Brigadier General Kevin Chaney Becomes Deputy Program Executive Officer for PEO C3T
No matter how or where you start, Brigadier General Kevin Chaney says, “the Army is what you make it.” And with nearly 30 years of experiences and insight, Chaney has certainly made it a fulfilling and challenging career—one that has led him through service in aviation, time in Iraq, three commands in acquisition, and now into the role of Deputy Program Executive Officer (DPEO) for Command, Control, Communications—Tactical (C3T).
For Chaney, military service didn’t necessarily feel like a calling. But in July of 1990, outside the United States Military Academy Preparatory School at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, he began his journey into the service, eventually graduating from West Point and learning a critical Army lesson that would continue to guide him throughout his years in service.
“We have to rely on each other in order to be successful,” Chaney said. “What’s kept me in all these years is the fact that it’s a team sport. In our line of work, we’re not in the position of guard, forward, or center. We’re budget analysts, logisticians, or project managers. As opposed to winning a game, our win is delivering capability to our Soldiers, and every person has an individual role to play for the team to be effective.”
Just like with any good team, members must train together, support each other, and continually practice—or as Chaney puts it—"study their craft”—never thinking they know it all, but always learning and studying to get better. It’s that drive to continually learn that has pushed Chaney through the Army ranks.
Early in his career, Chaney recalls serving in the 21st Cavalry Brigade where he was responsible for fielding attack and reconnaissance aircraft to units. It was there on the ground that he had his first interaction with acquisition project managers, meeting them in the field and seeing how they contributed to the mission. “I decided that was the route I wanted to go,” he said.
Entering the acquisition world, Chaney first served as Assistant Product Manager for the T-700 Engine Controls Program and the UH-60 Modernization Product Office at Redstone Arsenal. As he progressed, he eventually became Product Manager for Infrared Countermeasures, an Acquisition Category 1D program within the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S). In 2018, he assumed duties as Product Manager for Aircraft Survivability Equipment.
In 2021, he was selected for his second command serving as Project Manager for Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) within PEO Aviation, a highly visible program working to replace the OH- 58 with the Reconnaissance/Light Attack aircraft. In all of these positions, Chaney leveraged his experiences as a commander, coupled with the acquisition acumen he had gained as a PM, to help deliver capabilities to Soldiers—seeing the big picture, understanding what the user wanted, and finding a way to execute.
Just before starting his new position at PEO C3T, Chaney was reminded of another significant Army lesson—the importance of resilience. The FARA program would eventually come to an end due to changing requirements, but Chaney said that wasn’t a reason to “fold up shop and say we’re done.” Instead, his team worked to reassess and take the knowledge they had gained through their experiences to help bolster new Army priorities like digital engineering, data governance, and Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA).
Today, as Chaney takes on his new role at PEO C3T, he is looking forward to learning new aspects of acquisition, improving his role as a senior leader, and leaning into the opportunity to do more mentorship. “I want to look back a few generations and see—who are those people that we need to give opportunities to, and how do we grow them into great acquisition leaders?”
As for growing himself, Chaney says there are a few key tenants that have helped him get to where he is today. “One, maintain a work-life balance, and be present for your family. Two, realize you have weaknesses and surround yourself with people that are talented and empowered to do their job. Three, take smart risks and be willing to do something different. And finally, continue to take on more and more challenging jobs.”
For Chaney, it’s the last one in particular that keeps him going. “I’m always asking - can I be an effective leader at next level of command? At the end of the day, the Army keeps giving me one challenge after another, and I keep accepting those challenges.”
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The U.S. Army Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T) develops, acquires, fields and supports the Army's Unified Network (Tactical and Enterprise) to ensure force readiness in both current missions and potential future large scale combat operations. This critical Army modernization priority delivers resilient terrestrial and satellite communications capabilities to ensure commanders and Soldiers remain connected and informed at all times, even in the most austere and hostile environments. PEO C3T is delivering an integrated Unified Network to regions around the globe, enabling high-speed, high-capacity voice, data and video communications to an Army user base that includes joint, coalition and other mission partners.
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