2017 US Black Engineer & Information Technology | VETERANS - VOL. 41, NO. 4

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BRINGING TECHNOLOGY HOME TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY

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Publisher’s Page

COVER STORY

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Top Blacks in the U.S. Military and Department of Defense Senior Executive Service Active generals from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard and members of the federal Senior Executive Service Defense

FEATURE

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General Lengyel’s Four Dreams Career exposure, citizen-warrior, continuous change, and second chances

Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel Chief National Guard Bureau

Generals on the move STEM Programs Support & Encourage

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TS Vo l u m e 4 1 N u m b e r 4 PROFILES IN INNOVATION

People and Events .......................... 6 Generals on the Move, Upcoming Professional Military Events

One on One ...................................10 Gen. James McConville on the Army’s readiness

BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps ....................................14 The Department of Defense has long supported STEM education and outreach activities throughout the nation.

Corporate Life ...............................16 One of the biggest challenges faced by many veterans is finding employment after leaving the military.

Career Voices ................................18 Supporting young people is an ambition that many organization’s claim. BEYA Stars and Stripes doesn’t just make the claim, it has a two-prong approach.

EDUCATION

Book Review .................................76 50 Must-Read books on U.S. military history and leadership, communications, team building, and conflict resolution.

Leading Voices ..............................78  Jem Pagan explores new ways to measure Diversity.  John W. Morgan advocates best practices that are a good fit anywhere.  Dr. Michael Spencer takes us out with the Last Firewall.

PUBLISHER’S PAGE Top Blacks in the Military

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t’s the end of another year, and US Black Engineer magazine presents its annual profiles of active duty U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force; Homeland Security’s Coast Guard; and Reserve component Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and Homeland Security’s Coast Guard Reserve members.

The total number of military personnel is over 3.5 million strong.

The Army has the largest number of active duty members (487,366), followed by the Navy (323,334), the Air Force (307,326), and the Marine Corps (183,417).

According to the recent demographics report and profile of the military community prepared for the Department of Defense, across all service branches, members who report themselves as White make up the highest percentage of active duty officers (77.2%), while members who report themselves as Black or African American make up 9.1 percent.

Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander officers make up 4.7 percent, 0.6 percent, and 0.5 percent of active duty officers, respectively.

However, although fewer than one-third (31.3%), or 407,563, of active duty members identify as a racial minority (i.e., Black or African American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other), the percentage of active duty members who identify themselves as a racial minority has increased each year since 2012-from 31.6% of enlisted members and 21.9% of officers in 2012 to 33.2% of enlisted members and 22.8% of officers in 2015.

Members who report themselves as White represent the largest proportion of the total Department of Defense force (70.7%), while Black or African American members represent 17 percent. Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander members make up 4.0 percent, 1.1 percent, and 0.9 percent, respectively. Over two percent (2.5%) of members report themselves as multi-racial.

Women, who number 201,413, comprise 15.5 percent of the DoD active-duty force, while 1,100,030 men comprise 84.5 percent of the DoD active-duty force. The percentage of female military personnel has increased from 15.4 percent in 2000 to 16.8 percent in 2015.

Compared to 2000, the percentage of total active duty members who have a bachelor’s and/or an advanced degree increased. The majority (83.8%) of officers have a bachelor’s or higher degree.

Forty percent of the total force is 25 years of age or younger, the 2015 profile on the U.S. military community notes. The largest number of officers in the Army and Navy are 41 years of age or older, while the largest number of officers in the Marine Corps and Air Force are between the ages of 26 and 30 years.

The ten states with the highest active-duty military populations are California (150,563), Virginia (124,197), Texas (116,549), North Carolina (99,981), Georgia (68,191), Florida (59,376), Washington (57,008), Hawaii (45,367), South Carolina (36,521), and Colorado (35,712).

CAREER OUTLOOK

Career Outlook .............................87 Cybersecurity Careers in the Military  Industry Overview  Job Horizon www.blackengineer.com

Tyrone D. Taborn Publisher and Editorial Director

USBE&IT | WINTER 2017 3

EXECUTIVE OFFICE Tyrone D. Taborn, CEO and Chief Content Officer Jean Hamilton, President and CFO Alex Venetta, Associate Publisher, Manager of Partner Services Eric Price, Vice President, Recruitment and Professional Training

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EDITORIAL AND CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Rayondon Kennedy, Managing Editor Lango Deen, Technology Editor Dr. Michael Spencer, Dean, School of Engineering, Morgan State University Dr. Gary Harris, Professor, Engineering Department, Howard University Dr. Victor McCrary, Member National Science Board Dr. Kamal Nayan Agarwal, Vice-Chairman, Modern Technology and Management Institute, Howard University Jem Pagán, Chief Technology Officer, Flatiron Strategies Michael Fletcher, Contributing Editor Gale Horton Gay, Contributing Editor Garland L. Thompson, Contributing Editor Roger Witherspoon, Contributing Editor GRAPHIC DESIGN Beverly Wladkowski, Art Director Bryan Davis, Digital Director Joe Weaver, Global Design Interactive CORPORATE AND ALUMNI RELATIONS Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd, CCG Alumni Committee Chair and President Dr. Eugene DeLoatch, Chairman, BEYA Alumni Group Vice Admiral Walter J. Davis, USN (Ret) National Chair, BEYA Military Alumni Oliver “Bo” Leslie, Retired Program Manager, Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions, Boeing Monica E. Emerson, Women of Color STEM Conference National Chair Matt Bowman, CCG Military Program Manager Stars and Stripes Committee Executive Director/Chief of Staff for VADM Walt Davis, USN (Ret.) Angela Wheeler, Manager, Foundation for Educational Development, Inc. Ty Taborn, Corporate Development Hayward Henderson, Executive Advisor to the CEO SALES AND MARKETING Gwendolyn Bethea, Vice President, Corporate Development Reginald Stewart, Sr. Business Development Manager Sheri Hewson, Account Executive Devin Oten, Senior Account Manager JOBMATCH AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Ashley Turner, University & Professional Development Relationship Manager Courtney Taborn, Talent Management Specialist Rod Carter, Recruitment Specialist, College Relations Sheila Richburg, College Coordinator Hawi Sorsu, Administrative Support CONFERENCE AND EVENTS Ana Bertrand, Conference Coordinator Toni Robinson, 360 MMG Rutherford & Associate INTERNS Markele Cullins, University of Maryland Baltimore County Rachael DeVore, University of Maryland Baltimore County Nicolette Riggin, University of Maryland Baltimore County Yogesh Sharma, University of Maryland Baltimore County Kathleen Walters, University of Maryland Baltimore County ADVERTISING SALES OFFICE Career Communications Group, Inc. 729 E. Pratt Street, Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: (410) 244-7101 / Fax: (410) 752-1837

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US Black Engineer & Information Technology (ISSN 1088-3444) is a publication devoted to engineering, science, and technology and to promoting opportunities in those fields.

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PROFILES IN INNOVATION

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

Compiled by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

GENERALS ON THE MOVE Gen. Dennis L. Via, U.S. Army (Ret.)

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eneral Dennis L. Via, U.S. Army (Ret.) has joined Booz Allen as a Senior Executive Advisor and Fellow for Defense Futures, a position representing the highest level of achievement and impact in the industry and at the firm. In his role as Fellow, Gen. Via, an expert in defense, military readiness, and capability development, will help defense, intelligence, and homeland security clients meet the complexities of today’s evolving threat and budgetary environments. He will also help formulate the firm’s future business strategy for the defense market.

Lieutenant General Bruce T. Crawford is the new Army Chief Information Officer/G-6. His new three-star rank and command were confirmed by the Senate in August. As Chief Information Officer, Lt. Gen. Crawford oversees the Army’s $10 billion information technology investments, manages enterprise IT architecture, establishes and enforces IT policies, and directs delivery of operational C4IT capabilities to support war fighters and business users. As the G-6, he advises the Chief of Staff of the Army on the network, communications,

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signal operations, information security, force structure, and equipping.

Major General Michael Calhoun, the Adjutant General of Florida, led 7,000 men and women of the Florida National Guard, who served during Hurricane Irma. A state of emergency was declared in Florida’s 67 counties, which allowed for activation of the Guard in preparation for the storm. A graduate of Florida A&M, Maj. Gen. Calhoun is the senior military advisor to the governor and is responsible for the management, readiness, and mobilization of both U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force elements of the Florida National Guard.

Major General Darrell K. Williams is now officially Lieutenant General. Lt. Gen. Williams is the director of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). He provides leadership for the Defense Department’s combat support agency for worldwide logistics. LTG Williams directs nine supply chains supporting the U.S. military as well as federal, state, local, and international partners. DLA provides food, medical material, uniforms, construction equipment, 98 percent of the Defense www.blackengineer.com

Maj. Gen. Michael Calhoun

Lt. Gen. Bruce T. Crawford

Department’s fuel, and the majority of the spare parts for military weapons systems. He also oversees the National Defense Stockpile, an international network of 25 distribution centers, as well as the department’s process for reverse logistics. He leads a global expeditionary workforce of over 25,000 military members and civilians.

Morgan State University alum Raymond Scott Dingle was promoted Brigadier General at Fort Myer, VA, making him the 16th General Officer to graduate from the historically Black college in Maryland.

In 1979 Morgan State University produced its first general officer, Brigadier General George M. Brooks. Some years ago, the National Society of Pershing Rifles Alumni Association honored Morgan graduates who had retired as general officers in the United States military. The honorees included Four-Star General Larry R. Ellis, ’69, U.S. Army (Ret.); Four-Star General William E. “Kip” Ward, ’71, U.S. Army (Ret.); Maj. Gen. Arthur T. Dean, ’67, U.S. Army (Ret.); Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Prather, Jr., ’62, U.S. Army (Ret.); Lt. Gen. Allen E. Chandler, M.D., FAAP, ’57, U.S. Army (Ret.); Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, ’73, U.S. Army (Ret.); and Brig. Gen. Avon C. James, ’51, U.S. Air Force (Ret.). S

Mark Your CALENDAR Brig. Gen. R. Scott Dingle

Maj. Gen. Darrell K. Williams Lt. Gen. Darrell K. Williams

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Air Force Association Event: Air Warfare Symposium Date: February 21-23,2018 Place: Orlando, Florida National Naval Officers Association Event: Professional Development and Training Symposium Date: Aug. 7-9, 2018.

Place: Renaissance Portsmouth-Norfolk Waterfront Hotel in Portsmouth, Virginia National Guard Association of the United States Event: 140th General Conference & Exhibition Date: August 24-27, 2018 Place: New Orleans, Louisiana Association of the United States Army Event: Annual Meeting and Exposition Date: 8-10 October 2018 Place: Walter E. Washington Convention Center WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 7

ONE ON ONE

by Ebony N. Calhoun Public Affairs Officer

ARMY’S VICE CHIEF OF STAFF ON ARMY READINESS

General James C. McConville 36th Vice Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army

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www.blackengineer.com

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eadiness is the Army’s number one priority! While we’ve heard this in various speeches and seen this in many publications, one is often left to wonder what that means.

General James C. McConville, the 36th Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, believes readiness encompasses much more than just the individual soldier’s ability to fight and deploy. Readiness is a careful balance of manning, equipping, training, and leader development to ensure the Army is able to fight and win in both current and future battles.

While the Army’s readiness efforts are multifaceted, McConville identifies Army modernization and improved personnel management as two specific areas that are critical to meeting the Army’s goals.

The Army modernization strategy not only looks to bring new capabilities to the force, it aims to restructure how the Army provides these capabilities to the warfighter. Charged by the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army to lead the latest efforts in modernization and acquisition reform, McConville is uniquely positioned to work with the Undersecretary of the Army, Ryan McCarthy, to see these efforts through.

The foundation of the Army’s modernization strategy is the stand-up of cross-functional teams. These teams bring seasoned warfighters, science and technology experts, and acquisition professionals together to streamline the requirements development process.

“We need to get new technology into the hands of soldiers faster,” says McConville. “This is how we’re getting after it.”

The CFTs are organized along the lines of the Army’s modernization priorities, focusing development efforts on long-range precision fires, next-generation combat vehicles, future vertical lift, the network, air and missile defense, and soldier lethality.

With a new direct line approach, CFTs are able to cut through the bureaucracy that characterizes the Army’s current resourcing model while quickly identifying requirements and empowering the science and technology community to employ creative solutions to maintain a competitive www.blackengineer.com

“The Army’s most important weapon is its people,” says McConville. “Where the other services may man equipment, what we do is equip the soldiers, the women and men who are the Army.”

advantage over potential adversaries.

Where the introduction of CFTs aims to maximize the quality and speed at which the Army brings equipment to soldiers, changes in personnel management simultaneously look to maximize the talent of people.

Unlike other services, which base their formations on aircraft carriers, ships, and airplanes, the basic building block of the Army is the soldier.

“The Army’s most important weapon is its people,” says McConville.

“Where the other services may man equipment, what we do is equip the soldiers, the women and men who are the Army.”

Most recently employed as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G1, McConville spearheaded efforts to reform the Army’s industrial-age personnel management system into a 21st century talent management system. As the Vice Chief of Staff, he continues to champion those efforts. Rather than simply managing a soldier by their rank and military skills, the new talent management system seeks to define them by multiple variables and to place them in positions that maximize their talents.

According to McConville, talent management looks at the total soldier and ensures they are in the right place to be most effective for the Army.

McConville says, “We have to look at the countries they have visited, the language skills they have, if they are airborne or air assault qualified, how many combat deployments they have, how many flying hours they have and in which types of aircraft, and their certifications and hobbies. We will have a much better idea

of what talents a Soldier can contribute.”

He adds, “As we look to change how we are assigning our people, we can’t ignore that knowing what the soldier wants to do and where they want to go is significantly important. Their vote should count. An engaged and interested officer, noncommissioned officer or soldier is crucial to mission success.”

McConville believes that by embracing the diversity of skills and experiences soldiers possess, the Army will benefit both the soldier and the service.

This new model for talent management is especially important as the Army looks to implement the six modernization priorities. The Army is looking to expand its ranks, and it wants leaders who, like McConville, have a background in the hard sciences.

Engineers, particularly systems engineers who can help integrate capabilities, will be critical to ensuring the success of the Army’s modernization and readiness efforts.

“As we look at the demographics moving forward, our country’s diversity is going to continue to grow. The demographics are changing as we go forward. And we’re going to need to reflect those demographics, and we need to start right now.”

The Army’s modernization campaign is an ambitious undertaking, but there is no one more uniquely postured to guide that campaign than General McConville. He believes in the effort, he believes in the Army, and he believes in the talent of the young men and women who will join the effort in the years to come. S WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 11

Practical Answers for a Complicated World

Leidos is a global science and technology leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in engineering, science, and information technology.

Thousands of former military professionals have joined our diverse workforce to support vital missions and help make the world safer, healthier, and more efficient for generations to come.

Leidos is a proud supporter of BEYA, the United States Army, and the 13th annual Stars and Stripes dinner. leidos.com/MVP

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BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS

FIRST STEPS

By Gale Horton Gay ghorton@ccgmag.com

STEM PROGRAMS SUPPORT & ENCOURAGE

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t comes as no surprise that the United States military recognizes the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and is a supporter of programs that foster learning and growth in these disciplines.

However, the extent to which the Department of Defense is engaged in encouraging and supporting students of all ages about STEM may be surprising.

“The Department of Defense has long supported STEM education and outreach activities throughout the nation,” states the DoD’s STEM website. “The Army, Navy, Air Force and other DoD agencies (i.e. - Missile Defense Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, etc.) each bring unique skills and activities to the DoD STEM enterprise. Whether it’s through an immersive STEM educator program at the United States Naval Academy or a hands-on STEM summer camp at an Army laboratory, DoD services and agencies share a common goal: build a STEMliterate culture, inspire the next generation to the wonders of STEM, and attract the best and brightest to our elite workforce.”

Eighty percent of future jobs will require STEM skills.

Rodney C. Adkins, senior vice president of IBM’s Systems & Technology Group, wrote an article in Forbes, published in 2012, titled “America Desperately Needs More STEM Students. Here’s How to Get Them.” In it, he explained: “First, we need to increase the size of the STEM education pipeline by maintaining an enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and math throughout high school and college,” the Forbes article states. “Our youngest students show an interest in STEM subjects, but the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology has concluded that roughly 40% of college students planning to major in engineering and science end up switching to other subjects. How important is it to increase the retention rate of STEM majors in U.S. colleges?

STEM-related degrees represent only about a third of all the bachelor’s degrees awarded in the U.S. In Japan, China and Singapore, that ratio is more than one in two.”

Officials with DoD STEM make it clear that they seek to “attract, inspire, and develop exceptional STEM talent across the education continuum and advance the current DoD STEM workforce to meet future defense technological challenges.”

“The Department of Defense recognizes the importance of STEM talent in transforming new ideas into innovative solutions,” said Adam Stump, a Defense Department spokesman.

“Our hope is that these programs inspire students of all ages and backgrounds to become the next generation of scientists and engineers who will ensure the nation’s technical superiority in an ever more complex world.”

In fact, the DoD STEM website (dodstem.us) lists more 14 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

than 50 STEM programs (courses, scholarships, internships, etc.) for elementary through college students, including the following: • Advanced Course in Cyber Security Bootcamp • The College Qualified Leaders (CQL) program matches practicing DoD scientists with talented college students to create a direct mentor–student relationship, providing participants with training that is unparalleled at most colleges. CQL students receive firsthand research experience and exposure to DoD laboratories.

• The High School Apprenticeship Program provides high school juniors and seniors with an authentic science and engineering research experience alongside university researchers sponsored by the Army. Students are expected to develop skills in critical science and engineering research areas in a university lab setting to prepare them for the next steps of their educational and professional career.

• Junior Solar Sprint is a free educational program for fifth- through eighth-grade students in which they design, build, and race solar-powered cars using hands-on engineering skills and principles of science and math.

• The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program is an eight-week, paid high school apprenticeship opportunity at one of the nearly 30 Army and Navy laboratories and facilities. Students gain real-world, hands-on experience and research skills while being exposed to DoD science and technology.

• The Summer Intern Program for Science and Technology is a full-time, 12-week summer internship program that is open to college juniors who are concentrating their studies in the disciplines of computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, network engineering, software engineering, or telecommunications.

• The Air Force Young Investigator Research Program supports scientists and engineers who have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees in the last five years and show exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research.

• DoD programs offer career opportunities as well as the need for more STEM-skilled individuals: • Eighty-one percent of the programs’ Smart Scholars were employed after service commitments.

• Forty-six percent of the engineers and scientists employed by the federal government work for the Department of Defense.

• Eighty percent of future jobs will require STEM skills.

At dodstem.us, there’s also a blog with up-to-date information on programs, events, and activities, such as the November 2, 2017, post about the Girl Scouts of the USA and Palo Alto Network holding an event in honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month on Capitol Hill on October 24. The site also reported on the U.S. Navy Girls Only STEM Day on October 14, 2017, in Annapolis, MD, involving girls in Washington, DC; New York; and New Jersey. S www.blackengineer.com

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BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS

by Denise Stephens editors@ccgmag.com

CORPORATE LIFE

WHAT’S THE AMERICAN EQUIVALENT OF LIFE ON CIVVY STREET?

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ne of the biggest challenges faced by many veterans is finding employment after leaving the military. The stress of rejection, indifference, and the economic necessity of finding employment can be depressing. However, being resilient, having clarity, and having a good support system can help veterans through this difficult process.

The first key to a successful job search is being resilient.

According to Michael Black, Chief Operating Officer at JMA Solutions and a retired Air Force colonel with 26 years of experience, resiliency was important when he was “trying to figure out what was going to be next and how I was going to put my process together as far as where I was going to go.” It helped him “not settle for the first offer that was out there.”

“Things will not work out the way you want them to always…have a plan and have a team,” advises Florent Groberg, director of Veterans Outreach and Eastern Region Community Engagement at Boeing, a retired Army captain and Medal of Honor recipient. He continues, “Sometimes it will be difficult, sometimes you will be lost, but if you keep doing what you’re supposed to do, just like in the military, which is accomplish the task…and you have that right team around you, you will succeed.”

The second key is having clarity. This is achieved by perpetually learning and being adaptable. As you go through the process of finding employment, you will discover things about yourself. Chad Pollack, Chief of Staff of Global Operational Risks and Oversight at American Express, a former

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naval submarine Officer, says as you go through the process, you “learn more about yourself, how to further develop your brand, perform better in interviews, and learn what you want to do or don’t want to do.” These discoveries are a result of analyzing why you turned down an offer or were excited about a position or company and are useful for determining your ultimate goal.

The third key is having a good support system. Your support system can be mentors, colleagues, or professional acquaintances. The key is to meet and talk to people who can offer you advice, make relevant introductions, and encourage you through the process. Powell, understanding that many people are reluctant to network, explains, “It’s just talking to people…everyone is a person, we can all relate, we all have the similar fears, concerns, and insecurities.”

Groberg believes that leaders in the military have a duty to professionally develop their teams and to help prepare them for transitioning out of the military. He discussed Boeing’s three-prong system for helping veterans: a workforce transition and development program for all veterans, community outreach to help veterans who are having a difficult time with the transition, and employees volunteering with veteran organizations. However, Groberg also feels it is the responsibility of military personnel to request professional development and seek help regarding transitioning.

At American Express, Powell is dedicated to improving their hiring process for veterans. Although it is a financial

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“Things will not work out the way you want them to always…have a plan and have a team. Sometimes it will be difficult, sometimes you will be lost, but if you keep doing what you’re supposed to do, just like in the military, which is accomplish the task…and you have that right team around you, you will succeed..” company, the development of applications and web-based tools has led to a demand for STEM professionals at American Express. For his part, Black is an advocate for hiring veterans and regularly speaks to organizations about the benefits of hiring them.

“It’s about relationships,” says Black about job hunting.

These relationships are the only difference between you

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and other qualified candidates competing for the same job; they “will be the tie-breaker or get your foot in the door,” concluded Black, who has received job offers based on the recommendations of mentors and colleagues who knew he was looking for employment. S

WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 17

BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS CAREER VOICES

by Gale Horton Gay Contributing Editor

HOW MENTORING WORKS WITH BEYA STARS AND STRIPES

S

upporting young people is an ambition that many organizations claim. BEYA Stars and Stripes doesn’t just make the claim; it has a two-pronged approach to providing young people with meaningful guidance through mentoring.

Walter Davis, who serves as chairman of the Stars and Stripes Committee and is a retired deputy chief of naval operations, recalls coworkers and friends asking him and other high-ranking military personnel to talk to and advise their children as well as request letters of recommendations from them.

“Let’s take that to youth that don’t normally have that opportunity,” said Davis of the impetus for starting the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Pre-Dinner Mentoring Program and the Sustained Mentoring Program.

Both programs seek to bolster young people’s interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and the careers and opportunities that exist in those fields.

Jesse McCurdy, director/ coordinator of the Sustained Mentoring Program, said it was determined that students need more than once-a-year contact with mentors. Instead of waiting to see young people only at the annual BEYA events, the mentors—mostly retired military

and civilians—go where the students are during the school year.

Young people who teachers and school officials identify as having “a decent grade point average,” potential, and an interest Adm. (Ret.) Anthony Winns in STEM meet with the mentors. The mentors share the realities of working in various STEM careers, difficulties they encountered, salary information, courses to take in college, ways to finance college, and more, McCurdy said.

“We try to visit the schools once a month,” McCurdy said of the visits that start in November and continue until the end of the school year.

One of the students McCurdy said has benefitted greatly from the Sustained Mentoring Program attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. He’s currently a sophomore at Yale University working on a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Four schools in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, as well as two schools in Philadelphia, are involved in the program.

The mentors also arrange for speakers at the schools and often participate in career or STEM day events.

The four-year-old program currently has 10 mentors (two to three per school), but McCurdy would like to recruit more.

McCurdy pointed out the mentors —many are retirees—

Jesse McCurdy

Captain Toni Bowden and Lieutenant Commander Melissa Troncoso visited the BEYA Sustained Mentoring Program to enlighten, encourage and inspire more than 30 young people in Suitland Senior High School’s Naval Junior ROTC program. All the students who attended are on the fast track to college with a desire to major in STEM disciplines.

18 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

www.blackengineer.com

Sustained Mentoring Program group at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. Adults from left are Jesse McCurdy, Dr. Evan Glazer (principal at the time), school counselor Andrea Smith and mentor Joan Hughes.

are former high-ranking officials—admirals, generals, and members of the Senior Executive Service.

“They make the time to do it,” said McCurdy of the retirees.

Three hours before the glitz of the BEYA dinner, hundreds of students are connecting with and being advised by leaders in the military and government.

The Pre-Dinner Mentoring Program, which began in 2011 with about a hundred students and mentors, now brings together approximately 400 students from Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia and 200 mentors, According to Anthony Winns, chairman of the Mentorship Committee and a founder and a member of the Stars and Stripes Committee, for two hours the students attend different sessions in which they hear from the mentors in group as well as more personal settings. One session is similar to speed dating in which students rotate from mentor to mentor getting advice about career paths, overcoming challenges, courses to take in college, and more. Another session gives the students the opportunity to approach and have a discussion with any of the mentors.

“This mentoring program provides an opportunity to influence our youth across the country to continue to be successful in life,” said Winns.

Oftentimes a mentor and mentee will have a special connection that will extend beyond the event.

That happened for Winns, a retired vice admiral, when he met a 10th grader one year. Winns took the student under his wing and mentored him, and eventually the student interned at Lockheed Martin, where Winns currently serves as chief executive, Middle East and Africa Region. The student now is www.blackengineer.com

“Supporting young people is an ambition that many organizations claim.

BEYA Stars and Stripes doesn’t just make the claim; it has a two-pronged approach to providing young people with meaningful guidance through mentoring.”

a high school senior with acceptance letters from five colleges and an interest in becoming an aeronautic engineer.

“He’s going to do great,” said Winns proudly. “He’s a rising influencer in this country.

He points out that the mentors represent a broad spectrum of careers, including military personnel, astronauts, NCIS leaders, comptrollers, government officials, and representatives of the departments of agriculture and energy, CIA, FBI, and others.

Looking back to the program’s early days, when the first program had 75 students and 35 mentors, Winns is pleased with its progress and the work done by a committee of 10 dedicated volunteers.

“I think the program has evolved; 2018 will be our eighth session,” said Winns. “We have been making a difference.” S WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 19

GENERAL LENGYEL’S FOUR DREAMS Career exposure, citizen-warrior, continuous change, and second chances

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

General Joseph L. Lengyel

28th Chief of the National Guard Bureau

Based on a speech presented by Gen. Lengyel at the Stars & Stripes Dinner

20 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

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or General Joseph J Lengyel, 28th Chief of the National Guard, inspiring kids to dream is very important. As Lengyel explains, “Kids clearly are our greatest national resource. As a military guy, they clearly are our most complex and most important weapons system. We can’t do anything to keep our nation safe without them.” Therefore, “Inspiring dreams among them to succeed in career fields of STEM that help all of us do our jobs better…is very important.”

“There are four separate dreams I’ve seen in my life and career: exposure, citizenwarrior, continuous change, and second chances,” explains Lengyel.

“I was exposed to the military and flying airplanes my whole life. When I was 8 years old, I wanted to be a fighter pilot when I watched two F105s taxi on the runway.”

Lengyel continues, “It was the coolest fighter I ever saw in my life. I knew right then. I said, ‘Man, that’s cool. I am gonna do that.’”

That’s the exposure model, where people see and emulate what is around them.

“I’ve talked to kids. Their parents are in the Navy…Marine Corps…the Army…. We have these kids—that’s what they want to do, that’s the example they’ve seen, they’ll excel in STEM, they’re interested, and that’s a good thing for us,” says Lengyel.

The second is the citizen-warrior model. This is the model of the 800,000 men and women wearing uniforms in our Department of Defense across all the services and who live two lives. “This is a dream model that is an amazing opportunity and unique to the reserve component particular to the National Guard,” Lengyel continues.

www.blackengineer.com

“These people are citizens and professionals in that life and warriors and military members in another life, and sometimes their skillsets align; doctors are doctors in both worlds.”

These make sense to everyone, but the ones that Lengyel finds interesting are the ones that don’t make sense, such as the person whose civilian life is completely different from their military life, like the 2016 Sullivan Cup winners for the best tank crew in the Army.

They were a National Guard crew from North Carolina made up of a truck driver, a college student, a police officer, and an insurance adjuster as the tank commander.

The third model is the continuous change dream. This the story of Brigadier General David Hambler, a BEYA award winner. Hambler has had a varied career. He started as a marine biologist but decided that was not the

career for him. His next dream was to become a dentist, but after a few years of practice, he returned to school to become a medical doctor. He was inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen to join the National Guard and then to become a reconstructive surgeon. He is also the doctor for multiple professional sports teams in Minnesota. Dr. Brigadier General Hambler is a great example that dreams can change and lead you to unexpected heights.

The last model is the second chance dream. The National Guard Youth Challenge Program is the best illustration of this. General Lengyel explains, “Everyone is not blessed with equal opportunity to see a positive future.” The program takes at-risk kids and gives them a possibility for the future. It uses the military model of rising early, physical training, academics, and community service to foster

discipline. General Lengyel continues, “These kids see they can succeed, that they can have dreams.”

One of the program’s success stories is Victor Anwelo. Anwelo immigrated from Nigeria when he was 10 years old. He was in trouble with drugs and gangs by 14. After Anwelo’s father enrolled him in the Youth Challenge Program, he found himself and his dream. Anwelo graduated from Howard University with a degree in computer information systems, works for Microsoft, and has his own foundation for at-risk youth. His new dream is to be president of Nigeria, and General Lengyel says, “I wouldn’t bet against him.”

“It’s an important endeavor… inspiring dreams,” Lengyel concludes.

“Dreams are powerful things. It was a beacon in my life when I knew what I wanted to do.” S

“Everyone is not blessed with equal opportunity to see a positive future. The program takes at-risk kids and gives them a possibility for the future. It uses the military model of rising early, physical training, academics, and community service to foster discipline. These kids see they can succeed, that they can have dreams.”

Gen. Lengyel gestures as he keynotes the BEYA 2016 Stars and Stripes Dinner during the BEYA STEM Conference. Seated are founding fathers of the Stars and Stripes committee, which is led by veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and senior executives of the federal civil service.

www.blackengineer.com

WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 21

INGENUITY HAS N O B A R R I E R S. SAIC is committed to employing a diverse workforce across the country. We provide technical, engineering, intelligence and information technology solutions for our customers.

18-0540 | SAIC COMMUNICATIONS

Join us. saic.com/collegerecruiting to learn more.

Š SAIC. All rights reserved.

The Aerospace Corporation is proud to support the

Sustained Mentoring Program group at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. Adults from left are Jesse McCurdy, Dr. Evan Glazer (principal at the time), school counselor Andrea Smith and mentor Joan Hughes.

2018 BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference We congratulate our team members

Dr. David B. Mayo Michelle A. Carter Idriys R. Harris and all of this year’s award winners.

Explore Aerospace www.aerospace.org

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

24 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

www.blackengineer.com

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military In November 2017, the White House asked the nation to set aside the month surrounding Veterans Day to hold observances around the country that honor those whose service and sacrifice represent the best of America.

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uring National Veterans and Military Families Month, USBE magazine renewed its commitment to support veterans and military families by honoring their significant contributions on USBE Online. The annual USBE veterans magazine issue highlights that celebration of patriotic black men and women in the armed forces and senior executives in the U.S. Department of Defense. or more than a decade, the aim of USBE’s list of Black generals in the military and top executives in federal Senior Executive Service has been to instill in young people the belief that they, too can make a difference through service as we promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers and jobs in the armed forces and the uniting vision that the success of the United States depends on them.

This year’s lineup of top leaders in the military and the defense department not only provide readers with information on who’s who in defense but the possibility of meeting these outstanding Americans at the annual BEYA Stars and Stripes mentoring panel, which offers insights into career opportunities in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps, as well as STEM jobs in the Department of Defense.

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WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 25

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

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GEN. VINCENT BROOKS

Commander, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea

Gen. Vincent Brooks is the commander of United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/ United States Forces Korea. During his more than 37 years as a commissioned officer, Gen. Brooks has been privileged to command in the field numerous times, including two companies in Germany; a battalion in Korea near the demilitarized zone; a brigade based in the U.S. but forward-deployed to Kosovo; two divisions, including one forward-deployed to Iraq; and two theater armies, one covering the Middle East and Central Asia and the other the Indo-Asia Pacific region. Gen. Brooks also served twice in the headquarters of the Department of the Army as a staff officer and principal adviser to the Army’s most senior leaders and once in the Joint Staff advising the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Secretary of Defense on strategy and policy. Gen. Brooks is one of eleven four-star Army generals on active duty, and he is only the eighth African American to attain the four-star level in the Army’s history.

A son and brother of two Army generals, General Vincent Brooks is part of the first (and currently only) African-American family to produce three generals in two generations of service. A 1980 graduate of the U. S. Military Academy, he was selected to the top-ranking position for a cadet and was the first African American to be selected for this position in West Point’s history.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy, a Master of Military Art and Science from the School of Advanced Military Studies at the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the New England School of Law. He also served as a National Security Fellow at the Harvard University JFK School of Government.

LT. GEN. GWEN BINGHAM

Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management Headquarters, Department of the Army

Lt. Gen. Gwen Bingham is a native of Troy, AL. She graduated from Army ROTC as a Distinguished Military Graduate from the University of Alabama in August 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in general business management. She was commissioned 26 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

a Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. Lieutenant General Bingham has a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree in national security strategy and resources from the National Defense University. Lieutenant General Bingham has attended numerous training schools and is the recipient of military and civic awards and decorations. She has served in a myriad of staff and leadership positions throughout her career in both the United States and overseas. Lieutenant General Bingham deployed in 2010 in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom while serving as Special Assistant to the Commanding General, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; Kabul, Afghanistan; and Kandahar, Afghanistan. Lieutenant General Bingham has been a trailblazer serving as the first woman to hold numerous positions as a General Officer. They include the Army’s 51st Quartermaster General and Commandant of the U.S. Army Quartermaster School, Fort Lee, VA; the Commanding General, White Sands Missile Range, NM; and Commanding General, Tankautomotive, and Armaments Life-cycle Management Command, Warren, MI. On June 30, 2016, she was confirmed by the Senate for promotion to Lieutenant General and assignment in the Pentagon as the Army Assistant Chief of Staff, Installation Management.

LT. GEN. BRUCE CRAWFORD

Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G-6 Headquarters Department of the Army, Chief Information Officer

Lt. Gen. Bruce Crawford became the Army Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G-6 on August 1, 2017.

As the CIO, LTG Crawford reports directly to the Secretary of the Army, setting strategic direction and objectives for the Army network, and supervises all Army C4 (command, control, communications, and computers) and Information Technology (IT) functions. He also oversees the Army’s $10 billion IT investments, manages enterprise IT architecture, establishes and enforces IT policies, and directs delivery of operational C4IT capabilities to support warfighters and business users. As the G-6, he advises the Chief of Staff of the Army on the network, communications, signal operations, information www.blackengineer.com

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

U.S. ARMY

security, force structure, and equipping. A native of Columbia, SC, LTG Crawford was commissioned through South Carolina State University’s Reserve Officer Training Corps program on May 28, 1986, after graduating as a Distinguished Military Graduate with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering. He also holds a Master of Science in administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. During his 31 years of service, LTG Crawford has served in a variety of leadership positions at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. In his previous assignment, he served as a Special Assistant to the Director of the Army Staff, Pentagon, Washington, DC. Prior to that, he served as the 14th Commander, U.S. Army CommunicationsElectronics Command and Aberdeen Proving Ground Senior Mission Commander, Aberdeen, MD. Prior to that, he served in the posts of J6, Director of C4/ Cyber and Chief Information Officer, U.S. European Command; Commanding General, 5th Signal Command (Theater); and G-6, U.S. Army Europe in Wiesbaden, Germany. His command assignments include the 516th Signal Brigade, Fort Shafter, HI; 82nd Signal Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq; and B Company, 51st Signal Battalion, 35th Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, NC.

LT. GEN. MICHAEL GARRETT

Commanding General, U.S. Army Central, Coalition Forces Land Component Command

Lt. Gen. Michael Garrett is Commanding General of U.S. Army Central located at Shaw Air Force Base, SC. He received his commission in 1984 in the Infantry upon graduating from Xavier University with a bachelor’s in criminal justice. LTG Garrett’s assignments include chief of staff of U.S. Central Command, commanding general of U.S. Army Alaska, joint and operational tours. Highlights include commanding 3rd Battalion 325th Infantry (Airborne), 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Afghanistan as chief of current operations, Combined Task Force 180, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

He then commanded 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division (Light), which deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Following brigade command, LTG Garrett served as deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command. Following his tour with Recruiting Command, he returned to Fort Bragg, where he served as the chief of staff, XVIII Airborne Corps. As the XVIII Airborne Corps chief of staff, he deployed www.blackengineer.com

to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn, where he served as the deputy chief of staff for United States Forces–Iraq. LTG Garrett’s education includes completion of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a prestigious Senior Service College Fellowship.

LT. GEN. CHARLES HOOPER

Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency Department of Defense

Lt. Gen. Charles Hooper is the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency and assumed the position in July 2017. Prior to his current assignment, he was the senior U.S. defense representative and defense attaché in the U.S. Embassy, Cairo, Egypt. He was director of strategy, plans, and programs, J5, United States Africa Command at Kelly Barracks, Germany; deputy director for strategic planning and policy, J-5, United States Pacific Command, Camp Smith, HI; and U.S. Defense Attaché, United States Embassy, Beijing, China. Other assignments include foreign area officer chairman at the Naval Postgraduate School; chief, Army International Affairs Division, Strategy, Plans, and Policy Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, Army Staff; and senior country director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia, Office of the Secretary of Defense. Lieutenant General Hooper was awarded the Don K. Price Award for Academic Excellence and Public Service at Harvard University and was selected to give the graduate student address at the 1989 Harvard University commencement exercise. Decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit. Lieutenant General Hooper is also fluent in Mandarin. He earned a Bachelor of Science at the U.S. Military Academy, a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University, and a Master of Science–Strategic Studies from U.S. Army War College.

LT. GEN. AUNDRE PIGGEE

Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4 (Army Logistics)

Lt. Gen. Aundre Piggee serves at the Pentagon as the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and oversees logistics policies, programs, and plans for the Army. He manages a $6 billion annual portfolio used to fund the Army’s WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 27

Top Black OďŹƒcers in the U.S. Military

U.S. ARMY

arsenals and depots, maintain equipment, and acquire supplies to ensure the Army is ready to fight any mission around the world. In his 35 years in the Army, he has commanded thousands of soldiers, held key staff positions, and deployed to Kuwait, BosniaHerzegovina, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Previously he was Director of Logistics and Engineering (J4), United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, FL, and responsible for logistics and engineering efforts in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. He spearheaded initiatives to build partner capacity in Iraq and train and equip missions in Syria and Afghanistan. He led logistics operations in Europe as the Commanding General of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command in Germany. He was responsible for joint logistics operations in South Korea as the Assistant Chief of Staff, Logistics, United States Forces Korea. He also served as Commander of the Fort Hood-based 15th Sustainment Brigade and deployed to Iraq to provide logistics support during the surge operations. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) awarded LTG Piggee an Honorary Doctorate for his outstanding leadership. He holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from the UAPB, a Master of Science in material acquisition management from Florida Institute of Technology, and a Master of Science in military strategy from the Army War College.

LT. GEN. STEPHEN TWITTY

Commanding General of First Army

Lt. Gen. Stephen Twitty has held command and staff positions at every level in all theaters of operations.

His experience includes platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division; company commander in the 24th Infantry Division; Battalion Commander, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division; Brigade Commander, 4th BCT, 1st Cavalry Division; Deputy Commanding General and Commanding General of the 1st Armored Division. LTG Twitty’s staff experience includes aidede-camp, a speechwriter in HQDA G3, JCS intern for Strategic Plans and policy; Executive Officer to the Deputy of U.S. Northern Command; Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Central; Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Communications ISAF; and the Deputy Chief of Staff G3/5/7, FORSCOM. LTG Twitty is a distinguished military graduate of South Carolina State University and holds a Master of Science degree in public administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science in national security strategy from the National Defense University. His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star Medal, Defense Superior Service 28 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Legion of Merit (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Bronze Star Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Meritorious Service Medal (5 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Joint Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Achievement Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), the Combat Infantry Badge with Star, the Expert Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Army Staff Identification Badges.

LT. GEN. NADJA WEST

Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command

Lt. Gen. Nadja West is the 44th Surgeon General of the United States Army and commanding general, U.S. Army Medical Command. Her most recent assignment was Joint Staff Surgeon at the Pentagon. As Joint Staff Surgeon, she served as the chief medical adviser to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and coordinated health services issues. Lt. Gen. West is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science in engineering. She earned a Doctorate of Medicine from George Washington University, and she completed her internship and residency in family medicine at Martin Army Hospital. Lt. Gen. West completed a second residency in dermatology at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center and the University of Colorado Medical Center. She then served as chief, Dermatology Service, at Heidelberg Army Hospital, Germany.

Lt. Gen. West has served as chief, Department of Medicine and Dermatology Service, at 121st General Hospital in Seoul, Korea, and commanded McDonald Army Community Hospital, Fort Eustis, VA. After command, she served as Deputy Commander for Integration at the National Naval Medical Center. She has commanded Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, and went on to serve as commanding general, Europe Regional Medical Command.

LT. GEN. DARRYL WILLIAMS

Commander, NATO Headquarters, Allied Land Command, Izmir, Turkey

In June 2016 Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams was appointed as the commander of NATO Headquarters Allied Land Command. Lt. Gen. Williams has served as the deputy commanding general for support, 2nd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea, and most recently as the Deputy Chief of Staff G3/5/7, United States Army Europe. Commissioned as a second lieutenant of field artillery upon graduation from the U.S. Military Academy in 1983, Lt. Gen. Williams has served as executive officer and fire direction officer, platoon www.blackengineer.com

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

U.S. ARMY

leader, and assistant operations officer.

He earned a Master of Arts in leadership development at the Military Academy and then served as the I-2 Company Tactical Officer, United States Corps of Cadets.

Williams completed the Command and General Staff College and the School of Advanced Military Studies, earning a Master of Military Art and Science. His next assignments included Army Aide to the President of the United States, 1998–2000, and commander, 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery, 4ID, Fort Hood. After earning a Master of Science degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, he was assigned as the Chief of Exercises, G-3, for U.S. Army Europe. Upon redeployment, Lt. Gen. Williams served as the deputy director for Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, HQDA G-3/5/7; commanding general, U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command; and assistant surgeon general for Warrior Care and Transition.

LT. GEN. DARRELL WILLIAMS

Commanding General, Combined Arms Support Command

Lt. Gen. Darrell Williams is the director of the Defense Logistics Agency, with headquarters in Fort Belvoir, VA. He provides strategic leadership for the Defense Department’s combat support agency for worldwide logistics. LTG Williams directs nine supply chains supporting the U.S. military as well as federal, state, local, and international partners.

The DLA provides food, medical material, uniforms, construction equipment, 98 percent of the Defense Department’s fuel, and the majority of spare parts for military weapons systems. He oversees the National Defense Stockpile, an international network of 25 distribution centers, and the Department’s process for reverse logistics. He leads a global expeditionary workforce of over 25,000 military and civilians. Lt. Gen. Williams is a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Hampton Institute ROTC Program and was commissioned into the Army Quartermaster Corps in 1983. Lt. Gen. Williams is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and the School of Advanced Military Studies and a Distinguished Graduate of the National War College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Hampton Institute, Hampton, VA, and master’s degrees in military arts and sciences, national security and www.blackengineer.com

strategic studies, and business management (logistics).

Williams’ prior assignments include Commanding General, Combined Arms Support Command, Fort Lee, VA; Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL; Commander, DLA Land and Maritime in Columbus, OH; and Director of Logistics, Engineering and Security Assistance, J-4, Headquarters, United States Pacific Command, HI.

MAJ. GEN. CARL ALEX

Deputy Chief of Staff G-3/5/7, U.S. Army Forces Command

Maj. Gen. Carl Alex enlisted into the Army in 1983 and is a 1987 Distinguished Military Graduate from Officer Candidate School. He holds a Master of Military Art and Science degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Master of Science degrees in financial management and defense analysis– irregular warfare from the Naval Post Graduate School, and a Master of Science degree in national security strategy from the National War College. MG Alex has served in every type of infantry formation, including the 75th Ranger Regiment, and had combat tours to Panama, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He has commanded at the battalion and brigade levels in the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC, and filled numerous billets at Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, DC. Recently, he served as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff G-3/5/7 at U.S. Army Central (USARCENT), Shaw AFB, SC. He is currently the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Intelligence at Allied Joint Force Command Headquarters Brunssum (NATO) in the Netherlands. MG Alex’s awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and Army Commendation Medal with V-Device.

MAJ. GEN. GARY BRITO

Commanding General, Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk

Maj. Gen. Gary Brito, a native of Hyannis, MA, was commissioned an Infantry officer through Pennsylvania State University and entered active duty in March 1987. He assumed command of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk on May 4, 2016. His previous assignments include Deputy Commanding General (Operations), 25th Infantry Division, Schofield WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 29

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

U.S. ARMY

Barracks, HI; Director, Force 2025 and Beyond, U.S. Army Capabilities and Integration Center (ARCIC); Training and Doctrine and Command (TRADOC); and Operations Officer (G3) for III Corps, Fort Hood, TX. In that capacity, he deployed and served as the Deputy Director, Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) Development, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Joint Command in Kabul, Afghanistan. Throughout his career, he has served in a variety of command and staff assignments that include Commander, 120th Infantry Brigade, First Army; Commander, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade, 3d Infantry Division; Operations Officer (S3), 2d Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment; and later as the Brigade Operations Officer (S3), 2d Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. Additionally, he served as the aide-de-camp to the III Corps Commanding General, Fort Hood, TX; and Chief, Commander’s Planning Group (CPG) and interim Executive Officer to the Commanding General, TRADOC. Major General Brito has twice served at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, CA: first as a Company/Team and Battle Staff Observer/Controller and later as a Senior Battalion and Brigade Combat Team Trainer.

BRIG. GEN. (P) PATRICK BURDEN

Deputy Program Executive Officer Ammunition and Senior Commander, Picatinny Arsenal

On May 25, 2017, the U.S. Senate confirmed Brig.

Gen. Patrick Burden’s appointment as Major General.

Maj. Gen. Burden is the deputy program executive officer ammunition and senior commander of Picatinny Arsenal. He was commissioned into the Field Artillery from Alabama A&M University in 1987 and deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in January 1991 with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment. BG Burden entered the Army Acquisition Corps in 1994 and served in various positions, including project officer, assistant project manager, assistant product manager, product manager, deputy for systems acquisition, and program analyst as well as program manager across two different program executive offices. Additionally, he served as a program analyst for the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology. He most recently served as the project manager for the General Fund Enterprise Business System. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in computer science from Alabama A&M University and a Master of Science in management information systems from Florida Institute of Technology.

30 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

MAJ. GEN. MICHAEL CALHOUN The Adjutant General of Florida

Maj. Gen. Michael Calhoun is assigned as Adjutant General, Florida. He is the senior military adviser to the governor and is responsible for the management, readiness, and mobilization of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force elements of the Florida National Guard. He previously served as the Assistant Adjutant General– Army with additional duties as the Director of the Joint Staff (DJS), Joint Task Force Commander, and Dual Status Commander designee. Gen. Calhoun was commissioned in July 1989 through a direct commission. He has served in a variety of leadership positions, including commanding the 83rd Troop Command; 50th Area Support Group, 211th Regiment, Regional Training Institute; 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Special Troops Battalion; and the 856th Quartermaster Battalion. While deployed, he also served as Director of Host Nations Support in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Gen. Calhoun has also commanded at the Battalion and Group levels in support of hurricane support and other civil support operations. He also is the recipient of the 2008 Department of Defense African American History Month award.

MAJ. GEN. PHILLIP CHURN

Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Reserve Matters

Maj. Gen. Phillip Churn advises the Chairman and Joint Staff on matters affecting Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Reserve Forces. A native of Washington, DC, he graduated from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD, in 1983, and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant, Field Artillery.

Major General Churn commanded and held numerous leadership assignments at the battery, battalion, brigade, joint task force, and theater command levels throughout his thirty-fiveyear career. Prior to assuming his current position, Major General Churn commanded the 200th Military Police Command, the largest military police formation in the DoD, supporting U.S. Army Forces Command, the Army Service Component Commanders, and Combatant Commanders. His operational deployments include Commanding General, 333d Military Police Brigade/Brigade Task www.blackengineer.com

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

U.S. ARMY

Force Commander, Parwan, Afghanistan; Combined Joint Interagency Task Force-435, Kabul, Afghanistan; Director, Afghanistan Detention and Corrections advisery Team, Combined Joint Interagency Task Force-435, Kabul, Afghanistan; J3, Deputy Director for Operations and J3, Chief of Current Operations, for JTF-Guantanamo, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Battery Commander, HQs and Service Battery, 3d Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment (MLRS), XVIII ABN Corps, Fort Bragg, during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

MAJ. GEN RONALD CLARK Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Pacific

Maj. Gen. Ronald Clark is the chief of staff, U.S. Army Pacific. United States Army Pacific prepares Army forces in order to contribute to a stable and secure Pacific Command area of responsibility.

Clark joined USARPAC following his assignment as deputy chief of staff–operations for the NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. Prior assignments include a rotation as the Army’s Deputy Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy in the Pentagon and a tour of duty as deputy commanding general–support with the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, NC, and Iraq during Operation Inherent Resolve. Clark was promoted to brigadier general on April 24, 2015, during a ceremony at the 82nd Airborne headquarters. Clark was among roughly 500 paratroopers from the headquarters to head to Iraq in June for a nine-month deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. In August 2016 Maj. Gen. Clark was assigned as deputy chief of staff for operations, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, United Kingdom.

MAJ. GEN. JASON EVANS

CommanderU.S. Army Human Resources Command

Maj. Gen. Jason Evans took command of U.S. Army Human Resources Command on April 28, 2017. The general last served as director of military personnel management in the office of the deputy chief of staff in the Army G1. Gen. Evans was born in Baltimore, MD, and raised as an Air Force dependent.

He attended Wentworth Military Academy, where he earned an associate degree in business administration.

He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in business www.blackengineer.com

administration from Bellevue University, Bellevue, NE. He holds master’s degrees in business administration and national resource strategy. MG Evans has served in command and staff positions in the continental United States, Italy, Somalia, Kosovo, Germany, and Iraq with the 13th Corps Support Command, III U.S. Corps, 510th Personnel Services Battalion, 1st Personnel Command, USAREUR, Installation Management command, Multi-National Force–Iraq, and Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army. He is a graduate of the Adjutant General’s Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Staff Services School, Command and General Staff College, the Army Resource Management Course, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

MAJ. GEN. MITCHELL KILGO

Director of J-6, U.S. Central Command MacDill Air Force Base, Florida

On May 25, 2017, the United States confirmed Brig.

Gen. Mitchell Kilgo as Major General. He last served as deputy chief of staff, G-6, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, NC. As the Director of Command and Control, Communications and Computer Systems, J6, United States Central Command, he is responsible for implementation and management of global communications and computer networks for United States Central Command. He was commissioned in 1987 and entered active duty in January of 1988. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and natural sciences from Virginia Union University in 1987, a Master of Science degree in systems technology (joint command, control, and communications) from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1995, and a Master of Science degree in national security strategy from the National War College in 2009. MG Kilgo has served in a variety of command and staff positions. Some of the highlights include Commander, 78th Signal Battalion and G6 U.S. Army Japan, Camp Zama, Japan; Chief Spectrum and IED-Defeat Branches, the Joint Staff, J6; United States Army Deputy CIO/ J6 Multi-National Forces Iraq; Commander, 2nd Signal Brigade, Wiesbaden, Germany; Executive Officer (XO) to the Commanding General, U.S. Africa Command; Commander, 5th Theater Signal Command, Wiesbaden, Germany; and, most recently, Forces Command G-6, Fort Bragg, NC. MG Kilgo is a graduate of the National War College, Command and General Staff College, and Signal Officer Basic and Advanced Courses.

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MAJ. GEN. RONALD KIRKLIN

Deputy Chief of Staff, G4 U.S. Army Forces Command

On May 25, 2017, the U. S. Senate confirmed Brig. Gen. Ronald Kirklin as Major General. Kirklin serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, United States Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, NC. He has also served in a variety of command and staff positions. Some of the highlights include Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, United States Army, Pentagon, Washington, DC; 53rd Quartermaster General and Commandant of the U.S. Army Quartermaster School; Chief, Logistics Operations Division, J-4, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, FL; Commander, 4th Sustainment Brigade, Fort Hood, TX, and Operation New Dawn, Iraq; Commander, 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate from Mississippi Valley State University in 1987. He holds a master’s degree from Kansas State University and a master’s degree from the United States Army War College.

MAJ. GEN. TIMOTHY MCKEITHEN

MAJ. GEN. A.C. ROPER

Commanding General (Troop Program Unit), 76th Army Operational Response Command

Maj. Gen. A.C. Roper has been assigned as Commanding General (Troop Program Unit), 76th Army Operational Response Command, Salt Lake City. Gen. Roper commanded the 80th Training Command in Richmond, VA. Previously, he commanded the 415th Chemical Brigade in Greenville, SC, and was deployed during the Gulf War and during Operation Enduring Freedom, where he served as a spokesman for combat operations in southern Afghanistan. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award. He is the recipient of numerous community awards. In his civilian capacity, he is the Chief of the Birmingham Police Department.

He holds a Bachelor of Science from Troy University, a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Alabama, and a master’s in strategic studies from the Army War College. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI National Executive Institute.

Deputy Director of the Army National Guard National Guard Bureau

MAJ. GEN. PATRICK SARGENT

Maj. Gen. Timothy McKeithen has been serving as deputy director of the Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau, since September 4, 2015. As deputy director, he guides the formulation, development, and implementation of all programs and policies affecting the Army National Guard, which has more than 343,000 citizen soldiers in the 50 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia, and oversees a budget in excess of $19 billion. Prior to his current assignment in Washington, DC, General McKeithen was Assistant Chief of Staff for logistics for United States Army Central, Third Army, C-4 Combined Joint Task Force Land Components Command, and CJ4 Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve for Southwest Asia. General McKeithen earned his bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Alabama in 1985 and his first master’s degree from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1994. In 2004 he earned a Master of Science degree in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, DC.

Maj. Gen. Patrick Sargent is Deputy Commanding General (Operations), U.S. Army Medical Command, and Chief, U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, Joint Base San Antonio, TX. He assumed his position on July 12, 2016. His most recent assignment was as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Regional Health Command – Pacific, and he served as the CEO of the Hawaii Enhanced MultiService Market and Command Surgeon for U.S. Army Pacific in Hawaii.

Previously, MG Sargent was the deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, for the U.S. Army Medical Command and the commander of Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, where he led efforts to implement Soldier and Patient-Centered Medical Homes. MG Sargent is board certified in healthcare administration and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit and Order of Saint Michael. He is the recipient of the Tuskegee Airman Inc. prestigious Gen. Benjamin O.

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Deputy Commanding General for Operations, U.S. Army Medical Command, JBSA, Texas

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Davis Jr. National Military Award. MG Sargent earned the Army Surgeon General’s prestigious 9A Proficiency Designator for being qualified as an Aeromedical Evacuation Officer. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate and received his commission and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Florida State University.

MAJ. GEN. JAMES SIMPSON

Commanding General, U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama

Maj. Gen. James Simpson is the commanding general, U.S. Army Contracting Command. He assumed command on August 19, 2015. ACC enables Army readiness by providing global contracting support to warfighters engaged in military operations, weapon system acquisition, life cycle management, and sustainment and acquisition of goods and services vital to the soldier’s mission and well-being. The command has over 6,100 military and civilian personnel disbursed to over 100 locations worldwide. In 2016, ACC executed more than 169,000 contract actions valued at nearly $57 billion. He’s served in numerous command and staff positions, including Deputy to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement and Director of Contracting; Commander, Central Command Joint Theater Support Contracting Command, Afghanistan; Deputy Chief of Contracting Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC; Senior Contracting Official–Iraq, Joint Theater Support Contracting Command; and various air defense assignments in the United States and overseas.

General Simpson earned a Bachelor of Science in political science from Lander University in 1985.

He holds three master degrees: a Master of Science in public administration from Central Michigan University, a Master of Science in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.

MAJ. GEN. LESLIE C. SMITH

Deputy to the Inspector General, Office of the Secretary of the Army

Maj. Gen. Leslie Smith is the deputy to the inspector general in the Office of the Secretary of the Army. MG Smith’s previous assignment was the 4th Commander of the United States Army 20th Support Command (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and highyield explosives). His early assignments include the 1-230th Field Artillery Battalion of the 48th Infantry Brigade, Chemical Staff officer in the 3-52nd Air Defense Artillery Battalion, Division and DIVARTY www.blackengineer.com

staff officer and company commander in the 82nd Airborne Division, Chemical Branch PERSCOM, S-3 and XO in the 23rd Chemical Battalion, and the Joint Staff, J-5.

In 2001 he assumed command of the 83d Chemical Battalion, where elements of the battalion deployed in support of Operations New Dawn, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Following command, he served on the Army Staff in the G-8 as the deputy division chief and chief of NBC Branch for the Full Dimensional Protection Division. In 2005 he assumed command of the 3d Chemical Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood and later served as the G-3, 20th Support Command (CBRNE), and the 25th Chief of Chemical and Commandant of the United States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School. Maj. Gen. Smith was a chemical corps officer and then a field artillery officer, with awards that included the expert parachutists’ badge, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star with an oak leaf cluster, and the Army Commendation Medal with an oak leaf cluster. MG Smith received his commission from Georgia Southern University. In 1985 he was selected as a distinguished military graduate from GSU.

MAJ. GEN. CEDRIC WINS

Commanding General U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command

Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins serves as Commanding General of the Research, Development, and Engineering Command. RDECOM provides innovative research, development, and engineering to produce capabilities for decisive overmatch to the Army , the joint warfighter, and our nation. Wins graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and was commissioned in the Field Artillery in July 1985. He is a graduate of the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, and the National War College.

He holds a master’s degree in management from the Florida Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the National War College. Before his assignment as RDECOM commander, Wins served as Director, Force Development, in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8. During his 30 years of service, Wins has held leadership and staff assignments in the 7th Infantry Division (Light), Fort Ord, CA; the 2nd WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 33

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Infantry Division, 8th United States Army, Korea; Headquarters Department of the Army and the Joint Staff, the Pentagon; the 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX; Strategic Planning, J-8, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, FL; and the Requirement Integration Directorate, Army Capabilities Integration Center, Joint Base LangleyEustis, VA.

BRIG. GEN. ALFRED ABRAMSON

Senior Commander Picatinny Arsenal and Deputy Program Executive Officer Ammunition

Brig. Gen. Alfred Abramson III became Deputy Program Executive Officer Ammunition and Senior Commander Picatinny Arsenal on November 14, 2016, and led the mission to develop and procure conventional and leap-ahead munitions to increase the Warfighter’s combat power. Prior to his arrival to Picatinny, he was the Deputy, Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical and Biological Defense. Brigadier General Abramson was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Chemical Corps after graduating from Virginia State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. His civilian education includes a master’s degree in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University, a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Army War College. His military education includes the Chemical Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Support Operations Course, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Command and General Staff College, the Advanced Program Management Course, the Senior Service College, and the Senior Leaders Course.

BRIG. GEN. XAVIER BRUNSON Chief of Staff, 18th Airborne Corps Fort Bragg

In May 2017 Brig. Gen. Xavier Brunson was assigned as chief of staff, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, NC. Brigadier General Xavier Brunson was commissioned as an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Hampton University in 1990. He has held numerous leadership assignments, from platoon leader to brigade commander.

Upon selection for promotion to Brigadier General, he served as 34 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

the Assistant Commanding General–Support, United States Army Special Forces Command (now 1st Special Forces Command) (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, NC, and Operation Inherent Resolve. Following completion of his duties, Brigadier General Brunson was assigned as the Deputy Commanding General–Operations, 10th Mountain Division (Light) at Fort Drum, NY. Currently, BG Brunson is serving as the Chief of Staff for the XVIII Airborne Corps. He has deployed numerous times in support of contingency and named operations. BG Brunson holds a B.A. in political science from Hampton University, an M.A. in human resources from Webster University, and an M.S. in national security and strategic studies from the United States Army War College.

BRIG. GEN. CLEMENT COWARD

Deputy Director for Force Protection, J-8 Deputy Director, Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization Deputy Director, Joint Requirements Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense

Brig. Gen. Clement Coward is the deputy director for force protection on the Joint Staff J-8. In this role, he serves as the Joint Staff lead for Integrated Missile Defense, Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Defense Artillery from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in speech communications, a Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, and a Master of Science in strategic studies from the Army War College. His previous assignments include Deputy Commander, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command; Brigade Commander, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade; Secretary of the Joint Staff and Chief of Operations, United States Forces Iraq; Chief of the Secretary of the Army’s Strategic Initiatives Group; and Director, Business Operations, Office of Business Transformation, Office of the Under Secretary of the Army.

BRIG. GEN. TELITA CROSLAND

Office of the Surgeon General, Medical Command Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations (G-3/5/7)

Brig. Gen. Telita Crosland is currently the Office of the Surgeon General Medical Command Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations (G-3/5/7). Brig. Gen. Crosland is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College,

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and the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.

In addition to her Doctorate of Medicine, she also holds a Master of Public Health from the Uniformed Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School.

Brigadier General Crosland entered the Army as a Medical Corps Officer in 1993. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and is a recipient of the Surgeon General’s “A” proficiency designator. Brigadier General Crosland has served in a variety of leadership positions, including Commander, U.S. Army Health Clinic, Grafenwoehr, Germany; Senior Medical Officer, Office of the Surgeon General, Falls Church, VA; Commander, U.S. Army Medical Department Activity, Heidelberg, Germany; and Commander, U.S. Army Medical Department Activity, Fort Campbell, KY.

BRIG. GEN. AARON DEAN

Multi Agency Augmentation Command – District of Columbia National Guard

Brig. Gen. Aaron Dean assumed command of the Multi Agency Augmentation Command on July 21, 2017. He also serves as the Acting Land Component Commander responsible for the strategic leadership and operational employment of units assigned and attached to the District of Columbia Army National Guard (DCARNG).

He is the District of Columbia Joint Task Force Commander for Domestic Operations.

He ensures the Joint Task Force effectively responds to federal and district missions to support civil authorities in the execution of their All Hazards Plans. Brigadier General Dean received his commission from the Army Reserve Officer Training Program at Washington State University. Commissioned as a Military Police Officer, Brigadier General Dean has commanded company, battalion, and brigade elements and has provided operational planning and leadership for 12 National Special Security Events. In his endeavors as a Battalion Commander in Operation Iraqi Freedom, he provided advisery assistance to the Baghdad Chief of Police.

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BRIG. GEN. MICHAEL DILLARD

Commanding General, 78th Training Division (Operations)

Brigadier General Michael Dillard, commanding general of the 78th Training Division (Operations), is responsible for planning and executing tough, realistic exercises that train and assess active, reserve, and guard units for deployment throughout the world.

Prior to that, he served as the commanding general of the 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) of 10,000 soldiers across 10 states; he also supported the 3rd Corps in this capacity. BG Dillard began his career in the Army in 1981 as a private. He then received his commission in 1983 from the University of Richmond, VA, as a field artillery officer. His prior assignments include deputy commander, 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command; brigade commander, 97th Training Brigade (Intermediate Level Education), 80th Training Command (Total Army School System); brigade commander, 2nd Brigade (PD), 104th Training Division (Leader Training); and group commander, 2nd Battle Command Training Group. He also served as a battalion commander, 687th Quartermaster Battalion, Kuwait Combined Forces Land Coalition Component, Camp Virginia, Kuwait, and as company commander for Charlie Company, 3/318th Infantry Battalion, 4th Brigade, 80th Training Division, during Operation Desert Storm in Fort Story, VA. He earned his Masters of Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Army War College.

BRIG. GEN. R. SCOTT DINGLE

Commanding General, Regional Health Command – Atlantic U.S. Army Medical Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia

Brig. Gen. Scott Dingle is the commanding general of the Regional Health Command– Atlantic. He was previously assigned as the U.S. Army Medical Command Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.

Brigadier General Dingle is a Distinguished Military Graduate of Morgan State University. His previous assignments include Chief, Medical Plans and Operations, 18th Airborne Corps Surgeon’s Office; Chief, Medical Plans and Operations Multinational Corps–Iraq Surgeon’s Office, Commander, 261st Multifunctional Medical Battalion; Director, Health Care Operations/G-3, Office of the Surgeon General; and Commander, 30th Medical WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 35

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Brigade, Germany. His degrees include a Master of Science in administration, a Master of Military Art and Science, and a Master of Science in national security strategy. Brigadier General Dingle has received the Legion of Merit Award, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Order of Military Medical Merit, Order of Kentucky Colonels, and the Army Surgeon General’s prestigious 9A Proficiency Designator.

BRIG. GEN. RICHARD DIX

Commanding General, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, New Cumberland, PA

Brig. Gen. Richard Dix assumed command of the Defense Logistics Agency Distribution on May 29, 2014. From July 2009 to July 2010, he commanded the 401st Army Field Support Brigade in Afghanistan. He later served as the executive officer to the deputy chief of staff, G-4, from July 2012 to August 2013. Dix comes to Defense Logistics Agency Distribution after having served as the director of Strategy and Integration, G-4/5/7, for the deputy chief of staff of the Army, G-4. He attended Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, where he also received a Master of Arts in procurement and acquisition management from Webster University.

He is a 2009 graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. In 1987 he graduated from South Carolina State University’s Army ROTC Program as a Distinguished Military Graduate with a Bachelor of Science in marketing.

BRIG. GEN. ROBERT EDMONSON

38th Chief of Signal and the Signal School Commandant

Brig. Gen. Robert Edmondson currently serves as the 38th Chief of Signal and the Signal School Commandant. BG Edmonson began his Army career in 1991 as an Infantryman and was later branchtransferred in 1993 to be a Signal Corps Officer in the 101st Airborne Division. He served as a Company Commander, Deputy G6, Battalion Executive Officer, Battalion Commander and Brigade Commander in the XVIII Airborne Corps. BG Edmonson last served as the Executive Officer to the Army Chief Information Officer/ G6, Office of the Secretary of the Army.

He has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and Defense Meritorious Service Medal. BG Edmonson received 36 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

his commission and Bachelor of Science in marketing through Frostburg University, holds a master’s degree in information resource management from Central Michigan University, and has a master’s degree in national security strategy from the National War College in Washington, DC.

BRIG. GEN. SEAN GAINEY

Commanding General, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command

Brig. Gen. Sean Gainey serves as the commanding general of the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor, Hickam, HI. He commissioned in the Air Defense Artillery Corps upon graduation from Georgia Southern University in 1990.

He has served in numerous key staff positions and has commanded units from the battery to brigade level. He deployed with 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade as a brigade commander in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. BG Gainey also deployed with 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery, as a battalion commander in support of Joint Task Force East. Brig. Gen. Gainey holds a Master of Science in personnel management from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science in national security and resource strategy from the Dwight. D. Eisenhower School for National Security.

BRIG. GEN. NORMAN GREEN

Deputy Commanding General, 377th Theater Sustainment Command

Brig. Gen. Norman Green currently serves as the deputy commanding general of the 377th Theater Sustainment Command (TSC). The 377th TSC is the largest command in the U.S. Army Reserve, with more than 36,000 soldiers, 900 civilians, and 442 units in 39 states. General Green is a native of Columbia, SC. He attended South Carolina State University and was commissioned as an infantry officer through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in 1985. General Green holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the Army War College. He has served in various command and staff positions within the Army and in Joint Force commands and organizations. His combat deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom and www.blackengineer.com

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Operation Enduring Freedom. He most recently served as the Commanding General of the 4th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in Fort Sam Houston, TX.

BRIG. GEN. URAL GLANVILLE

Chief Judge, United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals, U.S. Army Legal Services Agency

Brig. Gen. Ural Glanville has served as the chief judge, United States Army Legal Services Agency, since 2013.

Prior to being selected chief judge, U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals, he was the commanding general of the NATO Rule of Law Support Mission/ Rule of Law Field Force–Afghanistan.

Throughout his military career, BG Glanville has served in several key positions, including senior legal opinions officer, chief of operational and civil law for the 2125th Garrison Support Unit (XVIII Airborne Corps), Command Judge Advocate for the 359th Signal Brigade, and Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) for the 335th Signal Command prior to his deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a civilian, BG Glanville became a superior court judge in Fulton County, Georgia’s busiest trial court of general jurisdiction. Judge Glanville’s duties include the trial of cases involving felony offenses, equity, and cases regarding title to land. Born in Columbus, OH, he was commissioned in 1984, when he began his 31 years of military service. BG Glanville is a highly decorated General Officer whose military education includes an M.A. in strategic studies from the Army War College, a J.D. from the University of Georgia (UGA), a B.A. in history from UGA, and an A.A. from Brevard College.

BRIG. GEN. CHARLES HAMILTON

Assistant Chief of Staff J4, United States Forces Korea Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, U4, United Nations Command Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, C4, Combined Forces Command

Brig. Gen. Charles Hamilton assumed the duties of Assistant Chief of Staff J4, United States Forces Korea; Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, U4, United Nations Command; and Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, C4, Combined Forces Command on September 19, 2017. Previously, he commanded Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support; his unit provided $14 billion worth annually of food, clothing and textiles, construction www.blackengineer.com

and engineering equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and equipment, and industrial hardware items for America’s warfighters worldwide. He has served in key logistics leadership positions throughout his career, including several overseas tours and three deployments to Afghanistan. He is an OCS graduate, where he was selected as the Distinguished Military Graduate. BG Hamilton graduated from Virginia State University and has a Master in Public Administration from Central Michigan University and a second Master in Military Studies from Marine Corps University. His military education includes Senior Service College as a 2012 OSD Corporate Fellow.

BRIG. GEN. KENNETH HUBBARD

Director for Resources & Capabilities Integration, J8, United States Cyber Command

Brig. Gen. Kenneth Hubbard is the son of a career Army officer and a 1986 graduate of the South Carolina State Army ROTC Program. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in national resource strategy from the National Defense University. His military education includes the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the U.S. Air Command and Staff College. He has served in many command and staff positions at all levels of the Army. He served as the director for resource management, G-8, Army Installation Management Command, and as the director of the Army Budget’s Operations and Support Directorate, where he managed billions of dollars for the Department of the Army. He also provided billions of dollars for U.S. military forces and their allies as the U.S. Forces Afghanistan Comptroller, J-8, and the Multi-National Security Transition Command–Iraq, G-8. Hubbard served as the 1st Infantry Division comptroller, G-8; had a NATO assignment as Joint Plans Officer in Croatia/Bosnia; and worked as a contingency operations budget analyst in the Army Budget Office and in the Joint Chiefs of Staff, J-8, Brigadier.

Gen. Vincent Brooks is one of eleven four-star Army generals on active duty, and he is only the eighth African American to attain the four-star level in the Army’s history.

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BRIG. GEN. DONNA MARTIN

Commandant, United States Army Military Police School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri

Brigadier General Donna Martin has served as the Commandant of the United States Army Military Police School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, since July 14, 2017. Prior to that, she was the Deputy Commanding General for Operations, U.S. Army Recruiting Command, and Chief of Investigation, HQDA Inspector General Agency.

She has commanded twice at the brigade level, leading the 202nd Military Police Group (CID) followed immediately by the Rear Detachment, 18th Military Police Brigade. Other positions include Platoon Leader, 66th Military Police Company; Commander, Fort Belvoir Military Police Company; Executive Officer, 102d Military Police Detachment (CID); Executive Officer, 3d Military Police Battalion; Branch Chief, U.S. Pacific Command J34 Antiterrorism/Force Protection Directorate; Commander of the 385th Military Police Battalion; and Inspector General, 3d Infantry Division. BG Martin graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1988. She is also a graduate of the U.S. Army War College.

BRIG. GEN. JONATHAN MCCOLUMN

Chief of Sustainment, U.S. Army Central Command, Shaw Air Force Base, SC

Brig. Gen. Jonathan McColumn serves as the Chief of Sustainment, U.S. Army Central Command. In addition, he serves as the Senior Proponent Advisor (SPA) for Acquisition, U.S. Army Reserve. Recognized as a distinguished military student and recipient of the General George C. Marshall Award, he graduated and was commissioned from Georgia Military College as a Second Lieutenant. Upon completing Georgia College and State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, he entered the U.S. Army. During his 31 years of service, he has served in multiple positions as a logistician and in the Acquisition Corps (Contracting). BG McColumn’s military education includes the Quartermaster Officer Basic Course, Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms Services and Staff School, Logistics Executive Development Course, the Army 38 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

War College, George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs - Senior Manager Course in National Security, Senior Acquisition Management Course, and Program for Executives in Logistics and Technology. He is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps, Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA), Level III Certified in Contracting/Procurement, and Level I Certified in Program Management. He has completed master degrees in business administration, education and strategic studies. In addition, he attended the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

BRIG. GEN. GREGORY D. MASON

Assistant Adjutant General–Army, Missouri National Guard

Brig. Gen. Gregory D. Mason was assigned as the Assistant Adjutant General–Army, Joint Force Headquarters, Jefferson City, MO, in February 2011.

As the assistant adjutant general, his duties include assisting the adjutant general in the formulation, development and implementation of all programs and policies in the Missouri Army National Guard. He was commissioned a second lieutenant through the Kansas Army National Guard Officer Candidate School in June 1987. He has held command leadership positions at the company, battalion, and brigade levels. Brig. Gen. Mason served as the senior intelligence officer for the 35th Engineer Brigade during Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2007–2008.

The brigade conducted combat engineer operations throughout the central Iraq area of operations, including Baghdad. He received a master’s degree in strategic studies in 2007 from the Army War College.

BRIG. GEN. BARBARA LYNNE OWENS

Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Human Resources Command

Brig. Gen. Barbara Lynne Owens is a 30-year veteran of the Army Reserve. As deputy commanding general of the largest human resources organization in the world, she ensures Human Resources Command provides the spectrum of human resources services to soldiers, veterans, retirees, and Army families. The command manages soldier schooling, promotions, awards, records, transfers, appointments, benefits, and casualty affairs—one agency managing soldiers’ entire careers from the day they enter basic training until retirement www.blackengineer.com

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and beyond. Prior to her arrival in Kentucky, she was the U.S. Army Reserve Command, G-1, Fort Belvoir, VA, and Fort Bragg, NC. A resident of Mississippi, Owens earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi, a master’s degree in human resources from Webster University, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

career consists of three combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He became the 28th Chief of Transportation and Commandant of the U.S. Army’s Transportation School on June 4, 2015. BG Russell currently holds three master’s degrees, is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified, and is designated by the International Society of Logistics as a Demonstrated Master Logistician.

BRIG. GEN. BERTRAM PROVIDENCE, MD

BRIG. GEN. MICHAEL TALLEY

In May 2016 Brig. Gen. Bertram Providence was assigned as Commanding General, Regional Health Command–Pacific (Provisional); Command Surgeon, U.S. Army Pacific; and Senior Market Manager, Hawaii Enhanced MultiService Market, Honolulu, HI. He earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Saint John’s University in Queens, NY, graduating magna cum laude. A Distinguished Military Graduate, Brigadier General Providence was commissioned through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He holds a medical degree from the Uniformed Services University, a master’s degree in business administration with a focus on healthcare from the George Washington University School of Business, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, is board certified in adult reconstruction orthopedics, and holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine from the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons.

He completed a fellowship in lower extremity reconstruction (hip and knee arthroplasty) at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California.

Brig. Gen. Michael Talley is the principal medical adviser to the Army’s largest command, which is comprised of over 800,000 multi-component soldiers.

He served in the enlisted ranks from 1983–1989, graduated with honors from the University of Texas at El Paso, and was commissioned as a ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate in 1991.

Talley has commanded at every level, from company through brigade; he served two OIF combat tours and a deployment to Saudi Arabia as the Assistant Program Manager for Health Affairs. He has also held key positions at both combat training centers, Army Special Operations Command, and the Office of the Surgeon General.

Talley’s education includes the Army Command & General Staff College, Advanced Military Studies Program, and Army War College. He holds two Master of Military Art and Sciences degrees, a Master of Strategic Studies, and a Master of Arts.

Command Surgeon, U.S. Army Forces Command

BRIG. GEN. MICHEL M. RUSSELL SR.

Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, C-4/J-4, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea, the Republic of Korea

Brig. Gen. Michel Russell enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1983 as a field artilleryman and was commissioned as a 2LT from Fordham University ROTC. After serving in the Air Defense Artillery branch, in 1991 BG Russell was detailed to the Ordnance Corps.

BG Russell has held several command and staff positions, from platoon leader through brigade command.

His distinguished www.blackengineer.com

U.S. Army Forces Command Surgeon

BRIG. GEN. KEVIN VEREEN

Deputy Commanding General Operations (DCG-O), U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC)

Brig. Gen. Kevin Vereen currently serves as Deputy Commanding General Operations (DCG-O), U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC).

Prior to that, he was the Commandant of the U.S. Army Military Police School (USAMPS) from June 2015 to July 2017.

Previous notable positions held are Executive Officer to the Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg; Provost Marshal, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg; Brigade Commander, 14th Military Police Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood; Commander, 701st Military Police Battalion, Fort Leonard Wood. A native of Fayetteville, NC, he graduated from Campbell University with a bachelor’s WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 39

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degree in sociology, a master’s degree in international relations from Troy State University, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College. He is an active member of the Military Police Regimental Association (MPRA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

BRIG. GEN. WILLIAM J. WALKER

Acting Commanding General, District of Columbia National Guard

Brig. Gen. William Walker is the acting commanding general, District of Columbia National Guard. He reports to the Secretary of the Army and is responsible for the strategic leadership, readiness, and employment of District of Columbia Army and Air National Guard units in support of both federal and state active duty missions. Prior senior leadership assignments include commander of the D.C. Army National Guard’s Land Component Command and commander of the D.C. Army National Guard’s Mobilization Augmentation Command. As the D.C. Army Guard, Land Component Commander, Brig. Gen. Walker served as commander of the Joint Task Force-District of Columbia, which deployed 7,922 National Guard personnel to support security efforts during the 58th Presidential Inauguration.

BRIG. GEN. FLETCHER WASHINGTON

Deputy Commanding General for Operations, 80th Training Command

Brig. Gen. Fletcher Washington is the Deputy Commanding General, 80th Training Command. He served four years enlisted as a combat engineer before graduating cum laude from Norfolk State University in 1992 as a Distinguished Military Graduate in transportation. He also graduated from Florida Tech in 2000 and National Defense University with a second master’s in 2010. He has served as Platoon Leader and Detachment Commander in Mannheim, Frankfurt, and Hanau, Germany; Battalion Operations and Company Commander at Fort Story, VA; Combat Developer at Fort Lee, VA; Deputy Operations Chief in Kuwait; Brigade Operations at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, and Baghdad, Iraq; Force Management Division Chief in Arlington, VA; Battalion Commander at Fort Shafter, HI; Congressional Operations Division Chief 40 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

and Force Management Chief of Staff in the Pentagon; Brigade Commander in El Paso, TX; Garrison Commander in Kandahar, Afghanistan; and Mission Support Element Commander at Fort Sam Houston, TX.

BRIG. GEN. DONNA WILLIAMS

Deputy Commanding General–Support, 412th Theater Engineer Command, Vicksburg, Mississippi

Brig. Gen. Donna Williams is Deputy Commanding General–Support at 412th Theater Engineer Command, Vicksburg, MI. She received her Army ROTC Commission from Jackson State University. Her past assignments include Garrison Commander, Fort Hunter Liggett, CA; Force Management Division Chief, United States Army Reserve Command at Fort Bragg; Operations Officer, Executive Officer, and Commander, 926th Engineer Battalion, Birmingham, AL; Logistics Civil Augmentation Program Support Officer, Operation Iraqi Freedom; Engineer Organizational Integrator and Branch Chief, Army Reserve Command, Atlanta, GA; Commander, Company A and Company B of the 411th Engineer Battalion, Maui, HI; and Operations Officer of the 493rd Engineer Group, Dallas, TX. BG Williams holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Jackson State University, Master of Business Administration in information technology and military management from Touro University, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Army War College.

BRIG. GEN. JONATHAN WOODSON

Deputy Commander, 3rd Medical Command (Deployment Support), FT. Gillem, GA

BG Jonathan Woodson is deputy commander, 3rd Medical Command. The deployable medical mission command headquarters provides support and technical supervision for more than 6,000 soldiers in 21 states and Puerto Rico to provide soldiers and units to the Army Reserve Command for mobilization. From 2010–2016, Woodson served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) and principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense.

Woodson is a Professor of Surgery and Health Law and Policy at Boston University School of Medicine and School of Public Health. He is board certified in vascular surgery, general surgery, and critical care. www.blackengineer.com

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

Deputy Commanding General, Human Resources Command, Ft. Knox, KY

Brigadier General Twanda (Tia) E. Young assists the HRC Commanding General in the execution of a full spectrum of human resource programs and systems to promote Army readiness, develop leaders, and sustain the well-being of soldiers, veterans, and their families.

Brigadier General Young is a native of Darlington, South Carolina.

She graduated from Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC, in 1989, and received her commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Adjutant General’s Corps.

Over Brigadier General Young’s thirtyyear career, she held numerous leadership assignments and commanded at the battalion, brigade, joint task force, and strategic command levels. She commanded the Continental United States (CONUS) Replacement Center Battalion in Ft. Benning, GA, and the Army Reserve Theater Support Group in Fort Shafter, HI. Prior to assuming her current position, Brigadier General Young was the U.S. Army Reserve G-1 and responsible for military personnel management, personnel policy development, and personnel strength accounting and readiness of the Army Reserves. Additionally, she had the opportunity to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where she served as the CJ1 Chief of the Strategic Initiatives Group.

U.S. AIR FORCE

U.S. ARMY

BRIG. GEN. TWANDA “TIA” E. YOUNG

GEN. DARREN W. MCDEW

Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

Gen. Darren McDew is Commander, U.S. Transportation Command. The command is the single manager for global air, land, and sea transportation for the U.S. Department of Defense. Gen. McDew was commissioned in 1982 following his graduation from the Virginia Military Institute. He began his flying career at Loring Air Force Base, ME. His staff assignments include serving as a member of the Air Force Chief of Staff Operations Group, Air Force Aide to the President, the chief of the U.S. Air Force Senate Liaison Division, and the director of Air Force Public Affairs. Gen. McDew also served as Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He then served as the commander of the 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, and has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels as well as an Air Force direct reporting unit. He deployed in support of operations in Central and Southwest Asia as an air expeditionary group commander and later as the director of mobility forces. Prior to his current assignment, Gen. McDew was the commander of the 18th Air Force, Scott AFB. Most recently, he served as the commander of Air Mobility Command, whose mission is to provide rapid, global mobility and sustainment for America’s armed forces. The command also plays a role in humanitarian support at home and around the world. The men and women of AMC—active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and civilians—provide airlift, aerial refueling, and special air mission and aeromedical evacuation.

LT. GEN. RICHARD M. CLARK

Brig. Gen. Telita Crosland entered the Army as a Medical Corps Officer in 1993.

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Commander, 3rd Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany

Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark is Commander, 3rd Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

Third Air Force plans, deploys, sustains, and redeploys Air Force forces that directly support the combatant commanders during WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 41

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contingency and wartime operations. Gen. Clark oversees a headquarters staff and airmen located at nine wings in Europe and one air expeditionary wing. General Clark graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1986. His commands include the 34th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD, and 12th Flying Training Wing, Randolph AFB, TX. He has also served as the Vice Commander, 8th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Barksdale AFB, LA, and Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the Commander, Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Barksdale Air Force Base, LA, and Joint Functional Component Commander for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Off utt AFB, NE. General Clark is a command pilot with 4,200 flight hours, primarily in the B-1 bomber.

LT. GEN. SAMUEL A. GREAVES Director, Missile Defense Agency

level, including an assignment to the U.S. Air Force Weapons School as an F-16 instructor. His notable staff tours include aidede-camp to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force; Director, Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff Executive Action Group; and Deputy Director, Operations, U.S. Central Command. He also served as National Defense Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, VA. The general is a command pilot with more than 2,900 flying hours, including 120 combat hours. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command.

LT. GEN. STAYCE D. HARRIS

Lt. Gen. Samuel A. Greaves is the Director, Missile Defense Agency. The MDA’s mission is to develop, test, and field an integrated, layered ballistic missile defense system to defend the United States, its deployed forces, and its allies and friends against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight. General Greaves directs the organization that spans 14 time zones with more than 8,000 military, civilian, and contract personnel.

Gen. Greaves was commissioned in 1982 through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program after he graduated from Cornell University. He has held a variety of assignments in operational, acquisition, and staff units, including assignments at Headquarters Air Combat Command, at the National Reconnaissance Office, and on the Air Staff within the Directorate of Operational Requirements and the Air Force Colonel Matters Office. He commanded the 45th Launch Group at Patrick AFB, FL, and the Launch and Range Systems Wing and Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing at Los Angeles AFB, CA. The general also served as Vice Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, and then as Director, Strategic Plans, Programs and Analyses, Headquarters Air Force Space Command.

Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director, Air Staff Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC

LT. GEN. CHARLES Q. BROWN JR.

Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Roosevelt Allen is the director, Medical Operations and Research and Chief of the Dental Corps, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Falls Church, VA. As director of medical operations and research, he is responsible for executing health care policy in support of 44,000 personnel and 75 medical treatment facilities with a

Deputy Commander for the U.S. Central Command

Lt. Gen. Charles Brown is deputy commander for U.S. Central Command. General Brown was commissioned in 1984 as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at Texas Tech University. He has served in a variety of positions at the squadron and wing 42 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

Lt. Gen. Stayce Harris is the assistant vice chief of staff and director at Air Staff Headquarters, U.S. Air Force in Washington, DC. She also serves as deputy chairman of the Air Force Council and is the Air Force accreditation official for the International Corps of Air Attachés.

Gen. Harris received a commission in the Air Force through the University of Southern California’s Air Force ROTC program. Her staff assignments include serving as a mobility force planner for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations and as Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force. She has commanded an airlift squadron, an expeditionary operations group, and an air-refueling wing. Prior to her current position, she served as the commander, 22nd Air Force, Dobbins AFB, GA. She also served as the mobilization assistant to the commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL. In her civilian occupation, she is a commercial airline pilot flying routes to Asia and Europe.

MAJ. GEN. (DR.) ROOSEVELT ALLEN

Director, Medical Operations and Research, and Chief of the Dental Corps

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U.S. AIR FORCE

budget of more than $6.4 billion. General Allen ensures a quality, cost-effective, preventativebased health care continuum for 2.6 million beneficiaries worldwide. He is also responsible for providing strategic guidance for the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) research and acquisitions, translating the Air Force Surgeon General vision into initiatives addressing and closing AFMS capability gaps. He provides direct oversight for the programming, planning, budgeting, and execution of the AFMS Medical Modernization portfolio comprising $68.3 million in operations and maintenance; $44.7 million in annual research, development, test, and evaluation funding; and 482 military and civilian positions. As Chief of the Dental Corps, General Allen provides policy and operational advice to the Air Force Surgeon General on matters involving the dental practice of 1,000 dentists and 2,500 technicians. Prior to this assignment, General Allen served as the commander, 79th Medical Wing, Joint Base Andrews, MD. General Allen received a direct commission in 1986.

MAJ. GEN. MARK A. BROWN

Deputy Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio–Randolph, Texas

Maj. Gen. Mark Brown is the deputy commander, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio–Randolph, TX. AETC recruits, trains, and educates Air Force personnel.

It includes the Air Force Recruiting Service, two numbered air forces, and Air University, and it operates 1,396 trainer, fighter, and mobility aircraft; 23 wings; 12 bases; and five geographically separated groups. The command trains more than 293,000 airmen per year with approximately 62,000 active-duty, Reserve, Guard, civilian, and contractor personnel. General Brown was commissioned through the ROTC program at Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, and entered active duty in 1986. Prior to that, he was the comptroller for Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, with responsibility for 38 percent of the Air Force budget, totaling approximately $60 billion.

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MAJ. GEN. ANTHONY J. COTTON

Commander, Twentieth Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command

Maj. Gen. Anthony Cotton is Commander, Twentieth Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, WY. General Cotton is responsible for over 10,200 people for the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missile force, which is organized into three operational wings. In addition, General Cotton oversees the 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland AFB, NM, which provides critical support to the nuclear operation and mission partners. General Cotton entered the Air Force through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 1986, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Carolina State University. He served as deputy director of the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group and as the senior military assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. He has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels, serving as vice commander and commander of the 341st Missile Wing, commander of the 45th Space Wing, and director of the Eastern Range. Prior to his current assignment, General Cotton served as the deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, VA.

MAJ. GEN. CEDRIC D. GEORGE

Deputy Director of Resource Integration, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force

Major General Cedric D. George is the Deputy Director of Resource Integration and Logistics Chief Information Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC. He is responsible for the planning, programming, and budgeting of weapons systems sustainment, equipment and logistics, and installations resource requirements. As part of the Air Force corporate structure, he monitors performance of operations and maintenance, works capital funds and investment programs, participates in program and financial review groups, and advocates for financial adjustments to optimize force readiness.

He oversees preparation and defense of these Air Force programs to the Office of the Secretary of WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 43

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Defense, the Office of Management and Budget, and Congress. He is also responsible for enterprise-wide logistics technology vision, strategy, advocacy, and policy. He oversees logistics transformation, agile planning and technology insertion, development and implementation of innovative logistics concepts, and capabilities to deliver logistics effects to the order of battle across the full spectrum of operations to enable air, space, cyber, and joint forces.

MAJ. GEN. JAMES C. JOHNSON

Director of the Integrated Resilience Office

Maj. Gen. James Johnson is the director of the Integrated Resilience Office under the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, VA. The Integrated Resilience Office is the Air Force office of primary responsibility to provide strategic solutions for maximal resilience and the most effective prevention and response to Airmen violence, including suicide, sexual assault, domestic violence, child maltreatment, and workplace violence.

General Johnson entered the Air Force through the University of Puget Sound ROTC program in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He served in operational positions supporting U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Air Mobility Command, and Air Education and Training Command. He completed numerous leadership assignments at the squadron, wing, major command, Headquarters Air Force, as well as joint command levels at U.S. Transportation Command, Central Command, Special Operations Command, and Africa Command. Prior to his current position, General Johnson served as the director, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, VA.

MAJ. GEN. CURTIS WILLIAMS

Deputy Director for Political-Military Affairs Africa for Strategic Plans and Policy, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia

Maj. Gen. Curtis Williams currently serves as the Deputy Director for Political-Military Affairs Africa for Strategic Plans and Policy, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, VA. He provides strategic direction, policy guidance, and planning focus to develop and 44 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

execute the national military strategy. Through the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, he enables the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to provide military advice to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council. The general enlisted under the delayed enlistment program at 17 and spent over seven years on active duty. He left active duty in 1984 and entered the ROTC program at Angelo State University, San Angelo, TX. Upon graduation, he was commissioned in 1986 and reentered active duty as a logistics plans officer, where he subsequently held numerous squadron- and wing-level plans officer positions. General Williams transferred to the Air Force Reserve in 1992. He is an Air Reserve Technician and has held leadership and command positions at the squadron, wing, numbered Air Force, major command, and joint staff levels. Prior to his current position, General Williams served as the Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, GA.

BRIG. GEN. TRENT EDWARDS

Director of Programming, Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters Air Force Space Command

Brig. Gen. Trent Edwards is the command’s Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for a $10 billion operations and maintenance and investment budget that provides agile, integrated, and resilient space and cyberspace capabilities for the joint force and the nation. His 120-person team provides resource planning, programming, and budget execution; develops the Program Objective Memorandum; and provides financial planning, accounting, and audit services for more than 35,000 space and cyberspace personnel. He is also responsible for overseeing the planning, programming, and budget execution for the command’s Special Access Program and security activities. General Edwards entered the Air Force in 1990 after graduating from North Carolina A&T State University. He has commanded two comptroller squadrons, a mission support group, an air base wing, and a training wing. He served in key Air Force and Secretary of Defense staff positions, such as aide-de-camp to the Commander Air Education and Training Command and Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller.

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U.S. AIR FORCE

BRIG. GEN. FARRIS HILL

Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, DC

Brig. Gen. Farris “Carlos” Hill is the Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon.

The directorate is the liaison between the Air Force and Congress on all programs, air and space weapons systems, and issues such as legislative and constituent inquiries.

General Hill collaborates directly with the House of Representatives and Senate to ensure full authorization of the Air Force’s $145 billion annual budget. He also prepares the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force for engagements and testimonies on Capitol Hill.

General Hill received his commission into the U.S. Air Force through the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in 1986. Prior to assuming his current role, Gen. Hill was the director of policy integration, Office of the Air Force Reserve, the Pentagon, Washington, DC.

BRIG. GEN. RANDALL REED

Deputy Director of Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, IL

Brig. Gen. Randall Reed assists the director with responsibilities for force structure planning, programming, doctrine, and requirements for the nation’s airlift and air refueling force. Brig. Gen. Reed was nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general in February 2015 as Commander, 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1989 and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Light Fighter Air Assault School. He is a command pilot with more than 3,500 hours in the C-141B, KC-135R/T, B-1B, RC-135V/W, E-8C, C-130, and C-5A aircraft. He has commanded two expeditionary operations groups and a flying training squadron.

Additionally, he has held a variety of joint, wing, and major command headquarters positions, including assignments in strategic airlift, maintenance, special operations air refueling, and the 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the commander, 379th Expeditionary Operations Group, Southwest Asia.

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BRIG. GEN. BRIAN S. ROBINSON

Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, VA

Brig. Gen. Brian S. Robinson is the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, VA. He is responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff for formulating policy supporting air, space, irregular warfare, counter proliferation, homeland security, weather, and cyber operations. General Robinson determines the operational requirements, capabilities, and training necessary to support national security objectives and military strategy.

General Robinson is a native of Philadelphia, PA, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Philadelphia University in 1987. Later that year, he received his commission from Air Force Officer Training School. He attended undergraduate pilot training and later served as a T-38B First Assignment Instructor Pilot before moving on to a series of operational assignments in the C-130E/H/J and the C-17A, representing the full range of tactical and strategic airlift and aerial delivery.

BRIG. GEN. STACEY HAWKINS

Commander, Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Hill Air Force Base, UT

Brig. Gen. Stacey Hawkins is the commander, Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Hill Air Force Base, UT. As the commander, he leads a team of more than 8,500 personnel performing depot maintenance, repair, overhaul, and modification of the A-10, C-130, F-16, F-22, F-35, and Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System. The complex also oversees the national-level air power reservoir for aircraft storage, reclamation, regeneration, and disposal at Davis Monthan AFB, AZ. Additionally, the complex produces aerospace commodities that include electronics, avionics, instruments, power systems, and software for the assigned weapon systems and is the landing gear center of excellence for the U.S. Air Force. His responsibilities extend to operating locations in Japan, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas, California, Florida, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana. The Ogden Air Logistics Complex directly supports a global supply chain that enables Department of Defense and allied combat operations.

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ADM. (RET.) MICHELLE HOWARD

Adm. Michelle Howard last served as the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe while she concurrently served as the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Africa and the commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples. She previously served as the 38th Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

She assumed her last assignment on June 7, 2016. Adm. Howard graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982.

While serving on an initial sea tour, she received the Secretary of the Navy/Navy League Captain Winifred Collins Award in May 1987. This award is given to one woman officer a year for outstanding leadership. In 1990 she served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and assumed duties as first lieutenant on board the USS Flint in 1992. In 1996 she became the executive officer of USS Tortuga and deployed to the Adriatic in support of Operation Joint Endeavor, a peacekeeping effort in the former Republic of Yugoslavia. Sixty days after returning from the Mediterranean deployment, Tortuga departed on a West African training cruise, where the ship’s sailors, with embarked Marines and a U.S. Coast Guard detachment, operated with the naval services of seven African nations. She was the first Black woman to command a ship—the amphibious dock landing ship Rushmore in 1999—and went on to command Amphibious Squadron 7 and later Expeditionary Strike Group 2. Deploying with Expeditionary Strike Group 5, operations included tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia. In July 2014 Howard became the Navy’s first female four-star. Her shore assignments include service as the 38th Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

VICE ADM. JAMES CRAWFORD III

Judge Advocate General, Judge Advocate General’s Corps

Vice Adm. James Crawford became the 43rd Judge Advocate General of the Navy in June 2015. As judge advocate general, Crawford is the principal military legal counsel to the Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval 46 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

Operations. He serves as the Department of Defense representative for Ocean Policy Affairs, and he leads the 2,300 attorneys, enlisted legal men, and civilian employees of the Navy JAG Corps community. Before his appointment to flag rank, he served as special counsel to the chief of naval operations; as the senior staff judge advocate for the commander, U.S. Pacific Command; and as the fleet judge advocate for U.S. Seventh Fleet. He also served at Navy Personnel Command; the Office of the Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Naval War College; commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe; the Naval Justice School; and Cruiser-Destroyer Group Eight. Crawford graduated from Belmont Abbey College and the University of North Carolina, School of Law. From 2007 to 2011 he served as legal counsel to the chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. From 2011 to 2012 he was the commander, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Rule of Law Field Support Mission/Rule of Law Field Force–Afghanistan. Before his appointment to flag rank, he was the special counsel to the chief of naval operations; the senior staff judge advocate for the commander, U.S. Pacific Command; and the fleet judge advocate for U.S. 7th Fleet. In command, he served as the commanding officer, Region Legal Service Office Southeast.

VICE ADM. KEVIN SCOTT

Vice Director J7, Joint Force Development, Joint Staff

Vice Rear Adm. Kevin Scott is Vice Director J7 for Joint Force Development on the Joint Staff. A native of Portsmouth, VA, and New York City, Scott was designated a naval aviator in 1984.

Under his command, Helicopter Mine Counter Measures Squadron 14 was awarded the 2001 Commander Naval Air Force Atlantic Fleet Battle “E” Efficiency Award. He served the Mine Countermeasures Squadron One as commodore and was a commander of the Expeditionary Strike Group 2. Other assignments include HM-14 legal officer, aircraft division officer, and maintenance test pilot (1985–1987); flight deck officer aboard USS Inchon; and HM-14 admin officer, operations officer and detachment officer in charge (1994–1996). Ashore, he was an air combat placement officer, Bureau of Naval Personnel; wing operations officer, Commander Tactical Wing Atlantic; military aide to the vice president (1997–1999); current operations chief and division chief, Joint Forces Command; director of aviation officer, Distribution Division, Naval Personnel Command; and acting director, Expeditionary Warfare Division, Washington, DC. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Naval Postgraduate School, Naval War College, and the Joint www.blackengineer.com

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U.S. NAVY

Forces Staff College. He holds a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies.

REAR ADM. KEITH M. JONES

REAR ADM. STEPHEN C. EVANS

Rear Adm. Keith Jones is a qualified Expeditionary Supply Corps officer and Seabee Combat Warfare officer. He is assigned as the deputy commander, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), with oversight of active, reserve, civilian, and contractor teams supporting fleet logistics around the globe. His previous flag assignments were Commander, Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, and Reserve Director, Logistics Programs and Business Operations, N41, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Rear Adm. Keith Jones was commissioned through Officer Candidate School and earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and a Master of Business Administration in management from California State University Bakersfield. He served on active duty aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and has held command of Navy Overseas Air Cargo Terminal E208, Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 6, Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk Det. 206, Commander Naval Air Forces Atlantic Supply 1086, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Operations Team–Atlanta, and U.S. Pacific Fleet Logistics Readiness Center Headquarters 120.

Commander, Carrier Strike Group 2

Rear Adm. Stephen Evans took command of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2 in October 2017; its mission is to prepare and provide combat-ready maritime forces for on-call surge or scheduled deployed operations to execute the maritime strategy and achieve operational success through unmatched fighting skills. Rear Adm. Evans graduated from the Citadel in 1986, earning a Bachelor of Arts. He holds a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, was a 2014–2015 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Seminar XXI Fellow, and attended the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Program.

REAR ADM. (RET.) VINCENT GRIFFITH

Director, DLA Logistics Operations (J3), Defense Logistics Agency

Rear Adm. Vincent Griffith became the director of DLA Logistics Operations (J3) in June 2014. DLA Logistics Operations is responsible for the end-to-end supply chain management of DLA’s nine supply chains and provides logistics and materiel process management policy, guidance, oversight, and monitoring of supply chain performance. DLA Logistics Operations oversees the daily operation of DLA’s field activities in supporting 2,400 weapon systems and engages customers around the world to maximize readiness and logistics combat power by leveraging enterprise solutions. He graduated in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Berry College. Two years later, he received a master’s degree in business administration from the George Washington University. His most recent assignment was Director, Fleet Ordnance and Supply, and fleet supply officer on the staff of the commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, VA. He is a member of the Navy Acquisition Professional Community.

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Deputy Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP)

REAR ADM. ALVIN HOLSEY

Deputy Director for Operations, Joint Staff, J-3

Rear Adm. Alvin Holsey reported as Deputy Director for Operations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, J-3 in June 2016. He has served in a variety of training and operational squadrons and commanded Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 37 and the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island.

Assignments to shore and staff billets have included Operations Officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, J-3, Joint Operations Directorate, European Command, and executive assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. Holsey was commissioned through the NROTC program at Morehouse College in 1988, where he received a degree in computer science. He earned a Master of Science in management from Troy State University in 1995 and attended the Joint Forces Staff College in 2010.

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REAR ADM. CEDRIC PRINGLE

Deputy Director, Joint Inter-agency Task Force–South, U.S. Southern Command

Rear Adm. Cedric Pringle reported to the Joint Interagency Task Force—South in September 2015 from the Secretary of the Navy’s Office of Legislative Affairs.

In July he was selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half) and assigned to his current post. A native of Sumter, SC, he graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in economics and received his commission via NROTC from the University of South Carolina. At sea, he served on USS Ranger and USS Portland. Other sea tours include USS Fort McHenry. He served as commanding officer, USS Whidbey Island, from July 2004 to February 2006.

In 2012 he took command of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island. During his tour, the crew won numerous retention excellence and public affairs awards. Pringle also earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award in recognition of the ship’s outreach with two local schools.

REAR ADM. JOHN SMITH JR.

Chief of Staff, U.S. European Command

Rear Adm. John Smith reported as Chief of Staff, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, in August 2015. Smith served as Commander, Joint Task Force–Guantanamo, from 2012 to 2013 prior to serving as Commandant, Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk, VA, from 2013 to 2015. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from South Carolina State College and a master’s degree in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. His personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and various campaign, service, and unit awards. He has flown more than 4,200 hours in H-3 and H-60-F/H/B aircraft.

REAR ADM. JESSE A. WILSON, JR. Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic

Rear Adm. Jesse Wilson most recently commanded Carrier Strike Group 10, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, during a combat deployment, 48 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

leading them during Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Odyssey Resolve, and Operation Oaken Steel in the Arabian Gulf and eastern Mediterranean Sea during spring/ summer 2016. He also served as the director, Assessments Division (N81), on the OPNAV Staff. Wilson is currently assigned as the commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic. He assumed those duties July 14, 2017.

Additionally, Wilson is a 2007–2008 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Fellow and is a graduate of the Navy Corporate Business Course at University of Virginia–Darden.

REAR ADM. (RET.) COY YOUNG

Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command

Rear Adm. Young is a native of Abilene, TX, and a 1984 graduate of Angelo State University in San Angelo, TX, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. He received his commission as an ensign from Officer Candidate School. He holds a Master of Science in financial management and a Master of Arts in national security.

His tours as a surface warfare officer include ordnance officer, navigator, operations officer, combat systems officer, executive officer, commanding officer, and commander, Destroyer Squadron One. During his command tour, his crew won five of five Command Excellence awards. In October 2009 Destroyer Squadron One was assigned as Sea Combat Commander for the Carl Vinson Strike Group, and Rear Adm. Young commanded Destroyer Squadron One from 2009 through 2010. He spearheaded Destroyer Squadron One’s transformation into an operational-focused destroyer squadron. He also served as Commander, Regional Corps advisery Command–Central, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. “Langley created a comprehensive mentoring program that transformed the 201st Corps into war fighting that successfully executes counterinsurgency operations,” states the citation.

Langley, a Fort Worth, TX, native, was also described as “an exemplary leader, a role model” and praised for “establishing personnel standards in the critical areas of accountability and preparation for combat,” which are hallmarks of his leadership.

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Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

U.S. MARINE CORPS

LT. GEN. VINCENT STEWART Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart became the 20th Director of the DIA and Commander, JFCC for Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, on January 23, 2015.

He formerly served as Commander, Marine Forces Cyber.

Prior to that, he served as Director of Intelligence, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1981 from Western Illinois University, where he majored in history. After his commission, some of his principal command tours included tank platoon leader with Company A, 1st Tank; executive officer, 1st Tank Battalion; and company commander with Company E, Marine Support Battalion, Japan. He also served as Commanding Officer, 1st Intelligence Battalion, and Commanding Officer, Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. Staff assignments include project officer; assistant signals intelligence officer; intelligence officer and chief; and command, control, communications and intelligence, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force as well as senior intelligence planner, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence; assistant chief of staff, Intelligence, Marine Corps Forces Command; and, more recently, assistant chief of staff, Intelligence, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (2008–2009). He holds master’s degrees in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College and in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University.

MAJ. GEN. CRAIG CRENSHAW Commanding General, Marine Corps Logistics Base

Maj. Gen. Craig Crenshaw became the commanding general at Marine Corps Logistics Base on June 1, 2015. He began his career as a logistics officer with 3rd Force Service Support Group in Okinawa, Japan.

He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 1984 through the NROTC Scholarship Program. Since then, he has served as platoon commander, maintenance management officer, and assistant logistics officer. While assigned to 1st Marine Regiment, he deployed in support of Operations www.blackengineer.com

Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1992 he was assigned to the Program Executive Office for Cruise Missiles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. He has also served as Marine Corps integrated logistics support manager and deputy director, Joint Logistics Program, Joint Logistics Directorate. Much later, in 2012, he relinquished command of 3rd Marine Logistics, which he had commanded since June 2010, to serve at the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. The general earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Southern University, Baton Rouge; a master’s degree in procurement and acquisitions management from Webster University; and another master’s degree in national resource strategy from National Defense University.

BRIG. GEN. BRIAN W. CAVANAUGH Deputy Commander, U.S. Marine Corp Forces, Pacific

Brig. Gen. Brian Cavanaugh assumed responsibilities as the Deputy Commander, U.S. Marine Corp. Forces, Pacific, in 2016. In 2006 Brig. Gen. Cavanaugh assumed command of the Ugly Angels and deployed the squadron to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this deployment, his squadron was recognized as the Squadron of the Year, and three Marines under his command were recognized as the Marine Corps Aviator of the Year, Crew Chief of the Year, and Ordnanceman of the Year. From 2013–2015 Brig.

Gen. Cavanaugh served as the MAG-36 Commander stationed in Okinawa, Japan, as the 3d MEB ACE, MAG-36 deployed in direct support of Operation Damayan for typhoon relief in the Philippines. In 2015 elements from the MAG deployed in direct support of Operation Sahayogi Haat for earthquake relief in Nepal. Under his command, MAG-36 conducted a myriad of bilateral exercises throughout the U.S. Pacific Command area of operations. He earned his commission in the Marine Corps in 1990 and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1992.

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tives. c e p s r e nique p u m o . r f e l e p m o o c e s p n r ou olutio s a e u Unique s q s uni

sa n o i t u l o S

We draw strength from our diversity. It takes different backgrounds, cultures and perspectives to generate the fresh ideas and creative thinking that propel us into the forefront of technology.

This is the L3 Effect. Your knowledge makes a difference. Join our team and let your unique strengths and experiences help us grow. L3Tjobs.com

L3 Technologies is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. L3 provides equal employment opportunity for all persons, in all facets of employment. L3 maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply for any open position for which they feel they are qualified and all will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status or any other legally protected status.

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

U.S. MARINE CORPS

BRIG. GEN. MICHAEL E. LANGLEY Deputy Director for Operations, J-3, Joint Staff

Brig. Gen. Michael Langley is currently serving as Assistant Deputy Commandant, Programs and Resources (Programs). He previously served as Deputy Director for Operations, J-3, Joint Staff. Prior to that, he was Senior Adviser, 215th Corps, Regional Command (Southwest), Afghanistan.

While deployed to Afghanistan from November 2008 to August 2009, Brig. Gen. Langley received a Bronze Star medal for meritorious service in combat operations while serving as the senior mentor to the commanding general of the 201st Corps. He was the officer in charge for the Special Operations Training Group for III Marine Expeditionary Force. He also served as Commander, Regional Corps Advisery Command– Central, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

“Langley created a comprehensive mentoring program that transformed the 201st Corps into war fighting that successfully executes counterinsurgency operations,” states the citation. Langley, a Fort Worth, TX, native, was also described as “an exemplary leader, a role model” and praised for “establishing personnel standards in the critical areas of accountability and preparation for combat,” which are hallmarks of his leadership.

BRIG. GEN. CRAIG TIMBERLAKE Director, Manpower Management Division

Brig. Gen. Craig Timberlake enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1977 and was promoted to staff sergeant in January 1982. Two years later, he was commissioned through the Enlisted Commissioning Program in August 1984. He was promoted to brigadier general in January 2011. Timberlake’s assignments in the operating forces include platoon commander and company executive officer, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines; company commander, operations officer, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines; regimental operations officer, 1st Marines; and inspector and instructor, 23rd Marines. His other assignments in the supporting establishment include platoon commander and company commander.

Headquarters and staff assignments include action officer, Manpower Equal Opportunity Branch, and plans officer and deputy, J-54, U.S. Pacific Command.

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Timberlake’s military education includes Amphibious Warfare School, Command and Staff College, and the Naval War College. He has also earned master’s degrees in military studies and in national security and strategic studies.

BRIG. GEN. TERRY WILLIAMS Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island and the Eastern Recruiting Region

Brig. Gen. Terry Williams was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 1986 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of California in Los Angeles. Brig. Gen. Williams has served throughout Marine Air–Ground Task Force, with command and staff assignments from platoon/company commander at 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion to series commander and battalion adjutant, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot. He has also served as an engineer officer and as an officer in various areas, such as ground operations, operations, and logistics. From June 2013 to June 2014 he served as director of public affairs. In March 2014 Headquarters Marine Corps Public Affairs and Combat Camera, Office of U.S. Marine Corps Communication, were both consolidated under the Directorate, Office of U.S. Marine Corps Communication. He assumed duties as the commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and the Eastern Recruiting Region in June 2014.

The military organization we know today as the National Guard came into existence with a direct declaration on Dec. 13, 1636, when the Massachusetts General Court in Salem established that all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to join the militia.

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Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

Director of Acquisition Programs and PEO, U.S. Coast Guard

Michael Johnston, Rear Admiral Lower Half, has been assigned as Coast Guard Director of Acquisition Programs and PEO. He last served as the executive director for Deputy Commandant for Mission Support, delivering the systems and people that enable the Coast Guard to perform operational missions. Other assignments include Aide to the Commandant, where Johnston’s work helped restore the nation following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and transitioning the Coast Guard into the newly-formed Department of Homeland Security.

REAR ADM. ERICA SCHWARTZ Director of Health, Safety and Work–Life, U.S. Coast Guard

RADM Erica Schwartz is responsible for the Coast Guard’s health care system as well as operational and off-duty mishap prevention, response, and investigation. She oversees the Coast Guard’s child care and food services delivery programs ashore and afloat and the Coast Guard’s Ombudsman, Substance Abuse, Health Promotion, and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response programs. She served as a Navy Occupational Medicine physician before her transfer to the Public Health Service and Coast Guard in 2005.

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NATIONAL GUARD

U.S. COAST GUARD

REAR ADM. MICHAEL JOHNSTON

MAJ. GEN. MICHAEL A. CALHOUN The Adjutant General, Florida

Maj. Gen. Michael Calhoun is assigned as Adjutant General, Florida. He is the senior military adviser to the governor and is responsible for management, readiness, and mobilization of U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force elements of the Florida National Guard. He previously served as the Assistant Adjutant General–Army Element with additional duties of the Director of the Joint Staff (DJS), Joint Task Force Commander and Dual Status Commander, Designee. Gen. Calhoun was commissioned on July 22, 1989, through a direct commission. He has served in a variety of positions of leadership, including commanding the 83rd Troop Command; 50th Area Support Army, Joint Task F Group; Regimental Commander, 211th Regiment, Regional Training Institute; Battalion Commander, 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Special Troops Battalion; Battalion Commander, 856th Quartermaster Battalion. While deployed, he also served as Director of Host Nation Support in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Gen. Calhoun has commanded at the battalion and group levels for hurricane support and civil support operations. He also is the recipient of the 2008 Department of Defense African American History Month Award.

MAJ. GEN. JOHN C. HARRIS, JR. Assistant Adjutant General–Army, Ohio National Guard

Maj. Gen. John Harris is Assistant Adjutant General– Army, Ohio National Guard, and also serves as Commander, Ohio Army National Guard. He assumed these duties on January 11, 2011, and is responsible for establishing policies, priorities, and oversight for the readiness of 11,400 soldiers. Gen. Harris began his military career in 1981 when he enlisted in the Ohio Army National Guard. He received a commission in 1984 through Officer Candidate School. He has commanded at the platoon, detachment, company, www.blackengineer.com

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

NATIONAL GUARD

and squadron levels while serving in assignments at the battalion, squadron, and state area command as well as joint force headquarters level. General Harris’s recent assignments include chief of staff, deputy chief of staff for personnel, and commander, Task Force Lancer, Kosovo.

MAJ. GEN. TIMOTHY M. MCKEITHEN Deputy Director of the Army National Guard, Washington, DC

Maj. Gen. Timothy McKeithen assumed duties as the deputy director, Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau, on September 4, 2015. He guides development and implementation of programs and policies affecting the Army National Guard—a force of 350,000 citizen soldiers in 50 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia. Prior to that, Gen. McKeithen was Assistant Chief of Staff, G4, U. S. Army Central, Third Army, C4 Combined Joint Task Force Land Components Command and CJ4 Combined Joint Task Force– Operation Inherent Resolve. He implemented sustainment policies, concept plans, and complete operation plans for deployment, redeployment, staging, and movement for 200,000 United States, coalition, and civilian forces. He also maintains readiness of equipment valued at $100 billion and $14 billion in contracts and coordinates with Department of State, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Defense Logistics Agency Army Staff, and commands that enable integration of materiel fielding, logistics, sustainment, acquisition, and technology in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve.

Gen. McKeithen received his commission from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, where he was named a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1985.

Gen. McKeithen most recently served as Director of Logistics, J-4, Headquarters, North American Aerospace Defense Command.

MAJ. GEN. (RET.) ERROL R. SCHWARTZ Commanding General, Militia of the District of Columbia National Guard

Maj. Gen. Errol Schwartz is commanding general of the Militia of the District of Columbia National Guard. He is responsible for operational readiness and command and control of the District of Columbia Army and Air National Guard units, with an authorized strength www.blackengineer.com

of 2,700 soldiers and airmen. Gen. Schwartz assumed duties as Commanding General, District of Columbia, in 2008. His military career started when he enlisted in the District of Columbia Army National Guard in 1976. He was commissioned in 1979 and appointed as a platoon leader in the 104th Maintenance Company. He served in many leadership positions as a staff officer and commander. Some of his previous assignments include Battalion Commander, 372nd Military Police Battalion; Deputy Director of Information Management; Director of Logistics; Commander, 74th Troop Command; and Deputy Commanding General, District of Columbia National Guard.

MAJ. GEN. ROBERT L. SHANNON, JR. Special Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard

Maj. Gen. Robert Shannon assists the adjutant general in providing oversight and supervision of headquarters, Georgia Air National Guard, staff and command of the 2,900 Georgia Air National Guard members serving in two flying wings, six geographically separated units, and a Combat Readiness Training Center.

Additionally, he oversees the Georgia Air National Guard’s Strategic Planning and Initiatives. He previously served as Director, Joint Staff for Joint Forces, Headquarters, Georgia Air National Guard. Gen. Shannon is a member of the steering committee for the Air National Guard’s Strategic Planning System. He is a charter member of the Joint Diversity Executive Council and serves as chair for the Special Emphasis Program. Shannon was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Program in 1981. He was on active duty for seven years before transferring to the Georgia Air National Guard.

Gen. Shannon is a Master Air Battle Manager. He has participated in numerous deployments while on active duty and in the Georgia Air National Guard to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Italy, England, Iceland, Canada, Japan, the Philippines, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Denmark, Norway, Germany, and Scotland.

Maj. Gen. A.C. Roper is the recipient of numerous community awards. In his civilian capacity, he is the Chief of the Birmingham Police Department.

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Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

NATIONAL GUARD

MAJ. GEN. LESTER SIMPSON

BRIG. GEN. ONDRA L. BERRY

Commander, 36th Infantry Division

Assistant Adjutant General–Air, Nevada National Guard

Maj. Gen. Lester Simpson serves as Commander, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard. He commands and controls the division’s headquarters and five major subordinate commands. He also serves as Principal Adviser to the Adjutant General and Army Commander of Texas Military Forces on employment of the division on state and federal missions. Gen. Simpson received his commission in 1980 through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Program at the University of Texas, Arlington. He has commanded at all levels throughout the Division and held numerous staff positions throughout his career, most notably his former assignment as the special assistant to the director of the Army National Guard.

Brig. Gen. Ondra Berry currently serves as Assistant Adjutant General–Air, Nevada National Guard.

He is responsible for formulating, developing, and coordinating all policies, programs, and plans affecting more than 1,100 Nevada Air National Guard airmen. He serves the adjutant general as a principal adviser on matters pertaining to the Nevada Air National Guard. Gen. Berry received his commission from the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science in 1990. His most recent assignment was Special Assistant to the Chief, National Guard Bureau, where he provided advice on diversity and leadership matters. He has had a significant impact on diversity and inclusion in the Nevada Air National Guard, taking the message of diversity, education, and opportunity to the National Guard Bureau and around the country. Gen. Berry’s energy and expertise in the field have enhanced his abilities within the National Guard, where he sets the stage for increased diversity and devises various opportunities for all members of the armed forces.

MAJ. GEN. LINDA L. SINGH The Adjutant General, Maryland National Guard

Maj. Gen. Linda Singh was appointed Adjutant General of Maryland on January 21, 2015.

The adjutant general is responsible for the daily operations of the Maryland Military Department, which includes the Maryland Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Maryland Emergency Management Agency, and Maryland Defense Force.

Gen. Singh serves as the senior adviser to the governor for these state agencies and is responsible for the readiness, administration, and training of more than 6,700 members of the Maryland Military Department.

She serves as a member of the governor’s cabinet and is the official channel of communication between the governor and the National Guard Bureau. Gen. Singh also chairs the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response advisery Council and is a member of the Army Reserve Force Policy Committee. Prior to that, Gen. Singh served as the Assistant Adjutant General–Army for the Maryland Army National Guard and the primary adviser to the adjutant general on Army National Guard issues. She was responsible for supporting formulation, development, and coordination of programs, policies, and plans affecting the Maryland Army National Guard, a force of over 4,600 soldiers. Gen. Singh also provided guidance and supervision of all training, personnel, and logistics matters.

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BRIG. GEN. WAYNE L. BLACK Assistant Adjutant General–Army, Indiana National Guard

Brig. Gen. Wayne Black assumed duties as Assistant Adjutant General–Army, Indiana National Guard, in 2013. He serves as a principal adviser to the adjutant general and is responsible for assisting the adjutant general in formulating, developing, and coordinating programs, policies, and plans affecting the Indiana Army National Guard and its more than 12,000 citizen-soldiers.

Gen. Black represents the adjutant general and the Indiana Army National Guard in a variety of forums that impact the Indiana National Guard. Brig. Gen. Black began his military career on May 12, 1984, receiving his commission through Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) from the Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. He has served in a variety of command and staff positions, both on active duty and in the National Guard. Gen. Black deployed in 1990 to Saudi Arabia with the 3rd Armored Division in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 2003 he deployed to Bosnia with 38th Infantry Division, Task Force Eagle, and served as the G-3 and Chief, Joint Visitor’s Bureau. www.blackengineer.com

Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

NATIONAL GUARD

Gen. Black deployed to Afghanistan as Commander, Embedded Training Team, and was responsible for training and mentoring of the Afghan National Police and Border Police in the northern region in 2008.

BRIG. GEN. SYLVESTER CANNON Commander, 135th Sustainment Command, Alabama

Brig. Gen. Sylvester Cannon is Commander, 135th Sustainment Command, Alabama National Guard. The unit provides command and control of all assigned, attached, and operational controlled units as well as sustainment planning and guidance in order to provide mission support operations as directed by National Guard authorities, the governor, or the adjutant general. Brig. Gen. Cannon joined the Alabama National Guard in 1981 and earned his commission through the State Officer Candidate School on June 29, 1985. He has served in multiple active duty roles, including strategy and policy planner, distribution management center chief, and brigade commander.

BRIG. GEN. CLARENCE ERVIN Assistant Adjutant General–Air, North Carolina

Brig. Gen. Clarence Ervin is the Assistant Adjutant General, North Carolina Air National Guard. He is responsible for Air National Guard personnel at the North Carolina Joint Force Headquarters.

Other duties include advising the adjutant general on mentoring and leadership programs, assisting in the development of expanded military operations, and development of missions appropriate for the North Carolina National Guard. Brig. Gen. Ervin was commissioned through the Academy of Military Science at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base near Knoxville, TN. Prior to that, he served as an enlisted member of the U.S. Air Force and later in the North Carolina Air National Guard (NCANG). Brig. Gen. Ervin has spent over 30 years in the NCANG. A career Force Support Officer, he has commanded a flight and led the largest group in the North Carolina Air Guard as the commander of 145th Mission Support Group. He further broadened his career by serving as the 145th Vice Wing Commander and as the Director of Staff for the North Carolina Air National Guard. General Ervin has deployed in support of Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Jump Start. www.blackengineer.com

BRIG. GEN. DAVID D. HAMLAR Assistant Adjutant General–Air, Minnesota National Guard

Brig. Gen. David Hamlar serves as Assistant Adjutant General–Air, Minnesota National Guard. He assists in oversight and deploying strategic themes to maintain two high-quality Air National Guard Wings assigned to the State of Minnesota. Gen. Hamlar provides leadership and policy advice to the adjutant general and enforces policies in the Minnesota Air National Guard. Gen. Hamlar graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Science in biology. He then attended Howard University College of Dentistry as a National Health Service Corps scholarship recipient, gaining a commission. While practicing dentistry, he entered medical school at Ohio State University in 1985. After completing his studies, he spent his fourth year as a research scientist. This led to post-graduate training in general surgery and four years in otolaryngology, medical and surgical treatment of diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT), and related structures of the head and neck. Finally, a fellowship in facial plastics led him to Minnesota in 1994, where he attended the University of Minnesota. Gen. Hamlar continued his career by joining the Ohio Air National Guard in 1989. He joined the 133rd Airlift Wing as a traditional guardsman and general practice physician in 1995.

BRIG. GEN. LEONARD W. ISABELLE, JR. Chief of Staff, Michigan Air National Guard

Brig. Gen. Leonard Isabelle is Chief of Staff, Joint Forces Headquarters, Michigan Air National Guard, and also serves as Commander, Michigan Air National Guard.

As Commander, Gen. Isabelle directs activities of the Michigan Air National Guard in support of the adjutant general of Michigan and is responsible for the Air National Guard units located at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, and the Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, MI. Gen. Isabelle received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1987 as a graduate of the Academy of Military Science. He has served in operations and maintenance as well as command positions at the squadron and group level. Gen. Isabelle is a command pilot with more than 2,950 hours primarily in the A-10 and F-16 aircraft. Prior to assuming his current position, General Isabelle was Commander, 127th Operations Group, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, MI. WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 55

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BRIG. GEN. DEBORAH Y. HOWELL The Adjutant General of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Brig. Gen. Deborah Howell serves as adjutant general for the United States Virgin Islands. In this position, Gen. Howell is responsible for coordination, execution, and management of the Virgin Islands Army and Air National Guard’s manpower, equipment, and emergency and security plans. Prior to this appointment, Brig. Gen. Howell had retired from the Virgin Islands National Guard in June of 2010 while serving as executive assistant to the adjutant general.

Shortly after, she joined the Virgin Islands government as chief of staff to Senator Kenneth Gittens in the 30th and 31st Legislatures. Her efforts in organization and change were noted and lauded by the inner circles of government, both at the local and federal levels.

Within a few months of the senator’s second term in office, she was recruited by Governor Kenneth E. Mapp to serve as the Adjutant General, Virgin Islands. Gen. Howell served as platoon leader for the 662nd Field Service Company after her commission in 1982 as Community Relations Officer, 658th Public Relations Officer, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

BRIG. GEN. BRUCE C. LINTON 66th Theater Aviation Command, Commander, Joint Base Lewis–McChord

Brig. Gen. Bruce Linton is the commander, 66th Theater Aviation Command, Washington Army National Guard.

The command is sourced to meet strategic objectives in support of global contingency operations through the training, preparation, resourcing, and mission command of assets across two Theater Aviation Brigades and one Theater Airfield Operations Group as well as air traffic services, airfield management, aeromedical evacuation, combat aviation brigade reinforcement, and the coordination of aviation reception, staging, onward movement, and integration. Gen. Linton is also responsible for the mission command of all subordinate aviation organizations within the state of Washington. He directs and manages these resources as they train and prepare to provide critical support in response to domestic emergencies.

Gen. Linton received his commission through the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA. Upon graduating in August 1988, he was commissioned as a 56 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

second lieutenant in the Washington Army National Guard. He completed the Aviation Officer Basic Course and Initial Entry Rotary–Wing Qualification Course and multiple aircraft transition courses while serving as an aviator.

BRIG. GEN. GREGORY D. MASON Assistant Adjutant General–Army, Missouri National Guard

Brig. Gen. Gregory Mason serves as Assistant Adjutant General, Missouri National Guard. He assists the adjutant general in the formulation, development, and implementation of all programs and policies in the Missouri Army National Guard.

Gen. Mason received his commission as a second lieutenant through the Kansas Army National Guard Officer Candidate School in 1987. Prior to his commissioning, Gen. Mason began his military career on active duty in 1974 as a military police officer. He has held command leadership positions at company, battalion, and brigade levels. Gen. Mason served as the senior intelligence officer for the 35th Engineer Brigade during Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2007–2008. The brigade conducted combat engineer operations throughout the central Iraq area of operations, including Baghdad.

MAJ. GEN. BRIAN C. NEWBY Air National Guard Assistant to the Judge Advocate General (JAG)

Brig Gen. Brian Newby is Chief of Staff, Texas Air National Guard. He serves as principal adviser to the commander of the Texas Air National Guard for all Air National Guard issues.

In this assignment, he is responsible for assisting in the planning, direction, and administration of over 3,100 Air National Guard personnel within the state of Texas. Gen. Newby’s responsibilities also include recruiting, retention, labor relations, training, employee development, and equal opportunity initiatives. Gen. Newby was commissioned in 1983 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX.

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Top Black Officers in the U.S. Military

NATIONAL GUARD

BRIG. GEN. RENWICK L. PAYNE

BRIG. GEN. MICHAEL C. THOMPSON

The Adjutant General, District of Columbia, Army National Guard

Assistant Adjutant General–Army, Oklahoma National Guard

Brig. Gen. Renwick Payne is the Adjutant General of the District of Columbia Army National Guard. Gen. Payne was assigned to the National Guard Bureau in October 1993 as a New York National Guardsman. He has served as Military Assistant to the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of the Army; Executive Officer to the Director, Army National Guard; G3/ Operations Officer Army National Guard; Chief of Staff, Army National Guard; and War on Terror Operational Assistant to the Director of the Army National Guard. Most recently, Gen. Payne served as Director, Joint Staff, New York National Guard. He enlisted in 1974 and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant of Field Artillery in 1979. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Governors State University. He is affiliated with the National Guard Association of the United States, the Militia Association of New York, the Association of the United States Army, and the 369th Historical Society.

Brig. Gen. Michael Thompson assists the adjutant general with the preparation of Oklahoma Army National Guard units for homeland defense and mobilization. He advises the adjutant general on all matters concerning the Oklahoma Army National Guard citizen soldiers and their families. He has oversight of training, administration, logistics, and personnel actions. He directs the Army National Guard staff and provides guidance to the staff and subordinate commanders. Gen. Thompson also facilitates command staff decisions pertaining to force development. Thompson was commissioned in 1986 through the Oklahoma Military Department, Officer Candidate School, Oklahoma City, OK. Gen. Thompson has commanded at the company, battalion, and brigade levels.

BRIG. GEN. NATHANIEL S. REDDICKS California National Guard, Joint Forces Training Base

Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Reddicks assumed command of the California National Guard (CNG), Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB), Los Alamitos Army Airfield, the only military airfield in the greater Los Angeles area, on April 1, 2016.

The base employs 850 civilian and military personnel, supports 3,000 reserve-component military members, and is the headquarters for the 40th Infantry Division, the CNG’s largest Army command. The base is also home to the CNG’s Sunburst Youth ChalleNGe Academy and STARBASE math and engineering academy, among other organizations. In addition to his responsibilities as JFTB commander, Reddicks serves as the Assistant Adjutant General–Air for the California National Guard, where he oversees four wings and a combat communications group, totaling nearly 5,000 military and civilian personnel at 10 locations. Reddicks enlisted in the CNG’s Channel Islands-based 146th Airlift Wing in 1978 and commissioned as an officer in 1980. Among other positions, Reddicks has served as the commander of the 146th Airlift Wing Mission Support Group and the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing Mission Support Group. www.blackengineer.com

BRIG. GEN. WILLIAM J. WALKER Acting Director, District of Columbia Army National Guard

Brig. Gen. William Walker is the commander, Land Component Command, District of Columbia Army National Guard. He ensures the District of Columbia Joint Task Force responds effectively to District of Columbia and federal missions in support of homeland defense, national security, and disasters.

He is responsible for leadership, training, logistics, and operational employment of units assigned or attached to the District of Columbia Army National Guard.

Gen. Walker has served in various assignments, including Deputy Commander–Army; Joint Task Force 57th Presidential Inauguration, District of Columbia National Guard; and Commander, Joint Task Force, U.S. Army South, Jamaica. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Gen. Walker served in the Army Operations Center in support of Operation Noble Eagle. Also in 2011, he simultaneously served as Chief, Theater Observation Detachment–Afghanistan, Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL); Senior CALL Liaison to the Commander, International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan; and Senior Military Strategist, American Embassy Kabul, Office of Transition in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

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SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE

SES IS A RIGOROUS OPPORTUNITY TO EFFECT CHANGE

VICTOR S. GAVIN

TOP BLACKS

JESSE W. MCCURDY

Senior Executive Service Defense

BY GALE HORTON GAY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

JOHN H. JAMES

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reparing oneself to achieve a Senior Executive Service (SES) position is one thing; having the heart, temperament, and commitment to be successful in an SES career is another, according to Bill Brown.

Brown, who had a 38-year career in the federal government, retired as deputy director for military programs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“You no longer have a life of your own” said Brown. “It is 24 hours a day.

You have to be prepared for that.”

According to the federal Office of Professional Management website, the SES was established in 1979 when the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 went into effect to ensure that the executive management of the government is of the highest quality and is responsive to the needs, policies, and goals of the nation.

They operate and oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 federal agencies.

“These leaders possess well-honed executive skills and share a broad perspective on government and a public service commitment that is grounded in the Constitution,” states the website.

“Members of the SES serve in the key positions just below the top presidential appointees. SES members are the major link between these appointees and the rest of the federal workforce.”

Brown is one of the founders and the first president of African American Federal Executives Association. The organization, which was founded in 2002, initially had a mission to increase the number of African Americans in the SES. Today AAFEA, which is based in Bethesda, Maryland, notes on its website that it is dedicated to “preparing and supporting African Americans for advancement into and within the senior ranks of the U.S. government.”

John H. James Jr. agrees with Brown that one must have a desire and commitment to serve at the highest levels in government to assume the responsibilities of an SES position. James noted that as an SES, critical decisions— many times involving considerable risk— have to be made rapidly.

“You have [many times] 40 percent of the information and you have to make a decision and you have to be right. Most

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people are not comfortable doing that,” said James, who started in the federal government 37 years ago as a nuclear ship superintendent and had no idea where his career would eventually lead.

He’s currently the executive director of the Missile Defense Agency, Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon.

“I always remind people you need to make sure this is what you want,” said Victor S. Gavin, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Information Operations and Space.

Gavin also chairs the Navy’s African American SES Advisory Committee that was founded in 1994 and is sanctioned by the Under Secretary of the Navy. The committee helps to educate aspiring SES candidates and advocate for diversity in SES ranks. There are 18 African Americans in SES naval positions, he said.

Retired senior executive Jesse W. McCurdy said many African Americans do not understand what it takes to be an SES—the experience and education that is required.

In applying for SES positions, it is critical to specify what one has accomplished in one’s career and not simply list jobs held. What did you do, what did you accomplish while you were there? What have you done to promote change? Have you taken the right jobs, the important jobs, the hard jobs?

McCurdy said it is essential that individuals seeking to enter the senior ranks of the government get the right mix of training and experience.

“You can be very skilled technically but not have people management experience or actual business management experience,” said McCurdy, adding that there are some 6,000-7,000 SES positions in the U.S. government.

By one estimate, less than 900 African Americans hold these positions.

The highly competitive SES positions require, in addition to technical expertise, competency in five executive core qualifications: • Leading change • Leading people • Results driven • Business acumen • Building coalitions Gavin and James agree that guidance from SES mentors can steer

prospective SES candidates in the right direction in filling in gaps in their work experience, directing them to which career moves they should or should not make, and advising them on training that would be beneficial.

McCurdy worked in private industry for 10 years and the government for 37 years before retiring in 2013 as deputy assistant commander for Research and Engineering for the Naval Air Systems Command.

McCurdy was selected for the SES in 1989 after three application attempts.

He recalls transitioning from managing a division with 50 to 60 employees to heading a department with a staff of 400 to 500 and in subsequent roles leading departments with 1,500 engineers and scientists. In his final position, he and an admiral were responsible for a technical and administrative workforce of 10,000.

While the responsibilities of SES positions are tremendous, the financial compensation doesn’t compare to what one would receive in comparable roles in private industry, according to Gavin.

In fact, he said, some non-SES positions in the government pay more than SES positions.

“You really have to want to do this for other reasons,” he said. “We are servants; we are government servants.”

But Gavin is quick to add that the rewards of being in the Senior Executive Service are immeasurable.

“For me, it is about being able to have a seat at the table, influence the direction of the government,” said Gavin.

“There’s nothing better than to be part of the leadership, decision makers,” he said.

“If you want to change the way government conducts itself, this is the place for you,” said Gavin. “If you recognize the need for change, have ideas to incorporate, SES is the place for you.”

James and McCurdy concur that the rewards of the SES elite are being part of making strategic decisions for the organization as well as helping to guide and select the new generation to join the ranks of the SES.

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FRANCINE BLACKMON Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Review Boards) Director of the Army Review Boards Agency

Ms. Francine Blackmon was appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary (Review Boards) and Director of the Army Review Boards Agency in 2013. She is responsible for 14 personnel boards, including the Army Board for Correction of Military Records, Army Discharge Review Board, Army Special Review Boards, Army Clemency and Parole Board, and Army Grade Determination Review Board. Ms. Blackmon also provides oversight of law enforcement and corrections missions. Prior to her current assignment, she served as the deputy assistant secretary, Air Force Management Integration. Originally from Sacramento, CA, Blackmon attended the University of Maryland and was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force after graduation. Ms. Blackmon’s 24-year military career was in the field of human resources. She served as the Chief of the Commander’s Issues Team at the Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph Air Force Base; Mission Support Squadron Commander at Fairchild Air Force Base; and Chief of the Air Force Skills Management Division at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. Ms. Blackmon has extensive joint service experience in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness).

KEVIN BOSTICK Director of Current Operations, G-3/4, Headquarters, U.S. Army Materiel Command

Mr. Kevin Bostick provides mission command over operations by integrating global support functions and systems supporting the Joint War fighters. Mr. Bostick’s responsibilities stretch across the full spectrum of Army Operations. His duties include 60 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

plans, operations, training, Army prepositioned stocks, readiness, force protection, cyber, and engineer functions. Bostick executes strategic direction, priorities, policies, and guidance of the Army Materiel Command (AMC), commanding general, deputy commanding general, executive deputy commanding general, and the deputy chief of staff for operations and logistics, G-3/4.

THEODORE (TAB) BROWN, P.E. Chief of Planning & Policy in Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Since 2009 Mr. Theodore Brown has served as Chief of Planning and Policy at Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC. He also serves as the leader of the Mississippi Valley Division Regional Integration Team. In this capacity, he provides leadership and oversight for coastal Louisiana post-Katrina reconstruction and planning. Mr. Brown also serves as the leader of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Planning Community of Practice. In his current position, Brown formulates and coordinates Army Civil Works policy with the Department of Army, federal agencies, and Office of Management and Budget; serves as executive liaison for the Chief’s Environmental advisery Board; and provides representation to other federal advisory committees. Mr. Brown is responsible for leading efforts in the implementation of the 2007 Water Resources Development Act. He serves as the principal Civil Works point of contact with congressional authorizing committees on policy and planning matters. He earned a Bachelor of Science at the Ohio State University and a Master of Business Administration from Marshall University.

DR. AUBREY BUTTS Director, Institute for Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

Selected to the federal Senior Executive Service in 2013, Dr. Butts serves as the director for the Institute for NonCommissioned Officer Professional Development at U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.

He is responsible for direction and oversight of the Non-Commissioned Officer Education System across the Army and integrating actions activities related to Non-Commissioned Officer Leader Development into the Army leader development strategy. Dr. Butts serves as the NCO subject matter expert for the Army leader development enterprise. As the director of the Institute for Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development, he has four functions: serve as principal adviser to the Army Leader Development Enterprise on NCO development; serve as executive agent for the NCO Development Program; serve as Training and Doctrine Command Capability Manager for the Army Career Tracker; and exercise direct authority over the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. Mr. Butts has a Ph.D. in Organization and Management from Capella University and an MBA from American Intercontinental University.

He also has a Masters of Strategic Studies from the Army War College and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Park University, Parkville, MO.

EUGENE (GENE) COLLINS Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, Environment, Safety and Occupational Health, Washington, DC

Mr. Eugene Collins assumed duties as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health in 2015.

Mr. Collins provides executive leadership for sustainability, environment, www.blackengineer.com

DONN BOOKER Contingency Business Director of the Transatlantic Division Principal Adviser, Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers

Mr. Donn Booker is the principal adviser to the commander of the Army Corps of Engineers and a contingency business director in the Corps Transatlantic Division. He leads direction and financial operations as www.blackengineer.com

well as regional support to the division’s regional business center. He also serves as a representative to the management board and is responsible for establishing policy and guidance. The Transatlantic Division provides the Corps of Engineers’ construction, engineering, and project management support for Central Command, a unified combatant command within the Department of Defense. Central Command’s area includes countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Overseeing thousands of United States Army projects, the transatlantic division also provides support to Afghan national security forces, coalition forces, counter narcotics and border management, reconstruction support to the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Corps Commander’s Emergency Response Program. Mr. Booker graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a bachelor’s degree in science and a master’s degree from Georgia Institute of Technology.

JAMES DALTON Chief, Engineering and Construction Division, Directorate of Civil Works, Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Mr. James Dalton was selected to the Senior Executive Service in January 2005. He currently serves as Chief of the Engineering and Construction Community of Practice and is responsible for policy, program, and technical expertise in the execution of over $10 billion of design and construction programs for the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense, other federal agencies, and over sixty foreign nations. He provides leadership to a field organization consisting of eight divisions, 41 districts, and 15,000 personnel and guides the development of engineering and construction policy for the Corps’ world-wide civil works, military, and environmental missions.

He also serves as the Corps South Atlantic Division Regional Integration Team Leader. From July 2005 to May 2007, Mr. Dalton served as the regional business director for the South

Atlantic Division in Atlanta, GA. Mr. Dalton served as Director of Business Management for the Gulf Region Division in Baghdad, Iraq, from January to July 2005. Mr. Dalton managed the Regional Operating Budget and provided executive leadership in executing the financial management program. He earned a Bachelor of Science from North Carolina A & T State University and a Master of Science from North Carolina State University.

MONIQUE FERRELL Director of the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program

Ms. Ferrell was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2011 and is currently the director of the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program. Ms. Ferrell formulates policies and executes short-term strategies and associated metrics as well as long-term initiatives to satisfy changing needs in the dynamic SHARP program.

Prior to this assignment, she served for 29 years in the U.S. Army Audit Agency. In her last position, as Deputy Auditor General for Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Training Audits, Ms. Ferrell was the principal adviser to the Auditor General for auditing functional areas of human capital, force protection, force structure, and training. Previously, she directed Army-wide audit coverage of high-risk areas that focused on theater deployment and sustainment functions, the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, contingency contracting, and contractors on the battlefield. Ms. Ferrell holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Hampton University and a master’s in policy management from Georgetown University.

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natural resources, safety, and occupational health programs. He provides management and oversight of acquisition programs (environment, safety, and occupational health issues); chemical, biological, nuclear, and conventional treaty verification and compliance, the Army Environmental Technology Program; and U.S./German Technology Data Exchange. He is the executive agent for a number of Department of Defense activities, including the Defense Department’s Unexploded Ordnance Center of Excellence, National Defense Center for Energy and the Environment, Voluntary Protection Program Center of Excellence, and the Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) Cleanup Program.

He also serves as the Army Federal Preservation Official and functional representative for Career Program 12 (CP-12) as well as the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council.

His responsibilities span a global organization that includes a $1.5 billion annual environmental program as well as oversight for the safety and occupational health of over 1.2 million soldiers and Army civilian employees worldwide. Mr. Collins entered the Senior Executive Service in April 2007.

Prior to assuming his current position, he served as the Deputy Director of Logistics, Directorate of Logistics, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Mr. Collins is a 26-year Air Force veteran, retiring as a colonel. He is a combat aircraft maintenance and logistics leader who participated in Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Southern Watch.

Tawanda Rooney supports the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. She began her federal career in 1984 through the Air Force summer-hire program.

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DR. JUANITA HARRIS Director, Weapons Development and Integration Directorate, Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center

Dr. Juanita Harris was selected for Senior Executive Service in February 2015.

She serves as the Director, Weapons Development and Integration Directorate, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center at Redstone Arsenal, AL. WDI conducts research, exploratory and advanced development, and technology demonstrations and provides engineering and scientific expertise in all aspects of weapon system design, development, improvement, and integration for the Army. WDI is responsible for integration of these weapon systems into both manned and unmanned platforms, serves as a life-cycle management enterprise for Department of Defense missile technology, and supplies key essential engineering support to customers for these weapon systems.

Dr. Harris has earned numerous awards, honors, and professional certifications throughout her career as well as serving in several key positions. Dr. Harris earned her Ph.D. in management in organization leadership at University of Phoenix, Master of Science in computer resources and information system management at Webster University, and a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering at University of Illinois.

GREGG HILL Senior National Intelligence Program Adviseradviser, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, Headquarters, Department of the Army

Mr. Gregg Hill was appointed to the Federal Defense Intelligence Senior Level in December 2014 as the Senior National Intelligence Program Adviser to the Director, 62 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

Resource Integration Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, Headquarters, Department of the Army. He is responsible for providing advice on all aspects of the Army National Intelligence Program. He is also the Army’s senior technical adviser for the National Intelligence Program Intelligence Planning, Programming, Budget, and Evaluation System. Mr. Hill retired from active duty at the rank of colonel following 27 years of meritorious service. Key assignments include Commander/Director, Defense Finance and Accounting Service–St. Louis, and Commander, 101st Finance Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY. Mr. Hill earned a Bachelor of Science in business and economics from University of North Carolina, a Master of Public Administration in comptroller ship from University of Missouri, and a Master of Science in national security strategy from the National War College.

BRENDA JOHNSON-TURNER Director of Real Estate for the Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Ms. Brenda Johnson-Turner was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in November 2014 and serves as Director of Real Estate for the Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Ms. Johnson-Turner provides executive leadership for program execution of the Department of the Army real estate mission for Army land and improvements worldwide. She is responsible for overall policy and ensuring technical expertise to provide real estate acquisition, asset management, and disposal. She also serves as Chief of the South Pacific Division and Great Lakes and Ohio River Division Regional Integration Team, in which she manages the Washington-level representation and support through integrating product and service mission areas and establishing and maintaining relationships at a national level for military and other program areas with projects exceeding

$700 million annually. Ms. JohnsonTurner earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Alcorn State University.

DELORES JOHNSON DAVIS Senior Professional for Strategic Integration (Human Dimension), Office of the Assistant Secretary (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)

Ms. Davis was appointed to a senior leader position on August 23, 2015.

She serves as the Senior Professional for Strategic Integration (Human Dimension).

In this capacity, she manages and integrates research, analysis, and studies in support of the human dimension strategy. These efforts include work in Big Data, especially as it relates to personnel and manpower, Army human capital, and risk assessment studies for soldiers. She is responsible for establishing accountability and synergy to accomplish human dimension priorities and to integrate future human dimension capabilities and systems to increase Army readiness. She performs both internal and external strategic engagements for the Department of Defense, including federal research agencies, science and technology scholars, private organizations, and individuals, to determine which projects impact the skills, competence, and resilience of the future warfighter. Ms. Davis is uniquely qualified for these duties based on her academic and professional experience within several behavioral disciplines and her career efforts integrating strategy, policy, and resources to deliver effective soldier and family readiness programs.

TOMMY MARKS Director, Army Small Business Programs, Office of the Secretary of the Army

Mr. Tommy Marks was appointed as the director for Army Small Business programs on April 19, 2015. In this role, he represents the Secretary of the Army at committee and subcommittee hearings on small business, historically Black colleges and universities, and www.blackengineer.com

EARL MATTHEWS Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Department of the Army

Mr. Earl Matthews was appointed as the Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Department of the Army on June 21, 2017. As Principal Deputy General Counsel, he serves as the first assistant to the General Counsel and assists in executing the latter’s responsibility to provide legal and policy advice to the Secretary of the Army, the Secretariat, and other senior Army leaders. Mr. Matthews has served as the Acting General Counsel of the Army since June 21, 2017. Matthews began his legal career in private practice but has spent the bulk of his professional career in service to the nation as a uniformed Judge Advocate and civilian attorney within the Department of Defense. www.blackengineer.com

He was one of the first Army Judge Advocates to enter Baghdad in April 2003 as part of a civil affairs battalion and later served as an operations officer for the Coalition Provisional Authority’s Ministry of Justice Advisory Team.

From 2005 to 2013, he served as an assistant general counsel and later as an intelligence officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency. Matthews also served as a Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Matthews graduated with a B.A., cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Villanova University in May 1995, earned a J.D. from the Harvard Law School in June 1998, a M.S. in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University in August 2005, an LL.M. in National Security Law from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2013, and an M.S. in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in 2016.

ROBERT MOORE Deputy to the Commanding General, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command

Mr. Robert Moore is a deputy to the commanding general of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command.

The USASAC implements Army security assistance programs and manages 4,000 foreign military sales valued at $103 billion as well as production of Army materiel. The command supports U.S. emergency assistance, humanitarian relief, and United Nations peacekeeping operations. Previously, Mr. Moore was deputy director of Security Cooperation and Offices of Defense Cooperation, J-5, Headquarters, U.S. European Command, Germany. Prior to that, he was the Deputy Director of Logistics and Security Assistance, J-4, Headquarters, U.S. European Command. Mr. Moore was selected to the Senior Executive Service in July 2003. Like many veteran executives in the federal Senior Executive Service who have served for many years, he served for more than 28 years in the Air Force, retiring as a colonel. His last assignment was with the United States

Embassy in Berlin, Germany, as Chief of Office of Defense Cooperation. He received his bachelor’s degree (cum laude) in biology and chemistry from Alabama State University, a master’s in counseling from Pepperdine University, and another master’s in logistics management at the Air Force Institute of Technology.

LEVATOR NORSWORTHY, JR. Deputy General Counsel–Acquisition

Mr. Levator Norsworthy, Jr., was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in January 1998 and currently serves as Deputy General Counsel (Acquisition), where he assists the General Counsel in providing advice and counsel to all Army Secretariat officials, including the Secretary of the Army, the Army Acquisition Executive, the Army Chief Information Officer, and their staffs. The provision of legal advice encompasses a variety of functional areas, such as federal procurement law, major weapon system acquisition, military construction, research and development, developmental and operational testing, logistics, international cooperative programs, security assistance, competitive sourcing, and contingency contracting.

He earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of Dayton and a Juris Doctorate at University of Cincinnati College of Law and has received the Presidential Rank Award and a DA Award for Exceptional Civilian Service.

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other minority institutions.

He serves as the focal point for responding to industrial, congressional, and individual inquiries on small business, economic utilization, and other business matters. He also represents the Army in inter-agency communication with the Small Business Administration agency, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency, other agencies, and presidential commissions.

He has also served as the executive director for Acquisition Services in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement and as the executive director for the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program in the Army Materiel Command. He holds a Bachelor of Science in health and physical education from McNeese State University and master’s degrees in acquisition management from Florida Institute of Technology and in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College.

LAWRENCE ROBINSON Senior Force Management Technical Adviser to the Director, Resource Integration Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, Department of the Army

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technical adviser to the director, Plans and Integration Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, Headquarters, Department of the Army. Mr. Robinson is responsible for providing authoritative advice on military intelligence force structure. He is a recognized authority and subject matter expert on force structure issues that materially affect the scope and future direction of military intelligence support to war fighters. Mr. Robinson retired from active duty at the rank of lieutenant colonel after 20 years of meritorious service. Key assignments have included Director of Intelligence, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza, Italy; Director of Intelligence Operations, 165th Military Intelligence Operations, Darmstadt, Germany; and Director of Intelligence, 3rd Corps Support Command, Wiesbaden, Germany. Mr. Robinson earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University.

WARREN WHITLOCK Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Diversity and Leadership

Mr. Warren Whitlock is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Diversity & Leadership.

In this role, he serves as the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Army Manpower & Reserve Affairs (ASA (M&RA)) on all matters pertaining to Diversity & Inclusion. He has broad delegation authority from the ASA (M&RA) to act for the Secretary of the Army on decisional matters arising from the function of the Army diversity objectives. Through statutory, regulatory, and policy aspects of equal employment opportunity and pertinent civil rights laws, he advises on all policy matters pertaining to the administration of the Army Secretary’s authority under the provision of Presidential Executive Orders, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended 29 CFR 1614, Title VII, EEOC Management Directives, DoD Directives and Army Regulations that direct the SA to prohibit unlawful 64 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

discrimination. He develops Army policy and provides oversight for a host of human capital functions. This includes policies relating to Women in the Army, SHARP, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), EEO Complaints and Military Equal Opportunity. Mr. Whitlock has an A.B. from Princeton University and an MSc from Columbia University, where he is a Charles H. Revson Fellow.

MICHAEL WILLIAMS Director for Supply Policy, Program and Processes, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, Headquarters, Department of the Army

A member of the Senior Executive Service, Mr. Michael Williams assumed the position as the director, U.S. Army Logistics Innovation Agency, on February 24, 2013. He leads and manages a broad range of logistics initiatives and programs with a strong orientation toward investigation, assessment, integration, demonstration, and transition of logistics solutions that complement and serve to bring focused enhancements across the spectrum of current and future logistics enterprise. He guides the evolution and integration of logistics capabilities that leverage leading-edge concepts, technologies, and processes to support tactical, operational, and strategic levels in a Joint-capable, integrated logistics environment. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy and a Master of Science from the National War College.

MARTIN AHMAD Deputy Commander for Fleet Readiness Centers, Naval Air Systems Command

Mr. Martin Ahmad was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and selected as Deputy Commander for Fleet Readiness Centers in

September 2016 reporting to both the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and Commander, Naval Air Forces. Ahmad is also dual-hatted and serves as the Director of Industrial Operations reporting to the NAVAIR Deputy Assistant Commander for Logistics and Industrial Operations.

He is responsible for 18,000 civilian, military, contractor, and industrial personnel across eight Fleet Readiness Centers providing aircraft, engines, components, support equipment, manufacturing, and field team services to the operational fleet globally, with an annual budget of $4.4 billion.

Mr. Ahmad’s more than 20 years of acquisition program experience includes assignments as the Principal Deputy Program Manager for the Acquisition Category ID PEO(A) Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program Office (PMA-290: P-8A/P-3C/EP-3E/ International Programs), and Program Manager for NAVAIR Aircrew Systems (PMA-202). Mr. Ahmad graduated from the University of Maryland College Park with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and earned a Master of Science degree in technology systems management from the University of Maryland University College.

RONNIE BOOTH Assistant Auditor General for Installations and Environment Audits

Mr. Ronnie Booth has oversight of Navy and Marine Corps property, housing, and facilities totaling over 72,000 buildings and 4.5 million acres valued at $215 billion. He is responsible for environmental protection, safety, and occupational health for military and civilian personnel as well as the Japanese agreement to realign U.S. forces in Japan and the relocation from Okinawa to Guam of 8,000 American Marines and their families. As former Assistant Auditor General for plans, policy, and resource management, he assessed institutional and program vulnerabilities at the Department of the Navy, developing audit plans www.blackengineer.com

ELLIOTT BRANCH Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Acquisition Procurement), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition)

Mr. Elliott Branch is the most senior Department of the Navy career civilian and is responsible for acquisition, contracting, and operation of the Navy’s multi-billion-dollar acquisition system. He is the principal civilian adviser to the department’s acquisition and procurement executive and serves as Department of the Navy competition advocate general.

He also leads Navy contracting, purchasing, and government property.

His accomplishments in the federal government have been recognized with various awards, including the 2012 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal for Management Excellence, the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award, two Presidential Rank Awards for Meritorious Executive, and the Vice Presidential Hammer Award for Reinventing Government.

Branch graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and completed the executive program at the University of Virginia Darden School.

ANDREA BROTHERTON Deputy Naval Inspector General

Ms. Andrea Brotherton was appointed to her current position in 2009. She oversees investigations involving senior officials and fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement at every level of the www.blackengineer.com

Navy. Ms. Brotherton has 28 years of civilian service. In 1985 she joined the Navy Office of the General Counsel, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where she served as associate counsel in the office of counsel, Naval Sea Systems Command. In July 1999 she became an assistant to the general counsel in the office of the associate general counsel (management). From 1995 to 1999 she served in the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division as a staff attorney preceding her selection as counsel. In 2004 she was appointed to the Senior Executive Service position of Executive Director, Office of Counsel, NAVAIR. She became counsel for Naval Facilities Engineering Command in 2005. A year later, she joined the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy as Assistant General Counsel (Financial Management and Comptroller).

Brotherton holds bachelor’s degrees in biology and political science. She also holds a juris doctorate and is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

KAREN BURROWS Executive Director, Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity, and Deputy for Weapons Safety, Naval Sea Systems Command

Ms. Karen Burrows is the chair of the Department of the Navy’s Weapon System Explosives Safety Review Board, which provides oversight for the safety of all Navy and Marine Corps munitions, ordnance items, weapons, and combat systems. She was selected to the federal Senior Executive Service in April 2012 and has more than 29 years of experience in the Department of Defense. Her previous positions include Deputy Administrator/Chief Information Officer, Defense Technical Information Center; Director, Emerging Capabilities and Special Assistant, Office of the Assistant Secretary of

Defense (Research and Engineering); Director, Weapons Technology Division; Insensitive Munitions Program Manager; and Mine Countermeasures Program Manager, Naval Surface Warfare Center. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

KAREN DAVIS Director, Integrated Combat Systems, Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems

Ms. Karen Davis is the director for Integrated Combat Systems within the Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS). Her responsibilities are organization and direction of efforts to produce integrated combat systems, sensors, weapons, and C4I war fighting capabilities for surface ships. Ms. Davis was selected to the Senior Executive Service in 2014.

Immediately prior to that, she was the PEO IWS major program manager for advanced technology. Ms. Davis’s past key leadership and critical acquisition positions include Program Manager for Marine Corps Information Systems and Infrastructure; deputy program manager for future aircraft carriers; director for aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships within the Navy Secretariat; and principal assistant program manager for Nimitz-class aircraft carrier construction. Ms. Davis’s early technical proficiency was gained as a weapon systems engineer. Ms. Davis, a graduate of Clemson University, holds a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering and a master’s degree in engineering management. Her continuous learning includes programs at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, and American University.

Her professional recognition includes a Meritorious Service Award and a Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer Information Technology Excellence Award.

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and managing the allocation of audit resources to ensure the best outcomes.

Previously, he was a technical adviser to the special assistant to the Secretary of the Navy for base realignment and closure. Booth is a certified fraud examiner and internal control auditor.

He is a winner of the Presidential Rank Award and the Department of the Navy’s Superior Civilian Service Award.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia State University in 1980.

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LARRY DOUCHAND, P.E. Assistant Commander for Environmental Programs, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC)

Mr. Larry Douchand has served as the Naval Facilities Engineering Assistant Commander for Environmental Programs since July 2006. He is responsible for NAVFAC services to the Department of the Navy. Prior to his Senior Executive Service position with NAVFAC (January 2004 to July 2006), he served as Chief, Strategic Integration Branch at the Army Corps of Engineers, and was responsible for establishing the management and execution for the $11 billion Base Realignment and Closure Program, which included military construction, environmental cleanup, and real estate disposal. From July 2003 to January 2004 he served as Chief, Environmental Support Branch, at the Army Corps of Engineers. He holds a master’s degree in environmental management from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Science in engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Maryland and a member of the NAVFAC acquisition community.

VICTOR GAVIN Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Information Operations and Space (DASN C4I/IO/Space)

Mr. Victor Gavin is the principal Department of the Navy adviser for the acquisition of C4I systems, enterprise IT, space systems, and cybersecurity and spectrum management.

Prior, he served as the Navy’s Program Executive Officer (PECO) and oversaw a $2 billion-plus portfolio of projects and programs designed to provide standard IT capabilities to the Navy and Marine Corps. Other Senior Executive Service leadership positions he has held include 66 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

technical director for PEO Submarines, where he was responsible for submarine combat systems acquisition, and the modernization of all in-service submarines and support of foreign sales to the Royal Australian and Brazilian navies. Earlier in his career, he served as Systems Engineer with the Naval Underwater Warfare Center, and as an on-site government representative with Lockheed Martin. Mr. Gavin’s awards include the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive, the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the Vice President’s Hammer Award, and the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&T State University and a Master of Science in systems engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

CHARLES MAY, JR. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Executive Assistant Director for Atlantic Operations

Special Agent Charles T. May, Jr., was assigned as Acting Executive Assistant Director for Atlantic Operations, Virginia Beach, VA, in September 2013. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service (SES) on July 31, 2014, and assumed the assignment permanently. As Executive Assistant Director for Atlantic Operations, Mr. May supervises the activities of seven field offices, including overseas operations in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He oversees investigations and operations and led strategic initiatives with law enforcement, security, and investigative agencies. Mr. May joined the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in 1984, and his previous senior-level NCIS assignments include Special Agent in Charge, Norfolk Field Office, VA; Special Agent in Charge, Camp Lejeune, NC; Deputy Assistant Director (DAD), Directorate for Intelligence and Information Sharing (DIIS), Internal Communications (Code 25); and NCIS Senior Representative to the

Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General (DoDIG). Mr. May is a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), Hampton Roads Chief of Police (Executive Member), Virginia Area Maritime Security Committee (Co-Chairman), and NC/ VA Law Enforcement Information Exchange (co-chairman).

DONJETTE GILMORE Deputy Auditor General, Department of the Navy

Ms. Donjette Gilmore serves as the principal adviser to the Auditor General of the Navy and shares responsibility for the execution of strategic planning for internal audits in the Department of the Navy.

Ms. Gilmore assists the Auditor General in leading an organization of 378 and functions as a liaison with key officials. From 2010 to 2015, Ms. Gilmore served as Director, Accounting & Finance Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). She led modernization to optimize business operations for over 2.2 million users, accounted for $8.7 billion in development funds for Iraq, and developed the basis to prepare for audit – “deemed costs.” She met a longtime goal to reduce late Anti-Deficiency Act investigations and was Department of Defense executive agent for improper payments. She also eliminated $176 million in Advance Payment Pool Agreements that was unaccounted for as cash held outside of Treasury. As a result of her departmental efforts to comply with the President’s Executive Order to accelerate small business payments to jump-start the economy, $367 billion was made available in accelerated payments, prompting Harvard Business Review to use the defense department as a business case study.

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JACKLYN NAPIER, CPA, CGMA

Ms. Jacklyn Napier is Deputy Director of Financial Operations, where she leads enterprise financial accounting and internal control operations throughout the Department of the Navy. She is responsible for fiscal reporting of appropriated funds for 19 Budget Submitting Offices and the U.S. Marine Corps. Ms. Napier previously served as U.S. Coast Guard Deputy Director, Financial Operations/Comptroller, where she provided leadership for financial reporting, policy, property, audit remediation, internal controls, and financial systems. Her tenure at the Coast Guard included reporting for the Department of Homeland Security to achieve its first unmodified audit opinion in fiscal year 2013 and three subsequent unmodified opinions. Ms. Napier held prior audit positions with the Department of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and she is a retired Air Force Officer. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and Executive Master’s in public administration (with honors) from American University. Ms. Napier is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant. She has earned numerous military and civilian awards, including the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal and the DHS Chief Financial Officer’s Award for Excellence.

ARTHUR SCOTT Assistant Auditor General for Research, Development, Acquisition, and Logistics

Mr. Arthur Scott was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2010 and has 23 years of federal service in the www.blackengineer.com

Department of the Navy and United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General. As the Assistant Auditor General for Research, Development, Acquisition, and Logistics, he is responsible for overseeing a directorate of 70 auditors in performance of internal audits that focus on research, development, and acquisition of Navy and Marine Corps platforms and warfare systems with an annual budget in excess of $50 billion. His staff is located in Washington, DC, at the historic Washington Navy Yard. A native of South Carolina, Mr. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of South Carolina State College. Mr. Scott has received numerous awards and recognition during his audit career, including the American Society of Military Comptroller’s Meritorious Performance Award from the Department of Defense Comptroller.

ELLEN SMITH Assistant Auditor General for Financial Management and Comptroller Audits

Ms. Ellen Smith is the Assistant Auditor General for Financial Management and Comptroller Audits. She provides executive oversight and direction for audits of the Department of the Navy accounting and finance operations and programs. Ms. Smith was selected to the Senior Executive Service in July 2015.

Prior to her assignment, Ms. Smith was Deputy to the Assistant Auditor General for Installations and Environment Audits, where she provided oversight for audits of real property, housings, and other facilities within the DON. Ms. Smith holds a master’s degree in public administration from Troy University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. Ms. Smith is a Certified Defense Financial Auditor and is a member of the American Society of Military Comptrollers.

JIMMY SMITH Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Expeditionary Programs and Logistics Management, Department of the Navy

Mr. Jimmy Smith serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Expeditionary Programs and Logistics Management.

Prior to his current assignment, he served as the Director of Nuclear Weapons Safety and Security at Strategic Systems Programs. In this capacity, he was responsible for the safekeeping of nearly 70% of this nation’s nuclear arsenal. Prior to working at SSP, Mr. Smith served as the Director for the Above Water Sensors Directorate within the Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems, where he managed planning, procuring, and sustaining war fighting sensors, electronic warfare systems, missiles, guns, and ammunition systems for all U.S. Navy warships. In 2005, he served as deputy program manager for the Ohio Class Submarine Guided Missile Conversion Program. In 2003, he served as construction manager for the first seven submarines of the Virginia Class. He graduated from Tuskegee University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Graduatelevel studies included environmental engineering, marine engineering, and business management. He began his career in government service in 1991 at the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC. Recognition received over his career include the 2016 BEYA Stars and Stripes Award - Navy; two Superior Civilian Service Awards; two Meritorious Civilian Service Awards; and the 2009 Blacks in Government Department of Defense Civilian Meritorious Service Award - Navy.

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Deputy Director of Financial Operations, Financial Management and Comptroller

Carlos Rodgers entered government service as an Air Force Palace Acquire Intern in 1987. Today, he supervises an Air Force budget that totals more than $66 billion annually.

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SHARON SMOOT Executive Director, Logistics, Maintenance and Industrial Operations, Naval Sea Systems Command

Ms. Sharon Smoot began her career with the Department of the Navy in 1986. She was selected for her current position in April 2010, and she entered the Senior Executive Service (SES) in September 2006. Other positions she has held include finance and industrial manager, Fleet Maintenance Directorate of Fleet Forces Command; nuclear business and strategic planning officer, Norfolk Naval Shipyard; and electrical engineer, Control Engineering Division of the Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department, Norfolk Naval Shipyard. She holds a master’s degree in engineering management from Old Dominion University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Virginia Tech.

THEODORE SHORT, JR. Comptroller, Naval Air Systems Command

Mr. Theodore Short’s federal career spans over 25 years in financial management. During his tenure with Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), he has had oversight of budget formulation and financial reporting in financial management positions. Mr. Short entered the Senior Executive Service as the NAVAIR comptroller in 2010. He is responsible for budgeting, accounting, and financial management in an organization responsible for $42 billion annually in acquisition and sustainment funds. Mr. Short leads fiscal policies and controls over financial operations for NAVAIR in budgets, accounting and finance, and audit and review. Mr. Short has twice been recognized with the prestigious Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award. He is a member of the American Society of Military 68 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

Comptrollers and the president of the Southern Maryland chapter. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Salisbury University in 1988.

RONALD SMILEY, PH.D. National Director, Avionics, Sensors and E*Warfare, and Director, Electronic Warfare and Combat Systems, Naval Air Systems Command

Dr. Smiley currently directs the efforts of over 1,250 scientists and engineers geographically dispersed across seven locations and involved in naval aviation electronics and electronic systems utilized to enable advanced war fighting capabilities. He has spent over 40 years in maritime aviation and weapon systems research, development, acquisition, test, and engineering fields, performing in key technical and executive assignments, including directorships in Corporate Operations, Systems Engineering Department, Advanced Technology and Analysis Center, Weapons Evaluation Directorate, and the Information and Electronic Warfare Department. He earned a master’s and a doctorate in management from Claremont Graduate School. He earned an M.B.A. at Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Howard University. Dr. Smiley has served on various boards, including the College of Engineering and Computer Science Industry advisery Board of California State University Northridge; the President’s Advisory Board of California State University, Channel Islands; the Board of Directors for World Affairs Council of Ventura County; the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Ventura County; and Interface Children and Family Services. His professional affiliations include the Engineering Management Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and Association of Old Crows Electronic Defense Organization.

ALBERT CURRY, JR. Deputy Assistant Commandant for Engineering and Logistics (CG-4D), U.S. Coast Guard

Mr. Curry currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Commandant for Engineering and Logistics (CG-4D) for the Coast Guard.

Additionally, he has served as Deputy Project Manager for the Coast Guard Rescue 21 Program and as Deputy Program Manager for U.S. Coast Guard C4ISR Major System Acquisitions.

He is a member of the Surface Navy Association, National Naval Officer Association, and the Savannah State University National Alumni. On August 19, 1980, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy through the Savannah State University NROTC program and retired as a captain from the Navy in October 2006. He received his Bachelor of Science in electronic engineering technology from Savannah State University and his Master of Science degree in systems engineering (electronic warfare) from the Naval Postgraduate School. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Advanced Program Management Course at the Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, and is a certified Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Level III Acquisition Program Manager.

TERRI A. DICKERSON Director of Civil Rights, U.S. Coast Guard

Ms. Terri Dickerson joined the Coast Guard in 2006 as Director, Office of Civil Rights.

From 2000 to 2006, Ms. Dickerson was second in charge at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She examined federal agencies’ civil rights offices and advised officials, Congress, and the White House on improved enforcement. In 2005 the White House installed her as the interim www.blackengineer.com

CURTIS B. ODOM (RET.) Senior Executive Service, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Civilian Human Resources, Diversity and Leadership

Curtis Odom oversees the Coast Guard’s Civilian Human Resources Office, with 180 Diversity staff, Workforce Planning staff, and the Leadership and Professional Development staff. Mr. Odom retired from active duty with the Coast Guard at the rank of captain and has held assignments at the Coast Guard Headquarters, including Chief, Office of Leadership and Diversity, Reserve and Training Directorate, and Ethnic Policy Adviser to the Commandant of the Coast Guard as a member of the diversity management staff. Mr. Odom also completed a ten-month fellowship with the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group before assuming command of the Coast Guard’s only Recruit Training Center, Training Center Cape May, NJ. With a staff of over 500 military and civilian personnel, Training Center Cape May graduates approximately 5,000 military members each year that are assigned to Coast Guard units all over the world. Mr. Odom is a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Board of Trustees. A graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, he earned a Bachelor of Science in government. He also has a www.blackengineer.com

Master of Business Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.

JOHN BONAPART, JR. Director, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters, Air Mobility Command

Mr. John Bonapart, Jr., is responsible for Air Mobility Command (AMC) expeditionary combat support. He provides oversight to civil engineer activities, including readiness, emergency services, base development, environmental, and housing programs as well as contracting activities, executing $4 billion in support contracts annually. The sum includes $2 billion in commercial airlift contracts and security activities that provide force protection and information as well as physical and personnel security programs for 77,000 military and civilian employees and 110,000 family members. Bonapart earned a bachelor’s in history and a secondary school teaching certificate at Fordham University. He was commissioned in 1975 from the Air Force ROTC program. While on duty, he held assignments in communications and air traffic control, and he also served at the Secretariat Air Staff, Command and Joint levels. He commanded a communications squadron, support group, cadet group, and air base wing.

He retired at the rank of colonel in 2005. Prior to assuming his current position, he was Associate Director, Directorate of Strategic Plans, Programs, Analyses, Assessments and Lessons Learned, Headquarters, Air Force Space Command.

TIMOTHY BRIDGES Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Headquarters, Air Force, Pentagon

Mr. Timothy Bridges is responsible for management, policy, and oversight of the $6 billion Air Force installation and facility programs. They include facility management, base closures, construction, family housing,

acquisition, maintenance, operation, repair, and disposal of real property.

He was commissioned in 1979 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at the Virginia Military Institute, earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Since then, he has served in design, planning, contract management, and operations. His most recent assignment was as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health. He served twice as a base civil engineer squadron commander and as an installation commander.

He also served as an Air Force ROTC assistant professor and held various staff positions at the major command and Air Force levels in the readiness, environmental, and resources arenas.

Mr. Bridges retired from active duty at the rank of colonel in 2006 and entered the Senior Executive Service.

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agency head after the outgoing chief departed and until a new appointee’s confirmation. Ms. Dickerson is a widely published author, penning articles for industry and national publications, including The Washington Post, USA TODAY, and Ladies’ Home Journal. The U.S. Supreme Court cited a study she directed, “Beyond Percentage Plans: The Challenge of Equal Opportunity in Higher Education,” in its 2005 decision on affirmative action. She was named a Presidential Meritorious Executive in 2008. Ms. Dickerson earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia and a Master of Arts from the Johns Hopkins University. She is a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Board of Trustees.

GAIL FOREST Director for Information Dominance Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition

Ms. Gail Forest is responsible for command control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) program acquisition. She guides the development of budget submissions and congressional testimony.

Ms. Forest also provides guidance on combat C4ISR systems and architectures to the Secretary of the Air Force, the Air Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, and Congress. Ms. Forest began her career as a manufacturing engineer with Buick Motor Division, General Motors Corp. In 1982 she entered federal civil service as an engineer in the Maintenance Directorate at Air Force Logistics Command.

Prior to her current assignment, she was director, Plans, and Programs, Air Force Research Laboratory, and was WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 69

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responsible for managing the processes that defined a $2 billion annual investment in technologies for future Air Force systems.

ARTHUR HATCHER, JR. Director of Communications, Headquarters, Air Force Global Strike Command

Mr. Arthur Hatcher is a member of the Senior Executive Service. As Director of Communication at the Headquarters, Air Force Global Strike Command, he leads staff managing cyberspace and information technology infrastructure and provides knowledge operation support to 24,000 personnel. He oversees command management for fourteen Air Force-level nuclear command, control, and communications systems supporting B-2, B-52, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations. He also manages more than 1,700 command cyber personnel providing organizing, training, and equipment guidance. In addition, he serves as chief architect for Air Force Nuclear Deterrence Operations/Nuclear Command and Control Systems. He completed thirty years with the U.S. Air Force and entered federal service in July 2013. While on active duty, he served on the Joint Staff, a combatant command staff, and two major commands. He has commanded an air expeditionary group, a communications group, and two communications squadrons.

His units won both Department of Defense and Air Force-level awards. His previous assignment was as Director of Communications and Chief Information Officer, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces.

HORACE LARRY Deputy Director of Air Force Services, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Personnel

Mr. Horace Larry provides direction for a $2 billion program. The organization’s mission is to increase 70 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

combat capability and productivity through programs promoting readiness, esprit de corps, and quality service for Air Force members. This includes physical fitness, peacetime and wartime troop feeding, Air Force mortuary affairs, Armed Forces entertainment, Air Force protocol, lodging, and libraries.

It also includes child development centers, youth centers, and recreation activities. He provides oversight for uniforms, awards, and recognition; airman and family readiness; and Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response as well as other programs that contribute to sustainment. Mr. Larry was commissioned in the Air Force in 1975. Over the next 30 years, he was assigned to various posts, including Deputy Support Group Commander, Commander of the Air Force Services Agency, and Deputy Director of Air Force Services in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. He retired from the Air Force in 2005 as a colonel. Mr. Larry became a civil service employee in 2006 and federal contractor a year later, serving as a senior program manager for Logistics Applications Inc. at the Department of Energy. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2009.

CHEVALIER CLEAVES Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, Personnel & Services, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force

Mr. Chevalier Cleaves is responsible for leading diversity and inclusion transformation for the Air Force’s 632,000 active duty, Air National Guard, Reserve, and civilian personnel. His duties include creating sustainable change while integrating diversityand inclusion-focused leadership with operational, functional, and talent management strategies and processes.

Mr. Cleaves earned his commission in 1985 through the United States Air Force Academy. Serving three tours as a T-38 instructor pilot and three tours flying KC-135s, he commanded one of the most heavily tasked tanker squadrons in the Air Force. He played a critical

role in the response to September 11, 2001, events as the lead CHECKMATE team chief. Later, as a Joint Staff division chief, he was responsible for the information operations career force and for delivering integrated, joint special technical operations capabilities to unified commanders. Mr. Cleaves was nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to lead the U.S. Air Force Academy admissions directorate, where the superintendent selected him to lead USAFA’s diversity and inclusion efforts. He retired at the grade of colonel in 2010. He then entered the private sector as Vice President, Global Diversity and Inclusion, for a Fortune 300 company.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Cleaves led diversity and inclusion business integration for the Internal Revenue Service.

TAWANDA ROONEY Director, Intelligence Systems Support Office

Mrs. Tawanda Rooney supports the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence at the Intelligence Systems Support Office (ISSO).

She began her federal career in 1984 through the Air Force summer-hire program. After earning a bachelor’s in business administration from Virginia State University in 1988, she became a budget analyst with the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations. Five years later she moved to the Defense Evaluation Support Activity, holding positions that included project manager, contracting officer, and directorate budget representative. In 1997 she became a deputy program manager at the ISSO and was responsible for the acquisition and evaluation of sensitive technology efforts. She served as a staff officer with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Program Analysis and Evaluation at the Pentagon and in 2001 was appointed as Deputy Director for the Information Engineering and Assessment Laboratory at the ISSO. Mrs. Rooney was selected for appointment to Defense Intelligence www.blackengineer.com

JEFFERY SHELTON Deputy Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force

Mr. Jeffery Shelton assists the administrative assistant in executing the responsibilities of the office, which includes performing high-level assignments according to secretarial policies, goals, and objectives. He oversees the execution and programming of the Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, portfolio with an annual budget of $5.6 billion and 37,000 personnel.

Mr. Shelton also assists in managing and administratively supporting the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, its 1,650-member secretariat, and its 2,400 member-supported field operating agencies. Mr. Shelton entered federal service in 1981 and spent his first four years at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center. He completed a two-year logistics career-broadening assignment at the Pentagon and then moved to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where he was Command Public and Private Competition Program Manager and BRAC Liaison Officer.

In 1999 he returned to Washington, DC, where he served in positions with the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition; financial management and budget; and the war fighting, integration, and chief information office. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2008 and served as Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Integration, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, and the Deputy Director of Resource Integration, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics Installation and Mission Support.

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KEITH THOMAS Director, Air Force Cryptologic Office

Mr. Keith Thomas is the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance representative to both the National Security and Central Security Service agencies on Air Force cryptologic matters. As Air Force Cryptologic Office Director, he guides development of Air Force cryptologic strategy and technologies to enhance mission support to Signals Intelligence and Information Assurance. He provides oversight and guidance for Air Force cryptologic activities, including missions related to both tactical war fighting and national-level operations.

Mr. Thomas also serves as a technical authority for the Air Force within the National Security Agency (NSA) on development, signals intelligence, and information security equipment and systems. He was appointed as the chairperson of the Inter-Agency Senior Electronic Intelligence Steering Group by the director of the NSA. Mr. Thomas is a 1979 graduate of Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos. He received a master’s degree in business administration in 1999 from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio and one year later earned a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL.

JARRIS LOUIS TAYLOR, JR. Deputy Assistant Secretary, Air Force for the Strategic Diversity Integration, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs

Dr. Jarris Taylor is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Air Force Strategic Diversity Integration in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. He is responsible for policy, guidance, direction, and oversight of all plans and programs affecting diversity integration for Air

Force military and civilian personnel. Dr. Taylor provides leadership, direction, and oversight to all levels of the Air Force to ensure a diverse and inclusive total force. Prior to his current position, he was Associate Director, William R. Harvey Leadership Institute and Honors College at Hampton University.

Dr. Taylor has extensive experience in research, service, and fundraising and earned his doctorate in higher education administration from George Washington University. He retired from the Air Force in 2005 and was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2009.

ROGERS CAMPBELL Executive Director for Sales, Marketing and Policy, Defense Commissary Agency

Mr. Rogers Campbell has oversight of directorates responsible for the Defense Commissary Agency’s $6.1 billion sales, operations and policy, health and safety, and resale contracting. He assumed this position in 2011. Campbell entered federal government service in 2010 with the appointment as director of the agency’s east region after having worked for more than 30 years in the private sector. Campbell’s career highlights include Senior Director of Marketing for Nabisco Foods Group and Director of Global New Products for ScheringPlough Consumer Healthcare. As the vice president of Overseas Military Sales Corporation, he directed marketing on 120 military installations in 30 countries and aboard U.S. Navy ships. A former captain in the Army, Campbell’s career has taken him from commanding a tank platoon to leading marketing, sales planning, and new car sales for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and the Navy Exchange Service Command.

He earned an M.B.A. from Rutgers University in 1974 and a Bachelor of Science in marketing as a distinguished military graduate from Saint Peter’s College in New Jersey in 1973.

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Senior Executive Service in 2006 and was assigned as Laboratory Director to provide R&D as well as technical support to the director of ISSO on acquisition and management of technology, intelligence systems, and related methodologies to support the organization.

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LYTWAIVE HUTCHINSON Director, Enterprise Information Technology Services Directorate, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of Defense

Mrs. Lytwaive Hutchinson became Director, Enterprise IT Services for Washington Headquarters Services, in 2011 following the merger of the Information Technology Management Directorate (ITMD) and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Networks. She was promoted to director of ITMD in 2010. As the Deputy Chief Information Officer, OSD, she assisted with strategy, implementation, maintenance of information, and information systems.

Before that, she was Director, Enterprise Services, where she implemented the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) Customer Service Software Platform and Service Desk. Hutchinson was promoted to Director, Information Assurance Division, in 2004 and served as the designated approving authority for IT services at WHS. She entered federal government service in 2002 as an information assurance manager. She was instrumental in modernizing the training program from a paper-based system to an automated system. Prior to that, she served for 21 years with the Army, attaining the rank of chief warrant officer 3. Mrs. Hutchinson holds a Master of Science in quality systems management and a bachelor’s in computer science. She is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute and Harvard Business School for Executive Education.

JOHN JAMES, JR. Executive Director, Missile Defense Agency

Mr. John James is the executive director of the Missile Defense Agency, Office of the Secretary of Defense. He is the senior civilian adviser to the Missile Defense Agency director 72 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

on all issues relating to the agency’s operational and management activities.

Mr. James provides oversight, direction, and guidance to MDA staff, ensuring integration of all MDA functions required to sustain an effective ballistic missile defense program. He also serves as an interface to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Services, and Congress. Previously, Mr. James was Director, National Security Personnel System Transition Office, within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He was responsible for the congressional mandate to transition 228,000 employees to an alternate personnel and pay system. In addition, he held the position of Executive Director of Logistics, Maintenance, and Industrial Operations and Executive Director for Undersea Warfare, both at the Naval Sea Systems Command. He joined the Senior Executive Service in May 2000.

Mr. James holds an undergraduate degree from Howard University and a master’s degree from Florida Institute of Technology and attended the Harvard School of Business and the KeenanFlagler Business School.

CLARENCE JOHNSON Principal Director and Director for Civilian Equal Employment Opportunity, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Equal Opportunity)

Mr. Clarence Johnson was selected to the Senior Executive Service in 2003 and assigned as the principal director for Civilian Equal Employment Opportunity, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Equal Opportunity) at the Pentagon. In 2006 the office was renamed the Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity. He is responsible for coordination of diversity management and equal opportunities policy and programs affecting all Department of Defense (DoD) civilian and military personnel. He also provides supervision of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), the premiere DoD school in equal opportunity and equal employment opportunity training, education, and research. Mr. Johnson is the principal

adviser to the Undersecretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) on diversity management, equal opportunity, and employment opportunity matters. He earned a bachelor’s in biology from Tuskegee Institute and a master’s in human resource management from Webster University. He is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, the Air War College in Alabama, and the National Security Management Course from the National Defense University.

WARREN LOCKETTE, M.D. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Clinical and Program Policy, Chief Medical Officer of the TRICARE Management Activity

Dr. Warren Lockette is responsible for Department of Defense programs in clinical informatics, military public health, women’s health issues, mental health policy, graduate medical education, and patient safety.

Dr. Lockette received his undergraduate and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of Michigan. Following post-graduate training at the University of California, he was recruited by the Wayne State University School of Medicine and was a tenured professor of endocrinology and medicine. Lockette was also appointed as an adjunct associate professor of physiology at the University of Michigan and a professor of medicine and Faculty Fellow of the International House at the University of California, San Diego. In addition, he studies the molecular genetics of complex quantitative traits and human performance in extreme environments.

Dr. Lockette has served as a senior adviser to the commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command and the U.S. Special Operations Command. At Naval Medical Center, San Diego, Dr. Lockette helped guide the growth of the largest military clinical research program in graduate medical education. Most recently, he was Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Navy Fourth Fleet, where he forged partnerships between military and civilian organizations of health care and public health practitioners to provide collaborative www.blackengineer.com

CYNTHIA MILLER Chief of Staff, Information Assurance Director, National Security Agency

Prior to joining the National Security Agency (NSA), Ms. Cynthia Miller was a Navy human resources officer, retiring as a captain. Ms. Miller’s most recent SES assignment was the director, Leadership and Development, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where she provided oversight for the sixteen Intelligence Community agencies. Other positions Ms. Miller has held include chief of staff for the Intelligence Community Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity. She supported the director on the management of the Intelligence Community’s efforts to retain a diverse workforce. Additionally, she provided guidance on the representation of minorities and persons with disabilities.

Miller graduated in 1983 with a master’s in business management from Central Michigan University. In 1977 she earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Savannah State University. She also graduated from Marine Corps Command and Staff College in 1991 with a master’s-level equivalency in strategic planning.

FREDERICK SELLERS Deputy Assistant Director, United States Secret Service

Over his 25-year tenure, Mr. Frederick Sellers has played an executive protecting role with five U.S. presidents: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, William Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

He joined the Secret Service as a uniformed division officer in 1988. Two years later, he was appointed a Special Agent. After

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seven years in field offices, he was assigned to Protective Intelligence, which monitors threats directed at the President, Vice President, and leaders visiting the United States.

Later Mr. Sellers was selected to the Department of Homeland Security’s Senior Executive Service to serve as chief of staff in the office of the Director of Risk Management Analysis, which informs homeland security strategy, formulation, preparedness priorities, and resource allocations. In 2012 he was appointed as a deputy assistant director in the Office of Investigations. In this role, he oversaw logistics of the 2,400 special agents and 745 administrative, professional, and technical personnel in the domestic and international field offices. Currently, he oversees forensics, analytic/research specialists, and criminal investigations to include all financial and cybercrimes.

ANTHONY THOMAS Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence and Special Program Assessments

Mr. Anthony Thomas has more than 28 years of experience in intelligence.

He began his career in 1985 as an Air Force intelligence officer and has served in leadership positions at the Strategic Air Command, Air Combat Command, U.S. Air Forces Europe, and the U.S. Pacific Command. Following military service, he entered the private industry and later joined the federal government in 2005 with a focus on national security and intelligence issues. Previously, he served as Chief, Counterintelligence Policy and Assessments at the Defense CI and Human Intelligence Center, Defense Intelligence Agency. In that capacity, he directed an assessment of Defense Department counterintelligence enterprise functions and activities.

Before joining DIA, he served in key roles at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and provided intelligence and counterintelligence support. Mr. Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Alabama State University and a master’s in business administration (aviation)

from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. His military education includes Joint Doctrine Air Campaign Planning, Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, Joint Forces Staff College, and the Air War College.

JESSIE L. SHOWERS Infrastructure Executive, Implementation and Sustainment Center, Defense Information Systems Agency

Mr. Jessie Showers is responsible for planning, resourcing, sustaining, and evolving the Defense Information Systems Network, which consists of optical transport, IP networks, voice networks, and video networks.

His responsibilities also include other data and messaging networks, such as the Anti-Drug Network and Defense Messaging System. These networks provide information superiority and a global enterprise infrastructure in support of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, combatant commanders, DoD components, and other mission partners. Prior to becoming an infrastructure executive, he was the vice director of network services. He previously served as Chief, Defense Information Systems Agency Project Management Office and Resources Center, Network Services.

SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE

humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training in Latin America.

MARK N. RUSS Executive Assistant Director, Naval Criminal Investigative Service

Special Agent Mark N. Russ is currently the Executive Assistant Director (EAD) for the National Security Directorate. In this capacity, he has program management oversight of a myriad of combating terrorism/ counterintelligence investigations and operations, which include espionage, terrorism, compromise, technology transfer, cyber intrusion, and threats to WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 73

SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE

research development and acquisition programs. He serves as the primary adviser and principal EAD to the Director and Deputy Director, NCIS on all national security investigations, operations and operational support services. He is responsible for the manning, training and equipping of agency personnel to protect Navy and Marine Corps forces, operations, information, facilities, equipment and networks from attacks and the intelligence activities of foreign governments and international terrorist organizations. Special Agent Russ was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in February 2016 and has 26+ years of federal service.

CARL E. SHELTON, JR. Deputy Inspector General, United States Marine Corps

As the Deputy Inspector General of the Marine Corps, Mr. Shelton is the principal adviser to the Deputy Naval Inspector General for Marine Corps Matters/ Inspector General of the Marine Corps (IGMC) with full authority to act in all matters within the mission of the IGMC. He is the senior civilian authority for promoting Marine Corps combat readiness, institutional integrity, effectiveness, discipline, and credibility through impartial and independent inspections, assessments, inquiries, investigations, teaching, and training.

Acting under the authority, direction, and control of Secretary of the Navy, the IGMC is responsible to investigate and report upon the efficiency of the Marine Corps and its preparation to support military operations by combatant commands. Mr. Shelton has extensive inspector general experience gained over the past 10 years, and he is certified by the Association of Inspectors General. Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Shelton began his career as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps and retired after 30 years of faithful service.

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LISA P. SMITH Deputy Director of Logistics, Civil Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

Ms. Lisa Smith is a member of the Department of Defense Senior Executive Service. She directs policy for depot overhaul, repair, and modification of Air Force weapon systems as well as munitions, supply, logistics plans, transportation and packaging methods, and logistics data systems. Ms. Smith plans and coordinates product support and acquisition logistics for all fielded and emerging Air Force weapon systems as well as establishing guidance for Air Force retail and wholesale supply chain management of spare parts, valued at over $5.8 billion. The depot maintenance activity is valued in excess of $6.5 billion in annual revenue and employs more than 30,000 people at the Command’s three Air Logistics Complexes. Ms. Smith entered the Civil Service in 1986 through the Professional and Administrative Career Outstanding Scholar Program at Robins Air Force Base, GA, and has over 29 years of logistics, acquisition, and supply chain experience. She has held leadership positions in the Department of the Air Force and Office of Secretary of Defense.

CARLOS RODGERS Director, Budget Investment, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller

Mr. Carlos Rodgers supervises budget formulation and financial execution of Air Force procurement, research, development, test and evaluation, military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure appropriations that total more than $66 billion annually. From 1995 to 2016, Mr. Rodgers worked various assignments within Air Force Materiel Command, where he held progressively

more responsible acquisition financial management positions in test and evaluation (major range and test facility base operations), foreign military sales, and single/joint service acquisition programs. Mr. Rodgers has more than 25 years of experience across all phases of the acquisition life cycle in a variety of different programs, including automated information/computer and communication systems, weapons, munitions, and aircraft. He entered government service as an Air Force Palace Acquire Intern in 1987. During his initial assignment, Mr. Rodgers worked as a cost and budget analyst at Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, IL, managing command and control communication system funding.

ALEX BROWN Strategic Adviser to the Assistant Commandant for Intelligence and Criminal Investigations, U.S. Coast Guard

Mr. Alex Brown assumed his current duties on January 10, 2016.

Coast Guard Intelligence is responsible for providing intelligence and criminal investigative support to the United States Coast Guard. Previously, Mr. Brown served as the Assistant Director for Technical Collections at the Office of Naval Intelligence. While at the Office of Naval Intelligence, he also served as Command Operations Officer, Chief of the Maritime Watch, Maritime Systems and the Strategic Assessment and Warning Departments. After being selected for a joint duty assignment, Mr. Brown served as the Chief of the Office of Collection and Exploitation at the Defense Intelligence Agency, where he directed multiple interagency clandestine technical collection activities and led strategic planning and coordination for sensitive technical collection operations that were swiftly approved and highly successful. Prior to joining the Office of Naval Intelligence, Mr. Brown completed 23 years in the Navy as an active-duty fire control technician, chief petty officer, and surface warfare officer.

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EDUCATION

BOOK REVIEW: 50 MUST-READ BOOKS Chief of Staff of the Army General Mark Milley’s Professional Reading List has 100+ books. The selected works cover war and strategy over centuries, American military history from colonial times through the Vietnam War, ideas from the crossbow to the intercontinental ballistic missile, U.S. global power, lessons about leadership, the networked world, and the future of war. They have been provided to help soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, and anyone interested in the Army to learn more about the Army profession and the Army.

Here is a selection of 50: 1. The Accidental Superpower: The Next Generation of American Preeminence and the Coming Global Disorder by Peter Zeihan // New York: Twelve Publishing, 2014 2. Another Bloody Century: Future Warfare by Colin S. Gray // London: Phoenix, 2006 3. The Big Stick: The Limits of Soft Power and the Necessity of Military Force by Eliot A. Cohen // New York: Basic Books, 2016 4. Concrete Hell: Urban Warfare from Stalingrad to Iraq by Louis A. DiMarco // Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2012 5. Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization

by Parag Khanna // New York: Random House, 2016 6. The Direction of War: Contemporary Strategy in Historical Perspective by Hew Strachan // New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013 7. The Future Declassified: Megatrends That Will Undo the World Unless We Take Action by Matthew Burrows // New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014 8. The Future of Land Warfare by Michael E. O’Hanlon // Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 2015 9. The Future of Power by Joseph S. Nye Jr. // New York: PublicAff airs, 2011 10. Great Powers and Geopolitical Change by Jakub J. Grygiel // Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008

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11. Making the Unipolar Moment: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Rise of the Post–Cold War Order by Hal Brands // Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2016 12. No One’s World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn by Charles A. Kupchan // New York: Oxford University Press, 2012 13. Out of the Mountains: The Coming Age of the Urban Guerrilla by David Kilcullen // New York: Oxford University Press, 2013 14. Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace by Hans J. Morgenthau // Rev. ed.; Boston: McGrawHill, 2006 15. The Post-American World: Release 2.0 by Fareed Zakaria // New York: W. W. Norton, 2011 16. The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000 by Paul Kennedy // New York: Random House, 1987 17. The Rise and Fall of Nations: Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World by Ruchir Sharma // New York: W. W. Norton, 2016 18. Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power by Zbigniew Brzezinski // New York: Basic Books, 2012 19. Superpower: Three Choices for America’s Role in the World by Ian Bremmer // New York: Penguin, 2015 20. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics by John J. Mearsheimer // New York: W. W. Norton, 2001 21. Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century by P. W. Singer // New York: Penguin, 2009 22. The World America Made by Robert Kagan // New York: Knopf, 2012 23. A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order by Richard Haass // New York: Penguin, 2017 24. World Order by Henry Kissinger // New York: Penguin, 2014 25. Blood Year: The Unraveling of Western Counterterrorism by David Kilcullen // New York: Oxford University Press, 2016

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26. Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder // New York: Basic Books, 2010 27. Flashpoints: The Emerging Crisis in Europe by George Friedman // New York: Anchor Books, 2016 28. Hirohito’s War: The Pacific War, 1941–1945 by Francis Pike // London: Bloomsbury, 2015 29. Milestones by Sayyid Qutb // New Delhi: Islamic Book Service, 2016 30. Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power

by Robert D. Kaplan // New York: Random House, 2010 31. The Next Great War? The Roots of World War I and the Risk of U.S.-China Conflict by Richard N. Rosecrance and Steven E. Miller, eds. // Cambridge: MIT Press, 2014 32. Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung by Mao Zedong // Peking: Foreign Language Press,1966 33. Restless Empire: China and the World Since 1750 by Odd Arne Westad // New York: Basic Books, 2012 34. The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 by Christopher Clark // New York: HarperCollins, 2012 35. Strategy by Aleksandr A. Svechin // Minneapolis, Minn.: East View Information Services, 1992 36. The Unquiet Frontier: Rising Rivals, Vulnerable Allies, and the Crisis of American Power by Jakub J. Grygiel and A. Wess Mitchell // Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016 37. War in European History

by Michael Howard // New York: Oxford University Press, 2009

42. The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943–1944 New York: Henry Holt, 2007 43. The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944–1945 by New York: Picador, 2013 44. Blitzkrieg to Desert Storm: The Evolution of Operational Warfare

by Robert M. Citino // Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2004 45. Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power by Victor Davis Hanson // New York: Doubleday, 2001 46. Combat Ready? The Eighth U.S. Army on the Eve of the Korean War

by Thomas E. Hanson // College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2010 47. The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942–1945

by Ian W. Toll // New York: W. W. Norton, 2015 48. Death of the Wehrmacht: The German Campaigns of 1942 by Robert M. Citino // Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2007 49. Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917–1945 by David E. Johnson // Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2013 50. The First World War by Hew Strachan // New York: Penguin, 2005101. Strategy: A History

by Lawrence Freedman // New York: Oxford University Press, 2013

38. 1776 by David McCullough // New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005 39. The American Military Frontiers: The United States Army in the West, 1783–1900 by Robert Wooster // Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2009 40. America’s First Battles, 1776–1965 by Charles E. Heller and William A. Stoff t, eds. // Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1986 41. An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942–1943 by Rick Atkinson // New York: Henry Holt, 2002

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Print out this checklist of 50 favorites and make it yours.

WINTER 2017 I USBE&IT 77

Jem Pagan, CTO, Flatiron Strategies

Leading Voices

USBE Magazine’s Leading Voices have a clear view of innovation and the future of work in the Digital Era. In this maiden issue, Morgan State University’s Dr. Michael Spencer, one of the most active engineering deans in the growth of compound semiconductors, microwave devices, power conversion devices, and solar cells, explores Makerspaces, student creativity, and next generation jobs.

Innovation expert Jem Pagan takes things to the next level by looking at how you can disrupt yourself, provoke your skill development, and take advantage of opportunities in the digital marketplace.

Leading Voices Contributing Editors .........................

Dr. Michael Spencer Dean School of Engineering Morgan State University

John W. Morgan

Chief Operating Officer EagleForce Associates, Inc.

Jem Pagán

Chief Technology Officer Flatiron Strategies

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Exploring New Ways to Measure Diversity Value D

iscussions about how to measure a company’s diversity value have been debated for several years with various ideas on how to do so most effectively.

Adding to the commentary of accurately gauging diversity is the changing landscape of what factors to consider when determining core diversity values.

As professional organizations move into the next generation of workforce development, it will be imperative to consider new paradigms and new tools to maximize workforce diversity.

Beyond Today’s Measuring Parameters Most models of measuring diversity value implemented by today’s corporations can be categorized into one of two primary approaches. Qualitative analyses capitalize on the expertise of HR executives and managers’ feedback that assesses reports on how teams work together, how the teams view projects and peers working on the projects, and so on. Quantitative analyses assess more statistical activities, such as how many emails are sent between team members, how a particularly diverse team pairs up against a less diverse team, and which team is more expeditious at successful job completion. Although quantitative assessments provide more usable data, the results are often hit or miss.

My desire to see a more definitive measurement tool for diversity value has propelled me to create a product that provides systematic analysis and cultural index dashboards for HR executives that can measure diversity from a completely different standpoint.

This approach, which relies on internally produced data rather than external assessments, utilizes artificial intelligence inside of the organization’s communications resources that collects first-hand employee sentiment directly through team chats, discussion boards, and emails. It also employs artificial intelligence bots that cover and oversee compliance of privacy and protection for employees, allowing HR executives to get much closer to employees as they begin company onboarding processes.

I believe this is the direction of next-generation diversity measurement.

More than ever before, executives will be able to use digitization to fill the gaps professional HR executives simply cannot cover because of the broad ratio between HR professionals and the number of employees they service.

The Benefits of AI and Virtual Assistance With an internal AI digitization tool, diversity measurements will come from more altruistic sources: conversations and sentiments that are happening in real time from within the organization. Providing dashboard access to HR professionals will allow them to focus on and gather insights into the organization as a proactive means of driving diversity versus reactive processes. At the same time, executives will be able to reduce the amount of qualitative analyses that are driving HR decisions and produce more data-driven, quantifiable outcomes that will be more believable and actionable. Further, it can present a historical view that will show and support never-before-seen trends from a broader audience, with more data providing the insights needed to drive the organization to a positive culture and inclusion strategy. This will ultimately measure diversity investment against the organization’s critical success factors.

At the executive level, diversity will become a more strategic component of the organization, not a forced, mandated application for its workforce.

Virtual HR and AI platforms can also play very important roles in understanding how to tap into the insight of individual employees and help them become high-performing employees. By “listening” more acutely to their day-to-day experiences, orientation processes become extremely deliverable. Executives will have direct access to the questions employees have, which will allow managers to answer in real time, measure the number of questions coming from onboarding processes, and analyze common questions and trends. These executives

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Leading Voices will also be able to leverage what types of questions are being asked and by which types of individuals: what questions are coming from women versus men, what age demographics ask particular questions, etc.

Executives can also begin to build a dashboard to understand policy gaps based on questions that are being asked.

With this real-time data, they will have a much better understanding of how to onboard and directly support new employees. By understanding where key gaps are and providing around-the-clock feedback on employee perspectives and feedback, executives can take an employee from a marginal state of productivity to a high-performing state— all via artificial delivery.

Applying a Diversity Continuum Philosophy Along with different considerations for gathering diversity feedback, executives must also consider what kind of data they are receiving and using.

Thought and idea generation should be at the core of understanding and measuring diversity, independent of ethnicity and gender. Beyond those two demographics, executives should value the importance of gleaning innovation from the employee base and should recognize that diverse opinions more strongly drive a strategy toward a conclusion or an executable, actionable plan.

In context, a group of homogeneous genders and ethnicities will still provide differences of opinions and perspectives.

The next-generation value proposition for diversity will suggest that, in the aforementioned group, there is nothing that will guarantee the group members will agree on the same ideology or arrive at the same conclusion. This presents the foundation of true diversity: diversity of thinking independent of group placements such as gender and ethnicity.

Adding another gender to that same group will introduce a richer field of opportunity for diversity by factoring in life experiences that are completely different. Executives will now have the ability to measure what it means to have a diverse gender-based team or diverse gender-based perspective.

Incorporating ethnicity in the group increases the number of perspectives and life experiences that can be presented,

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thus increasing the number of possible perspectives and innovative thoughts that could potentially come out of the group discussions. The culmination could be such a rich, addressable opportunity where innovation, problem solving, workforce efficiency, and productivity begin to marry directly to diversity of thought.

After a comparative analysis of the diversity of thoughts, the inevitable conclusion and understanding from the executive level should clearly reveal that diversity is not simply about minority participation. It is about capitalizing talent to the greatest level of highperforming employees so that executives and managers can address their goldenmarket strategies in ways that can be more deliberately executed. And they can take advantage of that through internal AI technologies in ways they never could before because doing so previously required meetings with HR to gather external cultural analysis.

Transparency as a Win–Win The nature of this approach undoubtedly poses several real questions that need to be addressed: Will this type of approach to diversity open employees up to more discrimination, and will it allow the company to measure them in unfair ways? How can they trust this process and be assured that proper, ethical measures will be implemented when using the thoughts and actions that they will be providing? Is there a privacy policy that is disrupted or put at risk, and how can employees secure the data being generated against their actions?

There are two things to note regarding these questions. First, companies that are in highly regulated industries are already watching emails and monitoring data compliance. They are obligated to do so by federal laws that mandate analyses of what is being communicated and how it is being delivered.

The second key to note is the requirement within this approach to provide transparency and deliver privacy to employees at all times. Because transparency is not guaranteed with the traditional performance review systems used in most organizations, this strategy will ultimately impact traditional performance management

and performance reviews for the better.

Performance reviews can be subjective to the point-scoring perspectives of managers, making it difficult to put quantitative data against the traditional point-scoring performance system.

Through the proposed AI-assisted, open dashboard management system, personality conflicts can be countered with emails and work products that provide proof of objectives being delivered on time and in a satisfactory manner, if indeed they were.

The transparent performance review system that collects quantifiable ideas and information allows users access to their own dashboard at any time. They will be able to see for themselves how gathered data fares against company policies as well as performance expectations and role responsibilities set

by HR. The complete process not only provides a fair and transparent system that delivers the insights executive teams need but it also provides insight that the employee needs to move from one performing level to the next and to receive specific, goal-driven feedback before the end of the performance review period. This is an extremely powerful tool and process that drives productivity versus traditional methods that have the potential to threaten or intimidate the employee team. Equitable accountability will allow employees to trust the process more from beginning to end because discussions and performance review processes will finally center around data, not perspectives.

Artificial intelligence is not “the future”; it is being utilized now, although not in ways that fully maximize opportunities for professional organizations. Companies that incorporate AI and virtual technologies will introduce high-performance development to employees without having to overextend themselves and their costs by hiring individuals to shorten the ratio from HR to employees.

Not only that but companies that wisely embrace these types of technologies to extend their HR capabilities and services to their employees are going to be better positioned to leverage more productivity, innovation, and diversity insights than companies that continue to approach HR from a traditional standpoint. S

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Dr. Michael Spencer, Dean, School of Engineering, Morgan State University

Leading Voices

The Last Firewall D

igital technology is rapidly changing the world as we know it. Data and data consumption are doubling every few years. We are now at a point of technological advancement when it is possible to have direct brain-tocomputer communication with simple gestures and literal blinks of an eye.

Innovation in skull cap-based sensors, in conjunction with sophisticated signal processing, allows us to pinpoint the origin of signals in the brain and determine the content. It is not so much of a stretch to envision a day when you will be able to “think” a command—a command decoded by a chip implanted underneath the skull.

Information decoded by that chip will be sent to another semiconductor chip, a microelectronic transmitter/receiver implanted under your skin, that will transmit data wirelessly. A receiver implanted in another individual would receive the signal encoded into “brain language.” This essentially creates a new technology: mental telepathy.

Mental telepathy, or reading someone’s thoughts from a distance, has always been fascinating to scientists and engineers. It is often considered to be the stuff of Harry Potter and various futuristic movies. But as the famous science fiction writer Arthur C. Clark once stated, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Think for a moment about the significance and magnitude of this new technology: We would be able to know and communicate our thoughts via microelectronics. Using the Internet, these thoughts could be transmitted all over the world. Literally anyone with compatible technology could access our thoughts!

Of course, since we would only want to communicate with specific people, we would put cybersecurity systems and boundaries in place.

However, the digital world in which we exist would make mental telepathy technology susceptible to hacking, much like any other technology. This presents an ethical dilemma regarding your last secured boundary: your 80 USBE&IT | WINTER 2017

mind. The development of mental telepathy applications and technology is at a theoretical stage where that can be intruded upon. This is why it is important to seriously consider all implications of exposing and securing access to someone’s brain, which is the last true protector of individual privacy, or the last firewall.

There are some great applications of mental telepathy that can positively impact our global society. In the simplest implementation, it could help translate commands in the brain in order to move parts of the body, such as an arm or a finger. Artificial limbs and devices could be electronically and directly connected to the brain. That could be an amazing advancement for someone who, through war, an accident, or some other unforeseen event, has lost the function of an appendage. We are already moving quickly along the pathway of actuating body parts through mental commands such as eye blinks and gestures. This is clearly a wanted and desired step for society.

Along with the medical aspects of mental telepathy, wouldn’t it be great to sit in your office and simply thinkand-send direct thoughts to someone you care about? Imagine communicating at the speed of thought! Mental contemplations directly transferred to someone else would be a tremendously rich experience. Those are just two of the uplifting possibilities that developing mental telepathy technology would bring to society.

The question that needs to be considered is if our ethics and humanity will follow that path of positivity.

The expansion of data and the centralization of information and discoveries yet to be made have both enhanced life and paradoxically left us much more vulnerable. That said, there is a critical need to educate, develop, and apply new methods of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is one of the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges. We don’t truly understand the fundamentals necessary to implement an effective, all-

encompassing cybersecurity strategy.

And since the rate at which civilizations absorb new technologies and create the necessary adjustments and security protocols is very slow, the educational cyber-engineering programs we develop are often made obsolete by cyber technologies and cyber threats that are advancing and changing by the moment.

In other words, what is considered a best practice in cybersecurity today will be obsolete tomorrow. Therefore, an active research program is vital to abut advanced education efforts.

At Morgan State, we have a new cyber security laboratory, the Center for Reverse Engineering and Assured Microelectronics (CREAM). This laboratory focuses on many hardware aspects of cyber security. Silicon chips are the backbone of personal computing, the Internet, and the Internet of Things (IoT). New silicon CPU chips contain 7.2 billion transistors. Most of the chips used commercially are manufactured offshore, usually in either Japan or China. As you can imagine, the challenges of verifying that there are now hidden malicious circuits in the maze of those 7.2 billion transistors is extremely daunting. CREAM is just one of the targeted research areas in the School of Engineering that is seeking to fulfill the new mission of Morgan State, which is to be the premier urban research university in the state of Maryland.

The payoff from research does not come solely from discovery. The act of doing research keeps the educational program current by exposing the teaching faculty to the latest discoveries.

The flow of scientific information proceeds from the laboratory to archival journals to review articles and textbooks. It is through this process that new knowledge is introduced to students, and it is how we will train our next generation of cyber-engineers and protect the most critical tool we as humans have access to: our brains, the last firewall. S

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CIVILIAN CAREERS Everything from A-to-Z in Army Science and Technology

FIND THE CAREER OF YOUR CHOOSING — FROM AEROSPACE ENGINEERING TO ZOOLOGY — WITH THE U.S. ARMY. For more information on Team U.S. Army Materiel Command & Career Opportunities/Jobs: U.S. Army Materiel Command: https://www.army.mil/amc

U.S. Army Contracting Command: https://www.army.mil/acc

U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command: https://www.army.mil/rdecom

U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command: http://www.jmc.army.mil/

U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command: https://www.army.mil/cecom U.S. Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity: https://www.amsaa.army.mil/home.html U.S. Army Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command: https://www.sddc.army.mil/Pages/default.aspx

U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command: https://www.tacom.army.mil/main/index.html U.S. Army Security Assistance Command: https://www.army.mil/usasac U.S. Army Sustainment Command: http://www.aschq.army.mil/home/Default.aspx U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command: https://www.army.mil/amcom

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John W. Morgan, Chief Operating Officer EagleForce Associates Inc.

Leading Voices

Best Practices Are a Good Fit Anywhere L

egend has it that on his first day at DuPont, retired Lt. Gen. Frank E. Petersen famously said, “I don’t know anything about running a corporate aviation department; that’s what I will depend on you for.”

Petersen, who became vice president for corporate aviation at the science and engineering firm after a 38-year military career in the U.S. Marines, highlights a cadre of transitions, from a successful military career to civilian organizations with a comparable fit. It’s been more than 30 years since Petersen joined DuPont. It’s been nearly 17 since Lloyd Newton began his corporate career. In 2000 Newton joined Pratt & Whitney Military as vice president for business development after retiring from the Air Force as a four-star general.

Since this vanguard of Black generals and admirals entered the civilian workforce, dozens more have made the transition by applying the same skills and competencies required for military services to boardrooms and market-leading industries. At the annual BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference, we meet and hear from many of these generals.

Within any organization, promotion and progression depend on one’s ability to connect, network, communicate with ease, embody risk, and implement strategy and innovation in process-driven, fast-moving environments. Once I made the grade for the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at the University of Delaware, my lifelong development began in earnest.

Rising within a group of college-based officers bound for commissioning requires the consistent display of character and presence. The Army ROTC really does teach you how to lead.

In the early 1980s, I was one of a number of cadets commissioned as second lieutenant at the university with a criminal justice degree.

I would build on that to rise from the working ranks of second lieutenant to first lieutenant, to the lower executive ranks of captain, then major; lieutenant colonel to colonel and into the highest levels

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of brigadier general, major general, and lieutenant general.

Before I retired from the military as the commander of the Allied Force Command Heidelberg, I led a unit within NATO Military Command that provided command and control for the International Security Assistance Force, Afghanistan.

The experience of leading NATO’s land capability and leveraging interoperability systems has been valuable for my new venture, which aims to serve more than nine million American military veterans.

At NATO, interoperability allows forces, units, or systems to operate together. It requires them to share common doctrine and procedures, to share each other’s infrastructure and bases, and to communicate with each other. Alliance members developed this interoperability further during joint operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan.

How Does Interoperability Work in Healthcare?

According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, data exchange schema and standards should permit data to be shared by the clinician, lab, hospital, pharmacy, and patient.

Interoperability means the ability of health information systems to work together within and across organizational boundaries in order to advance the effective delivery of healthcare for individuals and communities.

EagleForce Health, a division of EagleForce Associates, Inc., leverages technology that has provided knowledge and analytics to both the defense and intelligence sectors. EagleForce is setting new standards for interoperability.

The global effort to aggregate and integrate remote sensors and wireless devices for blood pressure, glucose, activity, vitals, etc., now allows for realtime information about members of a care team.

Analyzing structured system data involves science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills that leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, and algorithms used both in Electronic

Health Record (EHR) technology and EHR commercial activity.

Disseminate All the Way to the Pointed Spear I know that the Distributed Ground Stations model has its limitations in a corporate application, but wouldn’t it be easy if we could take information, intelligence, and best practices from different services and commands, synthesize them, and disseminate all the way to the pointed spear in any unified vision exercise?

The Distributed Common Ground System helps the U.S. military post data, process information, and provide commanders with the ability to task battle-space sensors and receive intelligence information from multiple sources.

Over time, I have found that “stovepiping” has created many of the challenges associated with such a system.

A 2013 staff study for the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence said, “The most common criticism of the current collection management process, and one in which we concur, is that it is dominated by ‘stovepipes,’ i.e., types of collection that are managed so as to be largely distinct from one another.”

Originally developed on behalf of NATO, the EagleForce Health SwissVault™ meets all the standards for security, including HIPAA and Meaningful Use Stage 2 & 3, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) guidelines, and standards within the International Health Information Exchange environment.

This provides customers with security in advance of applying analytics in the world to access as well as providing access to healthcare and achieving better healthcare for veterans.

The system allows partners to extract, aggregate, integrate, and share all forms of data between disparate systems for analysis without disrupting existing data structure and format. The system is supported by strategic relationships with Dell and HP and offers an interoperability environment for sharing information, including voice, video, and sensor data.

EagleForce-patented methodologies

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and technologies provide a competitive advantage for some of the biggest companies in the world, including Harris, L3, IBM, Booz Allen Hamilton, BAE Systems, Northrup Grumman, Transportation Security Administration, IBDO, NATO OTAN, SAP, Oracle, Dell, Lockheed Martin, CGI, HP, Red Laser Technology, and Robbins Gioia.

All about the Mission It’s fascinating to be a part of data analytics in the mission of the new neural computing project I’m involved in.

According to an open-source, deeplearning project spearheaded by data scientists, deep-learning specialists, Java systems engineers, and semi-sentient robots, deep learning does not require labels to detect similarities.

Unlabeled data is the majority of data in the world. One law of machine learning is, the more data an algorithm can train on, the more accurate it will be. Therefore, unsupervised learning has the potential to produce highly accurate models. We still have to learn about how different individuals respond to different things, how it affects their lifestyle, and how they cope with the struggles and the emotions of disease.

For example, neurological disorders may result when extra-neuronal cells are compromised, as in inflammatory responses within the nervous system; when cells of the nervous system become cancerous and form tumors; when viruses, bacteria, or parasites infect the cells of the nervous system; when autoimmune responses cause damage to nerves and muscles; or when cells of the blood–brain barrier are dysfunctional.

As Janet Garber says in “Disease Has Its Own Timeline,” disease has its individuality. Garber is a retired director of the Test and Evaluation Office in the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of the Army.

The Veterans Health Administration serves nine million enrolled veterans each year. S John W. Morgan III is Chief Operating Officer, EagleForce Associates Inc. An accomplished leader, he achieved the rank of lieutenant general in the U.S. Army. He possesses a broad spectrum of strategic vision, operational execution, interagency disciplines, and policy development.

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CAREER

OUTLOOK CYBERSECURITY CAREERS IN THE MILITARY

As the Internet grows in all aspects of our lives, the parallel issue of cybersecurity risks continues to increase, says a recent National Telecommunications and Information Administration report.

In this issue of Career Outlook, we look at where the jobs are across enterprise information technology (IT) systems and how you can help protect digitally enabled services in each market and the United States.

INSIDE » INDUSTRY OVERVIEW » JOB HORIZON

CAREER OUTLOOK » Industry Overview

Digital World War is Cybersecurity is no theoretical exercise about potential future conflicts. In cyberspace, the balloon went up years ago. The First Digital World War is now in full swing. And America is under constant strategic bombardment.

W

e’re not talking about just the endless stream of ransomware and denial of service attacks against the private sector. No, the real threats are the well-financed, sustained hacking and espionage campaigns focused on disrupting America’s military might, intelligence abilities, and even political processes.

Unable to match America’s conventional military strength on the battlefield, many foreign powers have turned to brand new cyber weapons to level the playing field. The so-called era of “cyber restraint,” the days of testing vulnerabilities and hoarding cyber weapons, ended in early 2016 and moved swiftly into open cyber warfare worldwide. Or as Deputy

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Defense Secretary Robert Work mentioned in 2016 about responding to digital attacks from Russia, China, North Korea, and terrorist organizations like the Islamic State: “[NSA and U.S. Cyber Command] aren’t just passively logging and reporting; we are fighting back. We’re dropping cyber bombs of our own. We have never done that before.”

U.S. MILITARY’S PREMIER CYBERSECURITY FORCE IS LEADING THE FIGHT While every DoD agency maintains their own cybersecurity teams, usually civilian employees or contractors, leading this war is the military’s premier cybersecurity force: the unified U.S. Cyber Command. Only established in

2009, CyberCom has already grown to field 6,200 active-duty and Reserve troops from every branch of service and wields a $545 million budget—and is still expanding. Full operational capacity won’t even be reached until October 2018, when the Pentagon plans to staff twice as many cybersecurity personnel. And that’s in addition to the 16,000– 20,000 other civilian cybersecurity positions needing staffing across other DoD agencies every year.

Originally formed as a defensive force to safeguard U.S. government and private sector IT infrastructure from hacking and disruption attacks, CyberCom is increasingly tasked with offensive operations, particularly counterattacking threats, often from unknown

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Industry Overview » CAREER OUTLOOK

s Now in Full Swing assailants, in real time or proactively striking threats untouchable for political reasons. Or as NSA director Admiral Michael S. Rogers puts it, “CyberCom operates in the space between economic sanctions, espionage, and kinetic military strikes, giving us unique options to take the fight to the enemy outside the normal channels.”

Dominating this nether region of shadow warfare, where U.S. adversaries can and have inflicted significant damage to our interests with little fear of direct military or diplomatic retaliation, is a top priority for the DoD. To field enough top-notch “cyber warriors,” the military has created quite a few direct hire, or “lateral entry,” options to identify, recruit, and develop talent as fast as possible.

NOW HIRING: ENTRY-LEVEL CYBER WARRIORS WITH APTITUDE AND ZEAL Among all the STEM career paths available in the Department of Defense, intelligence community, and Department of Homeland

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Security, the cybersecurity field has the most flexible recruitment options.

Most interesting for potential cyber warriors, the government is not so focused on finding the “perfect” candidate. There are just far more specialty security positions available inside the defense sector than there are well-qualified candidates in the labor market to fill them—not to mention the difficulty of competing with the private sector on salaries. Instead, the U.S. actively seeks out entrylevel personnel with an aptitude and zeal for cybersecurity, even if they lack the normal education and work experience.

In fact, 80% of new hires for the NSA and military Cyber Command are classified as entry-level employees, who then receive intense training on Uncle Sam’s dime. This is due, in large part, to the DoD’s nontraditional hiring practices, such as scholarship-for-service partnerships with many universities, sponsoring youth hackathons to spot talent

outside of the college-educated workforce, and offering direct officer commissions to relatively low-level cyber security professionals with some managerial experience.

The other drive for grooming skilled technical labor in house is simple finances. Despite moving most civilian cybersecurity positions to Title 10 hiring authority in 2016, which allows federal agencies to offer special salary bonuses, federal budgets just don’t have the deep pockets of Silicon Valley or Wall Street firms. The average starting salary for a “top tier” cybersecurity professional working in the private sector is $300,000—50% more than the top of the DoD’s civilian pay scale. Maj. Gen. Lori Reynolds, commander of the Marine Forces Cyberspace Command, mentioned recently, “We need to start thinking outside of the box on these recruiting efforts because, monetarily, it’s a losing game trying to keep up with industry offers.” S

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CAREER OUTLOOK » Job Horizon

it’s a common misconception that since the dod, nsa, and dhs run some of the most advanced cyber warfare programs in the world, they only hire the best of the best. in truth, the government simply cannot afford many of these technical geniuses.

Instead, more so than with any other defense civilian or military career field, the government focuses on finding promising hidden talent and then training them in house. Or in the words of NSA head Admiral Michael S. Rogers, “We make, rather than buy, cybersecurity professionals.”

Since the threats facing these security professionals span such a broad spectrum, the qualifications for these jobs are just as hard to pin down for human resources staff, who struggle to classify appropriate candidates in the absence of traditional performance metrics. In the computer and network security world, there’s often little correlation between a candidate’s credentials (education/work experience) and real-world competence, such as identifying stealthy advanced persistent threats to IT networks. After all, how often do gifted teenage amateurs spot zero-day software vulnerabilities that the professional cybersecurity teams missed? This is why the DoD has spent millions in the last five years financing youth hackathons to identify innate talent outside of normal recruiting channels in addition to their scholarship programs.

What this means in practice for a job seeker is that attitude and

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Job Horizon » CAREER OUTLOOK

making cybersecurity professionals >>>

aptitude are two of the most important credentials to landing a cyber security position with the U.S. government— often more so than even degrees or X years of experience. And uniform service is not always required. Even in CyberCom, civilians are quite welcome, with a force mix of roughly 80% military and 20% civilians.

THE TYPICAL CYBERWARRIOR While there are plenty of exceptions, the typical “cyber warrior” is usually recruited from one of three backgrounds: 1) Talented youths lacking education: Either enrolling in a scholarship-for-service commissioning program or enlisting and entering a fast-track technical training course, these candidates make up the bulk of the uniformed service’s cyber ranks.

Beginning in early 2018, all branches of service, even the Marine Corps, will offer direct enlistment options as non-commissioned officers (sergeants), which also skip boot camp, to entice more recruits with proven cybersecurity skills.

2) Entrepreneurs and hackers, often without formal training and experience: These candidates tend to be identified through sponsored hackathons or when

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they try to sell the DoD a unique product or service. Most of these candidates are actively recruited by headhunters for the NSA and DHS, although they’re eligible to apply directly with the military or any other federal agency.

3) General tech or engineering professionals looking to switch to a cybersecurity specialty: These are the most sought-after candidates since they tend to bring with them managerial and teamwork skills and just require specialized security training.

APPLYING FOR CYBERSECURITY JOBS As with all federal jobs, the onestop-shop to find civilian cybersecurity jobs and apply is usajobs.gov. Contrary to most DoD/DHS jobs, cyber warrior positions are much less competitive for three main reasons: 1) Most intelligence analysts, network engineers, and data scientists are eligible for rapid hire under the special “Schedule A or B Excepted Service Hiring Authority.” This program allows federal agencies to skip the normal competitive hiring process and directly hire experienced civilians meeting the job’s minimum conditions.

2) Contractors are used far less often in cybersecurity, in large part due

to legal issues surrounding the military chain of command, which severely restricts a contracting firm’s authority to act with or against foreign agents.

3) All positions require Top Secret or higher security clearances, which narrows the potential labor pool to U.S. nationals with squeaky clean backgrounds and provides a natural bias toward military veterans.

And all of these bonuses are likely to expand over the next few years, especially as the government ramps up recruiting efforts to keep abreast of the hourly barrage of cyber assaults aimed at the U.S. and our allies. As Admiral Rogers testified to Congress earlier in the year: “We need a broad range of skills, and many of the best candidates won’t necessarily have advanced educations or years of work history but do have proven experience and talent in the field. We can’t keep relying on five- to ten-year development cycles in terms of manpower. We have to think outside the box because our enemies sure are.” S

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Join Our Team and Do Work That Matters Noblis is a nonprofit science, technology, and strategy organization that brings the best of scientific thought, management, and engineering expertise with a reputation for independence and objectivity. Our employees are proud to be solving the nation’s most pressing problems; we don’t waste time or resources trying to please shareholders. We are committed to doing what’s right, for the best of reasons—serving the public good. We are always seeking the very best talent in STEM and other science and technology disciplines. We proudly employ military veterans whose unique expertise is crucial to many of our clients' important missions.

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