Following three years at the helm of the organization charged with combating insurgents’ most popular weapon and offering Soldiers an electronic picture of the battlefield it was time for a change at Project Director, Signals Warfare (PD SW).
During a Change of Charter Ceremony at Gibbs Hall on June 17, hosted by Brig. Gen. Thomas Cole, Program Executive Officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S), Col. Perry Smith, PD SW, relinquished command to Lt. Col. Rod Mentzer.
“My vision for this organization was to set the conditions that allow my product managers to successfully execute their programs,” said Smith. Under his command, Smith oversaw product managers for Prophet, Counter Remote Control Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (CREW) and Information Warfare (IW).
When Smith took over the reigns of PD SW in July of 2006, the organization faced two major challenges: defeating a multitude of IED threats, which littered the battlefield, and turning the Prophet system into a platform that could provide relevance for Soldiers.
“At the time (2006) we were involved in upgrades to the DUKE program and we were having some significant challenges in engaging and establishing a relationship between JIEDDO
(Joint IED Defeat Organization) and the Army,” noted Smith. “We spent the last couple of years refining that relationship so that Army equities are considered (in relation to the CREW system) and we are not just told ‘this is what you will do or what you will buy.’ ”
Approximately 25,000 DUKE devices have been fielded and upgraded one time, during Smith’s tenure. Additionally, Product Manager CREW is currently in the process of awarding a contract to upgrade and maintain the relevancy of those systems for the next five years.
“With the CREW systems we are not only dealing with IED threats as they come up, we are getting ahead of future threats with the capability that we are fielding now,” said Smith. “It is a great feeling when you are watching a news story on TV and a convoy passes in the background with CREW antennas on board and you know those soldiers aren’t going anywhere without that system.”
Prophet is another major PD SW program, which was underutilized and considered irrelevant by many Soldiers just two years ago. In order to offer an electronic understanding of their environment the entire program was restructured, while still supporting the current war and a new contract was awarded for next generation systems. Prophet has been fielded to 21 brigade combat teams (BCTs), made upgrades and inserted new technology into the systems making the systems relevant on the battlefield.
When asked to give a parting message to his Signals Warfare team Smith said, “Be proud, because what you are doing is recognizable everyday by the soldiers on the ground; stay optimistic, the future within the EW industry is bright; and continue to question conventional wisdom because solutions to the problems we will encounter in the coming years aren’t going to be found in what we have done in the past.”
With more than 26 years of service, Smith stated that his assignment as the PD SW was the most rewarding of his career.
“We accomplished a great deal in three years in every one of the programs,” noted Smith. “Signals Warfare is in a great position for the future as we are delivering today and are well postured for the future.”
Smith is moving to PEO Simulation, Training & Instrumentation (STRI) in Orlando, Fla., where he is slated to become the project manager for Future Force Simulation. His successor, Mentzer, comes to PD SW directly from graduating from the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, PA.