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Brig. Gen. Harold Greene (right) accepts the charter for the Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors from Lt. Gen. William Phillips, Military Deputy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology) during a Change of Charter ceremony that was held on May 26.

In front of a packed house of more than 500 Soldiers, government civilians and contractors in the Myer Auditorium along with many more watching via video teleconference the start of a new era began as the charter for the Program Executive Office- Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S) was placed into the hands of its newest leader.

During the Change of Charter ceremony on May 26, Douglas Wiltsie relinquished leadership of PEO IEW&S to Brig. Gen. Harold Greene, in a ceremony that was hosted by Lt. Gen. William Phillips, Military Deputy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology).

Greene, who is returning to PEO IEW&S where he previously served as a product manager, takes over the organization that is responsible for the development, acquisition, and life cycle management of the Army intelligence, electronic warfare and sensor systems with an annual portfolio of $4.3 billion and 112 programs.

Prior to his assignment at PEO IEW&S Greene served as the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Deputy Commanding General and Senior Commander of the Soldiers System Center, Natick, MA. He holds a Ph. D. from the University of Southern California in Materials Science as well as masters degrees in engineering from both Rensselaer and Southern California. He also holds a Masters of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College and is a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Upon assuming leadership of the PEO, Greene shared his thoughts on joining the PEO as well as being a part of the collaborative environment on Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) as the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process comes to an end. “We have come to a transition point where we have to look at bringing into fruition everything that was talked about in the BRAC, and that is synergy,” said Greene. “I am thrilled to not only be a part of Team C4ISR but also the larger Team APG.”

In accepting the charter Greene discussed how serving in the role as PEO not only requires a professional commitment but it is also a personal one as well. He pointed out that just like many members of the organization he has family members in the armed services that could be placed in harms way who will be reliant on the protection and situational awareness PEO IEW&S systems provide.

“I want to make sure you know that PEO IEW&S has my full commitment and you are going to get my best effort so that we can support our two customers: the warfighter that is out there depending on us to provide the equipment that gives them a decisive advantage and the taxpayer who provides the resources,” added Greene.

In reflecting on the time Wiltsie spent as the acting PEO, Phillips pointed out that he was anything other than “acting” as the organization fielded more than 40,000 systems within a short timeline. Phillips also shared specific instances where Soldiers were saved by IEW&S systems during the past seven months including multiple occasions where common missile warning systems saved aircrews and passengers from enemy missiles as well as instances where Persistent Surveillance Threat Detection Systems were instrumental in detecting enemy actions and neutralizing threats.

“Under Doug Wiltsie, this PEO worked through the significant challenges involved in transitioning operations during wartime from Fort Monmouth to Aberdeen Proving Ground. And, let me tell you that this outstanding team did not skip a beat in providing superior technology and support for our Warfighters in theater,” added Phillips.

Wiltsie who served as the acting PEO since September will return to his previous position as the Deputy PEO for IEW&S.

Following the ceremony Greene hosted a meeting with the entire PEO to lay down the foundation of the areas he expects to focus on. Given expected budget constraints and an opportunity to make any one particular program more valuable to Soldiers in the field Greene stressed that it is necessary for product managers to work on their assigned system as well as being dedicated to a systems of systems approach.

Mindful of the upcoming changes the DoD will face over the coming years Greene highlighted the numerous challenges the PEO will face including completing the BRAC move, operating with decreased resources due in part to a steady reduction of oversees contingency funds, adjusting to new leadership at the highest levels of the Army and DoD while preparing for another drawdown in Afghanistan.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]