ATEC names Program/Project Manager of the year: Army Col. Tom Newberry first recipient - Progam-Project Management - Army Test and Evaluation Command - Brief Article

Program Manager, Jan, 2002 by Phillip Washburn

Army Project Manager Cal. Tom Newberry has received the first-ever U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) Program/Project Manager of the Year Award during ceremonies at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

Cited for his "brilliant performance" as Project Manager of the PATRIOT Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) program, Newberry received the award in November from Army Maj. Gen. John J. Marcello, ATEC Commanding General.

Newberry is Project Manager for the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Systems Project Office, Program Executive Office for Air and Missile Defense, Army Acquisition Support Agency.

"This is a rare honor for me because it is an award from a different community than I live and work in," Newberry said. "The fact that ATEC recognizes me means they recognize the program and the entire PM office and its people," he added.

ATEC, which was organized in October 1999 to consolidate developmental and operational test and evaluation, created the award this year to annually recognize the contributions, accomplishments, and teamwork of an outstanding PM.

In making the award, Marcello said program managers have a tough job. Testers and program managers are partners in the acquisition field, and testers can assist program managers throughout the process.

Program managers are "soldiers on the front line" whom testers can help by getting involved earlier in the process, Marcello said. Testers can also provide better support to customers by adopting the hypothesis and attitude that their mission is to prove systems work.

Newberry was selected based on his work this past year managing the multibillion dollar Acquisition Category I program with oversight from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Congress. During 2001, the robust PAC-3 program included joint developmental/operational testing, where one phase saw five missiles in flight simultaneously.

The test involved launching a PAC-2 and two PAC-3 missiles to intercept two missiles, another PAC-3, and a Hera target missile. Both missiles were intercepted.

That test was a success because of the cooperation and coordination among all parties involved. Newberry said all available resources were brought into play during the sophisticated hi-tech test.

During the nomination process, Army Col. David R. Wolf, Director of the U.S. Army Evaluation Center's Air Defense Artillery Evaluation Directorate in Alexandria, Va., said Newberry's "success can be attributed to his cooperative spirit, flexibility, and open-minded approach to solving T&E issues." Wolf also cited the PM's full support to get ATEC evaluators involved early in the system's developmental process and for aggressively seeking all opportunities to place the PAC-3 system in the hands of warfighters.

Strong self-assessment, developmental testing, and early involvement have all been an important part of the PAC-3 program under Newberry, who invited operational testers to participate in the configuration test and assessment. This involvement allowed for early fixes during the initial stages of the program.

A professional relationship between the PM and the testers and evaluators is critical, Newberry believes. If the relationship breaks down, the soldier is the one who suffers, he said.

Newberry said he is comfortable going to operational testing--scheduled for early 2002-because PAC-3 has been through rigorous developmental testing and a self-assessment program.

The Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOTE) phase includes testing from January through May at White Sands; Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands; and Fort Bliss, Texas. The 2nd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery at Fort Bliss will be supporting the IOTE.

RELATED ARTICLE: From the White House

CLAUDE M. BOLTON JR.

Former DSMC Commandant Confirmed by Senate as Army's Top Acquisition Executive

The President has nominated and the Senate has confirmed the name of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Claude M. Bolton Jr. to become the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. Bolton's name was forwarded to the Senate Nov. 8, 2001, and confirmed effective Dec. 20, 2001. Prior to his retirement on Dec. 31, 2001, Bolton was Commander of the Air Force Security Assistance Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Well known throughout the acquisition, technology and logistics workforce, Bolton served as the 12th Commandant of the Defense Systems Management College (DSMC) from March 1993 to March 1996.

Editor's Note: Washburn welcomes questions or comments on this article. Contact him at WashburnPhillip@atec.army.mil.

Washburn is the Command Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, Alexandria, Va.