ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (September 9, 2021) - Brigadier General Robert M. Collins, the Army’s Program Executive Officer for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), was promoted to the rank of major general today in a ceremony at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
Lieutenant General Robert Marion, Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, and Director of the Army Acquisition Corps, hosted the event.
“This is one of those occasions where the Army absolutely got it right by choosing Rob Collins to promote,” Marion said. “I think our Army is going to be a better led organization because of our recognition of this leadership.”
PEO C3T develops, acquires, fields and supports the Army's communications networks, radios, satellite systems and other hardware and software Soldiers require for information dominance on the battlefield. With a workforce of close to 1500 personnel, PEO C3T has an annual budget of $2.8 billion.
“When I think about the behaviors that I've seen Rob model, I think about what we ask for in our leaders, which is commitment, competence, and character,” Marion said. “I also get asked a lot of times what are your priorities and I always say two things, which are to meet your commitments and be a great teammate. Almost every time someone talks to me about Rob Collins they say those two things, and they usually say them in the reverse order, that he is a great teammate.”
As PEO for C3T, Collins will continue leading the effort with the Network Cross-Functional Team to develop and field a unified network as part of the Army’s modernization strategy. This critical priority delivers tactical communications so commanders and Soldiers can stay connected and informed at all times, even in the most austere and hostile environments. Under his leadership, the Army has developed and fielded the first iteration of its modernized network, Capability Set 21, to three infantry brigade combat teams (IBCTs), with a fourth IBCT and the first Stryker Brigade Combat Team currently underway.
“When we administer the oath of office, it is always a solid reminder to hear about the country that we serve and about the oath that we take to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Collins said.
As a career Signal and Acquisition officer, Collins began his Army career when he was commissioned ROTC into Armor in 1992, with a Bachelor of Science from Shippensburg University. He held two assignments at Fort Gordon before joining the Acquisition Corps there in 2000. His assignments then took him to PEO C3T for the first time, followed by an assignment at the Pentagon and eventually to PEO for Intelligence Electronic Warfare & Sensors, where he rose to PEO prior to his assignment as PEO for C3T in 2020.
Collins holds Masters Degrees from Webster University, the National Defense University, and the Eisenhower School of Strategic Studies at Fort McNair.
“I would just say to my Army family I'm proud to be on your team,” Collins said. “It is hard to say the promotion is not kind of neat, but to be able to have a little bit of extra time added to your clock to continue to serve is priceless, and I’m so very, very thankful.”
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