nation’s defense, was named as a recipient of the JDMTP’s Defense Manufacturing Champion Award in Dec. 2022. (U.S. Air Force photo)