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Acquisition & Sustainment Workforce—Key Leadership Changes
Biden Picks Shyu for DoD Research and
Engineering Chief
DEFENSE NEWS (APRIL 27, 2021)
Joe Gould and Aaron Mehta
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has formally announced
Heidi Shyu as his nominee for undersecretary of defense for
Research and Engineering and Meredith Berger as his nominee
for assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations
and Environment.
The announcement confirmed Defense News’s reporting from
the morning that the two nominations were coming. The
White House also announced that Frank Kendall, a longtime
Pentagon acquisition official, would be Biden’s nominee for
Air Force secretary and that Gina Ortiz Jones will be the Air
Force undersecretary pick, both picks reported earlier in the
day by Defense News.
The selections continue a process of filling out the
Department’s top jobs after a slow start. They also continue
a trend of selecting minority and female candidates for top
jobs across the Department, a trend the administration has
previously pledged to focus on. Navy Rear Adm. Joseph Noble Jr. is designated as the next
director of Defense Logistics Agency Logistics Operations,
March 29, 2021.
Shyu served as the Army’s top acquisition official from
Courtesy photo
September 21, 2012, to January 31, 2016. Much of her career
before her government service was with Raytheon, where she
worked on a number of business units that will be relevant to and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. In
the R&E enterprise, including unmanned, space, and electronic 2017, he laid the keel for the future USS Fort Lauderdale, as the
warfare programs; she ended her Raytheon career as vice ship’s official sponsor.
president of technology strategy for the Space and Airborne
Systems business unit. Berger’s selection comes as the Defense Department is
shifting how it addresses climate change and as it considers
According to news reports, the Taiwan-born Shyu immigrated moving more into alternative energy.
to the U.S. at age 10. Democratic senators Tammy Duckworth
of Illinois, the first Thai-American elected to Congress, and Former DLA Officer Selected to Lead DLA Logistics
Maizie Hirono of Hawaii, the first Asian-American woman Operations
elected to the Senate, have previously pressured the DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY PUBLIC AFFAIRS (MARCH 29, 2021)
Biden team to add more Asian-American Pacific Islander FORT BELVOIR, Va.—Navy Rear Adm. Joseph Noble Jr. has
representation across the administration. Shyu would be the been selected as the next director of Defense Logistics Agency
highest ranking Asian-American civilian at the Pentagon, if Logistics Operations. He will replace Air Force Maj. Gen. Allan
confirmed by the Senate. E. Day.
The undersecretary for Research and Engineering is the Noble currently commands Naval Supply Systems Command
Department’s top technology development job, with the Weapons Systems Support in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
mandate to focus on producing next-generation capabilities. He previously served in DLA as chief of the Strategic Programs
Division and executive officer to the DLA director.
Berger has held various policy roles within DoD and the
Environmental Protection Agency. During the Obama “Rear Adm. Noble has an impressive resume of logistics and
administration, Berger served as deputy chief of staff to Navy leadership experience that will serve DLA well,” DLA Director
Secretary Ray Mabus, and is now part of his consultancy group, Navy Vice Adm. Michelle Skubic said in an email to senior
as well as a non-resident fellow at the Belfer Center for Science leaders announcing the selection.
Defense Acquisition: July-August 2021 1
Acquisition & Sustainment Workforce—Key Leadership Changes
His prior assignments include special assistant to the secretary General Officer Announcement
of the Navy for Audit Readiness, commander of the Navy DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (APRIL 16, 2021)
Supply Corps School, and assistant commander for Supply Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that
Operations and Logistics Policy for Naval Supply Systems the president has made the following nomination: Marine
Command. Corps Maj. Gen. Edward D. Banta for appointment to the grade
of lieutenant general, and assignment as deputy commandant
Air Force Welcomes New Chief Scientist for installations and logistics, Headquarters, U.S. Marine
SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS (APRIL 8, 2021) Corps. Banta is currently serving as commander, Marine Corps
WASHINGTON—The Department of the Air Force welcomed Installations Command; and assistant deputy commandant
their newest chief scientist, Dr. Victoria Coleman at a for installations and logistics (facilities), Headquarters, U.S.
swearing-in ceremony April 6. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.
In this role, she serves as the chief scientific adviser to the Flag Officer Announcement
secretary of the Air Force, the Air Force chief of staff and the DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (APRIL 21, 2021)
chief of Space Operations. She provides assessments on a Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that
wide range of scientific and technical issues affecting the the president has made the following nomination: Navy Rear
Department’s missions. Adm. William J. Houston for appointment to the grade of vice
admiral, and assignment as commander, Naval Submarine
“I am honored to become a member of the Air and Space Forces; commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet;
Force’s team,” Coleman said. “I believe that science, and commander, Allied Submarine Command, Norfolk,
technology, and innovation bring a lot to the fight. I am excited Virginia. Houston is currently serving as director, Undersea
to be joining at a time that scientific advancement enables new Warfare Division, N97, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations,
capabilities for these truly technological military agencies to Washington, D.C.
further strengthen our national security mission.”
General Officer Assignment
“She brings a wealth of expertise in both academia and DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (APRIL 26, 2021)
industry,” said Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Q. The chief of staff of the Army announces the following
Brown Jr. “She recognizes that pushing the limits of technology general officer assignment: Brig. Gen. John M. Dreska,
has always been at the Air Force’s core.” deputy commander (Troop Program Unit), 311th Sustainment
Command (Expeditionary), Los Angeles, California, to
Coleman comes to the DAF from the University of California- commander (Troop Program Unit), 311th Sustainment
Berkeley, where she held an academic research appointment Command (Expeditionary), Los Angeles, California.
at the Berkeley Center for Information Technology in the
Interest of Society and led science and technology policy on DLA Logistics Operations Director Retires with 32
microelectronics and efforts to develop tools for countering years
digital authoritarianism since 2016. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY NEWS (MAY 24, 2021)
Beth Reece
Coleman has more than 35 years of experience in computer FORT BELVOIR, Va.—The promise of new challenges and an
science and technology including as both an academic leader affinity for learning have driven Air Force Maj. Gen. Allan Day
and industry executive. Prior to accepting the role of chief from his start as a Dalton, Wisconsin, farm kid through 32
scientist, she served as the 22nd director of the Defense years of active-duty service.
Advanced Research Projects Agency where she oversaw a
large suite of disruptive and innovative programs. “Not knowing how every day is going to go because there’s
always a new problem set – I love the challenge of that. I know
General Officer Announcement it’s always going to be exciting and meaningful, and that’s what
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (APRIL 14, 2021) gets me up in the morning,” he said.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that
the president has made the following nomination: Air Force Day’s last two years as the Defense Logistics Agency’s director
Brig. Gen. David N. Miller Jr. has been nominated to the grade of Logistics Operations and the commander for Joint Regional
of major general. Miller is currently serving as the assistant Combat Support have been marked by trials he believes have
deputy chief of Space Operations for Operations, Cyber and made his directorate—and the entire agency—stronger.
Nuclear, U.S. Space Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
2 Defense Acquisition: July-August 2021
Acquisition & Sustainment Workforce—Key Leadership Changes
“Our COVID pandemic response from an agency standpoint
has been pretty phenomenal, just helping the nation
understand what we could do and then delivering on that,”
said Day.
Day oversaw over $3.5 billion in pandemic support to the
military services and federal agencies such as the Department
of Health and Human Services and Federal Emergency
Management Agency. Remote work also thrust him into a new
environment of long-distance leadership in which he worked
to maintain steady, open communications without sacrificing
the informal conversations that previously kept employees
engaged and connected.
Such challenges have triggered some of the fondest memories
and biggest rewards of his career, Day said. During Operation
Allied Force in 1999, he became the senior logistician for the
344th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron.
“All the logistics basically fell on my shoulders as a captain
for 300-plus people and 12 tanker aircraft, and we were
in western France—a place we normally didn’t go. It was a
transformational experience for me as a leader because I kind
of had to make things up as we made things happen,” he said.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Allan Day, Defense Logistics Agency’s
Commissioned from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Day began director of Logistics Operations, retires with 32 years of
his military career as a chemist in the Materials Directorate active-duty service May 25, 2021.
at Wright Laboratories on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Photo by Paul Crank
Ohio, and in 1996 cross-trained into aircraft maintenance
with the Broadening Experience Special Tour program. After
subsequent assignments as a maintenance officer at units like destroy my young family.” Day, married to Barb for nearly 31
the 389th Fighter Squadron and 380th Expeditionary Aircraft years and now a father of six and grandfather of five, chuckled
Maintenance Squadron, he worked at the Pentagon as deputy as he remembered the challenges of going from just one child
chief and then chief of the Weapons Division on the Secretary to two. “Now the house seems very quiet and empty when we
of the Air Force’s acquisition staff. only have two of our kids around.”
Leading DLA Aviation from March 2015 to June 2017 was one Working and serving together is a Day family core value.
of his most pivotal roles, Day added. While attending the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force
Base, Alabama, in 2008-2009 he and his wife bought
“It was my first job as a one-star, and I had to fully embrace a 5,500-square-foot fixer-upper with two kitchens, six
the supply side of logistics by digging in and understanding bedrooms and six bathrooms. When not attending classes
how the full supply chain worked from end to end, and that and writing papers, Day refurbished the house, teaching his
was radically different from anything I’d done before,” he said. kids and any helpful visitors about deconstruction, electrical
work, plumbing, and carpentry.
But early milestones in the general’s personal life also helped
shape his career. The birth of his second child made him “We learned a lot about how to work together as a family,” he
reconsider the long hours he immersed himself in work said. “Although we’d done a lot of home refurbishment up until
and the sacrifices his wife made managing the household that point, this was our biggest project by far and gave us the
singlehandedly. skills to serve others in our community.”
“It was a game changer for me, recognizing I needed to do a Defining his purpose with solid “why” statements has helped
better job of dealing with work-life balance, or I was going to Day balance his family life and career as an Air Force officer.
Defense Acquisition: July-August 2021 3Acquisition & Sustainment Workforce—Key Leadership Changes
Having clear reasons for doing things helps keep him on course Navy Reserve, Rapid Research and Development Detachment,
toward personal and professional goals, he said, and gives Patuxent River, Maryland.
him a common language for talking about those goals with
his family, friends, and coworkers. DLA Energy Deputy Commander Named New DLA
Chief of Staff
Day leaves the agency with three goals for employees: read DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY PUBLIC AFFAIRS (APRIL 29, 2021)
widely; lead up, down, and across; and challenge the status FORT BELVOIR, Va.—W. Eric Smith has been selected as the
quo. Defense Logistics Agency’s new chief of staff, DLA Director
Navy Vice Adm. Michelle Skubic announced in an April 27
“Reading is how we get new thoughts into our head, grow our email to senior leaders.
horizon about what’s possible in our lives, and get beyond
status quo,” he said. Smith is currently deputy commander of DLA Energy and
oversees planning, direction, and execution of worldwide
Leaders who can think for themselves and envision a greater support in petroleum, natural gas, electricity, coal, and
future are critical to DLA’s future, he added, encouraging aerospace energy to military and government agencies as
employees to share their ideas on how to continually improve well as foreign governments.
processes. He called DLA’s new 2021-2026 Strategic Plan
a smart blueprint for the agency’s way ahead. Creating His previous positions include deputy director for Minority
performance plans geared toward clear outcomes will also Programs and Business Operations in the Department of
empower the agency to help the whole of government Energy’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, as well as
and military services achieve ever-rising readiness and acting associate administrator for Emergency Operations and
performance goals. deputy associate administrator for Emergency Management
and Preparedness at the National Nuclear Security
After retiring, Day plans to pursue his interest in digital Administration.
transformation, which captured his imagination while earning
a doctorate degree in organizational leadership from Regent During his seven years at the Department of Homeland
University. Security, Smith implemented a national and interagency all-
hazards operations support concept. He also instituted a
“Digital transformation intrigues me because I believe the public and private sector resource planning and operations
commercial world is accelerating into a digitally transformed support capability to respond to catastrophic disasters,
future, and our government needs to get there,” he said. “But national emergencies, and special events.
what does it actually look like and how does it make us more
effective, and also more vulnerable? This is where the future A former Army logistics management officer, Smith served as
is, and I want to see what that looks like from a business side executive officer to former DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Robert
and help shape that future.” Dail and staff director for DLA’s Logistics Operations Center in
2006. He became a member of the Senior Executive Service
Day will retire in Dayton, Ohio, where he is refurbishing an in 2007, when he was selected to join the Federal Emergency
1850s house and barn with the dream of giving hands-on Management Agency as the assistant administrator for
training to others wanting to work with wood and metal. The Logistics Management, leading the transformation of domestic
dream will help him carry on the legacy of two influential men in disaster logistics following Hurricane Katrina.
his life: his father, William Day, who taught him the satisfaction
of building, growing and learning; and Bob Gottlied, a master Smith has master’s degrees in national security strategy from
craftsman who taught Day the joys of making sawdust and the National War College and in Business Administration from
turning flaws into features. Saint Ambrose University in addition to a bachelor’s degree in
Political Science from the University of Tennessee.
Flag Officer Announcement
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (APRIL 29, 2021) He is replacing Kristin French, who is now deputy director of
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that DLA Logistics Operations. Skubic said Smith will transition to
the president has made the following nomination: Capt. David his new role in the next few weeks.
R. Storr has been nominated for appointment to the rank of
rear admiral (lower half). Storr is currently serving as manager, Flag Officer Assignment
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (APRIL 30, 2021)
4 Defense Acquisition: July-August 2021Acquisition & Sustainment Workforce—Key Leadership Changes
The acting secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations Senate Committee Considers Frank Kendall’s
announced today the following assignments: Capt. Maria L. Nomination to be the 26th Air Force Secretary
Aguayo, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS (MAY 25, 2021)
will be assigned as commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Charles Pope
Systems Command Atlantic, with additional duties as fleet WASHINGTON—Frank Kendall told the Senate Armed
civil engineer (N01CE), U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Services Committee May 25 that if he is confirmed as the
Virginia. Aguayo is currently serving as chief of staff, Naval 26th Secretary of the Air Force he will continue reshaping the
Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Washington, D.C. Air and Space forces to confront near-peer adversaries such
as China, nurture the Space Force’s successful evolution, and
Flag Officer Assignments ensure that Airmen, Guardians, and their families are well
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (MAY 13, 2021) served.
The acting secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations
announced today the following assignments: “If confirmed, my priorities would be straightforward and
mirror precisely those articulated by Secretary of Defense
• Rear Adm. (lower half) John A. Watkins will be assigned [Lloyd] Austin as they apply to the Department of the Air
as deputy director, command, control, communications Force—taking care of our people, mission performance, and
and computer systems and information technology, J6, building teams. Our military is people first and foremost,” he
U.S. Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. told the committee.
Watkins is currently serving as deputy commander, Tenth
Fleet, Fort Meade, Maryland. “With regard to mission performance, I believe the range and
severity of the threats that we face and will face, the rapid pace
• Capt. Stephen G. Mack, selected for promotion to rear of technological innovation, and the need to rapidly harness
admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy chief of staff, that technology in new operational concepts demands a sense
submarines, Maritime Command Headquarters Command; of urgency and a like focus on getting our choices right,” he
and commander, submarines, NATO, Northwood, United said.
Kingdom. Mack is currently serving as chief of staff,
Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; and chief of staff, U.S. An important part of that effort, Kendall said, is ensuring that
Strategic Command Special Activities Atlantic, Norfolk, the United States can operate in, and defend space, calling
Virginia. the still nascent U.S. Space Force “a critical contributor to our
national security. If confirmed, I’ll be honored to have a role in
General Officer Assignments making it a success.”
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (MAY 20, 2021)
The chief of staff of the Army announces the following general Also important, he said, is fully understanding and recognizing
officer assignments: China’s rapid advances and ensuring that the Air and Space
forces succeed in meeting them.
• Brig. Gen. Eric P. Shirley, chief of staff, Project Warp Speed,
Washington, D.C., to commander, Defense Logistics Agency “There is general consensus that China is the pacing threat,”
Troop Support, Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Kendall said, using the term for defining a leading challenger
Pennsylvania. to U.S. security.
• Col. (Promotable) Eric D. Little to commander, White Sands Across nearly three hours of a hearing that was both polite
Missile Range; and deputy commander for developmental and relaxed, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman
testing, U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, White Jack Reed (D-R.I.), praised Kendall for having “a wealth of
Sands, New Mexico. He most recently served as deputy experience in aerospace and defense policy spanning several
commander (Operations), U.S. Army Space and Missile decades.” He also complimented Kendall for returning to
Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. public service after holding high-level positions in the Defense
Department, most recently during the Obama administration.
• Brig. Gen. Laurence S. Linton, commander (Troop Program
Unit), 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), That experience is important, Reed said, noting that “if
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, to chief of staff, Project Warp confirmed as Secretary of the Air Force, you will lead the
Speed, Washington, D.C. Service during a major transformation as we strengthen
our ability to deal with near-peer competitors. In addition to
Defense Acquisition: July-August 2021 5Acquisition & Sustainment Workforce—Key Leadership Changes
Frank Kendall III, then-undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, speaks with Maj. Claire Lundberg,
494th Fighter Squadron pilot, and Lt. Col Bob Remey, deputy air boss, during the Farnborough International Airshow, England,
July 15, 2014.
U.S Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Erin O’Shea
balancing the size and modernization of the Air Force, you including as the Pentagon’s No. 3 official for four years during
must also continue to implement guidance establishing a the Obama administration.
Space Force.
Like Reed, the committee’s ranking Republican, Sen. James
“After two decades of high operating tempo and continuous Inhofe of Oklahoma, acknowledged Kendall’s experience and
overseas deployments, readiness remains a challenge,” Reed also the scope of the challenge ahead.
said. “The next secretary’s efforts in improving the force
structure and support to our Airmen will be crucial.” “Our days of air power dominance are long gone,” Inhofe said.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Kendall’s session before the committee was his first formal
appearance on Capitol Hill since being nominated last month In his testimony and in response to questions, Kendall
by President Biden to be the Department of the Air Force’s presented a philosophy for the job as the highest ranking
highest-ranking civilian leader. He appeared alongside two civilian leader of the Air and Space forces reflecting a mixture
other nominees for senior Department of Defense positions— of well-established priorities, such as shifting focus to confront
Susanna Blume to be director of Cost Assessment and China and Russia. He also emphasized at several points
Program Evaluation for the Department, and Heidi Shyu to during the hearing that, “the Air and Space forces aren’t just
be Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. equipment and concepts of operation.”
Kendall is hardly unknown to senators, however, having served “At its heart, they are the people who operate, create, and
in a number of senior positions for the Department of Defense, support those things. We have to do everything we can to
ensure that our people have the training, the equipment,
6 Defense Acquisition: July-August 2021Acquisition & Sustainment Workforce—Key Leadership Changes
and the support they need to do their jobs; and we have to A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New
ensure that they can do those jobs in an environment that York, Kendall served 10 years on active duty in the Army, a
treats everyone with dignity and respect, and maximizes their tenure that also included a stint teaching engineering at West
potential to grow and serve the nation,” he said. Point. Kendall spent time in the Pentagon as director of the
Tactical Warfare program before moving to become assistant
He pledged to look closely at the progress of existing efforts to deputy undersecretary for Strategic Defense Systems. Kendall
improve base housing and to fostering a fair and independent also worked in the private sector in defense-related jobs, most
“command climate” relating to sexual abuse. In response to notably as Raytheon’s vice president of Engineering during the
a question about racial disparities across the Air and Space mid-1990s.
forces identified in a recent report from the Service’s inspector
general, Kendall said, “It does concern me” and pledged to In addition to graduating from West Point, Kendall earned a
work hard to attack inequality. master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the California
Institute of Technology. He earned his law degree from
Kendall was asked questions on topics ranging from the Georgetown University Law Center as well as an M.B.A. from
Department’s plans for nuclear modernization; how to control C. W. Post Campus of Long Island University.
the costs of operating the F-35 (Lightning II) fighter; and plans
for addressing problems associated with the newest tanker, In other Pentagon jobs, Kendall was director of Tactical
the KC-46 (Pegasus). Like previous nominees, Kendall was Warfare programs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense
asked about the future of the A-10 (Thunderbolt II). and was assistant deputy undersecretary for Strategic Defense
Systems.
When asked if he would lobby for a larger budget in the next
fiscal year, Kendall said he would urge a spending plan that Kendall’s experience as Under Secretary of Defense for
“is adequate for meeting the requirements of the NDS.” The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics from 2012 to 2016 is
NDS, or National Defense Strategy, is the overarching national where he gained notoriety as the Pentagon’s top weapons
security blueprint issued in 2018 for protecting the nation and buyer.
its interests.
In that job, he was responsible “for all matters pertaining to
He told the committee that driving down the F-35’s acquisition; research and engineering; developmental testing;
“sustainment costs” is an important goal and one that will contract administration; logistics and materiel readiness;
attract his early attention if confirmed. He likewise said similar installations and environment; operational energy; chemical,
attention will be devoted to solving development problems that biological, and nuclear weapons; the acquisition workforce;
have slowed the KC-46’s utilization. And like other successful and the defense industrial base.”
but older systems and planes, Kendall acknowledged the long-
standing performance of the A-10 but said the Air Force must While holding that job, the No. 3 position in the Pentagon,
make difficult decisions to balance the use of “legacy” systems Kendall pushed reforms for the way weapons are purchased.
while also allowing the introduction of newer aircraft and other He wrote a series of “Better Buying Power” initiatives aimed
hardware. at reforming the acquisition process to make it more agile.
He was asked about the criteria used for selecting bases to his Flag Officer Assignment
assessment of the future of major training areas such as the DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (MAY 26, 2021)
Nevada Test and Training Range and the value of Alaska to The acting secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations
the nation’s defense to how the Department of the Air Force announced today the following assignment: Capt. Anthony
is responding to climate change, among others. E. Rossi, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half),
will be assigned as director, Navy International Programs
Kendall said that the Air and Space forces should understand Office, Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C.
the effect of climate change. “It should be a consideration, Rossi is currently serving as major program manager, Mission
absolutely,” he said. Integration and Special Programs Office, PMA 298, Patuxent
River, Maryland.
Given his previous service and long history in defense issues,
Kendall said he was aware of, or directly familiar with, nearly
every issue raised to him by senators. His connection with
military service is indeed both deep and varied.
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