Maintaining the positive essential, says new PEO

  • Published
  • By Patty Welsh
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  As part of ESC's restructure, Steve Wert recently became the program executive officer for Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. He said he's really excited about being able to directly assist programs through this new position.

His portfolio includes 29 programs and projects. They include technology projects, sustainment efforts and foreign military sales programs, which in total cover a broad spectrum - advanced radars, software and information technology, decision support and situational awareness , security systems and operations centers.

"Up to now, it was usually a special event to have a program manager, a system program manager and a program executive officer all in the same room," Mr. Wert said. "Now it's happening every day here, and that's the point - I can help."

Putting the PEO structure in place at the same time personnel are being added to the acquisition workforce affords an exceptional opportunity, he added.

"As the PEOs engage with the programs, they'll be shaping the next generation of our acquisition workforce," Mr. Wert said. "That's a pretty exciting thing."

He feels his unique work experience and personal characteristics have helped to prepare him for this position.

Beyond being a program manager, Mr. Wert has worked on the Air Staff, on a major command staff and on a PEO staff under Maj. Gen. Craig Weston's command. In addition, Mr. Wert said he brings optimism, persistence and a focus on building professional relationships to his new role.

There are three main themes he encourages everyone in his organization to follow.
The first is to be and stay positive.

"The acquisition business is demanding and complex, and it's really important to be positive," he said. "If we are pushing for a decision and have a setback, if we just take our ball and go home, we're not achieving anything."

Next, he encourages personnel to "check their egos."

"Professional relationships and credibility take time to build, but it takes no time to destroy them if you can't control your emotions or ego," he said.

Third, repeating a saying from the Air Force chief of staff, Mr. Wert wants people to "Get all in!"

"We don't build airplanes; we don't build radars in this directorate," he said. "We operate indirectly through industry and contracts. I'm convinced this job is much more interesting, and we are much more useful if we get out there, get our hands dirty, and work to fully understand the system we're working on and how the operators are going to use it."

For the future, Mr. Wert sees challenges at both the local and national levels.

Regarding the restructure, he thinks the construct at the top levels is very good and will make programs "healthier." However, he said many of the details at the lower levels will have to be figured out while operations continue. He hopes people don't get frustrated as that occurs.

With the restructure, the transition out of the National Security Personnel System and the acquisition recruitment program, there is a lot of change happening.

"For the near-term, we'll need to minimize the turmoil," Mr. Wert said. "After the restructure is in place and operating, we'll look at opportunities that could make us more efficient."

One area he mentioned was a more disciplined approach to transitioning programs to sustainment and handing them off.

"It's hard to be innovative if your team is consumed with supply chain management and provisioning," he said.

The largest national level challenge he thinks the organization needs to prepare for is the constraints on the defense budget.

"This is not going to be the annual cycle we're used to," Mr. Wert said. "We're going to see decreasing budgets, so we'll have to put some thought into things we need to do."

He said he's impressed with the quality of leadership, the positive support and the people of the 350th Electronic Systems Wing, which will soon be the C2ISR Directorate.

"There will be changes in how we operate and roles and responsibilities," he said. "I want this directorate to engage positively. ESC's strengths are the great people and a culture of working together."