FORT MEADE, MD - This February we celebrate Black History Month, acknowledging the contributions and achievements of Black Americans throughout our history. At 7th Signal Command (Theater), we honor all the Black Signal Officers and NCOs who have served in this Command and made it what it is today.
One such Signal Officer, and current Director of the Mid-Atlantic Region Network Enterprise Center (RNEC) in Aberdeen, Maryland, is Mr. Andre’ L. Wiley. With a career spanning 30 years in the U.S. Army as an enlisted soldier and commissioned officer, Mr. Wiley's journey reflects a family legacy as well as his personal dedication to military and civil service.
Mr. Wiley was inspired to serve by his uncle, David Lee Wiley, a decorated veteran who served in the Air Force and the Army. In his own Army career, Mr. Wiley’s assignments included Chief of Staff, 5th Signal Command (Theater); Theater Operations Officer, 335th Signal Command (Theater); and Director for Field Support, Communications – Electronics Command (CECOM). After retiring from military service, Mr. Wiley was a senior lead engineer with Booz-Allen Hamilton for almost 6 years before becoming the Mid-Atlantic RNEC Director in October 2020.

From his early days as a Signal Officer to his role in strategic operations, Mr. Wiley learned the valuable lesson that diversity among personnel improves the strength and performance of the armed forces. "I think Black history is extremely important in helping us understand the value, differences, thought process, and ingenuity [of a diverse force]," he remarked.
Mr. Wiley noted that the commemoration of Black history in February in the United States goes back much further than the official designation in 1976 by President Gerald Ford. "When Dr. Carter G. Woodson first introduced Negro History Week in 1926, that was a major step in helping us to study the positive aspects of what Black people bring to America, to the whole fabric of America," he said.
This year's Black History Month theme is “African Americans and the Arts,” focusing on how Black Americans have used cultural expression as a platform for social justice. Mr. Wiley recalled a particular art piece he acquired titled "Surrender," by artist Larry Pancho Brown. Describing the piece, he explained, "It's a portrait of a Black man in a crouched position. It's a position of pain, and the story behind it is that he was an artist, and he came back one day, and everything that he had was destroyed."
Art, according to Mr. Wiley, transcends boundaries and speaks to the shared human experience. "I think art can speak to so many different cultures in a way that sometimes the voice can't," he reflected. "That's the value of art. It can speak on its own without controversy or conflict, and it can speak to each person differently.

"As we continue to understand the experiences and talent that we have within our ranks, we can all be encouraged. We can be inspired," said Mr. Wiley. "I truly believe that there is power in diversity, and I think that by just making sure that we invest the time to understand each other, we can become what America can be at its best."
Learn more about Black History Month at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the contributions of Black Americans to the U.S. Military at DoD Spotlight on Black History Month.
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