Olsommer, Tyler named Tobyhanna Army Depot Employees of the Quarter

Tobyhanna Army Depot has selected two team members for employee of the quarter recognition. Ryan Olsommer and Dave Tyler are the Tobyhanna Army Depot Employees of the Quarter for the 3rd quarter of FY26.

Olsommer serves his nation in the Tobyhanna Army Depot Directorate of Mission Execution’s Fabrication & Tactical Support/Machining Branch. Olsommer’s precision and dedication to his work have benefited his branch, Tobyhanna, and our nation’s heroes.

Olsommer has been fundamental to the success of Tobyhanna Army Depot’s Toyoda Horizontal Machining Center. Over the course of a few months, he has moved over 20 programs to the new equipment and fabricated new tooling to ensure a seamless transition.

Olsommer also developed an optimized machining solution for the M-ITN-S Stryker program. By replacing a standard 1-inch end mill with a two-inch high-speed shell mill, spindle time has been reduced by 66%, over 16 production hours are being saved per setup and $38,870 is being saved per 200-unit run.

Beyond his technical precision and proactivity, Olsommer is also an exceptional teammate. In nominating him for the award, his supervisor Keith Knecht said Olsommer, voluntarily takes on complex manufacturing challenges, executes high-precision milling under tight deadlines and troubleshoots issues for his teammates. Recently, Olsommer dedicated over 50 hours to shadowing programs, personally mentoring six students from Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School.

“Ryan Olsommer consistently models respect, responsibility and professional excellence, setting a high standard for the next generation of the workforce,” said Knecht. “Ryan goes beyond teaching basic technical skills; he fundamentally shapes career trajectories and ignites a strong passion for the Tobyhanna mission.”

Knecht continued to say, “Ryan embodies true selfless service by consistently placing Tobyhanna’s mission and his team above himself. Always the first to share his extensive technical expertise without seeking personal recognition, Ryan’s unmatched dedication sets a standard of excellence for the entire workforce. His selfless actions directly ensure that our warfighters never go without.”

Olsommer shares the recognition with his teammates and said he is paying it forward by sharing knowledge that was once passed onto him.

“Without the support of the team in the machining branch, it would not be possible to receive such a high award. I would personally thank my superior Keith Knecht, Dave McLain and Chris Shaffer. Nine years ago, I came into the machine shop with little experience, but with their help, I was able to learn the ins and outs of machining.”

Olsommer said he likes to “let the work do the talking,” and his work has certainly spoken volumes at Tobyhanna.

Tyler is a fabric worker within the Tobyhanna Army Depot Directorate of Mission Execution’s Equipage and Composites Branch. His technical expertise, commitment to quality and willingness to take on unfamiliar challenges have made a direct impact on his shop’s mission and productivity.

According to his supervisor, Brandon Pauselli, Tyler maintains a 100% quality pass rate and serves as the shop’s expert in sewing, gasket and foam work, and Eastman machine operations.

“Dave’s technical expertise is vital to the shop’s mission, where he maintains a remarkable 100% quality pass rate,” said Pauselli. “As our expert in sewing, gasket, foam work, and Eastman machine operations, he independently processed over 39 quality control inspections and 2 quality assurance inspections between April/June.”

During the quarter, Tyler independently completed 44 complex foam work cases without being asked, helping contribute to a 15% increase in overall shop throughput. He also took on the new Bridge Supplemental Set workload despite having no prior experience with the specific process. Tyler quickly mastered the work, completing all 44 cases with 100% accuracy and no rework, before taking responsibility for training his coworkers on the process.

His impact extends beyond his own production. Tyler has dedicated more than 40 hours to on-the-job training, helping coworkers develop skills on complex systems such as Rolling Airframe Missile Launchers while sharing the knowledge he has gained through his own work.

Tyler has also identified opportunities to improve processes and reduce the time required to complete work. A new process he developed is projected to reduce layer operations by 25%, saving an estimated 25 hours per order, while sewing operations could be reduced by 15%, or approximately 15 hours per order. The improvements represent estimated cost savings of $6,437.55 per order.

“Dave directly enhances Depot productivity through process improvements and flawless execution,” said Pauselli. “By streamlining the Bridge Supplemental Set workload, he completed 44 cases with no rework and engineered a new process projected to reduce layer operation times by 25% (saving 25 hours per order) and sewing operations by 15% (15 hours per order).”

Pauselli also highlighted Tyler’s willingness to put the needs of his coworkers and the mission ahead of his own production. Whether providing overtime support, troubleshooting repairs or sharing process improvements, Tyler consistently contributes to the success of those around him.

For Tyler, the recognition is ultimately a reflection of the team that has supported him throughout his career.

“I am both surprised and honored to be the recipient of the Employee of the Quarter Award. I was pleased enough to know that my coworkers were kind enough to consider nominating me,” said Tyler. “I would feel remiss to not mention that, beyond my own determinations, my skills and work ethic would never be fully realized without the support, training, and mentoring I’ve gained from my team, coworkers and leadership. Thank you all!”