2012 US Black Engineer & Information Technology | HOMELAND SECURITY - VOL. 36, NO. 4

8th Annual Homeland Security, Government and Defense Edition

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Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown

Deputy Commandant for Mission Support U.S. Coast Guard

Top Blacks in the

Military 2012

African Americans

in the Federal Senior Executive Service

USBE&IT Homeland Security, Government and Defense Edition 2012 www.blackengineer.com

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Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr.

Commandant U.S. Coast Guard

Jobs in Homeland Security

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NOW THE MOST READ BLACK TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE REACHING OVER 100,000 READERS IN THE UNITED STATES, UK, AND SOUTH AFRICA

CONTENT US BLACK ENGINEER & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

BRINGING TECHNOLOGY HOME TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY

Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown

PROFILES IN INNOVATION

One on One..............................9

Marine Commandant Gen. James F. Amos addressed the Stars and Stripes dinner at the 2012 Black Engineer of the Year Awards, even bringing the President’s band in tow

Spotlighting Leadership and Innovation: Vice Admiral Manson Brown COVER STORY...... 14

The U. S. Coast Guard’s deputy commandant for mission support shares four secrets to success that aren’t secrets at all.

Top Blacks in the Military and Senior Executive Service..................................18

In our cover story for US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine’s Homeland Security, Government and Defense edition, we follow the career paths of more than 80 American officers and leading Blacks in the federal Senior Executive Service of the various Department of Defense departments and defense agencies.

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education

Book Review.........................58 Sailor or not, anybody who has business with the U.S. Navy ought to be reading through Thomas J. Cutler’s A Sailor’s History of the U.S. Navy.

Diversity

People and Events..................6

Among a raft of significant promotions are Larry Spencer to 4-Star General, General Dennis Via, now commanding general of Army Materiel Command, Karen Burrows appointed to the Senior Executive Service and Brown to chair SAME Academy of Fellows.

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Upping the Cultural Literacy of the National Security Agencies...............................51

The Defense Language and National Security Education Office stands as testimony to the belief that national security is achieved through the power of understanding as it is through military might. Dr. Michael Nugent, a longtime educator and an expert in language training, heads the office.

USBE&IT recently discussed his office’s mission with him.

best practices

The Next Level......................54

Graduating Entry Level? Here’s how to Climb to an Executive Position. To help you get that road plan together, here’s a rough guide based on insights and perspectives from corporate executives with 20/20 vision.

Science Spectrum

Titans of Science..................57

Kenneth S. Tolson experiences are diverse and global. In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed him to the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He’s also chairman of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Technology and Innovation Committee.

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

L

ast summer, Hilda Solis, U.S. Secretary of Labor keynoted a workforce summit on solutions to help strengthen the American workforce as its composition evolves. The event was hosted by the National Journal and underwritten by the Society for Human Resource Management. The focus was on the three key converging trends shaping the U.S. workforce: rapid growth in the non-white population, baby boomers who are staying in the workforce longer, and veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to the Department of Labor, by 2018, the United States will have more than 1.2 million job openings in fields related to science, technology, engineering and math. “We know that if we’re going to maintain our leadership in technology and innovation, our best companies need the world’s brightest workers– American workers,” President Obama said at an event to promote innovation that maintain competitiveness. Top U.S. companies are leading the President’s Jobs Council’s strategy to train 10,000 new engineers every year.

They are also helping the federal government promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, offer students’ incentives to finish those STEM degrees, and help universities fund the programs.

Expanding STEM education opportunities will not only improve our global competitiveness it will also enable the U.S. to remain as the technological leader and foster our national security. That’s why the Department of Defense has a long history of supporting STEM initiatives at local, regional and national levels. By developing world-class STEM talent, students advance basic scientific research. The U.S. military is as committed to answering the nation’s need for increased literacy in STEM; opening doors for future officers and to new career paths for American students that lead to a brighter tomorrow.

Career Outlook.............63 Spotlight on the Cybe Security and Anti-Piracy Industry.

1. Job Horizon 2. Recruiting Trends 3. Professional Life

College marketplace.....79

Tyrone D. Taborn Publisher and Editorial Director

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Career Communications Group presents $6.95

Executive Office

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Jean Hamilton |

Toi Barnhardt |

Publisher and Editorial Director President and CFO Assoc. Publisher & Director of Women Affairs and MiRS

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Michael Fletcher

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Sherley Petit-Homme | Art Director

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Ty Taborn | Corporate Development

Jacob Wiggins | Corporate Development

Rayondon Kennedy | Corporate Development Intern

2013

Alumni Tech Week Wednesday, May 29– Sunday, June 2, 2013 Hyatt Regency Hotel Baltimore, MD 21202

Seminars and workshops will feature successful recruitment and professional training strategies Special Events include: Cyber Security Summit Hall of Fame HBCU Leadership Luncheon Unity Awards

Sales and Marketing

Richard Butler | Vice President of Government Relations/Special Projects

Diane T. Jones Richards | Director of Major Accounts/ Marketing

Gwendolyn Bethea | Senior Account Manager

Alex Venetta | Advertising Coordinator Administration

Ana Bertrand | Conference Coordinator

Alexis Green | Logistics/Office Manager Conference and Events Rutherford & Associates 17304 Preston Rd Suite 1020 Dallas, Texas 75252 Advertising Sales Office Career Communications Group, Inc. 729 E. Pratt Street, 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: (410) 244-7101 / Fax: (410) 752-1834 US Black Engineer & Information Technology (ISSN 1088-3444) is a publication devoted to engineering, science, and technology and to promoting opportunities in those fields for Black Americans. The editors invite submissions directed toward the goals of US Black Engineer & Information Technology. In particular, we wish to present ideas and current events concerning science and technology, and personality profiles of successful Blacks in these fields and related business pursuits. Fully developed articles may be sent for consideration, but queries are encouraged. US Black Engineer & Information Technology invites letters to the editor about any topics important to our readership.

Articles and letters should be sent to: US Black Engineer & Information Technology, Editorial Department, 729 E Pratt St., 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. No manuscript will be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. US Black Engineer & Information Technology cannot be responsible for unsolicited art or editorial material. This publication is bulk-mailed to 150 colleges and universities nationwide. Subscriptions are $26/year. Please write to US Black Engineer & Information Technology, Subscriptions, 729 E. Pratt St., 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. Copyright (c) 2012 by Career Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Like us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/USBEIT Follow us on Twitter: @BlackEngineer

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diversity Diversity brings vital new ideas to the table and creates dynamic solutions to international issues.

We honor the individuals and institutions that strive to create and maintain a diversified workforce.

People and Events

by Rayondon J. Kennedy editors@ccgmag.com

larry spencer promoted to four-star general

General Via, now commanding general of Army Materiel Command

On July 27, 2012, Larry O. Spencer was promoted to the rank of general. Spencer is now the vice chief of staff of the United States Air Force. One of Spencer’s many accolades is his Career Achievement Award he received at the 2010 Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Conference. He continues his work with the Air Force chief of staff organizing, training and equipping close to 700,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve and Civilian forces. Spencer graduated from Southern Illinois with a bachelor of science degree in 1979. He was then commissioned through officer training school in 1980 as a distinguished graduate.

On Aug. 7, 2012, Gen. Dennis Via became the sixth African-American in the history of the Army to be promoted to the rank of four-star general. He is also the first signal officer to the rank of a four-star (general). During his promotion ceremony, Via took command of the Army Materiel Command (AMC).

He took over command from his predecessor, Gen. Ann Dunwoody. Via began his journey to four-star general when he graduated from Virginia State University as a distinguished military graduate in 1980. He received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Signal Corps.

First Black Female 3-Star Officer

Michelle Howard, graduate of the United States Naval Academy, is now the first African-American woman to reach the rank of three-star officer.

This great honor is just one more thing that she can add to her list of “firsts.”

In 1999, Vice Admiral Howard became the first African-American woman to command a warship, and in 2009, she was the first African-American woman to command an expeditionary strike group, against Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea. Howard serves as deputy commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

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Karen Burrows Appointed to the Senior Executive Service

Karen Burrows was selected to the federal Senior Executive Service (SES) in April 2012. Burrows has 29 years of experience in the Department of Defense. She serves as the deputy for Weapons Safety at the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and is executive director of Naval Ordinance Safety and Security, a NAVSEA field activity. Burrows is also chairwoman of the Department of the Navy’s Weapon System Explosives Safety Review Board, which oversees safety compliance of all Navy and Marine Corps munitions, ordnance items, weapons and combat systems prior to fielding to operation forces. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.

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Brown to chair SAME Academy of Fellows William A. Brown, Sr. has been selected as the first national vice president of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) and national chairman of the SAME Academy of Fellows. SAME is a professional military engineering association that unites architecture, engineering, construction, facility management and environmental entities and individuals in the public and private sectors to prepare for—and overcome—natural and man-made disasters, and to improve security at home and abroad.

As chairman of the Academy of Fellows, Brown will oversee selection and induction of new fellows; the selection and confirmation of the “Golden Eagle Award” on two individuals, one for lifetime contributions to engineering and one for outstanding contributions to national security. He will also oversee the development of emerging leaders in the engineering profession. Brown is one of the founding fathers of the BEYA Stars and Stripes program.

Other Significant Promotions Army

Maj. Gen. Leslie C. Smith

Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick

Maj. Gen. Charles W. Hooper

Events The ROCKS Inc. What: The Rocks Spring Gala & Awards Banquet When: Saturday, April 13, 2013 Where: Fort Belvoir Officers’ Club Every year, the Washington, D.C., Chapter of the ROCKS organization hosts its annual Spring Gala & Awards Banquet.

The ROCKS organization honors members from various chapters around the country for their contributions. Scholarships are also awarded to deserving ROTC cadets. This year will mark the 39th anniversary of the Spring Gala and Awards Banquet. www. rocksinc.org National Naval Officers Association, Jacksonville Chapter What: 4th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament When: Friday, March 22, 2013 Where: Golf Club at South Hampton Every year, the National Naval Officers Association provides college scholarships to high school graduates in the local area. www.blackengineer.com

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Air Force

Lt. Gen. Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr.

Lt. Gen. Darren W. McDew Maj. Gen. LaWarren V. Patterson

Maj. Gen. Aundre F. Piggee

Navy

Rear Adm. James Crawford III

The cost of the tournament is $75 per player. Along with golfing, there will be a silent auction, food and a number of prizes given throughout the tournament. The tournament will be held at the Golf Club at South Hampton, an 18-hole course located in St. Augustine, Fla. All proceeds will be used to provide scholarships to local high school seniors in the Jacksonville area.

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Profiles in Innovation We celebrate the men and women who are reinventing and reenergizing STEM, business, and government.

One on One

by Michael A. Fletcher mfletcher@ccgmag.com

marine corps commandant gen. james amos speaks at BEYA

A

1970 University of Idaho graduate, Gen. James Amos, 66, has held a range of commands in the Marine Corps, including the battleproven 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Earlier this year, Amos addressed the Stars and Stripes Dinner at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA), even bringing the president’s band in tow. In his remarks, Amos promised to press hard to make the Marine Corps leadership ranks more diverse. Amos also discussed the reliance of the military on technology and the engineers www.blackengineer.com

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who produce the innovation. Lightly edited excerpts of his speech follow here: “I went to BEYA last year, and I was a brand new service chief. And Willie Williams and Ron Coleman, who are like brothers to me, said, ‘Sir, you’ve got to go.’ And I said, ‘Well, what is it?’

“Well, it’s the Black Engineer of the Year Award. And they said, ‘Sir, you just have to go,” and we went. And I committed that night―and I committed that night that as long as I were ever to wear this uniform on active duty, that I would make every single one of these things. I can’t think – when I think

about our service in―and I really speak on behalf of all the service chiefs. I mean, I’m absolutely confident of this, I can’t think of a more important place to be than to be here tonight and to honor our engineers. I’m proud to be here.

“And I won’t miss another one, and I’m proud of my leadership that showed up here today mentoring.

We were talking this evening about how important mentoring is. We made a commitment about 15 months ago in the Marine Corps that we are going to turn things around. We’ve got great young African-American enlisted and great USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 9

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Profiles in Innovation

One on One continues young African-American officers, but somewhere along the line in the officer corps, we have―we fall short of the mentoring, and we’re changing that.

We’re making a commitment, and we’re committed as the Marine Corps, to turn that around.

“We want to make a home for our African-American engineers, our officers, our young enlisted men and women. We want to bring them into our Corps. I’m committed to this, and our Marine Corps is committed to this, and this is the reason why you see all these two- and three-star and one-star generals we have here tonight.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is critically important for the future of our country. “Think about what’s happening in cyberspace. Think about what could happen on the World Wide Web. Think about what could happen in our own country with things like our banking system. Think about our military. Think about command and control. “Then, switch gears and go into the technology and the engineering that MIT and Georgia Tech and other great engineering institutions across this nation provide.

Lockheed Martin with 6 million lines of code on the Joint Strike Fighter. Think about those great ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance] platforms that we cannot get enough of.

If you’re a commander on the ground, you can’t have enough technology and capability streaming into your command post. That didn’t come by a finance major from Idaho. That came from a young man or woman that had the wherewithal and the education to reach out and bring that to bear and focus it tightly on things like unmanned aerial systems.

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General James F. Amos, commandant, U.S. Marine Corps

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Profiles in Innovation

One on One continues Martin’s and all the companies and corporations that support them rely on young men and women to graduate from high school to take an interest, college to take an interest. They either go into industry―and I’ll be honest with you right now. I’m on a recruiting effort. It’s not that I don’t care about industry, but I want to bring them to the United States Marine Corps, and I want to make them wear this uniform, and I want to change their lives forever. But, regardless, that’s what this is all about―that and the mentoring of our young African-American men and women. “... You know, about

15-16 months ago, I was thinking about, and I had some reasons to think about, a group of Marines from years ago that also shared that indomitable spirit. They don’t have anything to do with science and engineering and technology and math, but they had everything to do about young African-American men that joined an organization in 1942 called the Marine Corps. You see, President Roosevelt, under the wise guidance of his wife, said, ‘We need to integrate the services, and we need to be about it,” and President Roosevelt signed his presidential directive. And the Marine

Corps went out and began to recruit, and between 1942 and 1949, we recruited 20,000 African-American men to join our service. “... During that period of time, these African-American men joined my Corps, and we put them in a segregated boot camp in North Carolina. Now, think about that. We put them there, and we said, ‘OK. We want you to be Marines, but we’re going to make it different for you.” They came, and with that indomitable spirit that resides in Americans, they overcame. They went to war. They did really, really well.”

The 35th commandant of the Marine Corps, General James F. Amos, and the 17th sergeant major of the Marine Corps, Sgt. Maj. Michael P. Barrett, receive a tour and film part of the Marine Corps’ birthday message during a visit to Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Aug. 6, 2012.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mallory S. VanderSchans

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Spotlighting

Leadership and

Innovation

Vice Adm.

Manson Brown I

by CCG Editors

n 1978, Manson Brown became the first Black regimental commander in the 101-year history of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA). He was part of a diverse group of cadets recruited between 1973 and 1974. Brown was recruited from the St. John’s Prep Academy in Washington, D.C., by Lt. London Steverson, the first chief of the then newly formed Minority Recruiting Section, which brought in more than 50 trail-blazing young people. In 1998, Erroll Brown (USCGA, ‘72) became the first Black admiral in the Coast Guard. Manson Brown (USCGA, ‘78) was promoted to rear admiral in 2005. His attainment of three stars and area command five years later were both firsts for a Black Coast Guard officer. US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine had two questions for Brown.

Then-Rear Adm. Manson Brown, while he was the commander of the 14th U.S. Coast Guard District, thanks the crew of the guided-missile frigate USS Crommelin (FFG 37) in December 2009 for supporting the Coast Guard in locating and investigating vessels suspected of illegal fishing earlier that year.

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Four Secrets to Success That Aren’t Secrets At All USBE&IT: What factors helped you climb to this reFormer Coast Guard Admiral Reflects on markable position in the Coast Guard? What are the secrets the Stars and Stripes Honoree of the Year to your success?

Vice Admiral Brown: The secrets to success aren't secrets Stephen Rochon is one of Vice Admiral Manson Brown's at all. oldest friends. A fellow Coast Guard commissioned officer, First, my path to success started with the values that my Rochon is the second of only three total Coast Guard Black flag parents taught me. The Coast Guard and life experiences reinofficers. In this interview with US Black Engineer & Informaforced these good values and, over time, the things that I deeply tion Technology magazine the retired rear admiral shared his believe became a natural part of me. They drive my sense of reflections on the Stars and Stripes Honoree of the Year. purpose and my passions.

"I have had the distinct pleasure to be a mentor, colleague Second, success relies on the consistent application of hard and friend to VADM Manson Brown for nearly 20 years," Rowork. I've come to enjoy working hard because I appreciate just chon told USBE&IT magazine. We have had a close relationship how precious little time we have to make a positive difference. over these years so I can attest to his outstanding leadership skill Hard work should include a constant thirst for new knowledge. and superb professionalism."

Third, I try to focus only on meaningful goals so that I am doing right things right.

When setting goals, I try to reach out of my comfort zone so that I am pushing toward new and previously unimaginable heights. I've learned to thrive while being comfortably uncomfortable; this takes some courage.

Fourth, nothing is worth pursuing unless it is pursued with others.

More than anything else, the trust and confidence that others have placed in me propelled me along the way.

The true joys of life and profession come through working with others to achieve common objectives.

USBE&IT: What tips and advice do you have for those considering a career in the Coast Guard?

VADM Brown: Anyone that Manson K. Brown, deputy commandant, Mission Support, U.S. Coast Guard seeks to join Team Coast Guard should understand that Coast Guard service is more than just a job; it's a calling to serve. Coast Guard men Brown initially made his name in 1994 when he was honand women, both civilian and military, are selfless and possess ored as the first recipient of the Coast Guard’s Captain John G. a bias for action to protect people on the sea, protect the nation Witherspoon Award for Inspirational Leadership. From 1999 to from threats delivered by the sea and protect the sea itself. We 2002, Brown served as the military assistant to the U.S. Secreseek individuals who are capable of learning to be principletary of Transportation, including duty as the acting deputy chief centered, purposeful, passionate, positive and people-oriented. of staff for six months after the terrorist attacks of September 11, We seek individuals who can learn to lead diverse teams in a 2001. In May 2003, Brown served as the chief of Officer Persondynamic, complex and technically challenging environment. nel Management at the Coast Guard Personnel Command. From Based on my own experiences coming out of Washington, D.C., April to July 2004, he was temporarily assigned in Baghdad, the Coast Guard is an engine of leadership for America, taking Iraq. in America's sons and daughters and, when their service is over, In the recent interview Rochon said that Brown's profesreturning them back to society as capable and confident leaders. sionalism as an engineer was truly put to the test when he served I encourage anyone who wants to make a positive difference and as the senior advisor for Transportation to the Coalition Proviharness all of their God-given talent to consider the call to Coast sional Authority in Baghdad. “While in the Iraqi combat zone, Guard service.

Brown oversaw restoration of Iraq’s transportation systems, including rebuilding two major ports,” he said. www.blackengineer.com

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Then-Rear Adm. Manson Brown, while he was the commander of the 14th U.S. Coast Guard District, presents special operations ribbons aboard Navy frigate USS Crommelin. Brown thanked the awardees and Crommelin crew for successfully supporting the Coast Guard in a joint mission to locate and investigate illegal fishing activity along a route from Hawaii and through the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia in June 2009.

“He is one of the most highly effective senior officers that I have met in my 36 years of military service," Rochon observed.

"He always stood out among his peers as someone with a keen ability to lead and make things happen. His has unquestionable integrity, loyalty, commitment and dedication to anything he pursues."

Brown's previous tours of duty include service as an assistant engineering officer aboard the icebreaker Glacier; project engineer at Civil Engineering Unit Miami, deputy group commander at Group Mayport, engineering assignment officer in the Officer Personnel Division at Coast Guard Headquarters, facilities engineer at Support Center Alameda, and assistant chief, Civil Engineering Division at Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific. Vice Admiral Brown’s previous commands include the 14th Coast Guard District, Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific, Sector Honolulu, Hawaii and Group Charleston in South Carolina.

“VADM Brown is a member and past national president of the National Naval Officers Association,” Rochon also told USBE&IT. “The organization supports the three Sea Services― Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps with their recruitment, development, and retention of qualified minority officers.

“In this capacity, he volunteered time to expand mentoring opportunities for numerous junior officers to ensure their success. Now he has extended his reach to provide the same support to all five branches of the military through the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Stars and Stripes organization. He has always been known for reaching back to grab the hand of an officer, civilian or enlisted to help them climb the 16 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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ladder with him, having a profound impact on numerous people throughout his incredible career."

A native of Washington, D.C., Brown is a 1978 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. He also holds master of science degrees in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at ChampaignUrbana, and national resources strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a registered professional civil engineer.

Vice Adm. Manson Brown assumed the duties as the Coast Guard's second deputy commandant for Mission Support in May 2012. He is responsible for all facets of support for the Coast Guard’s mission set through oversight of human capital, engineering, acquisition, telecommunications and information technology programs. He also oversees service-wide training and performance technology programs and the logistics delivery system.

“Manson always had a deep appreciation for history and the special legacy left behind by the Coast Guard’s famed first African American crew of the Pea Island Lifesaving Station,” Rochon said.

“These brave men performed over three hundred daring rescues of crews and their ships that were in peril, and often sank off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, from 1880 until it closed its doors in 1947. From a very personal perspective, he made it possible for me to share the legacy of these legendary heroes by hosting the last two Pea Island surfmen at Black History Month events so that we could share their incredible story while he was in command at Charleston, S.C.; Washington, D.C.; Honolulu, Hawaii, and Alameda, Calif.” www.blackengineer.com

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Profiles in Innovation

Top B l

mil i

in the

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B lacks

l itary

by CCG Editors

T

he U.S. Department of Defense is one of the largest employers in the world, with more than 2.13 million active duty soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and civilian workers; 1.1 million National Guardsmen and members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Reserves. The grand total is just over 3.2 million servicemen and servicewomen, plus the civilians who support them.

In Top Blacks in the Military, our cover story for US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine’s annual Homeland Security, Government and Defense edition, we follow the career paths of more than 80 officers. These officers have led squads (nine to 10 soldiers), platoons (16 to 44) and have held company (62 to 190) command. They have also served in executive officer assignments as well as command battalions (300 to 1,000), and brigades(3,000 to 5,000). Some now lead divisions (10,000 to 15,000) or entire Corps (20,000 to 45, 00).

As they climbed up, they met personal, educational and developmental goals and milestones on each rung of the promotion ladder. They all completed a branch basic course for advancement to captain; served three years’ time-in-grade for promotion to major and lieutenant colonel, and completed Phases 1 and 2 of Joint Professional Military Education to attend a senior service college as a colonel and for promotion to brigadier general.

Read on and be inspired!

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U.S. ARMY Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick Chief of Engineers Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Gen. Lloyd Austin, III

Gen. Dennis Via

Gen. Lloyd Austin took up his current appointment in January 2012. He is the second-highest uniformed officer in the U.S. Army. He has served in command and staff assignments throughout his 37-year career in the armed forces.

They include chief of staff, U.S. Central Command; commanding general, 10th Mountain Division (Light), which included duty as commander of the Combined Joint Task Force 180 in Afghanistan.

He was also commander, U.S. Forces in Iraq, which marked his third tour of duty in the country. As the assistant division commander for maneuver, the general earned a Silver Star for valor while leading the division's march to Baghdad in 2003. When he took command of the Multinational Corps-Iraq in 2008, he directed more than 152,000 Joint and Coalition forces. He was commissioned from the U.S. Military Academy in 1975 after graduating with a bachelor's degree in science and he later earned master's degrees from both Auburn University in education administration, and another in management from Webster University.

He is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.

Gen. Dennis Via took command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command in August 2012. In his current position, he has responsibility for providing materiel readiness: technology acquisition, support, materiel development, logistics power projection, and sustainment to the Army across the spectrum of joint military operations. This includes weapons, vehicles, aircraft, clothing, food and equipment. Via is the first signal officer in the history of the U.S. Army to be promoted to a four-star. He has served as a commander of the 82nd Airborne Signal Battalion, and commander of the 3rd Signal Brigade. Via was commissioned May 18, 1980, in the Signal Corps after graduating as a distinguished military graduate from Virginia State University. He later earned a master's degree from Boston University, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the Army War College. Via assumed duties as the deputy commanding general of the Army Materiel Command in May 2011. Prior, he served as director, Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4) Systems, J-6, The Joint Staff. He was a principal adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on C4 systems matters within the Department of Defense.

Vice Chief of Staff United States Army

Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command

2012 marked the 237th birthday of the United States Army.

The Continental Army was established June 14, 1775.

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In May 2012, Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick became the 53rd Army Chief of Engineers.

As commanding general of the Corps of Engineers, he oversees most of the nation's civil works infrastructure and military construction.

Prior to this appointment, he served as commanding general, U.S. Army Recruiting Command and subsequently as deputy chief of staff, G-1, U.S. Army. Other key assignments include director of military programs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with duty as commander, Gulf Region Division; assistant division commander, Ist Calvary Division; director of operations, National Military Command Center, The Joint Staff, and commander, Engineer Brigade, 1st Armored Division. He served as a White House Fellow with a duty at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and as assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy. A 1978 U.S. Military Academy graduate himself, with a bachelor of science degree, he also holds a master's in civil and mechanical engineering. He has been an active member of the Society of American Military Engineers since 1990.

Lt. Gen. Vincent Brooks

Commanding General, Third Army, U.S. Army Central/ Coalition Forces Land Component Command

Lt. Gen. Vincent Brooks has been in his current post since June 2011.

The command exercises administrative control over U.S. Army Forces in the Central Command, conducts sustainment of ground operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and performs theater www.blackengineer.com

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engagements with 18 countries in north Africa, southwest Asia and central Asia.

Previously, he was deputy commanding general, III Corps and Fort Hood, Texas, and commanding general, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, Kansas. Other key assignments include deputy commanding general, 1st Cavalry Division and Multi-National Division, Operation Iraqi Freedom; chief of Army Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Army; and deputy director for War on Terrorism, J-5. More than 30 years as a commissioned officer, he has served in command and staff positions in the United States, Germany, Korea, Kosovo as well as the Middle East. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Military Academy in 1980, and later earned a master's degree in military art and science from the School of Advanced Military Studies at the Army Command and General Staff College.

Lt. Gen. John Morgan III

Commander, Force Command, Heidelberg North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Europe

Lt. Gen. John Morgan assumed command of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Headquarters Allied Force Command in 2010. His past staff assignments include chief of staff, United States European Command; assistant chief of staff, CJ3, United Nations Command, United States Forces Korea; J-5 Representative to the Coalition Provisional Authority, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Iraq; and assistant deputy director, international negotiations, Middle East and Africa. He was commissioned as a field artillery officer at the University of Delaware as a distinguished military graduate with a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice. He holds a master's degree in national security and strategic studies from the National Defense University. Morgan's past command assignments include commanding general, 2nd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea; deputy commanding general/ chief of staff, I Corps; assistant division commander (Maneuver), 1st Infantry www.blackengineer.com

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Division where he deployed with the division to Iraq.

Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson Deputy Chief of the Army Reserve (Individual Mobilized Augmentee) Office of the Chief, Army Reserve, Washington, D.C

Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson is a citizen-soldier. She is the first AfricanAmerican female officer to earn the rank of major general in the U.S. Army or Army Reserve.

She received her second star on Sept. 29, 2011.

Prior to her current position, she served as deputy commanding general , United States Army Human Resources Command. She has commanded at all levels, including recent assignments as commander, 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support. Maj. Gen. Anderson earned a commission as an officer in the U.S. Army through the Reserve Officers Training Corps. Anderson graduated from Creighton University in 1979 with a bachelor’s in political science. Anderson holds a juris doctorate from the Rutgers University School of Law and a master's degree in strategic studies from the Army War College. An active citizen-soldier, she is also employed by the United States Courts, where she serves as clerk of the Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Wisconsin. As deputy chief of the Army Reserves, Anderson is responsible for professional development programs and training.

Maj. Gen. Robert Ferrell

Commanding General, United States Army Communications and Electronics Command and Aberdeen Proving Ground

Maj. Gen. Robert Ferrell assumed command of the United States Army Communications and Electronics Command in February 2012.

He leads a global organization of more than 11,000 military and civilian personnel, responsible for coordinating, integrating and synchronizing the management of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems for the Army's

air defense, intelligence, combat service support, tactical radios, satellite communications and the war-fighter information network. Prior to his current assignment, he was director command and control, communications and computer systems (J6) and chief information officer for the U.S. Africa Command. He earned a bachelor's in commerce marketing merchandising from Hampton University and was commissioned in 1983. He also holds a master's in administration from Central Michigan University, and another in strategic studies from the Army War College.

Maj. Gen. Michael Garrett

Commanding General, U.S .Army Alaska Deputy Commander, U.S. Alaskan Command

Maj. Gen. Michael Garrett has executed training and readiness oversight responsibilities for the Army Force Generation in Alaska since May 2012. Prior, he commanded the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division (Light) at Fort Richardson, Alaska, deploying to Iraq; completed an operations tour deploying to Afghanistan as chief of current operations, Combined Joint Task Force 180, and three tours on Fort Bragg to include his recent assignment as deputy chief of staff for United States Forces-Iraq. His staff assignments are at company through corps level. Garrett's military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Army Command and General Staff College and the Senior Service College Fellowship. He also holds a bachelor of science degree from Xavier University.

Maj. Gen. Michael Harrison

Commanding General, United States Army Japan and I-Corps (Forward)

Maj. Gen. Michael Harrison assumed his duties in October 2010. He joined the U.S. Army in 1980 after graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in English from Howard University. He also holds a master's degree in general administration from Central Michigan University, and another USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 21

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in strategic studies from the Army War College. His operational assignments as a general officer include a tour of duty as deputy commanding general for the 10th Mountain Division and deputy commanding general for the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. He also has served as a commander and staff officer with air assault, light infantry and training units.

Maj. Gen. Sanford Holman Commander, 200th Military Police Command, Fort Meade, Md.

Maj. Gen. Sanford Holman leads more than 15,000 soldiers and has command and control of the majority of Army Reserve military police units. These units are engaged around the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Korea. Holman graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and was commissioned in the infantry in 1978. In 1992, he left active duty to pursue a civilian career. He also began his Army Reserve service in the 80th Division Institutional Training.

He served as military police brigade commander; battalion, commander; the Combat Service Support Brigade executive officer; military police brigade operations officer; and inspector general.

He returned to active duty in 2007 and deployed as deputy commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa of the U.S. Africa Command. His most recent assignment was as vice commander of the Joint Warfighting Center and deputy joint-force trainer at the Joint Forces Command. He earned a master's degree in operations research from the Florida Institute of Technology and another in national security strategy from the National Defense University.

Maj. Gen. Charles Hooper

Director of Strategy, Plans, and Programs United States Africa Command

Maj. Gen. Charles Hooper is director, strategic planning and policy at the Africa Command Following his promotion to the rank of brigadier general, he was appointed as a defense attaché to the People’s Republic of China, 22 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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where he served from 2007 to 2009.

Eight years earlier, he served as a country director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

A 1979 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he served as a company officer at the Army Armor Center before he was assigned, in 1981, to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. In the 1st Brigade, he served as a platoon leader, a battalion air operations officer, a brigade air operations officer, and an infantry company commander. In 1989, he earned a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University. While at Harvard, he was awarded the Don K. Price Award for Academic Excellence and Public Service and was the first Kennedy School of Government student selected as graduate commencement speaker at Harvard.

Maj. Gen. Reuben Jones

Deputy Commanding General for Operations Installation Management Command

Maj. Gen. Reuben Jones was promoted to his current rank of major general in January 2010. He has served as adjutant general of the Army; commanding general, Army Physical Disability Agency; and executive director of the Military Postal Service. He graduated from Jackson State University in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in sociology and he was commissioned through the ROTC program at Jackson State. He also holds a master's degree in strategic studies from the Army War College and a master's degree in administration from Central Michigan University. His military education includes several courses at the Adjutant General Airborne School, the Combined Arms Services Staff School, Command and General Staff College and the Army Senior Service College.

Maj. Gen. Adolph McQueen Deputy Commanding General, United States Army North (Fifth Army)

Maj. Gen. Adolph McQueen has served in his current position since June 2012. Previously, he served as deputy commanding general for detention operations and as the provost marshal general for United States Forces–Iraq. In this role, he oversaw 1,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and civilians, with over-

all responsibility for detainee operations to include care, lawful interrogations and prosecution in the Central Criminal Court of Iraq, along with coordination with the Government of Iraq, United States Embassy, United Nations, Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Justice and other agencies. He first joined the Marine Corps in the enlisted ranks in 1971.

Eleven years later, in 1982, he received a direct commission into the Army. Since then he has held several command positions including commander, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Cuba. In his civilian career, he serves as investigative supervisor with the Office of the Attorney General, Michigan. The general holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Wayne State University and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Army War College.

Maj. Gen. LaWarren Patterson Commanding General, U.S. Army Signal Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon

Maj. Gen. LaWarren Patterson took command of the Signal Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon in July 2012. Prior to becoming the chief of signal, Maj. Gen. Patterson commanded the 7th Signal Command. He relinquished command as he was frocked to major general in a change of command ceremony held in the summer of 2012. In a separate event before the ceremony, he was presented with the Distinguished Service Medal for his service as 7th Signal's commanding general during the past two years.

As commander of 7th Signal Command, he directed operations and defense of the Army’s Land-WarNet in the western hemisphere. 7th Signal provides unity of command for network operations in the Army North and Army South operations, consolidating loosely affiliated networks into a single network enterprise. Patterson graduated from Norfolk State University, earning a bachelor of science degree in mass communications, and received his commission as a second www.blackengineer.com

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lieutenant in the Signal Corps in 1982.

He holds a master's degree in general administration from Central Michigan University, and another in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

Maj. Gen. Aundre Piggee Commanding General, 21st Theater Sustainment Command

Maj. Gen. Aundre Piggee was pinned with the rank of major general in May 2012. Recently, he served as the J4 of the United States Forces in Korea. Previous assignments include service as commander of the 15th Sustainment Brigade, and as executive officer to the vice chief of staff of the army and G4 of the 1st Cavalry Division. He graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with a bachelor's in biology.

Later, he earned a master's degree in materiel acquisition management and another in strategic studies from the Army War College. He was commissioned into the Army as a distinguished military graduate in 1981. His military education includes the Quartermaster Officer Basic Course, Ordnance Officer Advance Course, Combined Arms Staff Services School, the Logistics Executive Development Course, the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College. Piggee was the 1st Cavalry Division’s Chief of Staff from April-July 2005. He commanded the 15th Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, from July 2005 to February 2008 with 15 months deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. From June 2008 to September 2009, he was an executive officer for the vice chief of staff, United States Army.

In August 2009, he assumed the duties of the United States Forces Korea, assistant chief of staff J4.

Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard

Commanding General, Ist Armored Division

Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard is the commanding general of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, Texas. His prior assignments include serving as the deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7 United States www.blackengineer.com

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Army Training and Doctrine Command; commanding general, National Training Center and Fort Irwin; and commanding general of the Iraqi Assistance Group. He also commanded three units at the company level, including a combat deployment during Operation Desert Storm. His previous staff assignments include chief of plans and exercises for 2d Armored Division and S-3 (Operations) for both 1st Battalion, 67th Armor and 2d Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, all at Fort Hood, Texas. Pittard also served as a military aide to the President of the United States.

He was commissioned as a second lieutenant from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1981, with a bachelor of science degree in history. He later earned a master's from the School for Advanced Military Studies at the United States Army Command and General Staff College. Pittard also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University as a Senior Service College fellow.

Maj. Gen. Renaldo Rivera Adjutant General, Virgin Islands, Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands

Maj. Gen. Renaldo Rivera received a direct commission in April 1980, having enlisted in the U.S. Army and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam. In his current position, Rivera is responsible for training, resourcing, mobilization and demobilization of units of the Virgin Islands National Guard in support of federal mobilization and national contingencies, along with civil authorities of the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also serves as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet. Prior assignments include deputy chief of staff, Operations and Training, Virgin Islands Joint Force Headquarters; commander, Troop Command, Detachment 1, Virgin Islands National Guard; commander, 786th Supply & Service Battalion, Virgin Islands National Guard, St. Thomas. He earned a bachelor of science degree from Youngstown State University and is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College.

Maj. Gen. Errol Schwartz

Commanding General, Militia of the District of Columbia National Guard and Director, District of Columbia National Guard, Office of the Secretary of the Army

Maj. Gen. Errol Schwartz is re-

sponsible for operational readiness and command and control of the District of Columbia Army and Air National Guard units with an authorized strength of 2,700 soldiers and airmen. Schwartz also serves in the federal Senior Executive Service.

He began his military career when he enlisted in the District of Columbia Army National Guard in 1976. He was commissioned in 1979 and appointed platoon leader. His previous assignments include deputy commanding general, D.C. National Guard; battalion commander, 372nd Military Police Battalion; deputy director, Information Management, Headquarters, District Area Command; director, logistics, The Adjutant General-Army, DC National Guard; and commander, 74th Troop Command, D.C. National Guard. He earned a bachelor's degree in science from the University of the District of Columbia; a master's degree from Central Michigan University and another from the National Defense University Maj. Gen. Leslie Smith

Commanding General, 20th Support Command

Maj. Gen. Leslie Smith was nominated for appointment to the rank of major general early in 2012. He has served as commanding general of 20th Support Command (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High Yield Explosives), Aberdeen Proving Ground since July 2010.

Other assignments include commander, 3rd Chemical Brigade, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; chief, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense Team, G-8, Army Staff; and commander, 83rd Chemical Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Polk, La., and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kuwait and Iraq. Smith also served in Operations Desert Storm/ Desert Shield, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Korea. He was commandant of the U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School. He is a USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 23

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1985 distinguished military graduate with a bachelor's in business administration from Georgia Southern University. He earned a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University and another in national strategy from National Defense University.

Maj. Gen. Darrell Williams Deputy Chief of Staff, Army Materiel Command

Maj. Gen. Darrell Williams has been selected for promotion to major general.

He became Army Materiel Command deputy chief of staff in July 2012. Previously, he was commander, Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime in Columbus, Ohio―America’s combat logistics support agency. In this position, he oversaw integration of the agency’s land and maritime supply chains, which deliver repair parts to all military services. Previously, he was executive officer to the deputy chief of staff for logistics, and commander for 3rd Sustainment. He earned a bachelor's in psychology from Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in 1983, and also holds master’s degrees in military arts and sciences from the Army Command and General Staff College, a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the National War College, and another in business management (logistics) from Pennsylvania State University.

Maj. Gen. Larry Wyche

Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command and the Sustainment Center of Excellence

Maj. Gen. Larry Wyche took command of the Combined Arms Support and Fort Lee in June 2012. Wyche recently served as deputy chief of staff for operations at the U.S. Army Material Command. His previous assignments also include a deployment to Afghanistan, where he led the Joint Logistics Command, Combined Joint Task Force-76; commander, 4th Forward Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, and commander, 114th Quartermaster Company, 2nd Quartermaster

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Group, Republic of Korea. Wyche earned a master's in logistics management from Florida Institute of Technology, and another master's degree in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He served in the enlisted ranks as a cavalry scout, squad and section leader in 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood. He earned a bachelor's in business management from Texas A&M University and was commissioned as a quartermaster officer in 1983.

Brig. Gen. Margarett Barnes Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Human Resources Command

Brig. Gen. Margarett Barnes was commissioned as an adjutant general corps officer in 1984 following three years of enlisted service.

Prior to her current position, she served as commander of the Army Forces Command Augmentation Unit in Atlanta. Her other assignments include commander, 348th Personnel Group in Louisiana; and commander, 324th Replacement Battalion in Starkville, Miss. During her tenure as 324th commander, she deployed with her battalion to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was during this deployment that her unit was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. She also served as public affairs officer, secretary of the General Staff, and inspector general of the 3d Personnel Command in Mississippi. She earned a bachelor of science degree from University of Southern Mississippi, and a master's degree in public administration, from the University of South Alabama with another in strategic studies, U.S. Army War College.

Brig. Gen. Alton Gordon Berry Deputy Commanding General, 88th Regional Support Command

Brig. Gen. Alton Berry was commissioned in 1978 following graduation from University of Georgia in Albany, Ga. Prior to his current assignment, he served as commanding general, 70th Training Division, Fort Knox, Ky., followed by com-

manding general, 86th Training Brigade, Fort McCoy, Wis. He also served as director of mobilization resource requirements, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Reserve Affairs, Washington, D.C. Other key assignments include positions in South Korea and the Pentagon.

Civilian employment includes mentoring consultant, Racine Unified School District, Racine, Wis. He earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Georgia, and a master of strategic studies degree, U.S. Army War College.

Brig. Gen. Gwendolyn Bingham

Commanding General, White Sands Missile Range

Brig. Gen. Gwendolyn Bingham has had a distinguished 31-year career.

She became the first woman to take command of the White Sands Missile Range in September 2012.

The missile range is the largest military installation in the United States, used by the Army, Navy, Air Force, NASA and other government agencies and private enterprises for research, development and training. Prior to this assignment, Bingham was also the first woman to serve as a quartermaster general and commandant of the Army Quartermaster School. As quartermaster general, she was responsible for overseeing the training of more than 20,000 military students annually. Bingham graduated from the University of Alabama in 981 with a bachelor's degree in general business management and was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. She holds a master's degree in administration from Central Michigan University and a master's degree in national security strategy and resources from National Defense University.

Brig. Gen. Philip Churn Sr.

Commander, 333rd Military Police Brigade, Farmingdale, N.Y.

Brig. Gen. Philip Churn took up his new post in July 2012. Prior to his current assignment, he served as deputy commander, 200th Military Police Brigade, Fort Meade, Maryland and as the commander, 800th Military

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Police Brigade in Uniondale, N.Y. Other key assignments include director, Afghan Detention and Corrections Advisory Team, Joint Task Force 435, Kabul Afghanistan; commander, 3rd Brigade, 104th Division, Fort Belvoir, Va.; and deputy operations officer, U.S. Southern Command, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. His current assignment locations also include Germany, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Ohio. He earned a bachelor of science at Mount Saint Mary’s College and a master's degree in strategic studies at the U.S. Army War College.

Brig. Gen. Norvell Coots

Surgeon General, United States Forces– Afghanistan Medical Adviser, International Security Assistance Force, Joint Command

Brig. Gen. Norvell Coots has been in his current position since May 2012. He received his commission through ROTC in 1983.

Prior to his current assignment, he served as a special assistant to The Surgeon General of the Army in support of the mission to promote, sustain and enhance soldiers’ health; train, develop and equip a medical force to support operations and deliver health services to Soldiers and families. Other key assignments include commander, U.S. Army Medical Department Activity, West Point; commander, Walter Reed Army Medical Center/North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, Washington, D.C.; and commander, Andrew Rader U.S. Army Health Clinic, Fort Myer, Va. He earned a bachelor of science degree from the State University of New York at Albany; a master of strategic studies degree from U.S. Army War College; and a medical doctorgeneral medicine degree at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Brig. Gen. Bruce Crawford

Commanding General, 5th Signal Command, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army

Brig. Gen. Bruce Crawford was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Signal Corps through ROTC following graduation from

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South Carolina State University in 1986.

He is currently responsible for network management, information assurance and dissemination, and integration of emerging technologies for United States Army Europe. Previous assignments include director of the Army Chief of Staff Coordination Group, Office of the Army Chief of Staff; chief, LandWarNet Integration Division in the Chief Information Office, G-6, Department of the Army, Pentagon; and commander, 516th Signal Brigade, Fort Shafter, Hawaii. Other key assignments include chief, Net Centric Assessments and Analysis Branch, J-6, The Joint Staff; commander, 82nd Signal Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, and assignment officer, Signal Corps, Army Personnel Command. He earned a bachelor of science degree from South Carolina State University, a master of science in administration from Central Michigan University and another from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Brig. Gen. Gracus Dunn Deputy Commanding General U.S. Army Reserve Command, First Army Division

Brig. Gen. Gracus Dunn has more than 29 years of experience in customer solutions for global transportation and multifunctional logistics management, force development processes and operational planning.

He has served on the Army and Joint Staff in the Pentagon and successfully led multiple organizations in the United States and overseas (Germany and Korea) in strategic planning and processes improvement by building teams resulting in solving organizational problems.

Trained in Lean Six Sigma, he continues to develop innovative programs resulting in organizational performance, cost efficiencies, and optimization of personnel.

Dunn holds a master's degree in strategic studies from the Army War College Carlisle Barracks, Pa., and a bachelor's degree in music, Arkansas Tech University.

Brig. Gen. Jason Evans

The Adjutant General/Commanding General, Physical Disability Agency Executive Director, Military Postal Service Agency

Brig. Gen. Jason Evans was commissioned through ROTC as a second

lieutenant in the Army Adjutant General Corps. He is currently the 65th Adjutant General of the Army. His responsibilities include managing the Army's Physical Disability Evaluation System to determine the fitness and applicable disability benefits of soldiers with duty related impairments. Prior to his current assignment, Evans served as director, Personnel, CJ1 Multinational Force-Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, followed by an assignment as executive officer, assistant secretary of the Army, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Washington, D.C. Other key assignments include commander, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Monroe, Va.; Commander, 510th Personnel Services Battalion, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany; and Commander Task Force 510th Personnel Services Battalion, Kosovo. He earned a bachelor of arts from Bellevue University; a master of arts degree from Webster University and master of science degree from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Brig. Gen. Frederick Henry

Chief of Staff, Defense Information Systems Agency

Brig. Gen. Frederick Henry has been assigned to a number of positions in the chemical corps and computer information systems areas of the Army, including chief of the Information Assurance Division, Department of Army Inspector General Agency; and operations officer at a chemical and biological division of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Prior to assignment as deputy commander of the Network Enterprise Technology Command, he was chief of the Information Assurance Branch of the Army Inspector General's Office. He is the first officer of the Army's Information Systems Management functional area. He graduated from Fitchburg State College in 1984 with a bachelor of science degree in industrial technology with a minor in marketing.

He earned master’s degrees in business administration from the University of Maryland University System (Bowie www.blackengineer.com

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State), and in national strategic studies from the United States Army War College. Brig. Gen. Henry took up his new assignment as chief of staff, Defense Information Systems Agency in July 2012.

Brig. Gen. Henry Huntley Deputy Commanding General U.S. Army Recruiting Command

Brig. Gen. Henry Huntley was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry in August 1983.

Since then he has served in a variety of operational and staff assignments in the United States and Germany, with two tours at the Pentagon.

Before coming to the recruiting command, he served two years as director of congressional affairs for the Army Materiel Command. He has held a number of public affairs assignments including Media on the Battlefield Observer, National Training Center and Fort Irwin Deputy Chief of Media Relations and Operation. His professional military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Cadet Command Instructor Course, Defense Information School, Command and General Staff College, Joint Public Affairs Advanced Course and Joint Professional Military Education Phase II, Pentagon Staff Officer Course and the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks. He earned a bachelor's degree from Kentucky State University, a master's degree in public administration from the Central Michigan University and another in strategic studies from the Army War College.

Brig. Gen. Leodis Jennings

Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff G 8 Headquarters, Department of the Army

Brig. Gen. Leodis Jennings has served in numerous senior level positions at the Army National Guard Readiness Center, the Department of the Army and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Prior to his return to the Army National Guard Readiness Center in 2006, he served as chief of Force Assessment, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment Directorate www.blackengineer.com

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of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he developed analysis in implementing the national security strategy. He earned his commission in 1983, having completed the ROTC Program at North Carolina A&T State University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in materials engineering. Prior to receiving his commission, he had enlisted in 1975 and served as an armor crewman, a gunner and a tank commander.

Brig. Gen. William Johnson Assistant Adjutant General — Army, Arkansas National Guard

In 2008, Brig. Gen. William Johnson became the first African-American general in the 203year history of the Arkansas National Guard. Johnson's military experience includes serving as an executive officer, a company commander, an aidede-camp, battalion commander, a human resource officer and his current position as a senior military chief administrative officer. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Philander Smith College and a master's degree in strategic studies from the Army War College. He served as an enlisted soldier in the Arkansas National Guard for five years prior to attending the guard’s Officer Candidate School, where he was commissioned. He has served in Arkansas for more than 30 years.

Brig. Gen. Kaffia Jones

Deputy Commander, 335th Signal Command

Brig. Gen. Kaffia Jones served as the director of Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) for the 335th Signal Command at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, from June 2007 to April 2009 before becoming deputy chief of staff, Information Technology for all Third Army communications. She led active and reserve soldiers in providing information management services for soldiers and coalition partners in southwest Asia, including command, control and communications for voice, data and email. Jones enlisted in 1976. She was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the California Army

National Guard in 1980, after receiving her bachelor's degree in liberal studies.

She transitioned into the Army Reserve, where she has served in staff level positions with the 91st Division. As a first lieutenant, she was commander of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 362nd Infantry Regiment in San Jose, Calif., the same unit where she attended basic training as a private. She retired from the civil service in 2004 after 25 years in various positions with the California Department of Corrections. She also owns a land development company which buys builds affordable properties for the people of Beaufort, S.C. She earned a master’s degree and doctor of philosophy degree in psychology from Saybrook University.

Brig. Gen. Elton Lewis

Assistant Adjutant General — Army, Virgin Islands National Guard

Elton Lewis was promoted to the rank of brigadier general of the Virgin Islands National Guard in January 2011. The previous December, Colonel Lewis received a Federal Recognition Special Order from the National Guard Bureau assigning him his new rank. Lewis served as assistant adjutant general from May of 2005. From August 2007, as a federal technician employee, he also worked as director of the Joint Forces Headquarters.

These are the latest in numerous ranks, positions and assignments held by Elton Lewis since he joined the National Guard in 1976 as an enlisted soldier in the 661st Military Police Company, and then was commissioned as an MP in 1985.

Brig. Gen. Ronald Lewis

Deputy Commanding General (Support), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

Brig. Gen. Ronald Lewis was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky., in November 2012. Prior to his current assignment, he served as senior military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C. Lewis also served as military assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 27

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and as the military assistant to the chairman, Defense Business Board, Office of the Secretary of Defense. Other key assignments include commander, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); senior aviation task force trainer, Operations Group, Army National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif.; and commander, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 4th Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq. Lewis also served in Operation Provide Comfort, Turkey/Iraq, 1990 to 1991. He earned a bachelor of science at the U.S. Military Academy; and a master of arts degree at the Naval War College.

Brig. Gen. Gregory Mason

Assistant Adjutant General—Army, Missouri National Guard

Brig. Gen. Gregory Mason began his military career on active duty in 1974 as an enlisted military police officer. He received his commission as a second lieutenant through the Kansas Army National Guard Officer Candidate School in 1987.

As assistant adjutant general, Mason assists the adjutant general in the formulation, development and implementation of all programs and policies in the Missouri Army National Guard. Prior to his current assignment, Mason served as the chief of staff, Joint Force Headquarters, Missouri National Guard; Counter Drug Coordinator, J3, Joint Force Headquarters, Missouri National Guard; S-2, 35th Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo; and Battalion Commander, 635th Military Intelligence Battalion, Kansas City, Mo. Mason served as the senior intelligence officer for the 35th Engineer Brigade during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The brigade conducted combat engineer operations throughout the central Iraq area of operations, including Baghdad.

He earned a bachelor of science degree from Missouri Western State University, and a master of strategic studies degree from the Army War College Brig. Gen. Mark McAlister

Director, Operations and Support, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management & Comptroller)

Brig. Gen. Mark McAlister took up assignment as director, Operations and 28 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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Support, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management & Comptroller) in September 2012. He is a 1981 graduate of Hampton Institute (now known as Hampton University) with a bachelor's degree in accounting. He also holds an master of business administration degree from Indiana University and a master's degree in national resource strategy from the National Defense University. Prior to taking command of the Soldier Support Institute in 2009, he was assigned to the Pentagon as executive officer to the assistant secretary of the army for financial management and the comptroller and chief of planning, programming, and budgeting and execution system. He has served as commander of the 18th Soldier Support Group (Airborne), chief of the Defense Integrated Military Human Resource System program and commander of the 8th Finance Battalion.

Brig. Gen. Timothy McKeithen Director, G34 (Force Protection) Pentagon, Washington D.C.

Brig. Gen. Timothy McKeithen assumed duties as the director, G34 (Force Protection), on July 1, 2011. He is responsible for integrating and synchronizing all components of the Army Protection Program to ensure unity of effort among Headquarters Department of the Army Principal Officials, Army Commands and other Army organization in order to develop, prioritize, resource, manage, execute and assess the full spectrum of Army protection related programs and functions. Prior to his current assignment, McKeithen served as chief of staff, Army National Guard, Arlington, Va., comprised of more than 1,600 personnel and responsible for staff operations in support of the director, Army National Guard, deputy director and the 54 states, territories and Washington, D.C. He received his commission from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, where he was named a distinguished military graduate in 1985.

He was deployed in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm/Shield as commander,

549th Quartermaster Company, 11th Battalion, Fort Story, Va., and Commander, 228th Forward Support Battalion, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He later served as the reset division chief, Headquarters United States Army Material Command, and deputy to the Assistants to the Chairman, Joint Chief of Staff for National Guard and Reserve Matters.

Brig. Gen. Owen Monconduit Commander, 225th Engineer Brigade Louisiana National Guard

Brig. Gen. Owen Monconduit is the first African-American guardsman to be promoted general in the Louisiana National Guard.

During his career, he has commanded the Monroe-based 528th Engineer Battalion, which he led during a tour in Afghanistan. He also commanded troops called to active duty in 2005 to response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In 2009 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in Iraq and he had command of the 225th Engineer Brigade. Based at Camp Beauregard near Pineville, the brigade's headquarters and headquarters company deployed to Iraq with 100 Louisiana Guardsmen. Monconduit is responsible for the training, mobilization and deployment of engineer elements in support of federal and State missions. He also serves in the Military Department, State of Louisiana, as deputy director for contracting and purchasing. Monconduit began his military career by enlisting into the Louisiana National Guard in October 1980. He completed the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Louisiana State University receiving his commission in 1983. He also completed a combat tour as commander of the 528th Engineer Battalion in 2005 and had the honor of taking command of the 225th Engineer Brigade in 2007. Under his command, the 225th Engineer Brigade Headquarters completed a successful combat tour in November 2009. At Louisiana State University, he graduated with a bachelor of engineering technology degree in 1984.

He also earned a master's in organizational management in 1998 and another in strategic studies at the U.S. Army War College in 2007.

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Brig. Gen. Samuel Nichols Jr. Commander, 290th Military Police Brigade

Brig. Gen. Samuel Nichols has served as deputy commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo. He has commanded the 3rd Personnel Command and the 87th Army Reserve Support Command (East) in Birmingham, Ala. Additionally he was an Army Senior Service Fellow at the Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Brig. Gen. Nichols graduated from Mississippi State University with both bachelor and master of science degrees in education. A native of Mississippi, he received an ROTC commission as a second lieutenant in the Military Police Corps in 1977. Nichols has served in recruiting positions in Mississippi, Louisiana and Illinois. Other assignments include service as chief of the Secretariat for Department of the Army Selections Boards (Reserve Component); systems automation officer, U.S. Army Information Systems Command-Army Reserve Personnel Center; and programs officer, U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

A citizen-soldier, Nichols is director of Enterprise Records Service for the Veterans Administration.

Brig. Gen. Renwick Payne

Adjutant General, District of Columbia Army National Guard, Washington, D.C.

In July 2012, Brig. Gen. Renwick Payne took up his current assignment at the adjutant general, District of Columbia Army National Guard, Washington, D.C. Most recently, Payne served as assistant adjutant generalArmy, New York National Guard. He enlisted in 1974 and received his commission as a second lieutenant of field artillery on Aug. 17, 1979. Since being assigned to the National Guard Bureau in October 1993, he has served as a senior service fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is also affiliated with the National Guard Association of the United States, Militia Association of New York, Association of the United States Army and the 369th Historical Society. He www.blackengineer.com

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earned a bachelor's degree from Governor’s State University.

Brig. Gen. Barrye Price Director, Human Resources Policy Directorate, Army G1

Brig. Gen. Barrye Price is a 1985 distinguished military graduate of the University of Houston’s College of Business Administration. He earned a master's in history in 1994 from Texas A&M University and in 1997 became the first AfricanAmerican to obtain a doctorate degree from the Department of History. Price served on the president and first lady’s task force on “Raising Responsible and Resourceful Teenagers” in 2000; on President Clinton’s “Mississippi Delta Task Force;” and is also the author of the 2001 volume: “Against All Enemies Foreign and Domestic: A Study of Urban Unrest and Federal Intervention Within the United States.” He holds a master’s degree in national security strategy from National Defense University. He has served as deputy commanding general of the Army Cadet Command and he served as the first J1 of United States ForcesIraq. He also served as an associate professor of history at West Point and was a White House Fellow, serving as special assistant to the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Brig. Gen. Bryan Roberts

Commanding General, U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson

Brig. Gen. Bryan Roberts assumed command of Fort Jackson April 10, 2012.

Just prior to taking command of Fort Jackson, he served as director, Iraq Training and Advisory Team — Army and Chief of Staff, Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq.

He has served the Army for nearly 29 years in command and staff positions in the United States, Germany, Bosnia and Iraq. Roberts is a distinguished military graduate of Eastern Michigan University and commissioned as second lieutenant of Armor in 1983. His other assignments include Bosnia for Operation Joint

Endeavor; New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina Relief Operations; and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn, and Recruiting Command.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in commercial marketing and merchandising from Eastern Michigan University and a master’s in administration from Central Michigan University, plus master's degree in national security strategy and strategic studies from National War College.

Brig. Gen. A.C. Roper Jr.

Commander, 415th Chemical Brigade

Brig. Gen. A.C. Roper commands the 415th Chemical Brigade in Greenville, S.C.. He previously served with the 81st Regional Readiness Command and the 87th Regional Support Group East, based in Hoover.

He was deployed during the Gulf War and in the Operation Enduring Freedom, where he served as a spokesman for all U. S. Army personnel in Afghanistan. He has been awarded the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal and the General Douglas McArthur Leadership Award. The Hoover Chamber of Commerce awarded him their 2007 "Freedom Award.” He is chief of the Birmingham Police Department.

He holds a bachelor of science degree from Troy University, a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Alabama and a master’s in strategic studies from the Army War College. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Southeastern Law Enforcement Executive Development Course.

Brig. Gen. Lester Simpson

Commander, 176th Engineer Brigade, Texas Army National Guard, Dallas

Brig. Gen. Lester Simpson received an early commission in 1980 through the Texas Army National Guard and ROTC at the University of Texas. His previous assignments include deputy Commander, 176th Engineer Brigade, Texas Army National Guard; deputy commandUSBE&IT I WINTER 2012 29

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er, 61st Engineer Brigade, Dallas; commandant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 36th Infantry Division, Austin, Texas, and Sarajevo, Bosnia; G5, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 49th Armored Division, Dallas; and Executive Officer, 3/49 Armored Division, Dallas. Decorations include the Bronze Star Medal and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. He earned a bachelor of science at the University of Texas at Arlington and a master of science degree, U.S. Army War College.

Brig. Gen. Rufus Smith

Commander, 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade

Brig. Gen. Rufus Smith began his military career in 1978, when he enlisted in the Army as an active duty soldier.

He transferred into the Ohio Army National Guard in 1982, and one year later received his commission through the Officer Candidate School program. He has held leadership positions at the platoon, battery, battalion and brigade levels, including command of an air defense battery, a forward support battalion, a corps support group and Air Defense Artillery Brigade. He has also held staff and administrative positions, including inspector general, military support officer, recruiting and retention manager, G1 and G3/J357 for the Ohio National Guard. Smith commands the newest and largest brigade in Ohio. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in personnel management and industrial relations from Marietta College, a master's degree in administration from Central Michigan University and another in strategic studies from the Army War College.

Brig. Gen. Stephen Twitty

stan. He has deployed three times to Iraq; once as commander of the 3rd Battalion of the15th Infantry; as a commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, and a third as the chief of staff of 3rd Army. Twitty earned the Silver Star for valor. Other assignments include serving as joint chiefs intern in the Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy, strategic analyst and speechwriter for the deputy chief of staff for Operations and Plans, and aide-de-camp to Supreme Allied Commander Europe. He is a 1985 distinguished military graduate with a bachelor’s degree in criminal law from South Carolina State University, a master's degree in public administration from Central Michigan University and another in national security strategy from National Defense University.

Brig. Gen. Nadja West

Deputy Chief of Staff for Support, United States Army Medical Command

Brig. Gen. Nadja West was assigned as the deputy chief of staff for support, United States Army Medical Command in June 2012. Prior, she served as the commanding general, Europe Regional Medical Command/Command Surgeon United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany; and commander, Womack Army Medical Center. Her other key assignments include director of Operations, J-3, Joint Task Force-National Capital Region Medical, Bethesda, Md.; commander, United States Army, Medical Department Activity; and chief, Department of Medicine and Dermatology Service, 18th Medical Command, 121st General Hospital, Eighth United States Army, Korea.

Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Communications International Security Assistance ForceAfghanistan

Brig. Gen. Darryl Williams

In March 2012, Brig. Gen. Stephen Twitty left his position as deputy commanding general for operations at Fort Bliss for an assignment at the International Security Assistance Force in Afghani-

Brig. Gen. Darryl Williams served as commanding general of the Warrior Transition Command from May 2010 through to July 2012. He was also assistant surgeon general

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Deputy Commanding General (Support), 2d Infantry Division Eighth United States , Republic of Korea

for Warrior Care and Transition. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant of field artillery on graduation from the U.S. Military Academy in 1983. Upon completion of the Field Artillery Officer Advance Course, he served as an assistant operations officer for the XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery and battery commander for the 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment at Ft. Bragg, NC, during which he deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After redeploying, he earned a master's in leadership development through the Dwight D. Eisenhower Program at the U.S. Military Academy, and served as the I-2 Company tactical officer, U.S. Corps of Cadets. He completed Command and General Staff College and the School of Advanced Military Studies earning a master's of military art and science degree. After serving as an Army aide to the President of the United States from 1998-2000, he was selected to command the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery. Next, he served as the Fourth Regimental tactical officer at West Point, NY. He earned a master's in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College and was assigned as the chief of exercises, G3 in Heidelberg, Germany. Williams then commanded the 1st Armored Division Artillery and after two years deployed to Iraq as the fires and effects coordinator.

He has also served as deputy director for Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, G-3/5/7.

Brig. Gen. Michael Williamson Joint Program Executive Officer for the Joint Tactical Radio System

Brig. Gen. Michael Williamson assumed his duties as joint program executive officer in March 2011.

His acquisition experience began as a senior military software analyst at NATO's military headquarters. He then served as associate director, Battle Command Battle Lab. After attending Command and General Staff College, he served as the chief of information technology, acquisition career management, within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition Logistics and Technology. He was then selected as a congressional fellow and served as a legislative assistant to a member of congress. After completing the fellowship, he served as product www.blackengineer.com

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manager for the Global Command and Control System-Army, and then as the acquisition military assistant to the secretary of the Army. He served as commander of Software Engineering CenterBelvoir. He was then assigned as project manager, Future Combat Systems. He served as director of systems integration within office of the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology. Prior to his current assignment, he served as deputy program manager, Program Executive Office, Integration. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Husson College and a master of science degree in materiel acquisition management from the Naval Postgraduate School. He also has graduate certificates in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University.

Brig. Gen. Cedric Wins

Deputy Commander, Police, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Training MissionAfghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command- Afghanistan

Brig. Gen. Cedric Wins was commissioned as a field artillery officer in 1985 upon graduation from the Virginia Military Institute. Prior to his current assignment, Wins served as program executive officer, Joint Program Executive Office-Afghanistan Public Protection Force, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, and deputy director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, G-8, Washington, D.C. Other key assignments include director, Strategic Planning, J-8, United States Special Operations Command; and senior exercise planner/analyst, Operational Plans and Joint Force Development, J-7, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Virginia Military Institute and a master of science degree from Florida Institute of Technology with another from the National War College.

U.S. AIR FORCE

Gen. Larry Spencer Vice Chief of Staff United States Air Force

Gen. Larry Spencer presides over the Air Staff and serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Requirements Oversight Council and Deputy Advisory Working Group. He assists the chief of staff with organizing, training and equipping of 690,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. Spencer was born in Washington, D.C. He received his bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering technology from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and was commissioned through Officer Training School in 1980 as a distinguished graduate. Spencer has commanded a squadron, group and wing, and he was vice commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center. He was also the first Air Force officer to serve as assistant chief of staff in the White House Military Office.

He served as the comptroller and then director of Mission Support (A7) at a major command; and held positions within the Air Staff and Secretary of the Air Force. Prior to his current assignment, the general was director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Today, the army boasts 547,000 soldiers serving around the world, from afghanistan to alabama. www.blackengineer.com

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Gen. Edward Rice Jr.

Commander, Air Education and Training Command

Gen. Edward Rice is responsible for the recruiting, training and education of Air Force personnel. His command includes the Air Force Recruiting Service, two numbered air forces and Air University. AETC trains more than 340,000 students per year and consists of 12 bases, more than 70,600 active-duty, Reserve, Guard, civilians and contractors and 1,380 trainer, fighter and mobility aircraft. Rice is a 1978 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

He has commanded a squadron, group, wing, the Air Force Recruiting Service, two numbered air forces and a joint command. His numerous staff positions include serving as a White House Fellow at the Department of Health and Human Services, as a professional staff member for the Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces, and as the Deputy Executive Secretary for the National Security Council. He has also served as chief of staff of the Office of the Representative and Executive Director for the Coalition Provisional Authority, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C. Rice has significant experience in combat and contingency operations, to include commanding bomber operations during the first four months of Operation Enduring Freedom as commander, 28th Air Expeditionary Wing. Additionally, during Operation Unified Assistance, Rice served as the USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 31

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deputy commander for the joint task force, Combined Support Force-536, assigned to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to victims of the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia. The general is a command pilot with more than 3,900 flying hours in the B-1B, B-52G/H, E-3, B-2, KC-135, C-130H, T-37 and T-38.

Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins Jr. Director, Defense Information Systems Agency

Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins leads a global organization of military and civilian personnel who plan, develop, deliver and operate joint interoperable command and control capabilities and a global enterprise infrastructure in direct support of the President, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, combat commanders, the Department of Defense components and other mission partners. The general has commanded Cadet Squadron 24 at the U.S. Air Force Academy; Air Combat Command's Computer Systems Squadron and Communications Group; and Air Force Officer Accession and Training Schools at Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), Alabama. He has served as the director of communications and information, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces; director of communications operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics, Headquarters Air Force; and director, Infrastructure Delivery, Office of Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force.

Gen. Hawkins has also been deputy chief of staff, Communications and Information Systems, Multi-National Force-Iraq.

Prior to his current assignment he was deputy director Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (C4), Joint Staff, the Pentagon. Hawkins received his commission as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at Angelo State University in 1977. He has held a variety of communications positions, including an assignment on the Joint Staff as support manager for command, control, communications and 32 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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computer systems, and he later served as director of C4 Systems for Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia.

Lt. Gen. Darren McDew

Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

Lt. Gen. Darren McDew leads the Air Mobility Command's sole warfighting numbered air force.

The 18th Air Force is responsible for the command's worldwide operational mission of providing rapid, global mobility and sustainment for America's armed forces through airlift, aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation and contingency response.

With more than 39,000 active-duty Airmen, Reservists and civilians and approximately 1,300 aircraft, the 18th Air Force manages the global air mobility enterprise through the 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center), 11 wings and two standalone groups. McDew was commissioned in 1982 following his graduation from Virginia Military Institute. He began his flying career at Loring Air Force Base, Maine. His staff assignments include serving as a member of the Air Force Chief of Staff Operations Group, Air Force aide to the president, and chief of the U.S. Air Force Senate Liaison Division and the director of public affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force.

The general has served as the vice commander of 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill., and has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels as well as an Air Force Direct Reporting Unit. He has deployed in support of ongoing operations in central and southwest Asia as an air expeditionary group commander and later as the director of mobility forces.

Prior to his current assignment, the general was the commander, Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. The general is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours in a variety of aircraft.

Maj. Gen. Edward Bolton Jr. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller

Maj. Gen. Edward Bolton leads a staff of civilian and military financial managers responsible for the formulation and execution of the Air Force's annual $119 billion budget. Prior to his current position, he served as the director, Space and Cyber Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. During his tenure, he established policy for space, cyber and information operations and oversaw the development of the Air Force cyber career field and the management of space professionals. Operationally, the general served as commander, 45th Space Wing, and director Eastern Range, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. He oversaw a $5B budget, 24 successful spacelift, shuttle, test and range missions―earning the General Thomas Moorman Trophy which honors the best wing in Air Force Space Command. The general also commanded the 30th Range Squadron and the 30th Operations Group at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. A level III program manager, he also commanded the Satellite and Launch Control Wing and the Launch and Range Systems Wing. The California Air Force Association selected the Launch and Range Wing as the 2005 Unit of the Year. He served as the deputy director for Systems Integration and Engineering as well as the principal deputy to the Chief Operating Office at the National Reconnaissance Office. He won the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Leadership Award for 2008 and was also awarded the NRO Gold Medal in 2009. Bolton began his career as an enlisted cost and management analyst. He was commissioned in 1983 after completing an electrical engineering degree via the Airmen Education and Commissioning Program and graduation from Officer Training School.

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Maj. Gen. Everett Thomas

Vice Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command

Maj. Gen. Everett Thomas assists the commander in organizing, training, equipping and maintaining our nation's Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, B-2 and B-52 aircraft. Air Force Global Strike Command provides combatant commanders with combat ready forces to conduct the strategic nuclear deterrence and global strike missions. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels, and has a broad range of operational tours in ICBM and space operations and maintenance. He has commanded an Air Force station, a space launch squadron, the Air Force's largest Minuteman and Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) operations group and the Air Force's largest ICBM wing. His staff assignments include executive officer to the vice commander of Air Force Space Command, and assistant executive officer to the Air Force vice chief of staff. He has also served as chief, Nuclear Arms Control Division, and deputy director for the Middle East and International Negotiations, directorate for Strategic Plans and Programs and later as assistant deputy director for PoliticoMilitary Affairs, Africa, and International Negotiations on the Joint Staff. Thomas also served as vice commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev., where he was the center's focal point for air, space and information warfare expertise. Prior to his current assignment, he was commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. He was responsible for sustainment of nuclear weapons and weapons systems throughout the Air Force.

Overall, african americans comprise 17 percent of the nation's active-duty forces in the army, air force, marines, navy and coast guard.

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U.S. navy

commander, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Haney holds master’s degrees in engineering acoustics and system technology from the Naval Post Graduate School, and a master’s degree in national security strategy from the National Defense University.

Vice Adm. Michelle Howard Deputy Commander U.S. Fleet Forces

Adm. Cecil D. Haney

Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Adm. Cecil Haney took the helm of the world's largest fleet command on Jan. 20, 2012. He leads 125,000 sailors, Marines and civilians who operate about 180 ships and 2,000 aircraft. Admiral Haney is the 33rd naval officer to command the fleet since it was established in February 1941. A native of Washington, D.C., he is a 1978 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he received a bachelor's degree in ocean engineering. He completed assignments in USS John C. Calhoun in division officer positions and the USS Frank Cable, where he completed surface warfare qualifications while serving as radiological controls officer. He also served as an engineer in USS Hyman G. Rickover, executive officer in USS Asheville and assistant squadron deputy at Submarine Squadron Eight before taking command of USS Honolulu in 1996.

He commanded Submarine Squadron One from June 2002 to July 2004, and Submarine Group Two from October 2006 to March 2008. His shore duty tours include administrative assistant for enlisted affairs at Naval Reactors, and congressional appropriations liaison officer for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Comptroller); deputy chief of staff, Plans, Policies and Requirements, U.S. Pacific Fleet; and director, Submarine Warfare Division ; director, Naval Warfare Integration Group and deputy

Vice Adm. Michelle Howard was promoted to three-star rank in August 2012.

She last served as chief of staff, J5, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. With the assumption of a new job as deputy commander, U.S. Fleet Forces, Howard marks another milestone in an illustrious career. A 1978 graduate of Gateway High School in Aurora, Colo, she graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982 and from the Army’s Command and General Staff College in 1998, with a master's in military arts and science. Her initial sea tours were aboard USS Hunley and USS Lexington. While serving aboard, she received the Secretary of the Navy/Navy League Captain Winifred Collins award in May 1987.

This award is given to one woman officer a year for outstanding leadership. She reported to USS Mount Hood as chief engineer in 1990 and then served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

She assumed duties as first lieutenant on board the USS Flint in July 1992.

In January 1996, she became executive officer of USS Tortuga and deployed to the Adriatic in support of Operation Joint Endeavor, a peacekeeping effort in the former Republic of Yugoslavia. She took command of USS Rushmore on March 12, 1999, becoming the first AfricanAmerican woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy.

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Rear Adm. Annie B. Andrews

Director, Total Force Requirements Division

Rear Adm. Annie Andrews was assigned to her current position in 2011.

As human resources officer, her assignments have been in manpower, training and education. Upon commissioning through Naval ROTC at Savannah State University, she was assigned to the Training Air Wing Five, and Helicopter Training Squadron Eight.

Her next assignment was as intelligence analyst. Other staff assignments include: director, Counseling and Assistance Center, Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland; officer-in-charge, Navy Personnel Support Activity Detachments, U.S. Forces Philippines, Republic of the Philippines.

She also served as executive assistant and naval aide to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserves Affairs at the Pentagon. She was commanding officer of three commands: Boston Military Entrance Processing Station, Boston; Navy Recruiting District San Francisco; and, Recruit Training Command (RTC). During her tour at RTC, she led the training efforts of more than 100,000 sailors for duty in the fleet, and was instrumental in the commissioning of the Navy's immersive simulator trainer, the USS Trayer, also known as Battle Stations 21. Andrews, a native of Midway, Ga., received a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Savannah State University and a master of science degree in management from Troy State University. Her military education includes a master's degree in national security and strategic studies from the College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College. She also graduated from the Joint Forces Staff College and is designated a joint qualified officer.

Rear Adm. Charles Carodine Director, Navy Business Operations Office

Rear Adm. Charles Carodine assumed duties as the director, Navy Business Operations Office in the Office of Chief of Naval Operations in July 2012. Carodine just ended a two-year assignment as deputy commander, Navy Warfare Development Command headquartered in Norfolk, Va. In this capacity, www.blackengineer.com

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he developed a comprehensive overhaul of the Navy Lessons Learned System and implemented a project management methodology to improve command effectiveness.

Carodine is a 1982 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and earned a master of science in information systems degree from University of Texas at Dallas. He affiliated with the Navy Reserve (NR) in 1989 and mobilized in 1990 with NR Carrier Group 770 to support Carrier Group Seven/Battle Force Zulu. During combat operations, he served as Force Overthe-Horizon Track coordinator during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm in USS Ranger. His command tours include: NR Sealift Logistics Command, Atlantic; Military Sealift Command Expeditionary Port Units 112 & 113; NR USS Princeton (CG 59); NR Mine Warfare Command Detachment 109; and NR USS Sentry (MCM 3). Prior to his selection to flag rank, Carodine served an information technology executive for several large health care insurance companies. Carodine is also a published fiction author. Working under the pen name of Ken Carodine, he writes novels centered on naval personnel and technology in today's world.

Rear Adm. James Crawford III

Deputy Judge Advocate General Commander, Naval Legal Service Command Judge Advocate General's Corps

Rear Adm. James Crawford serves as deputy judge advocate general of the Navy and as deputy defense department representative for ocean policy affairs.

He is also commander, Naval Legal Service Command and leads attorneys, enlisted legal men and civilian employees of 17 commands, providing prosecution and defense services, legal services to individuals and legal support

to commands around the world. Crawford graduated from Belmont Abbey College in 1979. He was commissioned through the JAG Corps Student Program, and, in 1983, graduated from University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill. He later earned a master of laws degree (ocean and coastal law) from the University of Miami School of Law and a master's in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College. Crawford served from 2007 to 2011 as legal counsel to the chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. From 2011 to 2012, he served as the commander, NATO Rule of Law Field Support Mission/Rule of Law Field Force-Afghanistan. Before his appointment to flag rank, he served as special counsel to the Chief of Naval Operations, the senior staff judge advocate for Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, and as the fleet judge advocate for U.S. 7th Fleet. In command, he served as commanding officer, Region Legal Service Office Southeast. He also served at Navy Personnel Command; the Office of the Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Naval War College; Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe; the Naval Justice School; and, Cruiser-Destroyer Group Eight. He began his legal career as a defense counsel at the Naval Legal Service Office, Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

Rear Adm. Kelvin Dixon

Reserve Deputy Commander, U.S. Naval Forces U.S. Central Command

Rear Adm. Kelvin Dixon is a 1981 graduate of Prairie View A&M University, where he received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.

He holds a master's degree in management from the College of St. Elizabeth and another in business administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. His tours as a surface warfare officer included boilers/weapons officer, USS Preble; weapons officer, USS LaSalle; surface detailer, Bureau of Personnel; and watch officer, National Military Command Center. Other tours included director, Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission-Navy and Marine; deputy USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 35

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commander Navy Region Northwest; he commanded Selective Service System 125, commander, Naval Surface Forces; and Gaining Command Liaison Officer Beach Master Unit Two. In 1991, he participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm as the operations officer for the United Nations Mission headquartered in Kuwait. He assisted in the establishment of checkpoints and managed the movement of all military and civilian personnel throughout Kuwait and Iraq. In 2003, 2008 and 2010, he was mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom responsible for protecting shipping in the Persian Gulf; chief of biometrics, with responsibility for all aspects of identification and verification, and director, Iraqi Training, Advising, Operations MissionNavy and Marine building the Iraqi Navy and Marines. Dixon’s decorations include the prestigious Captain Leo V. Bilger Award for excellence in mission effectiveness, 2012 Distinguished and Outstanding Eagle Boy Scout Awards.

Rear Adm. Earl Gay

Commander, Navy Recruiting Command

Rear Adm. Earl Gay served as commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Three, July 2009 to August 2011, before reporting aboard as commander of the Navy Recruiting Command.

He is a 1980 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He completed his flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola in 1981 and is also a 1995 graduate of the U.S. Air War College. He attended the Joint Forces Staff College in 2005 and earned a master's degree in financial management from Troy State University. His initial sea assignments included deployments aboard USS Fletcher, USS Cook , USS David R. Ray and USS Crommelin.

He commanded the HSL-43 BattleCats, deploying the Navy's first armed helo/ hellfire missile detachments. He also served as air boss, USS Boxer, deploying with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 1999. Assignments ashore include search and rescue pilot in the High Sierra Mountains, instructor pilot in the SH-60B aircraft at HSL-41, joint plans officer at U.S. Forces Command and U.S. Atlantic 36 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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Command and commanding officer of HSL-41, training squadron for all west coast SH-60B pilots and aircrewmen.

He commanded USS Belleau Wood from March 2003 until November 2004, deploying with the 11th MEU in combat support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Following this tour, Gay was assigned as the Navy's director of congressional liaison, U.S. House of Representatives. He was next assigned as the 86th commandant of Naval District Washington and deputy commander, Joint Force Headquarters, National Capital Region. Gay served as deputy chairman of the Armed Forces Inauguration Committee, Washington, D.C., from July 2008 until March 2009.

Rear Adm. Vincent Griffith Deputy Chief of Staff, Fleet Ordnance and Supply Fleet Supply Officer, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command

Rear Adm. Vincent Griffith is currently assigned as deputy chief of staff for Fleet Ordnance and Supply and fleet supply officer on the staff of Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. His most recent assignment was as commander, Defense Logistics Agency, Aviation—the primary source of supply for aviation repair parts and operating supply items supporting 1,300 weapon systems. His sea duty assignments included the USS Saratoga as stock control, financial/budget officer and automated data processing officer.

Aboard USS Stonewall Jackson and USS John C. Stennis, he served as the supply officer. Ashore, his tours include: the Naval Supply Center, Naval Supply Systems Command, Defense Logistics Agency, Naval Inventory Control Point, and the Naval Air Station Lemoore. He has served as commanding officer, Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Jacksonville, Fla.; commander, Naval Air Forces U.S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego, as Force supply officer. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Berry College in 1981, and was commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 1982 as Ensign in the Navy

Supply Corps. He earned a master's degree in business administration at George Washington University, and completed Emory University’s Goizueta Graduate School of Managements Advanced Executive Business Program and the Navy Corporate Business Course at University of Virginia, Darden School of Business.

Rear Adm. Bruce Grooms

Assistant Deputy CNO for Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/5B)

Rear Admiral Bruce Grooms, a native of Cleveland, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering.

Following completion of nuclear power training, he served in nearly every capacity aboard a variety of submarines including a tour as executive officer of USS Pasadena, where he twice deployed to the Persian Gulf. His command tours include service as the commanding officer of USS Asheville. During this tour, the ship received the Battle Efficiency "E" award, the Golden Anchor and Silver Anchor for the highest retention in the Submarine Force. Asheville twice earned the Engineering Excellence award, won the Fleet Recreational Award for best quality of life programs, and twice won the Submarine Squadron Three Commodore’s Cup. Grooms subsequently served as commander, Submarine Squadron Six and later as commander, Submarine Group Two. Ashore, he served as a company officer and, later, as commandant of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy. He served as senior military assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. He was the senior inspector for the Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board. He served as deputy director, then director, Submarine Warfare Division (N87) and as vice director, Joint Staff. Grooms was selected as the Vice Admiral Stockdale Inspirational Leadership Award winner for 1999. He earned a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, graduating with distinction, and he attended Stanford University as a National Security Affairs Fellow. His www.blackengineer.com

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awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and various campaign and unit awards.

Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet

Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris serves as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet. He was on the Chief of Naval Operations staff as the director, Navy Irregular Warfare Office/Future Concepts from 2010 to 2012. He also served as a senior fellow in the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group. In May 2008, he returned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as deputy director, Expeditionary Warfare Division. He was assigned as the commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 5 from 2009 to 2010 providing Foreign Disaster Relief during the Pakistan Floods of 2010. His other assignments include tours at the Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University; the Navy staff in the Assessment Division Campaign Analysis, Modeling and Simulation branch; and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (J-5) Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate as the Global Security Affairs Division chief for Security Assistance.

He is a 1981 graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., where he received a bachelor of science degree in economics. His early sea assignments include tours in USS Long Beach, USS Vincennes, USS Jarrett, USS Coronado and as commissioning executive officer in USS Benfold. He commanded USS Comstock during Operation Enduring Freedom and Amphibious Squadron 4/ Iwo Jima Strike Group during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief — Hurricanes Katrina/Rita in 2005 and non-combative evacuation operation of Lebanon in 2006. Harris earned a master's degree in operations analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1989 and is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va. He also earned a master's degree in defense and strategic studies from the University of www.blackengineer.com

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Madras, India's Defense Services Staff College in Tamilnadu, India.

Rear Adm. Norman Hayes

Director of the Intelligence Headquarters, United States European Command

Rear Adm. Norman Hayes assumed his current position in 2010. He has responsibility for all intelligence systems, plans and activities of U.S. Forces in the European Theater.

A graduate of Indiana University, he worked in the private sector for five years before he was commissioned in 1982 as a naval intelligence officer. Since his initial assignment with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 15 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., he has served as an assistant intelligence officer, and as community manager and intelligence community placement officer.

In September 1996, he reported to U.S. Special Operations Command as chief of the analysis division, Special Operations Command Joint Intelligence Center. Prior to reporting to USS Abraham Lincoln in 2000 as the ship’s intelligence officer, he spent nine months at as chief, Command Support and Fleet Support Division, Intelligence Directorate. From 2002 to 2004, he served as assistant chief of staff for Intelligence for Commander, 7th Fleet. In September 2005, he reported to Combined Forces Commander — Afghanistan as CJ2, director of Intelligence.

In 2006, he reported to Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center, and on June 22, 2007, he assumed command of the Center for Naval Intelligence. In September 2008, he became the director, National Security Operations Center at the National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Md. Rear Adm. Willie Metts

Deputy Chief of Tailored Access Operations, National Security Agency

Rear Adm. Willie Metts was promoted to the rank of rear admiral July 1, 2011. He took up his current position as deputy chief of Tailored Access Operations, National Security Agency in August. Prior, he served as director of

intelligence at Cyber Command. Metts graduated from Savannah State University in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering technology and was commissioned via the Naval ROTC. Following commissioning, he completed deployments to the Mediterranean and Red seas during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He earned a master's degree in command, control, communications, computers and intelligence at the Naval Postgraduate School. As a cryptologist (now information warfare) in 1993, he transferred to Naval Security Group Command and served as Operations Director. In 1997, he joined the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station before fleeting up to executive officer. In 1999, he was assigned to the staff of Carrier Group 2 as a cryptology coordinator. In 2001, he joined the Pacific Command in Hawaii, where he later served as Special Assistant to the Commander, Pacific Fleet and in July 2006 served as commanding officer, Navy Information Operations Command, Hawaii. Following that, he joined the Navy Personnel Command in 2008.

Rear Adm. Fernandez "Frank" Ponds Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific

Rear Adm. Fernandez “Frank” Ponds was assigned to take up his current post as commander of Navy Region Hawaii, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, in November 2011. Prior, he was a senior fellow on the 2010 Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group. After earning a bachelor's degree in science from University of Alabama in 1982, he was commissioned from Officer Candidate School in June 1983. His shore assignments have included inspector for Pacific Fleet’s USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 37

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Propulsion Examination Board; inspector in the Office of the Navy Inspector General; a senior naval adviser in the Bureau of Political Military Affairs at the U.S. Department of State during the 2005 earthquake relief operations in Pakistan, 2006 Lebanon Non-combatant Evacuation Operation and Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief. Ponds commanded Amphibious Squadron Eight from November 2007 to May 2009, operating in four fleet areas of operation in Iraq; counter piracy operations; and Sea Angel II (Bangladesh Humanitarian Assistance/ Disaster Relief). He also served as a Mission Commander for the Haiti HA/ DR Operation 2008. He holds a master's degree in information systems technology from George Washington University, another master's degree in military studies from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College; and a master's degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, National Defense University.

Rear Adm. Kevin Scott

Deputy Commander, U.S. Naval Forces U.S. Central Command, Manama, Bahrain

Rear Adm. Kevin Scott currently serves as deputy commander, U.S. Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command, Manama, Bahrain. A native of Portsmouth, Va., and New York City, Scott was designated a naval aviator in 1984. Scott previously commanded Helicopter Mine Counter Measures Squadron (HM) 14, which under his command was awarded the Commander Naval Air Force Atlantic Fleet Battle “E” Efficiency Award for 2001. He also commanded Mine Countermeasures Squadron One as commodore, and, most recently, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2. His operational sea assignments included: HM-14 legal officer, Aircraft division officer and maintenance test pilot (1985 to 1987); flight deck officer aboard USS Inchon (LPH 12); and HM-14 admin officer, operations officer and detachment officer in charge (1994 to 1996).Ashore, he served as Air Combat placement officer, Bureau of Naval Personnel; wing operations officer, Commander Tactical Wing Atlantic; military 38 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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aide to the vice president (1997 to 1999); current operations chief and division chief, Joint Forces Command; director of aviation officer Distribution Division (PERS 43), Naval Personnel Command; and acting director, Expeditionary Warfare Division, Washington D.C. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Naval Postgraduate School, U.S. Naval War College and the Joint Forces Staff College. He holds a master of arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies.

Rear Adm. Dwight Shepherd Director Manpower and Personnel (J-1) The Joint Staff

Rear Adm. Dwight Shepherd is currently assigned to the Joint Staff as director of Manpower and Personnel/J1.

He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1983, earning a bachelor of science in business administration, with a major in marketing. He also earned a master's degree in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of Armed Forces in 2006. Shepherd was commissioned an ensign in June 1984 and earned his naval flight officer wings July 1985. His operational command tours include: Fleet Air Reconnaissance, the Navy’s largest aviation squadron. His major command was Strategic Communications Wing One and Task Force 124. He was the first Black officer to command a "Take Charge and Move Out" (TACAMO) squadron and air wing.

His operational tours include: Patrol Special Projects Unit Two/VPU-2 (avionics division officer); Fleet Air Reconnaissance 3/VQ-3 (Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization, flight officer, and maintenance officer); Yokosuka, Japan, aboard USS Kitty Hawk. His shore tours include: Bureau of Naval Personnel (Initial Assignment and VQ/Force Support detailer); Naval Training Support Unit evaluator/instructor); U.S. Strategic Command; Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (executive assistant); (Strategic Alignment branch head); and, senior military assistant to the secretary of the Navy.

Rear Adm. John Smith Jr.

Commander, Joint Task Force Guantanamo

Rear Adm. John Smith currently serves as commander, Joint Task Force Guantanamo.

From 2010 to 2012, he served as deputy director, Joint Interagency Task Force South responsible for coordinating joint, inter agency and international efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. His most recent operational assignment was as commander, Helicopter Sea Combat Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Ashore, he served as deputy director of Equal Opportunity in Washington, D.C.; and head aviation commander helicopter detailer, Bureau of Naval Personnel. He entered the Navy via the Aviation Officer Candidate program in 1982 and was designated a naval aviator in 1984. Prior to command, he flew with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) Three aboard the USS Saratoga, Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 43 Detachment One aboard USS Ford, and HS-4 aboard USS Kitty Hawk and USS Carl Vinson . He also served as an Fleet Replacement Squadron instructor with HS-1.

Smith’s squadron command tours include HS-11 and deployed aboard USS John F. Kennedy to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. In September 2005, he was selected to be Joint Force Maritime Air Component commander for Joint Task Force Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2008, Smith assumed command of Joint Crew Composite Squadron One in Baghdad, Iraq, responsible for fielding, sustainment and combat readiness of counter radio-controlled improvised explosive device electronic warfare systems. In 2009, he served as chief of staff for Navy Cyber Forces in Little Creek, Va. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from South Carolina State College and a master's degree in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Since 1775, the men and women of the Navy have placed service above self in faithfully executing their mission to maintain freedom of the seas. www.blackengineer.com

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Rear Adm. ERIC Young Deputy Chief of Navy Reserve

Rear Adm. Eric Young is currently serving in the Pentagon as the deputy chief of Navy Reserve.

His staff and shore assignments include commanding Officer, Naval Reserve Center Terre Haute, Indiana; com-

manding Officer Naval Reserve Center Danville, Illinois; manpower analyst in the Surface Warfare Directorate, Chief of Naval Operations (N86); manpower and personnel director in Naval Reserve Readiness Command South; commanding officer, Navy Operational Support Center San Diego, California; and deputy director, Training Transformation and Technology in the Office of Secretary Defense (Reserve Affairs). Young’s tours as a Surface Warfare Officer included ordnance officer, USS Reid; Navigator, USS San Jose (AFS 7); operations officer, USS Wadsworth; combat systems officer, Destroyer Squadron Thirty One;

executive officer, USS Ford; commanding officer, USS John L Hall; and commander, Destroyer Squadron ONE. Under Young's command, Destroyer Squadron ONE became a permanent Sea Combat Commander for a Strike Group. He is a 1984 graduate of Angelo State University in San Angelo Texas, where he received a bachelor of science degree in Chemistry.

He received his commission as an Ensign from Officer Candidate School in February 1985. He holds a master of science in financial management from Naval Postgraduate School and a master of arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.

U.S. marine corps

Lt. Gen. Walter Gaskin Sr.

Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Committee

Lt. Gen. Walter Gaskin assumed his current duties as the deputy chairman of the Military Committee on March 22, 2010. The Brussels, Belgium-based body is the senior military authority in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the primary source of military advice to NATO’s civilian decision-making bodies―the North Atlantic Council and the Nuclear Planning Group. Lt. Gen. Gaskin is the first Black Infantry officer to earn a three-star in the Marine Corps. As a major general, he served as commanding general of the 2nd Marine Division from June 2006 until July 2008. In addition to this role, he simultaneously served as commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) (Forward). During this tour, Gaskin led II MEF (FWD) while on its year-long deployment to Al Anbar, Iraq, www.blackengineer.com

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as commanding general of the 35,000 member Multinational Forces-West. His previous assignments as a major general include service as the vice director of The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., from July 2008 until May 2009 and commander of Marine Corps Recruiting Command in Quantico, Virginia, beginning in July 2004. As brigadier general, he served as the chief of staff, Naval Striking and Support Forces-Southern Europe, and deputy commanding general, Fleet Marine Forces-Europe in Naples, Italy from 2002 to 2004. He is a 1974 bachelor of science graduate of Savannah State University’s Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Scholarship Program, and he also earned a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1992. He completed the Senior Executive Seminar from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2002. His professional military education includes The Basic School and Amphibious Warfare School (1982 to 1983), the Army Command and Staff College, (1986 to 1987); and Army War College, (1993 to 1994).

Lt. Gen. Willie Williams Director, Marine Corps Staff

Lt. Gen. Willie Williams assumed his current position in July 2009. He began his career with the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment, followed by a tour with the 3rd Force Service Support Group as the officer-in-charge, Inventory Control Point, Iwakuni, Japan. After a year in Iwakuni, he returned to the U.S. for duty at Marine Barracks, North Island, San Diego, California. Next, he moved to

Quantico, Virginia for duty as platoon commander, Officer Candidate School.

He then assumed the post of supply officer, Mountain Warfare Training Center in California followed by assistant division supply officer, 3rd Marine Division, Okinawa, Japan. His joint tours include duty with the Department of Defense Inspector General’s Office. Later, he assumed command of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) MEU Service Support Group followed by an assignment as assistant chief of staff G4, 3rd Force Service Support Group.

He then moved to 1st Force Service Support Group, initially as assistant chief of staff, G3, and in 1998 as the commanding officer of Brigade Service Support Group 1. His tours as general officer include: commanding general, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler; commanding general, 3rd Force Service Support Group III Marine ExpeditionUSBE&IT I WINTER 2012 39

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ary Unit; assistant deputy commandant, Installations and Logistics (Facilities), Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, and commanding general, Marine Corps Logistics Command, Albany, GA. Lt. Gen. Williams holds a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Stillman College, Tuscaloosa, Ala., a master’s degree in business administration from National University and another master’s in strategic resources management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University.

Maj. Gen. Ronald Bailey

Commanding General, 1st Marine Division

Maj. Gen. Ronald Bailey is commanding general of the 1st Marine Division. Over his more than 30-year career, he has served as commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command; commanding general, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade; deputy commanding general, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and deputy director for operations, J-3 Joint Staff. Other assignments include director, Expeditionary Warfare School, Quantico, Virginia; National Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, commanding officer, 2nd Marine Regiment; deputy, Joint Contact Team Program and plans officer, J-5, Headquarters U.S. European Command. He was commanding officer of the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion; department chief, Professional Military Education and parade commander, Marine Barracks, 8th and I, Washington, D.C. Maj. Gen Bailey has also served as a guard company commander, Security Forces Company; commanding officer, Company C and Weapons Company, Ist Battalion, 6th Marines; series commander, operations officer, ground lieutenant colonel’s monitor, and rifle platoon commander and 81mm commander, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, and 3rd Marine Division. He earned a master’s degree in business management and administration from Webster University and attended the National War College, where he earned his second master’s degree in national security strategy. He graduated from Austin Peay State University with a bachelor of science degree in biology.

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nal Intelligence for Human Capital and USBE_Top Blacks Military2012.indd 40 ief Human Capital Officer

Brig. Gen. Craig Crenshaw Vice Director J-4, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.

Brig. Gen. Craig Crenshaw is vice director J-4 in the office of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.

J -4 integrates logistics planning and execution in support of joint operations to drive joint force readiness, maximize the Joint Force Commander’s freedom of action, and advise the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on logistics matters. Crenshaw has served with 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan and the 3rd Force Service Support Group. He has also served with the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California; the Program Executive Office for Cruise Missiles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Washington, D.C.; as well as Marine Aircraft Group 36, Ist Marine Aircraft Wing, Okinawa, Japan, and the Defense Foreign Liaison Division of the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C., as an executive agent to the secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In June 2008, Brig. Gen. Crenshaw assumed command of Combat Logistics Regiment 25, 2nd Marine Logistics Group II Marine Expeditionary Force. The general earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Southern University, Baton Rouge; a master of arts degree in procurement and acquisitions management from Webster University, and another master’s degree in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University.

Brig. Gen. Vincent Stewart

Director of Intelligence, U.S. Marine Corps

Brig. Gen. Vincent Stewart received his baccalaureate degree in 1981 from Western Illinois University, where he majored in history. Some of his principal command tours include tank platoon leader with Company A, 1st Tank;

executive officer, Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Tank Battalion; and company commander with Company E, Marine Support Battalion, Japan. He also served as commanding officer, 1st Intelligence Battalion, and commanding officer, Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. Staff assignments include project officer, assistant signals intelligence officer, intelligence officer and chief, Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force; as well as senior intelligence planner in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence; assistant chief of staff, Intelligence, Marine Corps Forces Command, and more recently assistant chief of staff, Intelligence, Marine Corps Forces Command. He holds master’s degrees in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College and in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University.

Brig. Gen. Craig Timberlake

Deputy Commanding General, III Marine Expeditionary Force; and Commanding General, 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade

Brig. Gen. Craig Timberlake joined the Marine Corps in 1977 and was promoted to staff sergeant in January 1982.

Two years later, he was commissioned through the Enlisted Commissioning Program. His assignments in the operating forces include rifle platoon commander and company executive officer, company commander, battalion operations officer, regimental operations officer, inspector and instructor, and chief of staff. His other assignments in the supporting establishment include platoon commander and company commander. Headquarters and staff assignments include: action officer, Manpower Equal Opportunity Branch; and section head, Manpower Military Policy Branch, Manpower and Reserve Affairs; plans officer and executive assistant to the J-5 and deputy J-54, U.S. Pacific Command.

Timberlake’s military education includes Amphibious Warfare School, Command and Staff College, and the Naval War College. He has also earned master’s degrees in military studies and in national security and strategic studies. www.blackengineer.com

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Top Blacks in the

senior executive service

T

he Department of Defense has three subordinate military departments: the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air Force. In addition, there are many defense agencies such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Missile Defense Agency, the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, the National Security Agency and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, all of which are under the command of the Secretary of Defense. Below is a list of top Blacks in the federal Senior Executive Service of the various Department of Defense departments and defense agencies.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Mary Gillam

Director, Technology, Innovation and Engineering at Office of the Deputy Chief Management Officer Office of the Secretary of Defense

A retired Air Force colonel, Mary Gillam has 28 years of public service.

Since June 2012, she has served as director of technology, innovation and engineering at Office of the Deputy Chief Management Officer. Some of her other positions include associate at www.blackengineer.com

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Booz Allen Hamilton; director of Information Technology, Air Logistics Center Tinker Air Force Base; chief of staff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Command, Control & Communications) Space and Spectrum at the Office of the Secretary of Defense; senior staff engineer; international political-military affairs officer; congressional and legislative affairs officer; commander, 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron, and commander, 52 Combat Comm SQ. She is a published author and a former chapter president of the Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association.

Gillam earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from North Carolina A&T State University; a master’s degree from Naval War College; two masters’ degrees from Webster University; graduate certificates from universities of Georgetown and Villanova;and a doctorate degree from the University of Phoenix.

Lytwaive Hutchinson

Deputy Chief Information Officer and Director, Enterprise IT Services Directorate Washington Headquarters Services, Office of the Secretary of Defense

Lytwaive Hutchinson entered the federal government in 2002 as an assurance information manager.

She worked her way through the ranks and, in 2008, was selected as deputy chief information officer and deputy director, Information Technology Management Division. Iin December 2010, she was sworn in to the Senior Executive Service (SES).

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Prior to her federal government service, Hutchinson served 21 years as an active duty warrant officer with the United States Army. Hutchinson was selected for her current position in 2011 following the merger of the Washington Headquarters Services Information Technology Management Division and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Networks Directorate, which is a component of the Department of Defense. Prior she served as director, Information Technology Management Division, December 2010 - May 2011; and deputy chief information officer and deputy Director, Washington Headquarters Services, May 2008 - December 2010. She also served as director, Enterprise Services, August 2006 - May 2008; director, Information Assurance Division and the Designated Approving Authority for Information Technology at Washington Headquarters Services, September 2004 - August 2006; information assurance manager, 2002 2004. She earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Hawaii Pacific University, in 1998; a master of science degree in quality systems management, National Graduate School, Falmouth, Massachusetts in 2000, and is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute and Harvard Business School for Executive Education.

John James Jr.

Executive Director of the Missile Defense Agency Office of the Secretary of Defense

John James is the senior civilian adviser to the Missile Defense Agency director. He serves as an interface to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Services and the U.S. Congress. Previously, he was director of the National Security Personnel System Transition Office, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He was responsible for developing a performance management system under authorities granted to the secretary of defense in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010. Prior to that position, James served in several Senior Executive Service positions with the Department of the Navy. He received his undergraduate degree from Howard University and a master’s degree from Florida Institute of Technology. He attended the Harvard School of Business and the Keenan-Flagler Business School and is member of the Acquisition Professional Community.

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Clarence Johnson

Director, Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity Office of the Under Secretary of Defense

Clarence Johnson has served as director, Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity, Office of the Secretary of Defense since 2003.

His previous positions include: acting deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Plans), June 2009 to July 2010; acting director, Executive Secretariat, Department of Defense /Veteran Affairs Wounded Warrior Senior Oversight Committee, January to June 2009; acting deputy assistant secretary of defense (Equal Opportunity), June 2002 to February 2003; and director, Military Equal Opportunity (Policy), July 2000-February 2003. Prior he was commander, 11th Support Group and Acting Vice Wing Commander, 11th Wing, Bolling Air Force Base, July 1998 to July 2000.

He earned a master’s degree in human resource management at Webster University in 1983 and a bachelor’s degree in biology at Tuskegee Institute in 1970.

He is a 1993 graduate of Air War College and the Command and Staff College. department of the army James Abney

Director, G-9, Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Programs

James Abney was appointed to the Senior Executive Service on February 28, 2010.

He currently serves as director, G-9, Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Programs.

These duties include daily operational oversight of family programs; Child, Youth and School Services; Soldier and Community Recreation Programs; Armed Forces Recreation Centers; Business Operations; Army Recreation Machine Program; and NAF Human Resources

and Benefits. Previous to this assignment, he served as the deputy to the commanding General of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Furman University and a master of science from the National Defense University.

Jay Aronowitz

Assistant G-1 for Civilian Personnel Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 at Headquarters Department of the Army.

On July 1, 2012, Jay Aronowitz assumed the duties of the assistant G-1 for civilian personnel in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1. He is responsible for the strategies, policies and programs across the Army's civilian workforce, including planning, employment and human resources, civilian information systems, labor relations and non-appropriated fund policies and programs. Aronowitz also serves as the functional chief representative of the Civilian Human Resources Career Program. Selected to the Senior Executive Service in July 2010, he previously served as deputy assistant secretary (Force Management, Manpower and Resources), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs). He graduated from Xavier University with a bachelor's degree in social work and later earned a master of public administration degree from Ohio State University.

Donn Booker

Contingency Business Director Transatlantic Division

Donn Booker is principal adviser to the commander of the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Transatlantic Division (TAD).

Booker www.blackengineer.com

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leads strategic direction and financial operations as well as regional support to the division’s Regional Business Center. He also serves as a representative to the National Management Board responsible for establishing policy and guidance. TAD provides USACE construction, engineering and project management support for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), a unified combatant command within the Department of Defense. CENTCOM's area of responsibility includes countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, most notably Afghanistan and Iraq. Overseeing thousands of Army Corps projects, TAD also provides regional support, including the Afghan National Security Forces, United States and Coalition Forces, Counter Narcotics and Border Management, Strategic Reconstruction support to the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the commander's Emergency Response Program. Booker graduated from North Carolina A & T State University with a bachelor of science degree and a master of science degree from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Theodore “Tab” Brown, P.E.

Chief of Planning and Policy Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Since January 2009, Theodore Brown has served as chief of planning and policy, also serving as the leader of the Mississippi Valley Division Regional Integration Team in Headquarters. In this capacity, he provides leadership and oversight for coastal Louisiana postKatrina reconstruction and planning. He formulates and coordinates Army Civil Works policy with the Department of Army and the Office of Management and Budget; serves as the executive liaison for the Chief's Environmental Advisory Board, and provides representation to federal advisory committees. He is responsible for leading efforts in implementation of the 2007 Water Resources Development Act. He serves as the principal Civil Works point of contact with congressional authorizing committees on policy and planning matters. He earned a bachelor of science degree from Ohio State University and a master of business administration degree from Marshall University.

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James Dalton, P.E.

Chief of the Engineering and Construction Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

James Dalton was selected to the Senior Executive Service in January 2005.

He is responsible for policy, program and technical expertise in the execution of 10 billion design and construction programs for the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense, other federal agencies and more than 60 foreign nations. He provides leadership to a field organization consisting of eight divisions, 41 districts and approximately 15,000 personnel. He also guides the development of engineering and construction policy for the Corps' civil works, military and environmental missions. He also serves as the Corps South Atlantic Division regional integration team leader. From July 2005 to May 2007, Dalton served as regional business director for the South Atlantic Division in Atlanta He served as director of business management for the Gulf Region Division in Baghdad, Iraq, from January to July 2005. Dalton managed the regional operating budget and provided executive leadership in executing the financial management program. He earned a bachelor of science degree from North Carolina A & T State University and a master of science degree from North Carolina State University.

Monique Ferrell

Deputy Auditor General Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Training Audits

Monique Ferrell was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and deputy auditor general Nov. 20, 2011. She has more than 26 years in the federal service with the U.S. Army Audit Agency. As deputy auditor general for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Training Audits, Ferrell is principal adviser to the auditor general on auditing the Army’s major areas of human capital, force protection, force structure and training. Her responsibilities also include directing Armywide audit coverage of high-risk areas that focus on theater deployment and sustainment (combat logistics planning, mobilization and demobilization logistics, theater and inter-theater transportation, storage and disposal and combat service support activities), the Logistics Civil Augmentation program and contingency contracting and contractors on the battlefield. She exercises operational control over four field offices in southwest Asia. She earned a bachelor of science

degree from Hampton University and a master's degree in policy management from Georgetown University.

Mitchell Howell

Deputy Director for Rapid Acquisition and Technology Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization

Mitchell Howell is responsible for developing and implementing materiel and non-materiels to prevent illicit use of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) as a weapon of strategic influence. He has oversight of all acquisition functions undertaken by Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization’s three lines of operation (Attack the Network, Defeat the Device and Train the Force) to perform the counter-IED mission. These functions include technology assessment, application, test and evaluation, rapid acquisition policy and execution, program management and contracting operations.

Howell has a bachelor of science degree from Florida Institute of Technology, another from Central Michigan University and a third from the U.S. Military Academy.

Tommy Marks

Executive Director for Acquisition Services Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology)

Tommy Marks was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in January 2011. Until November 2012, he served as executive director for the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP).

In this position, Marks had executive responsibility for LOGCAP, under which contractors from the private sector are used to provide a broad range of logistical and life support services to U.S. and Allied Forces during combat and training operations. In addition to these responsibilities, he was principal interface for all LOGCAP operations within the federal government and Congress. In his new position as the executive director for acquisition services in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (AcquiUSBE&IT I WINTER 2012 43

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sition, Logistics and Technology), Marks will have oversight of all acquisition services. He earned a bachelor's degree from McNeese State University, a master of science degree from Florida Institute of Technology and a master's degree in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College.

Robert Moore

Deputy Director for Logistics and Security Assistance

Robert Moore was selected to the Army's Senior Executive Service in July 2003. As the deputy director for logistics and security assistance, he exercises responsibilities for strategic planning for theaterwide logistics, management and oversight of security cooperation (security assistance and cooperation in armaments), Joint Contact Team Program Militaryto-Military activities and humanitarian assistance programs in theater. He develops, manages and implements joint policy, doctrine and planning for U.S. military forces in theater to include logistics planning and transportation, supply and services, contingency engineering, military construction and host nation support. He earned a bachelor of science (cum laude) degree from Alabama State University, a master's degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology and another from Pepperdine University.

Levator Norsworthy Jr.

Deputy General Counsel (Acquisition)

Levator Norsworthy Jr. was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 1998. Currently, he assists the general counsel in providing advice and counsel to all Army Secretariat officials, to include the Secretary of the Army, the Army Acquisition Executive, the Army Chief Information Officer and their staffs. The provision of legal advice encompasses a variety of functional areas such as federal procurement law, weapon system acquisition, military construction, research and development, developmental and operational testing, logistics, in44 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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ternational programs, security assistance, competitive sourcing and contingency contracting. He holds a bachelor of science degree from University of Dayton, and a juris doctorate degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Tracey Pinson

Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Office of the Secretary of the Army

Tracey Pinson was appointed as director of small and disadvantaged business utilization, Office of the Secretary of the Army, in May 1995. She advises the secretary of the Army and the Army staff on all small business procurement issues and is responsible for the implementation of the federal acquisition programs designed to assist small businesses. She provides management and oversight for the Army’s mentor-protege program as well as the historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority institutions (MIs) program. She also develops policies and initiatives to enhance the participation of HBCUs and MIs in Army funded programs. As one of the top females in the Army’s acquisition career field, she is responsible for the integration of small businesses, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions in acquisition strategies developed at the Army Headquarters. A Howard University bachelor of arts graduate, she also earned a juris doctorate degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Paul Ruffin

Senior Research Scientist for Micro Sensors and Systems at the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center

Selected to a Senior Scientific and Professional position in 2003, Paul Ruffin now provides technical leadership and direction for research and development programs; pushing micro- and nanometerscale technologies to achieve improve performance over military environments, as well as reduction in weapons

components size and cost and enhanced reliability. He responds to the needs of soldiers using advanced technologies that save lives. He forecasts trends in micro electro-mechanical systems, fiber optics and nanotechnology research that maximize the impact of the Army’s science programs on the Army mission.

He serves as subject matter expert, and provides scientific input/advice to senior managers at the Department of Army, Department of Defense, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Department of Energy, academia and industrial organizations performing work relevant to Department of Army objectives. Ruffin earned a bachelor of science degree from Alabama A & M University and a master of science from the University of Alabama as well as a doctorate in physics.

Larry Stubblefield

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Diversity and Leadership

Larry Stubblefield became a member of the Senior Executive Service in September 2005 when he was selected as deputy administrative assistant to the secretary of the army.

Stubblefield was selected as deputy assistant secretary for diversity and leadership in 2010. In this position he acts for the assistant secretary of the army, Manpower and Reserve Affairs on plans, programs, policy formulation, decisions and practices pertaining to diversity and leadership. He also serves as functional chief representative for the Army’s Equal Employment Opportunity Career program and is responsible for addressing issues of accessibility and public use of Army facilities. He earned a bachelor of science degree at the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, a master's degree in business administration at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, master of strategic studies degree at the Army War College and another from University of Laverne.

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Alvin D. “Ajay” Thornton Director of Engineering, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center

Alvin Thornton entered the Senior Executive Service in 2008 and now serves as the director of engineering at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center.

He exercises full responsibility in the formulation and execution of policy relative to the major steps and lines of action required to manage and direct the center’s teamed/collocated personnel support activities for the program life cycles of chemical biological defense systems with the additional technical responsibility in managing and executing Army acquisition program activities for assigned chemical biological defense systems. The center is a research and development organization of 1,600 scientists, engineers and technicians.

Thornton directly manages more than 700 people and provides leadership for center activities pertaining to research, development, test and evaluation and engineering support to acquisition and sustainment of Chemical Biological Defense systems and materiel.

He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Morgan State University.

Michael Williams

Deputy to the Commander, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command

Michael Williams is a deputy to the commander, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command based at the Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.

Williams is responsible for facilitating continuous improvement and innovation in the development of distribution policies, plans and programs supporting the global mission. These responsibilities impact Joint Service force deployment and logistics operations.

He earned a bachelor of science degree from United States Military Academy and a master's degree from National War College.

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department of the navy Elliott Branch

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Acquisition and Procurement) Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition)

Elliott Branch has held various positions in the Senior Executive Service within the Department of the Navy. Since 2011, he has served as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy (Acquisition and Procurement) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition). Prior, he was executive director, Acquisition and Logistics Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) 2009 to 2011; executive director / director of contracts at the Naval Sea Systems Command, 2006 to 2009. Branch was a private sector consultant, 2001 to 2006; and before that chief procurement officer for the Government of the District of Columbia from 1999 to 2000. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School in 1978.

Victor Gavin Program Executive Officer for Enterprise Information Systems

Victor Gavin was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2007.

He served as technical director for the Program Executive Officer Submarines from 2007 to 2009. Prior he held various positions, including systems engineer with the Naval Underwater System Center, deputy program manager, Submarine Acoustic Systems and program manager for Submarine Combat Systems. He has served as the deputy program executive Officer for Enterprise Information Systems from 2011 to 2012. In this role, he oversees a $2 billion portfolio of information technology projects designed to enable business processes and to provide standard IT capabilities to the Department of Navy. He was executive director for the program executive officer for Littoral and Mine Warfare, 2009 to 2011. Gavin holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&T State University, and a master’s degree in systems engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Janice Haith

Director, Department of Navy Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance

Janice Haith was appointed a member of the Senior Executive Service in August of 2004, serving as principal deputy/ chief information officer for the Defense Security Service. She managed day-to-day agency operations and oversaw development of a Department of Defense Enterprise Security System. She subsequently was appointed as the director, Intelligence Access for Warfighter Support in the Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence), to oversee the development of information sharing policy for foreign disclosure and management of the Information Technology portfolio. Haith has also served as director, Assessments and Compliance; and director, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance since April 2010. She has been a security, intelligence and CIO professional since 1984.

She is a graduate of Hampton Institute, with a bachelor's degree in sociology and a master's degree in technology management from the University of Maryland.

She is also a graduate of the National Defense University-Chief Information Officer Program and Information Assurance programs.

Steffanie Easter

Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education

Steffanie Easter graduated from North Carolina State University in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. She earned a master's degree in engineering management from Catholic University of America in 1994. She has served as assistant deputy chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training & Education) since 2009. Prior she was assistant commander for acquisition for Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and leader of NAVAIR Acquisition/ Program Management Competency from December 2006 to September 2009. Other assignments include deputy program executive officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs, 2002 to 2007; NAVAIR Principal Deputy Program Manager for the Advanced Tactical Aircraft and Protection Systems Program Office and PEO-T Chief of Staff and head of Acquisition, 2000 to 2002.

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Sharon Smoot

Arthur Scott Jr.

Sharon Smoot began her career with the Department of the Navy in 1986. She was selected for her current position in April 2010. She entered the Senior Executive Service (SES) in September 2006 as the assistant deputy commander, Industrial Operations, where she served until 2010.

Other positions she has held include finance and industrial manager, Fleet Maintenance Directorate of Fleet Forces Command, 2005 to 2006; nuclear business and strategic planning officer, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 2001 to 2005; and electrical engineer, Control Engineering Division of the Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 1986 to 2001. She holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering management from Old Dominion University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech.

Arthur Scott was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in November 2010. He has more than 23 years of federal service in the Department of the Navy and United States Postal Service.

He has served in his current position in the Postal Naval Audit Service since 2010. Previous positions he has held include audit director for the Research, Development, Acquisition and Logistics, audit director for the Naval Audit Service, February 2004 to 2010; evaluator, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, 2001; program executive auditor, for Program Executive Officer for Air Anti-submarine, Assault and Special Mission Programs Office and Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), 1996 to 2000. Scott served as a senior auditor in the Naval Audit Service between 1987 and 1996. He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of South Carolina State College at Orangeburg, S.C.

Executive Director, Logistics, Maintenance and Industrial Operations Naval Sea Systems Command

Eileen Roberson

Director, Total Force Management, U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command

Eileen Roberson was selected as military sealift command director, total force management, in January 2012.

She joined the command as the director, Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force and Special Mission Ships in March 2010. As senior adviser on policy, budgeting and strategic planning she managed a $2 billion budget and oversaw the operations of 67 ships. Prior she served as assistant for administration to the Under Secretary of the Navy, 2007 to 2010; associate administrator at the Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, 2003 to 2007; deputy program executive Office for Information Technology, 2001 to 2003; Department of Navy Acquisition Reform Executive, 1998 to 2001; and deputy program manager, Aircraft Carrier Program, 1996 to 1998. Roberson was a U.S. Navy reserve officer for 23 years before retiring as captain in 2006. She holds a master’s degree in management information systems from Bowie State University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy .

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Assistant Auditor General for Research, Development, Acquisition and Logistics Audits

Rondy Waye

Director, Human Resources (HR) Policy and Programs Office of Civilian Human Resources

Rondy Waye provides leadership in the development, implementation and assessment of civilian human resources policies on behalf of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Civilian Human Resources (HR). He leads civilian and contractor personnel in developing HR policies and programs that support the Department of the Navy mission at the Department, Command and Activity levels, affecting a workforce of 200,000 civilian employees. Waye was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in November 2011. Prior to his appointment, he was director of the Human Resource Service Center-East, Portsmouth, Va. He holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor's in business administration from Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Ga. naval air systems command Jesse McCurdy Deputy Assistant Commander for Research and Engineering

Jesse McCurdy is Naval Air Systems Command’s civilian chief engineer, tech-

nical authority and spokesperson for research and engineering and fleet support.

He manages a budget of over $2.1 billion and 10,000 people including, civilian, military and contractors located in eight geographic regions. In 1976, he began his career with the federal government at the Naval Air Systems Command as a guidance and control engineer for air to air missiles. Later, he joined the Joint Cruise Missiles Project Office (now the Tomahawk Program) as a project engineer for electrical systems. Later, he was selected to head the Electrical Systems Branch and became engineering director within the Joint Cruise Missiles Project Office.

In 1989, he selected into the Senior Executive Service and was appointed an associate director of the Weapons Systems Engineering Division. He later became a deputy director of the Systems Engineering Department and director of the Test and Evaluation Engineering Department in January 2001. He held this position until November 2005, when he was selected to fill his current position. He earned a bachelor's in electrical engineering at Howard University. He completed the Executive Development Program at George Washington University, and the Leadership 2000 Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Brooking Institute. He also completed the Navy Executive Business Course at the University of California, Berkeley.

Ronald Smiley

Director, Electronic Warfare Combat Systems

Ronald Smiley graduated from Howard University in 1970 with bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Six years later, he earned a master's in business administration from Pepper dine University. He also holds a master's degree in management (1985) and doctoral degree in management (1992) from Clarendon Graduate University. From April 1988 to July 1989, he served as director of the Weapons Program Office and director, Advanced Technology Analysis Center, Pacific Missile Test Center. By December www.blackengineer.com

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1989, he had moved to hold the director's position of the Weapons Systems Evaluation Directorate, Pacific Missile Test Center; a position he held until June 1992.

Smiley served as director of the Electronic Warfare Department, Weapons Division until February 1994 before a four year stint as director of the Systems Engineering Department at the Naval Air Systems Command Weapons Division. In April 1998, he was appointed director of the Corporate Operations NAVAIR Weapons Division and served in this position until April 2005. That May he took his current assignment as director, Electronic Warfare/Combat Systems, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

Theodore Short Jr.

Comptroller, Naval Air Systems Command

Theodore Short has served as comptroller at the Naval Air Systems Command since May 2010. He was budget officer, 2006 to 2010. Prior, he held various budget director positions, managing operations and maintenance, procurement, research and development and civilian manpower budgets. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University in 1988. naval audit service Ronnie Booth Assistant Auditor General for Installations and Environment Audits

Ronnie Booth is responsible for providing oversight of Navy and Marine Corps real property, housing and other facilities totaling more than 72,000 buildings and 4.5 million acres, with plant replacement value of over $215 billion. He is also responsible for environmental protection, safety and occupational health for both military and civilian personnel; Japan’s agreement to realign U.S. forces in Japan and the relocation of 8,000 Marines and their families from Okinawa to Guam.

As a former assistant auditor general for Plans, Policy, and Resource Management, he is responsible for assessing department of the Navy-wide institutional and programmatic vulnerabilities, developing strategic audit plans and managing the allocation of audit resources to ensure best value outcomes. Previously, he served as the technical adviser to the special assistant to the Secretary of the Navy for Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). Booth earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia State University in 1980. He is a certified fraud examiner and certified internal control auditor. www.blackengineer.com

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naval criminal investigative service Mark RiDley

Deputy Director, Naval Criminal Investigative Service

Mark Ridley has served as deputy director at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service since February 2010. He served as executive assistant director for criminal investigations, September 2006 to February 2010; executive assistant director for Pacific Operations, July 2006 to July 2007; assistant director for the Directorate of Intelligence, August 2005 to July 2006; deputy assistant director for Counterintelligence Operations, 2004 to August 2005; special agent in charge of the Marine Corps West Field Office, Camp Middleton, 2003 to 2004; resident agent in charge for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Resident Agency Camp Pendleton with responsibility for NCIS activities at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma 2001 to 2003; resident agent in charge, Sasebo, Japan, 1998 to 2001. Ridley is a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executive’s Executive Board, serving as special assistant to the president for International Affairs. Ridley holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, University of Nevada; and master’s degree in justice administration, Norwich University. naval facilities engineering command Larry Douchand, P.E.

Assistant Commander for Environmental Programs

Larry Douchand has served as assistant commander for environmental programs for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command since July 2006. He is responsible for the integrated environmental program management and execution of NAVFAC’s services to the Department of the Navy. Prior, he served as chief, Strategic Integration Branch at the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he was responsible for establishing the

headquarters management and execution structure for the $11 billion nationwide Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program which included military construction, environmental cleanup and real estate disposal. From July 2003 to January 2004, Douchand served as chief of Environmental Support Branch at the Corps of Engineers. He earned a master’s degree in environmental management from the University of San Francisco, and a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is a registered professional engineer (P.E.) in the State of Maryland, and a member of the NAVFAC Acquisition Community. naval inspector general Andrea Brotherton Deputy Naval Inspector General

Andrea Brotherton became the deputy naval inspector general in 2009.

She oversees sensitive investigations involving senior officials charged with fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement at every level of the Navy. Responsibilities range from inspecting Echelon II Commands and Fleet concentration areas around the world to investigating emerging contemporary issues, including reviews of Department of Defense interrogation techniques. Brotherton has 24 years of civilian service that began in 1985 as she joined the Navy Office of the General Counsel in the Office of Counsel, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). Following several positions of increasing responsibility, she was appointed to the Senior Executive Service position of executive director, Office of Counsel, NAVAIR. She became counsel for Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) in 2005 and led an organization of 93 lawyers located at NAVFAC headquarters in Washington, D.C. and 26 field activities throughout the world. NAVFAC supports the Navy and Marine Corps in the areas of military construction, planning and design, environmental planning, remediation and compliance, and real estate acquisition, management and disposal. In April 2006, she joined the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy as assistant general counsel (Financial Management and Comptroller). She holds bachelor’s degrees in biology and political science.

She also holds a juris doctor degree from the University of Virginia and is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 47

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Virginia. naval sea systems command Jimmy Smith

Director, Above Water Sensors, Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems

Jimmy Smith has served in his current position since 2010. Other positions he has held include, deputy executive director for Undersea Technology, 2007 to 2010; director for Submarines, director for Strategic Systems programs, and deputy assistant secretary of the Navy (Shipbuilding Programs), 2005 to 2007; deputy program manager, Ohio Class Guided Missile Conversion program, Program Executive OfficeSubmarines, 2004 to 2005; and construction manager, Virginia Class Submarine Program, 2002 to 2004. Smith holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Tuskegee University; master's degrees in business management, environmental engineering and marine engineering; plus executive leadership certificates from Cornell University. pentagon force protection agency Jonathan Cofer

Principal Deputy Director

As principal deputy director of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, Jonathan Cofer is responsible for protecting and safeguarding the occupants, visitors and infrastructure of the Pentagon and Department of Defense facilities within the National Capital Region. Cofer served as deputy director for operations and plans with the Joint Staff, where he advised two joint staff chairmen on antiterrorism and force protection matters.

He was heavily involved in developing U.S. Central Command’s response to the Downing Report for the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia and Defense Department's response to the Cole Commission’s findings regarding the USS Cole attack in Yemen. Cofer served more than 30 years as a military police officer in the U.S Army, from which he retired in 2002 as a brigadier general.

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Department of homeland security U.S. Coast guard Terri Dickerson

Coast Guard Director, Office of Civil Rights Terri Dickerson is the Coast Guard director, Office of Civil Rights. She was appointed a member of the Senior Executive Service in 2000. From 2000 to 2006, she was second in charge at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She also served as associate administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Small Disadvantaged Business (1998 to 2000). She served as executive director and CEO for the nationwide American Women in Radio and Television (1993 to 1998). She earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Virginia and a master of arts degree from the Johns Hopkins University. She has served on many boards of directors and is a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Board of Trustees and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute’s board of advisers.

Curtis B. Odom

Director of Personnel Management Coast Guard Headquarters

Curt Odom assumed the duties of the Coast Guard’s director of personnel management on March 16, 2009. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service as deputy on April 1, 2007.

Odom is responsible for the direction, management, planning, coordination and

administration of the Coast Guard’s human resource programs for 49,000 military and civilian personnel. He oversees the Coast Guard’s Civilian Personnel Office and the Military Personnel Policy Office. He leads a staff of over 200 in the Personnel Management Directorate. He has had various assignments including serving as an executive officer, Coast Guard Training Center and Coast Guard Support Center. His Coast Guard Headquarters assignments include chief, Office of Leadership and Diversity, Reserve and Training Directorate and ethnic policy advisor to the commandant of the Coast Guard as a member of the diversity management staff. Odom completed a ten-month fellowship with the Chief of Naval Operations before assuming command of the Coast Guard’s only Recruit Training Center, Training Center. With a staff of over 500 military and civilian personnel, Training Center Cape May graduates approximately 5,000 military members each year that are assigned to Coast Guard units all over the world.

Odom is a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy where he earned a bachelor of science degree in government. He also has a master of business administration degree from the Florida Institute of Technology and a master of arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.

He retired from active duty with the Coast Guard at the rank of captain.

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by Michael A. Fletcher mfletcher@ccgmag.com

Cultural Literacy upping the

of the national security agencies

T

he Defense Language and National Security Education Office, the Pentagon’s foreign language and cultural education arm, stands as testimony to the belief that national security is achieved through the power of understanding as it is through military might.

The office was founded in the aftermath of the Gulf War, when then-Sen. David L. Boren, an Oklahoma Democrat, held a series of hearings that revealed the need for the nation’ s defenders to have a better understanding of the world.

“The most important thing you can have is a group of highly intelligent people who are extremely well educated, who understand the cultures and speak the languages, who can go into [other] countries and be advocates for the United States....

It's human talent that is key to our national security,” Boren, now president of the Oklahoma University, said in a video posted on the office’s website: The result has been a series of initiatives aimed at upping the cultural literacy of the national security agencies. The efforts include the prestigious Boren Awards for International for International Study, a fellowship and scholarship program that aims to train a cadre of people who know critical languages and understand distant cultures to work in the nation’s myriad national security agencies.

The program has awarded more than 5,000 scholarships to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students who, in turn, commit themselves to using their skills in federal service. Officials credit the program with improving the country’s ability to teach critical languages through grants to colleges and universities.

Students selected for the Boren awards receive intensive language training, foreign postings, and then a job. Scholars are required to work in federal agencies for a period of time after completing their academic work, which has attracted new talent to government, while creating opportunities for thousands of top students.

Of special interest to federal recruiters are students with understanding of science, technology, engineering and math. More www.blackengineer.com

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than one in five scholarship and fellowship program have been minorities. Other are trained the agency’s six-year-old Language Flagship Program. Others are trained in any of seven languages widely spoken in African through its African Languages Initiative.

Dr. Michael Nugent, a longtime educator and an expert in language training, heads the office. US Black Engineer and Information Technology Magazine recently discussed his office’s mission with him. An edited transcript of the conversation follows: USBE&IT: Your office was born out of a post-mortem of the Gulf War. What was it that people saw that led to its formation?

Nugent: Sen. Boren felt that after the Gulf War there was a dearth of high-level government officials with foreign language skills. They had people at very high-level, key positions that didn’t have Arabic to the level that it should have been. He was then head of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and he called together a group of high-level people to discuss what needed to be done. Out of that came the legislation, the David L. Boren Act of 1991, which created the program.

USBE&IT: How close are you to fulfilling the agency’s stated mission of increasing the quantity, diversity, and quality of the teaching and learning of subjects in the fields of foreign languages?

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Nugent: It has been a transformational program in a number of ways. First of all, never before had the federal government made a special effort to get professionals with international and language skills, who then had to think about how they would use them in government. We have about 16,000 people who have applied for Boren scholarships and fellowships. These people had to think about how they would use their language skills in government. Only about 5,000 people actually received funding.

But you think about the residual impact of working across all the universities and colleges over the years and getting them to think about a different kind of career. I think just in that we have been transformational. Secondly, getting people into areas of the world they would not ordinarily have gone. The third thing is duration.

Most students go on these two-week study abroad programs.

They don’t do language. Most of our students spend six months to a year abroad, and that has a transformational effect on the student in knowing the culture.

USBE&IT: How do you go about recruiting students?

Nugent: We have a pretty good outreach process through our partners at the Institute for International Education. We work through them and all of our partner universities around the country to make sure that they have knowledge of the program. We go around and visit institutions and we rotate every year to make sure we get a good sample. We target specific types of institutions, ones that haven’t visited, and ones that we aren’t getting as many applicants from as we would like. And we try our best to make sure we provide support for students from institutions that have not normally sent many applicants to us. We try to be as inclusive as possible.

USBE&IT: So you get a fair number of applications from historically black colleges and universities?

Nugent: We do a lot of outreach to minority serving institutions and according to the data from this year, 24 percent of our applicants were from minority-serving institutions. Here’s the interesting thing: 24.2 percent were applicants, and 22.9 percent were recipients. So the recipients match the applicant pool.

USBE&IT: What are you looking for as you sort through applications?

Nugent: Applicants have to show that they are clearly committed to working in the federal government in a national security positions and that they are not just interested in the funding to supplement other activities. That is first and foremost. We get about 1500 applications for 284 positions a year, so we can be very choosy about whom we take. We are looking for people who have made a very clear statement about their commitment and tied that in with their overseas study, then put together a full picture of what that will mean for their careers.

USBE&IT: Is there anything academically that matters?

Nugent: Certainly, grades and academic performance are crucial. For the engineering and STEM fields we have made some exceptions that allow students to not go abroad for a full year because we recognize it is more difficult for them to be away that long. Certainly, we look at critical thinking. We’re looking for 52 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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Dr. Michael Nugent, director, Defense Language and National Security Education Office

great writing skills. Depending on the language, we are looking for people who are not neophyte to the language and folks who are not afraid of being challenged. .

USBE: How big are the scholarships and fellowships?

Nugent: Undergraduates get up to $20,000 for one academic year. Graduate fellows get up to $30,000 total for two academic years. The service requirement starts at one year, but if you are abroad for 13 months, you have to do 13 months of federal service.

USBE&IT: Do you have any sense of how many of these students would not have gone into national security work absent the program?

Nugent: Our anecdotes are that just by applying for these fellowships and scholarships got people to think in a way they might not have otherwise. Just by talking to some of these folks, I get the sense that they would not have considered federal service without this award. When you are in college you are not being recruited by the federal government as much as you are by the private sector.

USBE&IT: Has there been any change in the candidate profile with the economic downturn?

Nugent: It is too early to tell. We don’t know.

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12/20/12 3:13 PM

best practices for success Some of the brightest minds in STEM, business and government offer their insights and advice about living and working to one’s best potential.

The Next Level

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

graduating entry level? here’s how to climb to an executive position

C

icero wasn’t half wrong when he said no one can you give you wiser advice than yourself. But here’s some advice you can take.

You’ve just landed an entry-level job in a large corporation and you are already thinking of how you can move up. You know just where you want your career to go, but do you really know what sets you apart from the pack of recent graduates seeking to get to the same level?

What steps do you need to take to prepare for advancement?

What strategy should you have to become a very functional contributor and team member? To help you get that road plan together, here’s a rough guide based on insights and perspectives from corporate executives with 20/20 vision. Their valuable experiences will give you just the kind of foresight you need to soar.

The same drive and determination that helped land the

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dream job (don’t forget the summer internships) are what you’ll need to climb the career ladder. You can’t sit back and wait for work to come to you.

“I think a lot of people when they come of out college want a ‘hockey stick effect’— in 10 or five years they want to be a vice president,” said Chineta Davis, retired vice president and general manager of operations in Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems sector.

Still, if you want to move up, “move fast” is Davis’ first advice. She also adds that to get ahead, it’s important to know the players within the organization. Understand what their roles are, what they do and how they got where they are.

Davis entered the workforce during the first wave of corporate gender policies in the 1970s. Like other executive track women of the time, when faced with the option of creating a flex work schedule, she felt forced to take “time out” after a second

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2. Know your value to the organization child. Davis’ off-ramp lasted two years, and she returned to take 3. Know enough about the business your companies are in on a series of top-level, mission-critical assignments. Over three so you can bring your A-game every day years, she cut back costs and scaled down the weight of technol4. Have mentors, champions and sponsors that will raise ogy for the F-22 and Joint Strike Fighter program. She also led your name in a favorable light and raise your name when opporthe build of a German design mail sorter within schedule for the tunities are being discussed US Postal Service. In 1989, she won a $100 million in new busiSure, having mentors is key, but how do you rev up to speed ness, building it from scratch to thriving double-digit growth and for new assignments? profitability within Northrop Grumman.

“Do your homework. Find out as much as you can about the So how did she move into those kind of plum jobs?

“Just the fact that you’re interested in continuing career growth puts your name in people’s mind when they’re considering,” said Art Lofton, CIO and vice president for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector. “At the end of the day, it’s about networking, expressing your interest in opportunities. The more you get networked across the company, the more you understand what opportunities are out there.”

–—Art Lofton, CIO and vice president, “When I started as an engineer I kind

Northrop Grumman of knew my discipline, my function,” said Darryl Fraser, vice president of corporate communications at Northrop. Fraser also realized, however, he didn’t know how his military program team interacted with thermal design folks, or even the structural people. So he made it job,” said Davis, who had 15 different assignments over her 33a point to understand a bit more about the organization. year career. “When you don’t know, find someone who can give “That’s what helped me get those phone calls and opportuyou an answer, and then find a solution.” nities,” Fraser said.

Lofton, who is a mechanical engineer by degree, says probTaking on projects and assignments that give you the oplem-solving skills, how to approach things, work with people portunity to lead a small team is a good way to start getting and collaborate are some of the things he had in his toolbox as experience, said Vice President of Learning and Development he advanced. Up against career information technology profesKathy Thomas. But when you get into roles where you are the sionals when he competed for his current vice president position, key individual that folk go to — the go-to for advice and guidhe reflects on what gave him the edge. ance—don’t think leadership comes innately.

“I brought a diverse set of skills and the ability to work “That’s the time to get professional development training across the experience regimes,” he said. “What does IT mean to where you actually learn how to lead, how to talk to people and the business? How does it enable the business?” communicate. It’s so that you’re in a position where you enable Understanding the business and what it takes to bring value people and through that you’re enable projects to be successful,” are the set of experience and perspectives that helped him to sucThomas said. cess and took him to the next level.

Lofton said his current position is made up of building blocks of his previous experiences. Among the many jobs the Four rules for success 25-year veteran has held at Northrop Grumman is running a site Thomas’ four rules to help take your career to the next level for composites at Hill Air Force base, a major U.S. Air Force are: base. The CIO position is Lofton’s first IT position.

1. Know what’s on your resume

“Just the fact that you’re interested in continuing career growth puts your name in people’s mind when they’re considering.”

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MARK YOUR

CALENDAR

February

7–9

2013

BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference Marriott Wardman Park Hotel Washington, DC

Don’t miss this historic event! www.beya.org

For more information, call us at 410-244-7101.

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Science Spectrum Science spectrum champions the advancements made in all areas of scientific inquiry, whether those strides are made by individual innovators or through the resources of enterprisng organizations.

Titans of Science

by Gale Horton Gay editors@ccgmag.com

kenneth s. tolson achieves success through leadership and service

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t’s unmistakable after reviewing Kenneth S. Tolson’s five-page resume just how well he’s mastered leadership.

In his 20-plus-year career, Tolson has been vice president and chief technology officer for Data Solutions and Technology as well as held chief information officer and chief technology officer positions multiple times. His experiences are diverse and global — achieving success in the information technology industry at the international, federal, state and local levels and managing large multi-billion dollar technology programs. He’s been recognized for establishing innovative ways to align technology resources and technology commercialization with ever-changing requirements in the industry.

However, it’s also clear he has a heart to serve and his value to our nation’s top leaders has not gone unnoticed. Tolson has accepted appointment and consultancy positions to aid three American presidents — most recently in 2009, when President Barack Obama appointed him to the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

He’s also chairman of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Technology and Innovation Committee and chief economics inclusion adviser for the America 21 project. “Our country and specifically our HBCU community is facing a historic transition period where [the need for] the right people, processes and technology to navigate this changing terrain is more crucial than ever given our dismal numbers globally in the sciences,” said Tolson in a letter to Tyrone Taborn, chairman and chief executive officer of Career Communications Group (CCG).

Tolson, a nominee for a 2013 Black Engineer of the Year Award, said his goal during the past three years since his presidential appointment has been “identifying ways of reaching out to the various silos in HBCUs, creating greater efficiencies and opportunities in STEM and ultimately providing significant long-term value through business transformation for HBCUs to garner more federal contracting opportunities in the areas of science and technology.”

Tolson served as a technology management research consultant to the Clinton and Bush administrations.

A native of Washington, D.C., Tolson got his start at a HBCU, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1988 from Morehouse College, where he studied political science and computer information systems management and engineering. He also has studied at the Advanced Study Institute of the NATO Security through Science Committee in Germany. www.blackengineer.com

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Tolson is an innovative visionary in technology and management for the global emerging technology marketplace, focusing primarily on innovation in the information technology industry. His hallmark philosophy encourages leaders to believe that “anything is possible” in the IT field as long as standards are met.

“His consulting philosophy reflects his attitude that extraordinary events are possible when individuals and organizations stretch beyond their current capabilities and visions,” he said in his executive bio.

Interestingly, Tolson cites two former BEYA winners as mentors: Arthur E. Johnson, 1997 Black Engineer of the Year and a former president and chief operating officer of Lockheed Martin’s Information and Services Sector, and Lloyd Howell, the 2011 Black Engineer of the Year and a partner at Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc. He credits these men for giving him a foundation leading to succeed.

Tolson, a former U.S. Marine Corps Reserve officer, has worked at a senior-level experience in aerospace, IT and defense services companies with multiple offices locations across international geographies including combat areas.

“One of the things that I am most proud of is my track record for breaking new ground,which continues to raise the bar,” he said. “I bring a global perspective for managing and implementing technology across multiple industries.”

Tolson has high praise for Obama, emphasizing that “… we finally had a president that created four executive orders to further the historical cause and work HBCUs do to maintain our competitiveness in the global economy and to continue to uplift our community.”

Tolson, who serves on various boards and works with a number of charities, has earned the respect and admiration of colleagues and peers. Lawrence Agulnick, executive vice president of TBED21 Inc., is one of his supporters who credits him with propelling TBED21 on a “meteoric pace.”

“With his support we have advanced from startup phase to national thought leader in less than two years,” wrote Agulnick in a letter of recommendation for Tolson for Harvard’s EMBA program.

“Ken can be counted on to be at the right places, to do and say the right things, and to communicate with the right people to make things happen. Ken navigates delicate interactions with key stakeholders to desired outcomes. He is a rare person in whom people skills combine with excellent tactical and strategic judgment.”

A husband and father, Tolson values the legacy of family. He founded The Melvin B. Tolson Educational Foundation in honor of his grandfather, a noted African-American poet, educator and social change agent. The goal of the foundation is to strengthen and improve public education in America. He is the son of Wiley Tolson, first African-American biochemist to work in the Army’s Walter Reed Medical Center.

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EDUCATION Information is our most powerful resource, whether we receive it via the printed page, a computer screen, or from a dedicated teacher. In this section, we look at the trends and developments that are expanding STEM education.

Book Review

by M.V. Greene mgreene@ccgmag.com

a sailor’s history of the U.s. Navy, by Thomas J. Cutler

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ailor or not, anybody who has business with the U.S. Navy ought to be reading through Thomas J. Cutler’s A Sailor’s History of the U.S. Navy.

The book is required reading for all new enlisted sailors as part of the Chief of Naval Operations Professional Reading Program, but Navy civilian workers, job candidates, contractors, vendors and the like would do well to gander through Cutler’s title.

Don’t worry, though. A Sailor’s History of the U.S. Navy isn’t some bulky, stodgy manual written by one of the Navy’s public affairs flacks. Instead of being weighted down by official Navy dogma, the author expertly weaves a story of the service branch’s heritage by highlighting events and situations that characterize the role of the sailor and what makes him or her tick.

The book offers a picture of the service branch from commander to entrylevel enlistee. Cutler is a Navy man through and through, a retired lieutenant commander and one-time second-class petty officer, and he is as comfortable writing about the exploits of famed Commodore George Dewey defeating the Spanish at Manila Bay as he is in detailing how Construction Mechanic Third Class Marvin Shields was posthumously awarded the Medal Honor because of voluntarily joining a vicious Army Green Berets firefight against the enemy in Vietnam.

If there is a Navy “water cooler” somewhere where sailors, civilians and others swap old stories, fodder from the book will help keep your end of the conversation flowing. A Sailor’s History of the U.S. Navy tackles recent naval history while melding in many of the traditions and inspirations that make the Navy what it is.

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Institute Press in Annapolis, Md., the book’s theme signifies the Navy’s core values of honor, courage and commitment as the backdrop for stories. So the

book doesn’t bog down into a recitation of history, Cutler writes it based on themes he uncovers instead of in chronology. www.blackengineer.com

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Recommended titles on the Navy reading program list include Cyber War by Richard Clarke and Navigating the Seven Seas

by Melvin Williams Jr. and Melvin Williams Sr.More about the Navy reading program can be found at www.navyreading.navy.mil.

Along with exploits and battles, Cutler covers Navy life and hardships, jargon, operations and civility.

Written in a chapter describing www.blackengineer.com

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the value of courage, one of Cutler’s stories is that of African-American Navy diver Carl Brashear, who refused to allow his career to be derailed by the loss of a leg during a March 1966 salvage operation off the coast of Spain.

Brashear was determined to remain a sailor, refusing to take medical disability and convincing the powers that be that he deserved to continue. Master Chief Brashear’s story was reported in the riveting 2000 film, “Men of Honor,” starring Cuba Gooding Jr. Another of the book’s striking descriptions involves some of the work of Navy sailors in the aftermath of the terrorism that occurred Sept. 11, 2001, and how the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom, “moved effortlessly across the black surface of the Arabian Sea” to strike at terrorist masterminds in Afghanistan. The Enterprise crew actually had been headed home across the Atlantic on Sept. 9 from a six-month deployment, but gladly accepted the captain’s order to turnaround on hearing the news of 9-11.

“Over the next several weeks, Enterprise’s Sailors displayed the courage needed to carry out their commitment to defend their nation with honor as they ran sortie after sortie into Afghanistan,” Cutler wrote.

How Cutler describes the Navy’s approach to “sustenance” also offers a view into Navy life. Food, in the sailor’s jargon, was “tack,” Cutler writes, outlining how sailors’ mess halls functioned for the betterment of the crew. A huge challenge sailors had was keeping food from spoiling on their ships.

Cutler’s goal in stories such as sustenance seems to give a greater understanding of the life of the sailor. As an author, he does his job by also impart-

ing Navy history — both successes and mistakes — that chronicles what the U.S. Navy means to the nation.

Cutler served in a number of roles in his naval career, including in patrol craft, cruisers, destroyers and aircraft carriers. His assignments stretched from a Vietnam tour to nine years at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, including as executive assistant to the chairman of the Seamanship & Navigation Department. In retirement, he founded the Walbrook Maritime Academy in Baltimore and has been a fleet professor of strategy and policy with the Naval War College and director of professional publishing at the U.S. Naval Institute.

Cutler has written a number of other military-focused books and regularly serves as a panelist and speaker on military history.

The Professional Reading Program of the Chief of Naval Operations is a means for encouraging sailors to develop a life-long habit of reading and learning. In fact, reading programs are central to all the service branches. The Army, Air Force and Marines all have their lists.

The Chief of Naval Operations selects titles that are “Essential” and “Recommended.” Books cover history, fiction, inspirational and patriotic titles and military strategy and theory.

According to the reading program’s website, the selection of titles seeks to offer readers an opportunity to gain understanding not only of the Navy, but greater society. Two books on the list reviewed in this space in recent months have been Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security by Richard Clarke and Navigating the Seven Seas by father-and-son Navy men Melvin Williams Jr. and Melvin Williams Sr. USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 59

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© 2013 Lockheed Martin Corporation

SALUTING OUR HEROES AND HONORING THEIR COURAGE

At Lockheed Martin, we believe that one of the best ways to honor the service of America’s veterans is to support them when they make the transition to civilian life. Whether it’s by helping wounded warriors chart a new course within our company, or working with veteran-owned businesses, our goal is to express our gratitude for all that our veterans have done to make our nation safe and secure.

Lockheed Martin is proud to sponsor the annual Stars and Stripes Dinner. www.lockheedmartin.com

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Looking for past issues?

Find us on

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Career OUTLOOK An in-depth look at a cutting-edge industry within STEM. We tell you where the jobs are, why you want them, and, most importantly, how you get them.

Spotlight on Cyber Security

Inside:

JOB HORIZON  RECRUITING TRENDS  PROFESSIONAL LIFE 

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Career OUTLOOK

Job Horizon

by Frank McCoy fmccoy@ccgmag.com

So you want to be a cyber security professional

T

here is a lot to be knowledgeable and vigilant about.

October was National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and through a series of events and initiatives across the country, NCSAM engaged public and private sector partners to raise awareness and educate Americans about cyber security, and increase the resiliency of the nation and its cyber infrastructure.

NCSAM 2012 focused on a different critical cyber security issue each week in October.

Week One emphasized general cyber security awareness and the “Stop. Think. Connect. Campaign.”

Week Two focused on law enforcement and cyber security — national and local efforts to prevent identity theft and other cyber crimes.

Week Three highlighted industry efforts in cyber security — strategies and tools businesses of all sizes — including small business — can use to bolster their own cyber security defenses.

Week Four showcased “K-Life: Digital Literacy Efforts” — the urgent need to develop cyber education programs to train the

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next generation cyber workforce.

The interrelatedness of every citizen’s private and public lives is vast.

The departments in one city, Baltimore, are reflective of how much we rely on digital services that are unseen. The Crab City’s Web-linked departments include housing, finance, fire, health, human resources, law, legislative reference, planning, public works, recreation and parks and transportation. In addition, there is the collection of offices under the heading “General Services,” and those of elected officials, the mayor, city offices and various boards.

To counter incursions, local, state and the federal government officials know they must hire a new generation of cyber security experts and digital defenders.

There is a lot to do. This feature will introduce you to a range of cyber careers and professionals in them, list what many think are the top cyber security jobs in the future and provide you with a list of resources the professionals use to maintain their sharp edges www.blackengineer.com

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Career OUTLOOK

Recruiting Trends

by Frank McCoy fmccoy@ccgmag.com

cyber security sector a magnet for appropriately trained grads

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he proliferation of identity theft, activist hacking, online malicious denials of service, computer crooks pillaging private sector companies and a mix of criminal- and state-sponsored server penetration has made the cyber security sector a magnet for the appropriately-trained graduate.

Because beyond the previously listed problems, there is always a need to stop hackers trying to disrupt and steal industrial and military data, plus attempts to turn command and control equipment in both arenas into remotely-controlled soft- and hardware.

Computer science, computer engineering and information technology majors of related academic flavors interested in cyber security careers must consider the list in a following paragraph as a guide to potential employers. Hackers armed with malware, viruses and worms are attacking each sector, and if you are adept in your major or advanced degree, you need to begin paying attention to those areas. Their problem is your fortune if prepare yourself properly. Who? Why? Read on.

Pay attention. Those organizations need you, and hard work and success at blocking and defending against cyber criminals may someday place the title of chief digital officer or cloud security officer on your business card.

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insurance 6 percent

oil and gas operations 6 percent

construction 6 percent

media 6 percent

technology hardware and equipment 8 percent

utilities 8 percent

telecommunications services 8 percent

materials 10 percent

diversified financial 12 percent

Banking 30 percent

A 2012 study by KPMG study reported “that more than three-quarters of the Forbes [global] 2000 companies leak potentially dangerous material.”

In descending order, the “Top 10 information leaking sectors” were:

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Career OUTLOOK

Professional Life

by Frank McCoy fmccoy@ccgmag.com

Defending intellectual property rights and thwarting cyber piracy

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arious websites define cyber piracy as an action that “involves various deceptive practices that companies or individuals engage in to profit from online users.”

That definition can be expanded to hacktivist groups, teams of online criminals and countries that both use the activity to enrich elements of their hierarchy, to cripple other states and perhaps in combination with the former turn a blind eye to the activity of citizens involved in the practice.

Although there are disagreements about the exact figures, ABC News said that in 2009, U.S. Stanton Gatewood, chief corporations swallowed about information security and ePrivacy officer, University $50 billion in losses from their System of Georgia research and development efforts.

In the same report, Robert “Bear” Bryant, the national counterintelligence executive, said that “if our research and development — $400 billion a year — is pilfered, frankly, it will destroy part of our economic viability in this country.”

Cyber crooks also prey upon students, who are often criticized for downloading of music, television shows and movies. USNEws. com published in October 2012 — National Cyber Security Awareness Month — that college campuses face “anything from users’ online bank accounts being compromised to their email accounts being hacked and used to mass-distribute spam.

Stanton Gatewood says the monetary value of safeguarding intellectual property is priceless. He, the chief information security and e-privacy officer of the University System of Georgia, should know.

Gatewood, 55, says institutions and citizens can secure and protect their names, possessions and reputations by instituting policies and standards, staying abreast of technology and staying aware of possible threats.

Organizations must establish an Appropriate Use Policy (AUP) with has standards to control how users and outsiders connect to a network, handle and share data, manage incident or attacks, prepare how to maintain continuity of operations when under assault, and teach management to remain vigilant.

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protection and data protection for examples measure to prevent intrusion into networks and hosts, and consistent encryption of data at-rest and in-transit. To do these things, all personnel must adopt a position of shared responsibility, remain aware of threats, upgrade their skills and use role-based training for enforce learning.

The most common threats to the University System of Georgia include attacks against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information and information systems.

In response, the CISO, known internationally as an information security, infrastructure protection and electronic privacy expert rolled out admired counter measures: • Installing standardizing endpoint security and security management.

• Protect endpoints, such as smart devices, tablets, laptops and desktops, by unifying them with via a single product and service.

• Establishing a statewide security and privacy awareness and training program for all 35 state colleges and universities, more than 400 Georgia public libraries and more than 100 state agencies.

• Creating an “e-privacy” portal for all Georgia citizens.

Of course, battling cyber thieves never ends. The “InfoSec Evangelist” says the new intellectual property protection includes hardening the geo-fencing—virtual perimeters based upon real land or sea—and geo-location—the actual location of an object—of data.

Plus Gatewood says people are trying to do the impossible: completely protecting data headed to the cloud, in the cloud and coming out of the cloud.

“We, users of cloud computing, need to ensure that the confidentiality, integrity and availability model for data is factored into this technology,” Gatewood said. “Do we fully understand the technology, the good, bad and ugly?”

To protect cloud data, he advocates end-to-end encryption for local and cloud providers as well as cloud training for users, technologists and management.

Gatewood has direct advice for would-be CISOs: • Maintain “a sweet mixture of education/certifications, experience and passion.”

• Monitor how people think and act as in the world of the free flow of information and the exchange of ideas awareness is the greatest tool for securing and protecting IP. www.blackengineer.com

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SAVE the DATE &

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Science, Technology Engineering, or Mathematics, then save

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Career OUTLOOK

Ensuring hackers do no harm to health records

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n April 2012, Kroll Associates, a global intelligence and information management company, wrote about data breaches in electronic record-keeping in the health care industry. Kroll noted that human error remains the main factor behind the exposure of sensitive patient and hospital information. The report also said data loss also spiked due to “the proliferation of mobile devices in the workplace,” and because third parties that receive patient data have not moved quickly enough to ensure their digital defenses are more formidable.

Even implantable medical Cathy Beech, chief device can be compromised. Last information security officer, The Children’s Hospital of September, the U.S. Government Philadelphia Accountability Office published a paper, “Medical Devices: FDA Should Expand Its Consideration of Information Security for Certain Types of Devices.” It 68 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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stated that plus/minus for patients when it revealed that “several information security threats exist that can exploit vulnerabilities in active implantable medical devices, but experts caution that efforts to mitigate information security risks may adversely affect device performance.”

All of which concerns Cathy Beech. She is the chief information security officer at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Her bio cites, among other things, her responsibility for information security program management including governance and regulatory compliance, risk management, threat and vulnerability awareness and security administration.

These measures are important because, Beech says, “No one wants to endure the pain of identity theft, fraud or the breach of an individual’s privacy around his/her health.”

Being thorough and organized is like breathing to Beech.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree from Rutgers University with a focus on accounting, and is a certified information systems auditor (CISA) and certified in risk and information systems control (CRISC).

Consequently, she has specific advice for health care organizations, patients and everyone else. Beech asks employees if: www.blackengineer.com

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• They follow their corporate policies regarding protection of

patient and/or institutional and intellectual property?

• Upload proprietary information to the cloud, like Google Docs, and if so, does the organization’s policy allow that?

• Identify a mobile application that enables business processes, was the group’s IT Security team notified to validate that the proper security controls are in place?

Beech urges individuals to:

• Be careful about using wireless internet access without a

password, as it can be used to attack your online presence.

• Ensure encryption and anti-theft software is installed on laptops.

• Check that apps they want downloaded come from a reputable source.

The threats have also morphed as bring-your-owndevice to work has proliferated. Criminals note the increased use of smartphones, but attack devices with the classic hacker trio of phishing, viruses and malware.

In response, Beech cites how organizational security awareness and training provide three counter measures to stop cybercrime. The keys are that employees learn to identify and report incidents; they understand appropriate security behaviors for handling and protecting data — for example, password controls; and understand how to implement security policies.

CHOP’s efforts around security have attracted attention in the cyber security world. In 2012, CHOP was spotlighted as one of the Top 10 Healthcare IT Innovators by InformationWeek magazine. Innovation such as the hospital’s creating an IT and business team develop a new role-base security system as part of it EPIC electronics health record (EHR) implementation project.

EPIC is a company that makes software apps for medical groups, hospitals and integrated health care organizations. At CHOP, they use the Epic system to customize role templates that accommodate 9,000-plus users and nearly 500 roles.

EHRintelligence dot com, an online resource specializing in EHR and electronic medical records, knows what is at stake.

Last April, it asked a crucial question about a recent data breech of 24,000 Medicaid records that keeps cyber security keeps CISOs like Beech alert: “If a poorly configured server in Utah can be compromised by hackers in Eastern Europe, how much trust can we put into our providers using Web-based systems to not expose our data to illegal access through simple user error?”

Beech recommends that would-be health care CISOs gain solid technical prowess in cyber security writ large, as the field transcends industries, before entering health care security where they must become steeped in The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules. An understanding of database management, and applied health informatics,

which is the use of “system-analytic tools to enhance management control and decision-making,” are important.

Other CISO must-haves are bachelor’s and master’s degrees in information systems, computer science, engineering or other related fields; strong skill in computer forensics and security architecture; and practical experience, perhaps internships, in InfoSec tools and technologies.

Students must gain soft skills such as negotiation techniques and trust-building. But their most crucial attribute will be the ability “to translate technical issues into business impact and help executives understand how the threats and risks impact the overall business and patient experience.”

The latest innovation in cyber health care and related records security is health information exchanges. They, Beech says, provide the ability to store, maintain and share health infor-

“Successful safeguards help us to build patient and other stakeholders’ confidence in healthcare information technology and the greater health system.”

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–—Dominic Mack, associate professor, Department of Family Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine

mation with a trusted partner, i.e., hospitals or regional HIEs. Much of that and other health-related material will be cloud-based. Beech believes cloud computing has inherent risks.

These, she says, include “trust of the cloud provider security model; multi-tenancy (Where is my data?); litigation (Will you support me when I need my data?); and if the cloud provider is really compliant with HIPAA, are just examples of what every company needs to carefully evaluate when considering the use of a cloud provider.”

The details that Beech provides will cheer Dominic Mack.

He is not a cyber-security expert. His title is associate professor, Department of Family Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine. Mack, who sees safeguarding health care patient and facility information, on the ground level cites reason for continuing digital attentiveness. They include patient safety, fraud prevention, privacy assurance, the prevention of sabotage of patient information and denial of access to businesses and insurance companies.

“Successful safeguards help us to build patient, and other stakeholders confidence in healthcare information technology and the greater health system,” he said.

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Career OUTLOOK

Safeguarding power plants and utilities

I

f the west can attack—although they deny it—Iran’s centrifuges, how vulnerable are our facilities? That is the crux of today’s concerns. Are America’s energy providers ready if a STUXNET-like worm is aimed at them?

In 2011, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).org reported in the Industrial Control Systems Emergency Response Team Report on Critical Infrastructure those cyberattacks incidents had grown from nine in 2009 to 198 last year.

In descending order of the number of incidents, the attacks were on water, cross sector, energy and government and chemical, nuclear and transportation facilities. The incidents, the study said, raised questions as individual hackers, criminal gangs and state-sponsored disrupters become more sophisticated about the vulnerability of “internet facing system,” and those where monitors and controls were centralized.

On Oct. 12, 2012, CIA Director Leon Panetta said a cyberattack attack in August destroyed more than 30,000 computers in Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company. Panetta then spoke of a cyber Pearl Harbor striking the United States that could kill citizens and potentially destroy part of the power grid, financial networks and transport system.

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launching several attacks on our critical infrastructure at one time, in combination with a physical attack on our country,” Panetta said.

Infrastructure is under constant threat. Last June, on just one day, Infosecurity magazine reported the following headlines on domestic and foreign threats: “Los Alamos National Lab subjected to ‘maelstrom’ of simulated cyber attacks;” Health and safety inspector loses details of Hartlepool nuclear power plant;” “U.S. expels Venezuelan diplomat over cyber plot against nuclear plants;” “Nuclear regulator slow in correcting information security vulnerabilities;” and “Major cyber attack on Mitsubishi involving nuclear power plant data.”

So, who you gonna call when there is so much to worry about? One person is Liberian-American William McBorrough.

He is a cyber solutions lead principal for Pragmatics, a Reston, Va., IT services provider. McBorrough’s focal points include securing client’s mission critical systems, working internally to develop PRiSM, a company-owned software that seeks to improve continuous monitoring and situational awareness of IT infrastructure and cybersecurity compliance by integrating data from multiple monitoring tools into a holistic vulnerability assessment. www.blackengineer.com

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McBorrough is not a federal employee. He works on a contract providing cyber security expertise at federal government agencies currently.

He is the holder of an alphabet soup of credentials. They include a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering and a master’s degree in information security and assurance, both from George Mason University; a CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional); CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control); CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor); and as a CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker).

McBorrough, 35, is also the author of a June 2012 article on “The Need for Improved Critical Infrastructure Protection” for InfosecIsland.com, “an online community, InfoSec portal.”

As an independent consultant, he provides cyber security advisory services to business owners and managers in technology, health and financial industries, and is also on the technical advisory board of ISC8, a California-based security technologies company. He teaches a security policy course at the University of Maryland University College, and a security architecture course at Northern Virginia Community College.

The Liberian-American is dead-serious when commenting on protecting the infrastructure, as citizens depend on access to clean water, electric power, transportation and other services.

Yet those systems are increasingly connected to and dependent on network communications. That link and dependency is on networks connected to the Web that are not secure or reliable posing significant risk.

The online link puts power plants, nuclear plants and similar facilities command centers clicks away from hackers globally who want to disrupt or end service. The incidents, he says, include energy sector threats from countries including China, Russia and Iran.

Public/private agreement to counter attack is vital as many facilities are privately-owned and managed. If that occurs, government eases regulations and companies invest in security both sides benefit, he says, but that likelihood doesn’t look promising.

McBorrough believe the next challenges are in cloud computing, big data and mobility. Organizations struggle to how to take advantage of the benefits of moving to the cloud and maintain levels of security of and control over their data.

Big data is swamping companies as they generate millions of log entries across their networks and systems daily. Security professionals will benefit from analyzing that information to gain intelligence into security environment within organizations.

Increasingly mobile workforces also force organizations to adjust their security practices, but data resides in every type of device, and on the cloud. Plus, some organizations may allow the use of personal devices at work creating creates new challenges to networks and data.

Beyond the academic qualifications and qualifications, McBorrough says it is vital to be able to use “soft skills to communicate risks, threats and vulnerabilities as well as make a www.blackengineer.com

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business case for why the benefits of improved security outweigh the costs.”

McBorrough’s has five tools he thinks will assist students and novice security professionals can use to hone their craft: First are free Linux distributions with tools for both offensive and defensive security.

Two are BackTrack ( www.backtrack-linux.org), a great

suite of tools, for those interested in penetration testing and forensics, and Samurai Web Testing Framework ( www.samurai. ingaurdians.com), a pre-configured Web penetration testing environment.

Finally, McBorrough says, it is crucial to find a mentor in an area that you like. He locked into the cyber security after working as an intern at what is now Online Resources Co. That launching pad also turned him into a tech evangelist teaching college level cyber security courses and making speeches on the subject to business groups.

“Security is ultimately about people. My goal has always been to increase education and awareness,” he said.

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Career OUTLOOK

What a ‘white hat’ hacker does

C

harles Tendell is a Black man wearing a white hat. He is a cyber security consultant, a cyber security professional, a digital forensics investigator and has one of the coolest occupations, at least to those outside the cyber security industry. He is a certified ethical hacker.

That is a sentence fraught with derring-do, and perhaps some hype.

Tendell, 29, and based in Denver, does what a lot of people wish they could he has led many investigaCharles Tendell, cyber security consultant, cyber security tions into cybercrimes. professional and digital forensics His specialties include investigator coordinating with teams to conduct internal audits, vulnerability assessments, lead remediation efforts, managing incident responses, joining and conducting computer forensic investigations, conducting internal and external penetration tests and evaluations, managing internal security awareness training and providing executive management with guidance on industry best practices.

In short his portfolio range from consumer scams to corporate espionage, and the goals are always to figure out how the bad guys did what they did, and how to thwart or capture them.

As managing partner of Azorian Cyber Security, Tendell provides services to clients from individuals, to mom and pop shop owners, Fortune 100 companies and the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense.

A primary service that ethical hackers like Tendell provide is penetration testing. They are hired to try to hack into power plants and water systems to see what are their vulnerabilities. He also probes and picks at intelligence systems and communication systems. He has also worked on cases as a forensic investigator to validate that child pornography was on particular devices, and done analysis of cyber attacks. He is a member of Ecouncil, an organization that provides certified ethical hacker (CEH) and computer hacking forensic investigator (CHFI) certifications.

Examples of cyber threats Tendell has worked on recently include digital identity theft, mobile device fraud, social media hacks and credit card and near field communication (NFC) hacking.

The latter concern how certain cell phones can establish communication by being close to one another or touching. Because of these opportunities, “I’ve worked with some of the greatest people and helped foil some terrible crimes and bring some terrible people to justice,” he said 72 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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The cell phone issue says Tendell is indicative of a huge emerging cyber problem. In an expanding universe of mobile devices how do you protect them from being hacked, and the networks at public, private and non-profit organizations to which they connect.

Tendell, who has a bachelor of science degree in information systems security from the University of Phoenix, says that becoming a CEH is a great “how the hacker thinks” certification. He suggests certification holders should also earn a management or an audit certification to be viewed as a well-rounded professional. He also says make a focus on the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project), which can teach one “how to build, design and test the security of Web applications and Web services,” as everything is becoming a cloud- and Web application-based.

Always learning, Tendell spent five years as an information systems and intelligence analyst with the U.S. Army. And he says that cyber security students should gain superior operating system (OS) level understanding, and continuously enhance one’s research skills. They must also read online industry journals and join forums.

Plus he urges attendance at forensics and security conferences including DEFCON, the hackers’ event and CES (Consumer Electronics Association.

Tendell also follows companies like Mandiant, a security company that tracks and evaluates the damage that hacker cause, and Black Bag Technologies, which focuses on Apple devices. His favorite cyber security apps are Backtrack, which has penetration testing and forensics tools, and Samurai Web Testing Framework. It is “a live Linux environment that has been pre-configured to function as a Web pen-testing environment.”

Such knowledge is crucial because “we are protecting against known vulnerabilities. Hackers think outside of the box. Security professionals need the think outside of the box,” Tendell said.

Guarding the War Fighters: Cyber Security in the U.S. Air Force Major David Lavine is a cyber integration and network defense officer in the U.S. Air Force. His official designation is AFNet program manager, NGB/A6CI, cyber analyst, U.S. Cyber Command.

Lavine is a former flight commander in Japan. He graduated from North Carolina A&T University with a degree in computer science, and from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology with a master of science degree in cyber warfare.

www.blackengineer.com

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Career OUTLOOK

The Top Tech at an Award Winning Cyber Defense Firm

C

harles Iheagwara is the director of cyber security practice at Unatek, an IT security company based in Bethesda, Md., that consult sells corporate intrusion and detection products, services and consulting. Iheagwara directs cyber security services that enable government and private enterprise clients to anticipate, identify, mitigate and strengthen defenses against manifold high-tech electronic threats.

Since its founding in 1996, Unatek has specialized in securing network and internet systems which have grown exponentially due to the convergence of IT and telecommunications at small, medium and large corporations. The company provides cyber security consulting, managed and solutions services. Customers include the Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Marine Corps, several federal departments, the U.S. Army, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the State of Maryland.

Iheagwara develop scalable solutions to meet current and future risks and directs systems integration and high-tech security projects for clients.

Charles Iheagwara, director of cyber security practice, Unatek These include an in-depth approach to uncover client needs to create winning partnerships.

University. The licensed professional engineer holds multiple Depending on the size and type of networked assets that industry certifications, including the CISSP and PMP certificaa customer wants to defend savings from deterring a threat tions. could range from $5,000 to several million dollars. Unatek’s All are a crucial educational and practical foundation to business is split between public and private — 55 percent and build defenses against the next generation of cyber criminals.

45 percent, respectively.

Iheagwara said the level of protection will come from deIheagwara said common fixes Unatek makes are to veloping an IPS to find solutions to problems that have been protect an organization’s information and or data from being elusive for cyber warrior. compromised through unauthorized disclosure. The company These include thwarting the creation of Botnets, Webdoes that by building “a perimeter of defensive mechanisms linked and hacker-controlled computer up to no good, and with concentric circles of defined defense mechanisms, zones developing commercial anomaly-based Intrusion prevenand assets.” tion systems. His advice for those who want to harden His proudest professional achievement was contributcloud computing’s defenses is straight forward: “Use all ing as a global lead consultant to the building of Lockheed known best practices.”

Martin’s corporate intrusion detection system, also known In 2012, Unatek received a five-year extension on its as an intrusion prevention system (IPS). He also takes contract from the U.S. General Services Administration. pride in assisting KPMG to develop risk management IT was let contracts, among others, with the Department of frameworks for major U.S. airports.

Homeland Security, the Navy, and Prince Georges County in The Nigeria native earned his bachelor and master of sciMaryland. Last May, Unatek won the “Homeland Security ence degrees in metallurgical engineering from the National Company of the Year Award” from the Maryland Department University of Science and Technology, Moscow. He received of Business and Economic Development, the Maryland Techa second master’s degree, in management and engineering, nology Development Corp. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, another in Previously, Iheagwara was Unatek’s Chief Technolminerals engineering from the University of Minnesota and a ogy Officer and oversaw the company’s enterprise technoldoctorate degree in computer science from the University of ogy roadmap, development programs as well as consulting Glamorgan, Wales and United Kingdom. engagements for corporate clients. He is a member of the He also completed an advanced environmental engineerMicrosoft IT Advisory Council. ing management certificate program at George Washington www.blackengineer.com

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Career OUTLOOK

Resources for digital defenders

by Frank McCoy fmccoy@ccgmag.com

What you need to read, visit and know to get ahead

U

S Black Engineer & Information Technology knows that cyber security professionals don’t use magic powers to prepare for emerging trends in threat assessment and to thwart private and public attacker; it just appears that way to the non-digerati.

IT security specialists stop, look, listen and analyze. We asked the IT guardians profiled in the accompanying article what students need to know if they consider cyber security as a potential career. The pros told Black Engineer what they think will be the hottest jobs; the security apps they like; the journals, publications and legislation they read; the conferences they attend and the groups they join; the sites they bookmark; and the certifications one must have for success. Now, it is up to you to read, learn and use that knowledge, which would differ with another group of professionals.

www.blackengineer.com

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Where the Jobs Are

Students should investigate the following job designations or similar positions.

Advanced Threat Manager RSA Security Solution, an EMC company, calls advanced threats “highly-targeted, amply-funded” cyber-attacks on specific organizations that attack with multiple weapons, including malware and scans for vulnerability, plus a “low and slow” technique. That is when assault is launched by single computer instead of a bot horde to evade detection.

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Career OUTLOOK

Cloud Architect Stanton Gatewood, the chief information security and e-privacy officer of the University System of Georgia, said this field needs graduates to deploy end-to-end secure encryption for local and cloud providers, and oversee cloud defense training for users, technologists and management.

devise, execute and manage effective mobile and BYOD (bringyour-own devices) defense strategies for public, private and nonprofit organizations will be in hot demand.

Health care Application/Medical Device Security Manager The expansion of Obamacare, and the mandate to digitize medical records, boosts the demand for IT professionals to protect healthcare records, personnel management and infrastructure. In addition, the potential remote hacking of X-ray machines, pacemakers, insulin pumps and other medical devices demands hiring of added cyber security specialists.

Network Security Officer The Sophos 2012 Network Security Survey (http://www. sophos.com/en-us/security-news-trends/security-trends/networksecurity-survey.aspx) said IT departments shouldn’t think that protecting their network perimeter makes their network safe.

Skilled defensive agents are vital as “cloud services, mobile devices, remote workers and wireless networks are all expanding the network boundary beyond its traditional reach.” Sophos is a $400 million IT security and data protection firm with headquarters in Boston and England.

Big Data Security Guardian Gartner, an IT research and advisory company projects that in 2013 big data will comprise $28 billion projected IT spending out of $34 billion total. It could be your job to protect Big Data with monitoring tools and defensive processes.

Penetration Testers Like to hack? But dislike the potential fines and/or imprisonment? Licensed penetration testers carry out assaults to find, test and document weaknesses, and to determine how to best them.

Note: A good place to find out what jobs employers are advertising is ClearanceJobs.com and click on the “IT – Security in the Jobs by Category” section. Also, check out its “Security Clearance FAQ,” “Security Clearance Blog” and “Salary Survey.”

Arm yourself with cyber security applications

Mobility Management and BYOD Officer Cyber criminals are rationalists and recent news must thrill them. As of November, there were 6 billion cell phone subscriptions, Microsoft launched its Surface tablet, the iPad Mini went on sale, and the updated iPad, too. IT professionals that can 76 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012

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This section will help you to create a personal library of security application providers.

Endpoint Security Management is defined at IT.Toolbox (www.IT.Toolbox.com) as securing hardware or software able to independently connect to, obtain an IP address on, transmit data through or process code for a network. Endpoints may be printers, smartphones, routers, hubs or other devices linked via an Ethernet jack, modem or Wi-Fi access point. To find the apps, www.blackengineer.com

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Private and public sources and publications to read and learn from: • The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Special Publications— 800 Series: Guidance for Computer Security Risk Assessment and related material. (www.nist. gov/itl/csd/risk-091812.cfm)

• The Federal Information Security Management Act and related material. (csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fisma/index.html)

• Dark Reading (www.darkreading.com) for timely Web security news.

• Security News Portal (www.securitynewsportal.com) • Network World (www.networkworld.com/topics/security.html) • CSO: Security and Risk magazine and CSO online (www. csoonline.com)

• Disaster Recovery Journal is what it sounds like. (www.drj. com)

paste “endpoint Security apps” in your search box and click.

Security Information and Event Management apps that are used to store historical data for comparison and maintain it for compliance requirements can be found at AlienVault (www. alienvault.com) and many other sites.

Vulnerability Management Software apps automatically identify, classifies, remediates and lessens cyber security vulnerabilities.

Google 2-Step Verification protects Google email or Google Docs users by adding a verification app. It requires the user to show something, a password and a unique identifier such as a pin number, making it difficult to guess a password or for a virus to steal it.

The Linux distribution guide provides “80 of the Best Linux Security Applications.” (Linuxlinks.com) BackTrack contains tools for people interested in penetration testing and forensics. (www.backtrack-linux.org) Samurai Web Testing Framework is pre-configured Web penetration testing environment. (www.samurai.ingaurdians. com) Zenmap is the official multi-platform Nmap Security Scanner graphical user interface. The app is found on Nmap, a free security scanner for networks. (www.nmap.org/zenmap/) Nessus is a vulnerability and configuration assessment tool. (www.nessus.org) Metasploit is a penetration testing tool that provides instruction to enlighten newbies and security professionals. (www. metasploit.com) AppDetect is designed to spotlight the location of application problems in production. (www.rttsweb.com) Encase Forensics is a suite of applications from Guidance Software, which specializes in digital forensics, cyber security and e-discovery. (www.guidancesoftware.com) Intrusion Detection and Intrusion Prevention software apps that sniff out and prevent cyber intruders. Paste the app’s term above in your search box and click. www.blackengineer.com

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• On Twitter, follow security experts like Bruce Schneier (@ schneierblog), Richard Bejtlich (@taosecurity), Jeremiah Grossman (@jeremiahg) and Brian Krebs (@briankrebs), who reports on cybercrime and security topics.

• Subscribe to cyber security websites using Google Reader.

Learn and network at conferences and with groups • LinkedIn has more than 300 cyber security groups.

• GovSec—The Government Security Conference and Expo (govsecinfo.com/Home.aspx)

• Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) • Information Systems Audit Control Association (ISACA) • Security B-Sides is a community-driven organization of IT specialists. (www.securitybsides.com)

• Shmoocon is an East Coast hacker conference. (www. shmoocon.org)

• Black Hat conferences bring the white and black hats together. (www.blackhat.com)

• EC-Council is an information security education and training

organization, and it confers legitimacy on certified ethical hackers. The EC-Council motto is “Hackers are here. Where are you?” (www.eccouncil.org)

• Hacker Halted is a well-regarded information security conference.

• DEFCON is the biggest underground hacker conference, and held in Las Vegas. (www.defcon.org)

• Consumer Electronics Association showcases what will be hacked next. (www.ce.org)

• GrrCon, the Midwest Information Security & Hacker conference (grrcon.org)

Sites to visit and bookmark: • Ponemon Institute is a research center dedicated to privacy,

data protection and information security policy. (www. ponemon.org/index.php)

• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is a nonprofit consumer education and advocacy project. (www.privacyrights.org)

• International Association of Privacy Professionals (www. privacyassociation.org)

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Career OUTLOOK

Degrees and certifications to earn In 2011, Evan Lesser, director of ClearanceJobs.com, told bankinfosecurity.com that “Combinations of both defensive and offensive skills related to network security are in demand. This trend will continue with increased focus on cybersecurity offense attacker roles and areas like ethical hacking, reverse engineering and malicious code analysis.”

There is no perfect slate of knowledge. The organizations that you will apply to will have their mandatory requirement, but this when it comes to cyber security knowing more is always better. There are public, private and nonprofit organizations that certify cyber professionals in the following areas: Top 10 IT Security Certifications as listed

by Bankinfosecurity.com • CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional (from the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. (ISC) 2 . (www.isc2.org) • CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker • CISM: Certified Information Security Manager • GIAC: Global Information Assurance Certification • CBCP: Certified Business Continuity Professional • CCNA: Certified Network Associate Certification (Cisco), and follow it up with a CCNA Security certifi-

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cate focused on networks

• MCSE: Microsoft’s Certified Systems Engineer (Microsoft) with focus on security

• CCSE: Certified Security Expert (Check Point) • CCSK: Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge • CSFA: Cyber Security Forensic Analyst (Cloud Security Alliance)

The following are certifications prized by various U.S. federal agencies and their contractors.

• CompTIA Security+: CompTIA • CompTIA A+ • CompTIA Network+ • CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician • ITIL: The Information Technology Infrastructure Library • CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional • PMP: Project Management Professiona • MCSE: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers • MCP: Microsoft Certified Professional • CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associates • MCSA: Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator Sources: www.bankinfosecurity.com, www.Techrepublic.com’s “The 10 best IT certifications: 2012”

www.blackengineer.com

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