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By John Higgins, PEO IEW&S Public Affairs

When one person in an organization is recognized for excellence, that organization certainly has something to be proud of.

When five members of an organization are recognized at the same time? The standard has not only been met by members of Program Executive Office, Electronic Warfare & Sensors, the standard has been left in the dust.

Two members of Project Manager Terrestrial Sensors took awards for excellence, with Darryl Hackett, Chief of Operations, Product Manager Force Protection Systems (PdM FPS) leading the pack with praise from his boss, Lt. Col. Beire Castro, Product Manager for Force Protection Systems.

“Darryl Hackett has incredible energy and is laser-focused on mission accomplishment,” said Castro. “He’s a retired Sergeant Major with Special Operations experience, and he’s transitioned his extensive experience into a passion for Soldiers that is evident in all he does. Darryl’s passion in his profession is clear; everything he takes on receives 100% of his effort, with no compromises until the mission is accomplished.”

Another member of Castro’s team, Bill Newmeyer, Assistant Product Manager (APdM) for Base Expeditionary Targeting and Surveillance Systems-Combined (BETSS-C) was also recognized.

“Bill was originally assigned as an engineer on one of our programs and was recently given greater responsibility as the APdM for the largest Quick Reaction Capability Program (QRC) within the product office the BETSS-C family of systems,” said Castro. “More recently, Bill was placed in charge of all Force Protection Systems’ QRCs. In this role, Bill operates significantly above his pay-grade. He has an easy-going nature that belies his immense responsibilities, technical competence, and professionalism. He has a can-do and positive attitude that is contagious.”

Jerry Wilson, the Deputy Product Manager for Electro-Optic/Infrared Payloads, also received an award for his achievements. Lt. Col Kecia Troy, PdM EO/IR Payloads proudly shared her perspective on his success.

“Daily, Jerry puts the needs of the Warfighter at the forefront of his mind and diligently works every action with intensity and passion,” said Troy. “Jerry understands the nuances of stakeholder management and has developed strong partnerships with key leaders within Army Contracting Command, Night Vision and Electric Sensors Division, United States Army Communications-Electronics Command, and Army Material Command. Equally, he provides mentorship and guidance across the work force, ensuring team members can perform their mission and are recognized for their efforts. Jerry Wilson is a well-respected leader within the PM, PEO, and the Acquisition Community.”

Stephen Morton, the Deputy Product Manager Capability Drop 1 (DPdM CD1) under Distributed Common Ground System — Army (DCGS-A), also received recognition.

“Steve has provided instrumental leadership and acquisition counsel to the DCGS-A program restructure that has been viewed as a ‘model program’ by Senior Army, OSD and Congressional leadership,” said Col. Robert Collins, Project Manager for DCGS-A. “He also spearheaded a Market Research and procurement effort to overhaul intel analytics capability at the Battalion level, which resulted in a $900 million contract award to enable enhanced equipment to 400 Army maneuver formations.”

Mark Kitz, Director, System of Systems for PEO IEW&S took the fifth and final award for the PEO.

“Mark’s expertise is unparalleled in his field,” said Maj. Gen. Kirk Vollmecke, the PEO of IEW&S. “His skill and knowledge have been indispensable in winning in a complex world; he has truly been key in delivering now. He has shown us how to create agility that is paces the complex world of sensors and sensor data.”

“Every last one of these rewards is well earned,” said Vollmecke. “These people have brought together both tactical and technical backgrounds together to ensure not only victory, not only success, but the very lives of our men and women overseas. They know the importance of what they do, and it has informed their efforts enough to earn notice from their peers and supervisors.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]