By Ron Lee

Anne Decker from PEO IEW&S at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland takes a break from her work to share a smile on December 19, 2023. Decker was recently nominated for and won the Department of Defense Individual Achievement Award for Auditing. She is scheduled to receive her award at an awards ceremony at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She is one of several civilians to be recognized at the ceremony. (U.S. Army photo by Ron Lee, PEO IEW&S Public Affairs, released) (Ron Lee, PEO IEW&S Public Affairs Office)

Program Executive Office Intelligence Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S) is known for its leading-edge technology provided to servicemembers in the execution of their mission to defend our country and our interests. The personnel behind the equipment are some of the most creative and gifted acquisition professionals. PEO experts across numerous technical and non-technical roles ensure systems are fielded to Soldiers across the globe.

One such PEO expert is Anne Decker. She works within the PEO IEW&S financial department and her job is Program Analyst Audit Readiness. Money is required to procure parts, equipment and resources. The purpose of her job is to ensure the audit trail for all acquisitions is clean and that taxpayer money is not only well spent but accounted for every step of the way.

“It is absolutely imperative for everyone in the Army to be proper stewards of taxpayer funds,” Decker said. “While it is also extremely important that we meet mission and Soldiers are safe, proper financial accountability must be maintained throughout.”

Because of her diligence to her job duties, Decker’s supervisor nominated her for the Department of Defense Individual Achievement Award for Auditing. She won and received her award during an awards ceremony at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. A key area impacted by Decker’s efforts was training. Recorded training sessions were made available on the Teams channel she established, available for review at any time. The platform also allows for the ability for Internal Control Administrators (ICAs) to post questions where Decker could provide responses for all subscribers to see.

According to Decker, the formula for success centers around taking one’s time. “Attention to detail and a preference for taking the time to do the job right is important,” Decker said. “If you take the little bit of extra time at the front end to do the job right, you save yourself and the Army the wasted time due to reworking things afterwards.” Amongst her numerous achievements, Decker is at the forefront of the Risk Management Internal Control (RMIC) process and was the first to use the Army Control Catalog (ACC) in development of test plans for PEO IEW&S. Her efforts quickly identified deficiencies and material weaknesses, enabling her to develop a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) that was ultimately deployed Army wide.

“Anne’s impact on risk and audit activities has provided a decisive impact in ensuring accountability of PEO programs,” said Brig. Gen. Ed Barker, PEO IEW&S. “Her willingness to jump in and serve as a pioneer for ACC development has been key for PEO IEW&S and the greater Army community, whom she has shared insights on the program with.”

After serving in the U.S. Army and a stint in the private sector, Decker has spent the last 14 years as an Army civilian. The Individual Achievement Award for Audits is her first major civilian award. It recognizes the significant impact she has made in improving Risk RMIC processes not only in PEO IEW&S, but across the Army community as well.