ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (September 6, 2013) -- The Army's tactical communications network -- a top modernization priority -- is in the hands of a new leader.
On Sept. 4 the Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T) officially changed hands when outgoing Program Executive Officer Maj. Gen. N. Lee S. Price passed the organization's charter to the new PEO, Brig. Gen. Daniel P. Hughes.
Held at Aberdeen Proving Ground's Myer Auditorium and hosted by the Honorable Heidi Shyu, Army Acquisition Executive and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, the change of charter ceremony marked the official transition of leadership.
"The success achieved here at PEO Command, Control and Communications-Tactical is a testament to both a dynamic workforce and talented leadership," Shyu said. "Leadership of this organization requires an incredible amount of commitment to meeting the communications needs of our Soldiers now and in the future. Both Lee Price and Dan Hughes exemplify these traits."
The PEO for C3T guides a workforce of more than 1,600 personnel who develop, deliver and support more than 40 major Army programs that provide Soldiers with the communications networks, radios, satellite systems and other hardware and software they require to communicate on the battlefield.
Retiring after more than 38 years in uniform, Price assumed leadership of PEO C3T in November 2009, becoming the Army's first female PEO. Price began her military career in 1975 as a Private First Class in the Alabama National Guard. After being commissioned through Officer Candidate School, she was transferred to the Signal Corps, entering active duty in 1981.
Price became the first woman in the Army Acquisition Corps to be nominated to the rank of brigadier general and was the first woman selected to be a general officer while serving in a special operations unit.
Even before the financial pressures of sequestration, Price infused the PEO with a culture of efficiency in order to provide increased capabilities with reduced resources. In the first year of Price's tenure, PEO C3T won the David Packard Award for Acquisition Excellence, the Department of Defense's top acquisition honor.
"In public service you must ensure your heart is pure and your goals are common," Price said. "Throughout my career, I have tried to lead by example and always raise the bar. I encourage initiative in my subordinates by empowering them with the latitude to make independent decisions, and I am astounded every day at their dedication and commitment."
Hughes assumes his new assignment at a critical time, in light of fiscal constraints and the Army's changing force structure. A robust tactical communications network will support the Army's transformation into a force that is smaller but still highly capable. In current and future decentralized operations, the network is critical to empowering leaders and Soldiers at all echelons with the right information, at the right time to make the decisions essential to mission success.
"It is an honor to be selected to lead an organization with such a critical mission," Hughes said. "The professional workforce at PEO C3T provides our warfighters with the tools required to secure victory."
Hughes takes the reins following a dual assignment as Commanding General of Natick Soldier Systems Center and Deputy Commanding General of the Army's Research, Development and Engineering Command. He was a key contributor to the Army's network modernization progress during his previous assignment as Director of System of Systems Integration for the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology).
Hughes comes to PEO C3T with broad experience in its portfolio, having spent much of his career with the organization as a product and program manager. During Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, Hughes served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations for PEO C3T.
"It really is a homecoming for me," Hughes said. "PEO C3T has a well-deserved reputation for getting the job done. With the foundation laid by MG Price and her predecessors, and our talented, dedicated staff, I am confident the PEO will continue its track record of excellence."
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