Five C5ISR giants inducted to Hall of Fame

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Five civilian and retired military leaders were honored for their exceptional careers during the C5ISR Hall of Fame Class of 2021 induction ceremony at the Myer Auditorium June 16.

C5ISR stands for Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. Class of 2021 inductees were retired Gen. Dennis Via, retired Lt. Gen. William Campbell, Edward Bair, Dr. John Pollard and Byron Young,

Celebrating excellence

APG Senior Commander and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Maj. Gen. Mitchell Kilgo, hosted the ceremony and delivered remarks. He said the honorees are five leaders who worked diligently throughout their careers “to equip our Soldiers with the necessary tools to defend our freedom, the Constitution and the American way of life.”

“People are the Army’s top priority,” he said. “It‘s our people who drive us forward. Those who foster innovation, growth and excellence within our Army.”

Kilgo also thanked audience members and those attending virtually for their support. He recognized the workforce for demonstrating a commitment to excellence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I know it hasn’t been easy, but your commitment to empowering our Soldiers with C5ISR readiness in the face of adversity is a true testament to your perseverance, adaptability and resilience. I am proud to be a part of such a mission-focused resolute team.”

Kilgo said the inductees are “among the finest the Army has to offer.” Quoting retired Gen. Colin Powell, he said, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.”

Retired Gen. Dennis Via

Via served 36 years with the U.S. Army, culminating his career as the 18th commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, from August 2012 until October 2016. Via holds the distinction of being the first commissioned Signal Corps officer in U.S. Army history to be promoted to four-star general and is one of only eight U.S. Army African-American four-star generals.

From July 2007 through June 2009, Via served as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command (CECOM) and Senior Commander of Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, where he was responsible for planning the Base Realignment and Closure of Fort Monmouth and relocation of CECOM to APG. As the commander of AMC, he was directly responsible for all logistics, information technology, research and development, contracting, foreign military sales, industrial base manufacturing and depot operations for the U.S. Army.

Retired Lt. Gen. William Campbell

Campbell served 38 years with the U.S. Army and 21 years as a government civilian, dedicating his career to the C5ISR community. During his career, he performed duties throughout the C5ISR field from user to combat developer to tester to senior leader. Beginning in 1987, he held key C5ISR leadership positions for 13 years, serving as Program Executive Officer Intelligence and Electronic Warfare; Deputy for Program Assessment and International Cooperation, Office of Assistant Secretary of the Army (Research, Development and Acquisitions); PEO Command and Control; PEO Command, Control and Communications Systems; and Director of Information Systems for Command, Control, Communications, and Computers.

Under his leadership, more than 250,000 C5ISR systems and devices were deployed to the nation’s warfighters. After his retirement in 2000, he served on the Army Science Board for 10 years, served on two Defense Science Board studies, chaired a National Academies study that produced a “bible” for agile acquisition of information technology and served on the Army Historical Foundation Board of Directors overseeing construction of the National Museum of the Army. In 2002, he deployed briefly to Kuwait as a special governmental employee to assist in integrating C5ISR systems for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Edward Bair

Bair served 33 years as a government civilian, dedicating his career to the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors.

“As an original member of the PEO IEW&S since 1987, Mr. Bair has touched virtually every aspect of the organization and the systems it has fielded throughout the entirety of its history,” according to his biography in the event program.

Bair served in roles including the business management chief, deputy to the PEO, and in 1999, he was the first civilian selected to serve as the PEO IEW&S.

During his eight years as PEO, Bair led the organization through the early phases of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, fielding over 200,000 systems. His budgetary expertise, skillful acquisition and adept leadership made him a mentor within the C5ISR community.

He culminated his career as the longest tenured IEW&S senior leader.

Bryon Young

Young served 40 years of combined uniform and civilian service with the U.S. Army, culminating his career as Executive Director of the Army Acquisition Center (now known as Army Contracting Command–Aberdeen Proving Ground.

“During his 12 years as a member of the Senior Executive Service Corps and 28 years as an Army Officer, he instrumentally pioneered dynamic change across the DOD’s contracting community,” the program states.

Young’s support of the C5ISR mission began with his management and consolidation of two ACC contracting centers into a single contracting entity, necessitated by the Base Realignment and Closure-directed move of the ACC-CECOM contracting center from Fort Monmouth to APG.

“Mr. Young’s leadership and technical ingenuity have significantly impacted delivering readiness and achieving the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army’s modernization efforts,” the program states.

Young retired in 2017.

Dr. John Pollard

Pollard served 46 years as a government civilian, dedicating his career to the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate. Pollard began his time as a civilian in December 1968 at the U.S. Army Night Vision Laboratory at Fort Belvoir, Virginia shortly after the lab was established.

“He was instrumental in the research, development and delivery of numerous sensor technologies, directed research and technical activities in electro-optics, infrared (thermal) sensors, image intensifiers (night vision goggles), infrared imaging lasers and image processing, and was personally responsible for some of the greatest advancements in infrared detector technologies,” the program states. “These technologies ensure the U.S. Army and Soldiers have the all-weather, 24-hour fighting capability.”

Pollard is considered a “founding father” of the NVESD. His technical and scientific achievements in developing night vision goggles, considered cumulatively from the days of the Vietnam conflict through the current days of Integrated Visual Augmentation System and Night Vision Goggle-Next, have influenced the way the U.S. Army fights wars and conducts operations. He literally is the man who ensured the the U.S. Army “owns the night.”

“He has served as a role model and provided advice and guidance to nearly every single engineer and scientist at NVESD over the past quarter century,” his nomination to the hall of fame reads.

About the C5ISR Hall of Fame 

Membership in the C5ISR Hall of Fame is open to any former Soldier or Department of Army civilian from CECOM, the U.S. Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s (DEVCOM) C5ISR Center; the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors, the PEO for Command, Control, Communications — Tactical and the Army Futures Command’s Network Cross-Functional Team.

A recording of this program is available on the CECOM Facebook page.

To learn more about the C5ISR Hall of Fame, visit the CECOM Headquarters in building 6002 lobby on APG, or the Hall of Fame website.