Duty, honor, country; those were the hallow words that welcomed Program Executive Office Intelligence Electronic Warfare & Sensors’ (PEO IEW&S) members as they entered the Myer Center auditorium for a State of the PEO Town Hall on March 17.
Along with portions of Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s famous speech, which he delivered during the 1962 West Point Sylvanus Thayer Award ceremony, attendees were treated to a new video depicting the various systems fielded by PEO IEW&S. The short action film highlights the role the men and women of the PEO play, both behind the scenes and in harms way with their dedication to protecting soldiers, helping them to understand the battlefield and seeing through the fog of war.
In addition, to those attending the Town Hall in person at Ft Monmouth, the rest of the approximately 2,000 person organization located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD; Ft Belvoir, VA; Redstone Army Arsenal, AL; Los Angeles AFB and Warner Robins AFB, GA, were able to participate via video teleconference.
During the hour-long event a mixture of Soldiers and government civilians were presented with awards from Brig. Gen. Thomas Cole, Program Executive Officer IEW&S, for various accomplishments including: Jody McCourt, who received the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service for his contributions to the 2nd Generation Forward Looking Infrared Radar program; along with Maj. Ryan Lueders, Maj. Kecia McGriff and Stephen Morton who were recognized for their selection for the Team C4ISR Outstanding Personnel of 2009. Additionally, Maj. John Hall was presented with a Meritorious Service Medal for his contributions as the PEO IEW&S liaison officer in Afghanistan.
PEO IEW&S staff members were recognized for their years of dedicated service to the government as they have reached significant longevity milestones. Denise Buckley, Barry Griffies, Alvin Horhn, Annie Haygood for 35 years; Billie Wells 30 years; John Proper, Howard Carter, Rosalinda Elias and Judy Damron for 25 years of service.
Following the award recognitions, Cole pointed out that the ability for the presentations to be conducted at various sites allowing the entirety of the PEO to participate was an example of how the organization must do business during the transition period that the Base Relocation and Closure Commission (BRAC) moves will necessitate. He thanked the audience for their flexibility and dedication in ensuring the organization continues to support the warfighter during the BRAC process.
During the presentation Cole shared a letter about a family returning from the funeral of their son, who was a solider killed in action, and the fact that even though the family had lost their child they still raved about the Army and how it truly took care of their son. He noted the notion of taking care of the Soldier, is essential to what PEO IEW&S strives for. “What you are doing and the systems that we field for our Soldiers, which provide a better understanding of the battle field and protect the force, across the board are so essential,” said Cole.
In reflecting on the reach of the accomplishments PEO IEW&S personnel provide, Cole pointed out that in addition to the daily efforts members of the PEO perform everyday, a large number of personnel are extending that support in a deployed capacity. The support of the Soldier, which PEO IEW&S infuses directly into theater with a mix of more than 600 soldiers, civilians and contractors, provides technical expertise in Iraq and Afghanistan for the wide variety of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and force protection systems the PEO fields.
The semi-annual meeting also served as an opportunity to discuss with the PEO workforce some of the future areas of improvement for PEO IEW&S that are geared toward increasing efficiency, including a move to incorporate Web 2.0 technologies into day-to-day operations. “These programs will allow us to quickly complete tasks that are time consuming,” said Cole. “It will reduce touch labor and ultimately reduce your workload.”
During the question and answer portion of the event, Cole addressed questions regarding the repeal of the National Security Personnel System (NSPS). “We will stop using NSPS at the end of the year and then transition to AcqDemo (Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project),” said Cole.
In concluding the meeting, Cole left off with a thank you for the continual support the organization is providing for Soldiers in the field. “I know you are working hard, charging hard and doing great things. The Army appreciates what you are doing, the Soldiers appreciate what you are doing and I appreciate what you are doing, thank you.”