October 12, 2007 - WASHINGTON-Ben Brink, Assistant Public Printer for Security & Intelligent Documents, will be on military leave from the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) to serve his country in Afghanistan for the next year.  Brink is a Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, where he has commanded several intelligence reserve units.  He has more than 30 years of military experience.  Brink's mission at GPO was to lead the agency's businesses for e-Passports; smartcard e-IDs; Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) electronic certificates for credentialing; document transfer and authentication; as well as numerous programs producing both traditional security documents and those containing embedded electronics. 
GPO's Production Manager Steve LeBlanc, has been named the new Managing Director of the Security & Intelligent Documents business unit by Public Printer Robert C. Tapella.  LeBlanc currently oversees all of GPO's three shifts in the production of the Official Journals of Government and Security and Intelligent Documents.  He is responsible for production plans, equipment, budgets, schedules and deadlines.  Before his current assignment, LeBlanc served as GPO's Program Manager for the e-Passport Program when he joined the agency in 2005.  He led a team that brought the e-Passport from its concept phase to the current production levels of more than two million passports a month.  His hands-on experience with production personnel and valued relationships he has established as Production Manager will make his transition to his new position seamless.
Prior to joining the GPO, LeBlanc worked at The Washington Post as the Manager of Packaging and Distribution.  He served for 23 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an Officer, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  As a helicopter pilot, he saw combat operations during Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM  and during Operation RESTORE HOPE in Somalia.  LeBlanc also commanded a 145 person helicopter squadron that trained hundreds of pilots in the operation of the CH-53D helicopter.  LeBlanc holds Masters Degrees from the U.S. Army War College and the University of Rochester.  He also has a Bachelors of Science from Villanova University.
"GPO is proud of Ben for all he accomplished in the Security and Intelligent Documents unit.  He will also make us proud for serving our country when being called upon," said Public Printer Robert C. Tapella.  "GPO is fortunate to have extraordinarily talented people like Steve in our management to step up and assume responsibility for an important business unit that produces many of our country's most sensitive documents.  Steve was a key asset in making the e-Passport program a success and we look forward to his continued leadership in growing the Security and Intelligent Documents unit."
"I've had the privilege and opportunity to work closely with the managers, supervisors and skilled employees throughout Plant Operations who regularly accomplish their daily production miracles. As the GPO moves forward and grows the Security and Intelligent Documents business unit, it is these men and women who'll be the foundation for our successes," said Managing Director for Security and Intelligent Documents Steve LeBlanc.