ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Five extraordinary contributors to the Army’s C5ISR readiness were honored during the C5ISR Hall of Fame Class of 2022 induction ceremony at the Myer Auditorium here, June 22.
C5ISR stands for Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.
This year’s inductees were retired Lt. Gen. Steven Boutelle, retired Lt. Gen. Robert Ferrell, the late Maj. Gen. Harold “Harry” Greene, Gary Martin and Charles Christianson.
Maj. Gen. Robert Edmonson II, APG senior commander and commanding general of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, welcomed the inductees and their guests, saying it was a “privilege and an honor” to be on stage with them.
“These individuals and their important work are prime examples of the collaboration, expertise and courageous leadership required to develop, field and sustain cutting-edge C5ISR technologies that ensure our Soldiers have an informed advantage on the battlefield,” Edmonson said.
Edmonson said that people are the Army’s first priority and that it is “our people who foster innovation, growth and excellence.” The five leaders inducted into the Hall of Fame “worked diligently and steadfastly to ensure Soldiers have the necessary tools to defend our freedom.”
Retired Lt. Gen. Steven Boutelle
During Boutelle’s 38-year Army career, he provided outstanding leadership at all levels from battalion communications officer through Chief Information Officer/G6 of the U.S. Army. He was a prodigious change agent while at Fort Monmouth, NJ for most of the 1990s, transforming the tactical Army to a digitized force and building teams of C5ISR professionals, who continued his initiatives throughout the C5ISR domains.
After selection for Brig. Gen. in 1997, Boutelle served as program executive officer for Command, Control and Communications Systems with responsibility for development, acquisition and fielding of C3 systems for tactical forces for four years. He accelerated the introduction of then-current technology into his portfolio of programs and continued to make ever-lasting progress in digitizing the force.
Boutelle said that he tried to think about how he got to the C5ISR Hall of Fame when preparing for the induction ceremony. He joked that it felt like an accident, but he was glad to be represented.
“You have to do very few things right in your life,” he said. “As long as you don’t do too many things wrong, you’ll do a lot right.”
Retired Lt. Gen. Robert Ferrell
Ferrell served as the Army Chief Information Officer/G-6 from December 2013 until his retirement in March 2017, culminating his 39 years as an Army communicator.
As the CIO, he oversaw the Army’s $10 billion information technology investments, managed enterprise IT architecture, established and enforced IT policies and directed delivery of operational Command, Control, Communications, Computers IT capabilities to support warfighters and business users. As the G-6, he advised the Chief of Staff of the Army on the network, communications, signal operations, information security, force structure and equipping.
Ferrell was the first African-American to serve as the Army CIO/G-6. Immediately prior to that assignment, Ferrell served as the CECOM commanding general and APG senior commander.
He received the Silver Order of Mercury Award in 2014 from the Aberdeen Signal Corps Regimental Association, the Signal Corps Association’s highest award. In 2018 he was inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame.
Ferrell said he was “humbled” to be part of the 2022 Hall of Fame class with his peers.
“I’m filled with a lot of different emotions,” Ferrell said. “Thank you for coming to recognize all of us.”
Maj. Gen. Harold “Harry” Greene
Greene served our Nation and our Army in uniform for over 34 years. Nearly a third of his Army career contributed both directly and indirectly to Army C5ISR in countless impactful ways, serving in key leadership roles.
As product manager aerial common sensor, project manager battle command, deputy commanding general RDECOM (now DEVCOM) and Program Executive Officer Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors he led multi-functional teams of civilians, military and industry partners to deliver state-of-the-art capability to warfighters. Greene was particularly adept at understanding complex details as well as the overall system and how it delivered capability to warfighters.
In his final assignment as the deputy commanding general combined security transition command – Afghanistan, he leveraged all his previous experience to deliver needed equipment, training, sustainment and facilities, to include C5ISR capabilities, to Afghan National Security Forces in theater. On August 5, 2014, Greene was killed in action in Kabul, Afghanistan while doing what he did best: Leading from the front, boots on the ground.
Greene’s wife, Dr. Sue Myers, represented her late husband at the ceremony. She thanked everyone for helping to honor her husband’s legacy.
“He always said that if you don't love what you do, do something else,” Myers said. “And he loved this work. Thank you for remembering Harry in such a special way.”
Gary Martin
Over a 34-year federal career, Martin worked for various Army missions, primarily in C5ISR organizations, delivering critical information and communication technology capability to the American Soldier.
From 2015 to 2018, Martin served as the Program Executive Officer for Command, Control, Communications - Tactical or PEO C3T. Martin guided a workforce whose mission was to acquire, field and support the communication networks, radios, satellite systems and other hardware and software Soldiers require for information dominance on the battlefield. During his tenure, he was credited with leading a workforce whose contributions were at work every day in every theater of operation.
Prior to serving as the PEO C3T, Martin was the CECOM deputy to the commanding general from 2011 to 2015, where he worked with the commander in the development and execution of organizational goals, objectives, and policies to provide world-class, integrated C5ISR solutions to the Soldier.
During his service as the CECOM DCG, he received the 2012 Presidential Rank Award – Distinguished Executive, recognizing him for his extraordinary sustained accomplishments as one of the Army’s highest-performing senior executives. He was one of only 46 SES members, out of 6,800, receiving this award.
“I’ve had a lot of great mentors, many of whom have been in previous Hall of Fame classes,” Martin said. “25 of the previous inductees I either worked with or knew very closely. This team is what makes C5ISR great.”
Charles Christianson
Christianson’s enduring 50-year career contributed to the development and fielding of more than 100,000 products which pervade the entirety of the Dept. of Defense and its allies. His technical knowledge is second to none, especially in the area of radar and signals intelligence systems.
His work during Operation Desert Shield/Storm as well as during the Counter Terrorism/Counter Insurgency operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations world-wide saved the lives and enhanced the effectiveness of U.S. and coalition warfighters.
Christianson used his extensive knowledge and experience to advance the development and fielding of some of the most critically needed equipment supporting Task Force Observe, Detect, Identify, and Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition mission profiles.
He provided direct support to DEVCOM leadership on the development and utilization of the Test Bed and helped support Dept. of the Army leadership as well as numerous COCOM commanders to develop multi domain operations technologies/materiel enabling doctrine and operating concepts for the 21st century warfighter.
“I hope in some small way I was able to improve the lives of the warfighters,” Christianson. “I hope I enhanced their survivability.”
About the C5ISR Hall of Fame
The C5ISR Hall of Fame was established to recognize and memorialize former members of the C5ISR community, which includes both Soldiers and civilians from Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground; the Network Cross-Functional Team; CECOM; DEVCOM; C5ISR Center, PEO C3T; and PEO IEW&S who have made a significant and enduring contribution to the community and the Army.
The organizations listed above share a common heritage and a mission of providing C5ISR systems to Soldiers. The program’s intent is to preserve the history of the C5ISR Community, and give all members a sense of heritage, honor, pride and belonging. The C5ISR Hall of Fame, starting in 2020, expanded upon and replaced the CECOM Hall of Fame which inducted its inaugural class in 2016.
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