Retiring 350 ELSW commander recalls unique opportunities

  • Published
  • By Patty Welsh
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  As Col. Robert A. Dominguez, 350th Electronic Systems Wing commander, prepares to retire after more than 25 years of Air Force service, he said he has enjoyed a "world of opportunity," throughout his service in the military.

"Although one of the characteristics of my career is that I have always served as an acquisition officer or in the acquisition community, my path has been somewhat unique," Colonel Dominguez said. "I was able to establish programs or be the first person to figure out how to connect activities within a program. I was also able to work at high levels in staff offices, and work overseas supporting our national objectives and at the U.S. mission at NATO. This enabled me to see how the work we do in the acquisition community directly affects the national security environment."

Leadership and education were some of the opportunities he said the Air Force offered him.

"The chance for leadership came really fast," said Colonel Dominguez. "However, I look at leadership as not only the role I have today - a command role over a large organization of people - but also leadership in activities performed, or creating something where nothing existed before. "

Some of his most rewarding career moments came when he was at the leading edge, whether developing a capability, changing policy or implementing actions.

As part of his first assignment, Colonel Dominguez worked on a Navy program as part of a team fielding a new fleet of aircraft for the Navy. It was the first deployment at sea of the F-18. And at the Space and Missile Systems Center, he developed the first Milstar satellite communications payload and prepared it for launch through a rigorous integration and test program he devised.

During his first assignment here at Electronic Systems Center as a captain in the early 1990s, Colonel Dominguez started a program that is still in existence today. The Eagle Vision program brings commercial satellite imagery down to a mobile ground station and was recently used to help with disaster relief efforts in Haiti.

"It's rewarding to see how much the program is flourishing and how much it has contributed over the years," he said.

During his tenure at NATO, he participated in key decisions as the alliance invoked its mutual defense treaty for the first time following the attacks of 9/11. And in a more recent assignment on the staff for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Colonel Dominguez was part of a team that helped define "building partnership capacity," or how the U.S. would apply technology cooperation with partners and allies to better equip our forces. If national or regional security needed to be provided, and there was equipment that needed to be supported as part of it, this team would provide guidance on how to bring in the acquisition community.

"I was able to be a part of policy deliberations, do work on defining processes and also try to garner support from Congress for armaments cooperation with partners," Colonel Dominguez said.

Educational opportunities such as attending the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and Air Command and Staff College gave Colonel Dominguez a chance to interact with a broad community, consisting of personnel in Air Force specialties, members of other services and international partners.

"It was eye-opening in many ways, as I learned how we all function together," he said. "And not only did I find the education itself very worthwhile, but I made great connections that I was able to draw upon throughout my career."

In another unique facet of his career, Colonel Dominguez did not enter the military until he was already registered as an engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley.

"I walked into the ROTC detachment and told them I was interested in finding out about serving," Colonel Dominguez said. "Pursuing a military career was driven by a patriotic underpinning but it was also about being part of something much bigger than yourself and all the opportunities it offered. It has been great for me. Not only have I been exposed to new opportunities, but also was trusted with increasing responsibility from the Air Force and the DoD."

He encourages young people in the military today to apply themselves and to see the vast opportunities available to them.

"I'm happy to see how many bright, energetic, experienced people work around me every day, and I'm happy to know that the work we do will continue on behalf of our nation."

He said it has been great to be part of the Hanscom community again.

"Not only has it been nice to renew friendships and professional relationships, but it has been great to see how ESC has grown and developed in a very robust manner," he said. "I look forward to it continuing with this new evolution."

His retirement ceremony will be held April 2 at 10 a.m. in the Garden Auditorium, Building 1614. The following week he will depart the local area on permissive TDY and terminal leave.  He will officially retire from the Air Force on Aug. 1.

After retirement, Colonel Dominguez' focus is going to be on family. He and his family will move to California, a state that both he and his wife think of as home.