ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD, UNITED STATES
03.17.2021
Story by John Higgins 
Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors

The Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) community consists of thousands of personnel across more than five continental states with personnel overseas supporting the mission.

Even in the time of COVID, members of this team have continued the work of providing the best possible equipment, from prototyping to fielding across the face of the Earth.

This year, three members of Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S) were recognized for their skill, expertise and achievements with C5ISR’s Top Ten Personnel of the Year Award.

Raymond “Mike” Hartley, a General Engineer with Project Manager Positioning Navigation and Timing (PM PNT), was key in using Army Futures Command’s first ever Directed Requirement: the Mounted Assured Positioning System, or MAPS. Hartley devised a an acquisition strategy for MAPS Generation II that created competition between three industry partners with astonishing speed, outpacing milestones even while gathering Soldier Touch Points ensuring products met a critical standard: Soldiers’ needs.

Hartley also implemented daily health checks and accountability while running test operations at White Sands Missile Range, ensuring his team’s wellbeing and lives while they worked.

Finally, Hartley led the Other Transaction Authority (OTA) evaluation, coordinating with the Assured Positioning Navigation and Timing Cross Functional Team (APNT CFT), U.S. Army Capability Manager Tactical Radios, I Corps, Communications-Electronics Command, PEO Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS), PEO Combat Support & Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS), the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), and the Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to ensure both equity and to mitigate downstream issues.

“Mr. Hartley is an agile and adaptive acquisition leader. His prior experience in the formation of the Army Futures Command enabled him to execute tactical level actions nested within operational and strategic objectives without hesitation,” said Col. Nick Kioutas, PM for PNT. “Mike represents the key attributes necessary for success in today’s fast moving acquisition environment. His attention to detail, superior technical skills, and work ethic are a model for the workforce. Through his efforts, the Army is significantly better postured to combat emerging and proliferating threats in Joint Multi-Domain Operations.”

Eugene Lehman, an Electronics Engineer and Lead Systems Engineer with Project Director, Sensors-Aerial Intelligence, closed out a career spanning three decades with the DoD this year after providing strategic direction to the storied Special Operations Command (SOCOM) out of Fort MacDill, Fla., coordinating requirements for Special Mission Aircraft, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Joint Special Operations Air Component (JSOAC) and international requirements.

Among many other achievements, Lehman was key in creating an Acquisition Requirements Package and source selections that allowed more than 100 contractors to continue the SOCOM mission with no interruptions.

Christian Keller, Lehman’s former supervisor for more than seven years and current friend, has known Lehman since PEO IEW&S was operating out of Fort Monmouth, said “He’s one of the hardest working guys I’ve ever worked with.”

“He put in a lot of time,” said Keller, “he was on the road a lot for the last ten years working with C5ISR to do the job. Now he’s moving back [to New Jersey] for a well-earned retirement; more time and opportunity to be with his family.”

“For me, this award is really a culmination of many many years of fine work,” said Keller.

Noel Osborne, Chief of Operations, PEO IEW&S, manages a diverse team of 20 civilians and support contractors to make the PEO function. He spearheads a far ranging set of competencies to include current/future operations, Chief Information Officer, Security, Public/Congressional Affairs, Protocol, Graphics as well as Industry Affairs.

In 2020, Osborne spearheaded key initiatives involving PEO IEW&S and counterparts in PEO Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, ATEC, the Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate (I2WD).

Osborne was key in standing up Acquisition Lead Time forums, a new monthly event that allowed more than 600 present and future industry partners to directly interface with key leaders and subject matter experts in PEO IEW&S and Army Contracting Command (ACC) expanding their knowledge base of Soldier needs.

Finally, Osborne was selected as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Point of Contact to ensure the safety and health of more than 2000 members of PEO IEW&S, first by guiding the transition of a majority of the organization to remote working and second by tracking any personnel exposed to the virus across four states. Through his efforts the impact of the virus was drastically minimized and new employees were smoothly on-boarded.

“In the past year, Noel’s leadership and dedication were key to ensuring continuity of operations for our large and geographically dispersed organization in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic,” said Kyle Perkins, PEO IEW&S Chief of Staff. “The ability for PEO IEW&S to continue to provide critical systems to Soldiers in the field while adhering to all COVID safety precautions is a direct result of Noel’s passion for the mission”