Commander says center restructure on track

  • Published
  • By Chuck Paone
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Electronic Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds told a large crowd packed into the Hanscom AFB Aero Club May 20 that center restructuring plans are proceeding on schedule.

The center will hold a large wing stand-down ceremony June 30 at Hanscom starting at 10 a.m., he said, noting that ESC's four acquisition wings, as well as the 66th ABW, will be inactivated "with dignity."

The acquisition wings are being replaced with directorate structures led by program executive officers - six in all. For most of the five-plus years that ESC's acquisition enterprise had been organized by wings groups and squadrons, the center commander stood as the sole PEO for the entire portfolio of programs.

The 66 ABW simply fell short of new Air Force manning guidance that states all wings must have at least 1,000 military and civilian members. As a result, the 66th Mission Support Group will be realigned as the 66th Air Base Group and assume responsibility for nearly all current ABW missions and center support.

The general said each of ESC's wings had achieved some tremendous things, and that their members should take great pride in this knowledge.

General Bowlds walked people through the new structure, showing that, for the most part, existing wing programs will remain grouped together under a PEO charged with overseeing that portion of the overall ESC portfolio. The 554 ELSW will have its programs grouped under two PEOs, and 13 programs from across the spectrum - for various reasons, ranging from size to visibility - will remain in the center commander's C2 and CS portfolio.

Center Senior Functionals, of CSFs, will also play a more prominent role in the new structure, the general said, with functional personnel reporting directly to them. They are also charged with training employees and with developing standardized processes, so that all organizations operate with the same rules and procedures.

In addition, the new organization will use a CSH, or Unit Support, function to handle a variety of military administrative, personnel and deployment issues for which wings are now directly responsible.

General Bowlds discussed numerous leadership changes that are coming, including a new center vice commander, Col. Mark Spillman, and a full listing of the five new PEOs: senior executive service members Ron Mason and Steve Wert and Brig. Gen. Ken Moran, all of whom are already in place; and Brig. Gen. Craig Olson and Col. Roger Thrasher, who are incoming. He also announced that Col. Stacy Yike would take the reins of the new 66th Air Base Group.

The general also reiterated his Commander's Intent. The first item on his list is a seamless transition to the new PEO structure. It's critical, he said, that we smoothly continue doing "the great work we do today," so that the change is transparent to ESC customers.

Next is the expectation that ESC continue to execute as an enterprise, something he said was more important for the multifaceted C2ISR portfolio than any other. Going forward, "it's going to be a challenge, because we're going from one PEO to six PEOs, but we have to meet that challenge," he said.

General Bowlds also called for even more vigorous efforts to follow up on hiring successes by focusing on transitioning new employees into the work environment and on rapid acquisition, stating that center officials must keep pace with the "rapidly revolving C2 portfolio."

"And of course it's the Year of the Family," he reminded the workforce. Earlier, General Bowlds honored the center's various Key Spouses, who have volunteered so much time to the essential tasks of helping Air Force families deal with deployment-related concerns.

General Bowlds also touched on the NSPS-to-GS transition schedule for civilian employees and the expanded force management programs for military personnel. He also emphasized the need to maintain "our Wingman culture."

"It's not just about the one-on-one kind of thing," the general said. "It's about everybody looking out for everyone else."