Guardian of the Army's Network passes the torch

The Army's former project manager of Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (PM WIN-T), Col. Chuck Hoppe, made history at the program's helm, leading it from its early stages to its soon to be fielded second increment, which paves the way for increased network capability for the current and future force.

"From a tactical command and control standpoint WIN-T, as an overall program, is the backbone of today's tactical Army," Hoppe said. "I don't think that is up for debate."

Hoppe relinquished the PM WIN-T charter to Col. Edward Swanson in a ceremony hosted by Brig. Gen. N. Lee S. Price, program executive officer for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical, on Aug. 4 at the Myer Auditorium at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Md. During the ceremony Hoppe received the Legion of Merit Award for his exceptional service and superior performance during his tenure as PM for WIN-T.

Previous to this position Hoppe was the PM of Tactical Radio Communication Systems, which included the Joint Network Node (JNN) program that is now known as WIN-T Increment 1. Hoppe assumed responsibility of the PM WIN-T office in August 2007, just three months after WIN-T emerged from a Nunn/McCurdy restructure and five months after the JNN program achieved a Milestone C to become an official program of record. As a result of that restructure, Hoppe assumed responsibility for a WIN-T program that was divided into four increments.

"We cannot discuss WIN-T without discussing Col. Hoppe's leadership and his drive for excellence since WIN-T's restructuring four years ago," Swanson said.

PM WIN-T provides the satellite and terrestrial communications network and services that enable Soldiers to send and receive information in order to execute their missions.

Similar to a home Internet connection, WIN-T Increment 1 provides high-speed, high-capacity voice, data and video communications to units on the battlefield, at-the-halt or at-the-quick-halt. Unlike a home Internet connection, WIN-T Increment 2 will provide this network to a military formation while it is moving across the battlefield.

As the PM for WIN-T, Hoppe managed the cost, schedule, performance, and life cycle management of 18 programs, including three acquisition category 1D programs with a total average annual budget that exceeded $1 billion. His portfolio included the four Increments of the WIN-T program, as well as the PdM SATCOM and PdM Command Post Systems & Integration programs. Among his many noteworthy accomplishments he and his team fielded 36 imminently-deploying units with more than 300 WIN-T Increment 1 communication nodes during the past year. During the same period, his team awarded $390 million in contract actions to provide tactical and commercial satellite communication equipment to the Warfighter. Additionally, he was responsible for fielding the Standardized Integrated Command Post System (SICPS) to 47 units, and filled multiple Operational Needs Statements to field additional enclaves and augment equipment with increased throughput to units in Afghanistan.

Hoppe said that his biggest challenges during his tenure as PM for WIN-T were in education and communication, in keeping leadership informed on exactly what the system could and could not do.

"I wasn't here to protect a program, therefore it was my responsibility to make sure that when senior leaders were faced with resource decisions, they had the right information available to them to make informed decisions," Hoppe said. "And so that meant putting the truth on the table."

Hoppe said that if he had to highlight a single endeavor that taught him the most during his tenure as PM for WIN-T it would have to be his assignment to Kandahar as the J6 for U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) South from September 2009 to March 2010, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. He was instrumental in standing up the Afghan Mission Network (AMN) -- the coalition secret network that allows Coalition members to operate on a common security enclave. As the J6 for USFOR-A South, Hoppe was responsible for the Title 10 planning and support for U.S. units communications needs in the NATO area of responsibility and for providing assistance to operational command of Regional Command-South. Much of his time was spent helping units solve problems as they were trying to execute their mission sets. One of his biggest challenges in theater was providing the network infrastructure and capability to the Contingency Operating Bases, Forward Operating Bases, and to units moving to new locations.

"Getting to go to Afghanistan for six months as the primary Staff J6 and seeing the real challenges of a signal officer in an austere environment really gave me a much cleaner perspective of the capabilities that we were putting into theater, and frankly where the needs were," Hoppe said. "It drove home some things that I already knew and educated me on things I was unaware of."

Hoppe noted that his greatest accomplishment as PM for WIN-T was not any particular piece of equipment or capability, but setting the stage for his product managers and the rest of his staff to be successful.

"To me this is not a job that is about kit, it has always been about people, whether it's the people we are supporting in the organization or the people we are supporting downrange," Hoppe said. "And that is what I'm going to miss the most."

In Hoppe's new assignment he will serve as the military deputy director for the Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center (CERDEC).

In his previous position as product manager for the Installation Information Infrastructure Modernization Program (I3MP) Continental United States (CONUS), Swanson led the team installing and upgrading Army installation voice, data, and outside plant networks throughout CONUS. He began his 24 year military career serving with the infantry as both a chemical and signal officer, and then transitioned to the Acquisition Corps. He has returned to the C4ISR community, where he was involved in WIN-T's early phases. At Fort Monmouth, N.J., Swanson was a fielding officer for all PM Military Satellite Communications equipment, and later served as the Assistant PM for Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical -- Terminal (SMART-T). Recently he deployed for nine months to Afghanistan, as the Security Cooperation Division Chief, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Training Mission -- Afghanistan / Combined Security and Transition Command -- Afghanistan (NTM-A/CSTC-A) at Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan.

"It is both an honor and privilege to join the WIN-T team," Swanson said. "I look forward to facing the challenges and continuing the WIN-T tradition of being the premier tactical network and service capability provider to the Solider."

Amy Walker is a staff writer for Symbolic Systems, Inc. supporting the Army's Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T).

Related Links:

PEO C3T website

PM WIN-T website