751 ELSG commander: keeping promises is key to achieving group goals

  • Published
  • By Monica D. Morales
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  When it comes to delivering warfighter capabilities, 751st Electronic Systems Group Commander Col. Jim Lovell said that it's a creed of keeping promises -- instilled in him by his former commander-now turned Air Force chief of staff -- that he will use as a guide in leading the group.

"Gen. [Norton] Schwartz used to always say, 'a promise made is a promise kept' and that really impacted the way I thought about delivering to the warfighter," Colonel Lovell said. "If you make a commitment to the warfighter that you are going to deliver on a certain day and at a certain budget, then you meet that commitment."

In his new post as 751 ELSG commander, Colonel Lovell is responsible for all aspects of the development, acquisition and sustainment of the $15 billion E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System.

"After receiving the news and taking a deep breath, I was absolutely thrilled and privileged to be named as this group's commander," he said.

Charged with leading the group for a few months now, Colonel Lovell said that the very goals he aims to achieve during his tenure will also likely present the greatest challenges.

His first priority, he said, is one that's clear cut and simply stated - to meet the programmatic goals necessary to put new engines on the aircraft.

"We need to make the platform viable for the next 25 to 30 years, and getting new engines on is the first step in the right direction," the colonel said. "We also have to work on keeping the back end of the airplane on pace with a 21st century warfighting environment."

Keeping the aircraft in tune with that battle rhythm, however, calls for technological upgrades that don't always have the funding to support them.

"We'd like to upgrade the aircraft's radar, for example, but we don't have a currently funded program - so there's where our challenges lie," he said.

Another area that is important to the group's success, he said, is training and development -- ensuring that his workforce comes to the table with consistent experience commensurate with rank.

"Sometimes you've got extremely good young officers without the experience needed to fully engage the job. I want to make sure they get the professional and acquisition discipline to do their jobs appropriately," Colonel Lovell said.

Challenges aside, the colonel said that his "talented team" has been pivotal in easing him into his job thus far.

"The team here - both at the group and the wing level - has been outstanding in bringing me up to speed, being patient and letting me know the ways I can help them," he said. "There is an openness and a candid sense of discovery here that has been very pleasing to see."

Prior to commanding the 751 ELSG, Colonel Lovell worked at United States Transportation Command as the director of the Defense Transportation Coordination Initiative at Scott AFB, Ill. That's where the colonel said he gained the insight of General Schwartz that best prepared him for any obstacles set before him.

But it's also his previous time at Hanscom, from 1986 to 1990, that provided him with added perspective that would serve him well 22 years later. It was during that time that then-Lt. Lovell traveled to Melbourne, Fla., to watch construction of the first Joint STARS.

"I watched this program being birthed, and now it's fully mature and operational and it's cool to see all that transition," he said.

Though the colonel said returning to Hanscom and running into former colleagues is like a reunion for him, this latest tour at Hanscom has also felt like a homecoming for his family.

Twenty-two years ago, Hanscom was the place where he and his wife Holly were stationed. Now they return with their 9-year-old twin daughters, Hope and Joy, and their 5-year-old son CJ.

"The community here has really welcomed us back, and it's very much like being home again," he said.