HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Col. William Collins, deputy program executive officer for Electronic Systems Directorate, reflects on a 28-year career as he prepares to retire June 18 during a ceremony at the Minuteman Commons.
In his role, Collins helped lead more than 1,800 Airmen, government civilians and support contractors executing an $11.3 billion fiscal year portfolio.
“I hope I've contributed to the mission, made the organization better than when I arrived, and served as a teammate and leader people valued,” Collins said. “I hope I made a positive impact on someone along the way.”
Collins credits his parents with inspiring him to put service above self and to support others.
He said he initially entered the military to help pay for his education, but his family’s encouragement and pride in his service motivated him to continue his career with the Air Force.
“I’m honored to have been able to contribute to the mission and give to something greater than myself,” the colonel said.
A running theme for Collins’ career experiences has been the importance of teamwork and relationship building when preparing for and addressing challenges.
“Many times throughout my career I’ve been asked to resolve tough problems, and we tend to lose sight that we rarely solve those difficult issues by ourselves,” Collins said. “Even if we do, the experience and the outcome are not nearly as meaningful or effective as they would have been had we teamed up.”
That collaborative mindset, Collins said, will remain important as the acquisition enterprise continues to evolve and adapt to new challenges.
“We’ll see a lot of major improvements, especially in technology,” he said. “It has allowed us to go faster while leadership is becoming less risk-averse, which will pay huge dividends. I’m excited to see what the future holds for the Air Force in the acquisition space.”
Despite significant staffing reductions over the last year due to changes in the federal workforce, Collins said Electronic Systems has remained committed to the warfighter.
“Through all that transition, the lion’s share of workforce kept their head down and focused on the mission,” he said. “We lost time and had some schedule delays, but people were always highly committed.”
Collins said that level of commitment is reinforced when leaders create an environment where people feel comfortable asking for help, sharing ideas for personal development and receiving honest feedback.
Collins previously served at Hanscom AFB from June 2006 to July 2008, giving him a firsthand view of changing priorities across the Air Force acquisition enterprise.
“The focus on interoperability is where I’ve seen the biggest change,” he said. “We are partners with Command, Control, Communication and Battle Management, where interconnectivity is a major focus. Electronic Systems, and its contribution to spectrum dominance, is a huge part of that and will continue to be a critical component as we work to ensure our systems work in concert to ensure supremacy.”
The colonel offered parting advice to the next generation of Airmen, encouraging them to remain focused on the importance of the mission.
“Continue to keep the passion for the mission and for the warfighter,” he said. “Never lose sight of the ‘why.’ In the acquisition business, it can be easy to get focused on the paperwork, but what we do supports the warfighter in the end.”
Brig. Gen. William Ottati, program executive officer for Presidential and Executive Airpower, will preside over Collins’ retirement ceremony.