Key Operating Principles Covering the business and politics of space. With a successful landing today, the X-37B completed its longest flight to date and successfully completed all mission objectives," Randy Walden, the director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities . Their hard work began to pay off as more people volunteered. Colonel LaFleur has served in a variety of acquisition, flight test and staff assignments. October 2020present, Deputy Director, Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. July 1996July 1997, Assistant Chief, Spacecraft Contracts Branch, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. The Defense Acquisition Workforce is comprised of nearly 186,000 civilian and military professionals from the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as defense agencies and field activities. While assigned to the 28th Test Squadron, she was a special projects engineer and program manager for classified electronic warfare and command and control test activities. The multimode sensor can perform radar, communications, and electronic warfare functions simultaneously. director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, during a recent interview with Air . RCO delivers Department of the Air Force capabilities. The Space Rapid Capabilities Office | LinkedIn Highlights Page (1 page) Full Report (28 pages) Accessible PDF (33 pages) GAO Contacts. During her assignment at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, she served as the Chief of the Offensive Capabilities Branch, where she was responsible for integrating acquisition efforts in support of multiple classified programs valued at over $600M. 3. As with past renderings, this rendering is an artist's interpretation of the B-21 design. 10. Space RCO is a relatively small office filled with people who love what they do in Albuquerque, New Mexico. . He served in acquisition command as the . 3. Hammett will lead the Space Force organization known as the Space RCO, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. 6. OUSD A&S Office News 2021 OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS [Our approach] is a little bit different, Roberts said. The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO or DAF RCO) is an office in the United States Department of the Air Force tasked with expediting the development of select technological systems. Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. by Sandra Erwin June 25, 2018 January 23, 2023 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) 8. Welcome. 2006 Masters of Science, Software Engineering, University of Management and Technology, Arlington, Va. Alongside the Director, he directs contracting activities executing $6 billion a year for selected study, development and fielding activities involving 40 programs tasked directly by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force Chief of Staff. Brown Jr.).The Air Staff is primarily composed of uniformed U.S. Air Force officials who assist the . The deployment, which began March 1, is part of an exercise dubbed Agile Reaper 23-1. Its not the fault of the commander or anybody else at Space Systems Command, its just because youre adding two to three layers of bureaucracy and decision-making on top of my current organization. Pentagon leaders and cleared members of Congress alike have lauded the B-21 as a well-run program. June 2003June 2004, Chief, Asymmetric Capabilities Development Branch, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. Of them, 40 Airmen voluntarily left the service and 14 officers retired, according to Undersecretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Feb. 28. During more than two decades at AFRL, Hammett worked on programs like high-power lasers and high power microwave developments, and oversaw the the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing site known as AMOS. Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters D. EDWARD KELLER JR. > Air Force > Biography Display - AF MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 15. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, located in Washington, D.C., reports directly to a Board of Directors chaired by the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. The deputy or technical director to a SCO may exercise any SCO authority unless restricted in the FAR, as supplemented (e.g., individual authorized to execute a specific authority must be of a certain minimum grade/rank), or as specifically limited by the SCO. Oct. 9, 2019 MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS The 2022 National Defense Strategy and Future Force Structure Society of Flight Test Engineers The U.S. Air Force's top secret spaceplane, the Boeing X-37B, landed in Florida early Sunday after 780 daysover 2 years and one monthin orbit around the . Program Management, Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) The Directorate directs the modernization and sustainment of the Air Force's 150+ aircraft bomber fleet (B-1, B-2, B-52) and organizes, trains and equips the B-21 program in support of Air Force Global Strike Command and the United States Air Force. As a. 5mo. Located in Washington, D.C., the DAF RCO reports directly to a Board of Directors chaired by the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIAs National Defense The Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO), a direct reporting unit of the U.S. Space Force, has a specialized, restricted and unique mission. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office delivers capabilities at the speed of emerging threats for combat Air and Space Forces and combatant command requirements leveraging streamlined acquisition methods for developing, acquiring and fielding critical capabilities. . The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency handles similar initiatives that can transition to the Space RCO as well. He is responsible for oversight and support of the Air Force SAP and Classified Contracting portfolio at Headquarters Air Force level valued at greater than $40 billion and senior level advocacy and training for 1,100 military and civilian acquisition professionals. If we move under the Space Systems Command, we probably should cease to exist, Roberts said. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director. Iraq Campaign Medal The SSC will work directly with the Air Force Research Laboratory and other groups like the Rapid Capabilities Office. Jez Holmes OBE - Head of the Royal Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office Executive Director, F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, U.S. Department of Defense: 2017-2018: Director and Program Executive Officer, Army Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics: 2014-2017: Deputy Director, Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force: 2009-2014 The Air Force plans to field four pods for an early operational capability by the end of FY22 but could acquire up to 10 pods, said Brig. Details About X-37B Payload Adapter Revealed After Record-Setting Mission Jan 09 Aug 11, Director, Non-Standard Aircraft Systems, Program Executive Office for Fixed Wing Aircraft, Center for Special Operations Acquisitions and Logistics, Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB FL 11. After working on Capitol Hill, Colonel Johnson served as the Director, Non-Standard Aircraft Systems at the Program Executive Office for Fixed Wing Aircraft, United States Special Operations Research, Development, and Acquisition Center (SORDAC), Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB. Two F130s housed in a twin-engine nacelle are mounted on a test stand at Stennis Space Center, Miss., where they will perform crosswind and engine control tests, Rolls program director Scott Ames said.. 6. 2003 Senior Executive Service Seminar, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters As the SpRCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees Space-based research, development and acquisition . 11. Key operating principles of the DAF RCO include a short and narrow chain of command, early and prominent war-fighter involvement, and funding stability. 297 followers . Afghanistan Campaign Medal Ive talked to Gen. Raymond about that multiple times, and the Secretary of the Air Force, Walden said. This 1,000 member Directorate executes $16 Billion and delivers combat capability to primarily . will lead the Space Force organization known as the Space RCO, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The past 15 years, his career focus has been on acquisition, combat and weapon system engineering, design, testing, fielding and sustainment. 18. 3. The Board of Directors tasks the office directly to address immediate and near-term operational needs and deliver capabilities that require specialized expertise. The office responds to Combat Air and Space Forces and combatant command requirements. 1984 - 1989, Flight Test Engineer, F-16 Combined Test Force, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. "The built-in feature of open systems architecture on the B-21 makes the bomber effective as the . The service could not immediately say whether a successor at the RCO had been determined. Michael W. Roberts, Director and Program Executive Officer for The Space Rapid Capabilities Office Video. The Secretary of the Air Force activated the office on April 28, 2003. Over time, the Department of Defense plans to turn, Under Col. Robert Smoker, Task Force 99s new commander, the unit will continue to try to cut through red tape and field new systems quickly. Published Aug. 31, 2020. October 2000January 2002, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 6. The director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, created in 2018 to quickly develop prototypes of satellites and other urgently needed military technology, said the Space Force may not be . January 2004 May 2005, DDG 1000 IV&V Engineer, Northrup Grumman IT, Dahlgren, Va. Col Jeffrey R. LaFleur, USAF > The Eisenhower School > FacBio 4. Bombers Directorate - AF Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Secretary of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Award Brig. Dr. Kelly Hammett, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director and Program Executive Officer (PEO) for the Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO), Kirtland Air Force Base, New . 420th FLTS Reactivates to Support B-21 Raider Testing. May 1989October 1990, Contract Negotiator, Operational Contracting Division, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. Mr. Keller retired from active duty as a colonel in 2017. Her final assignment to cap off a 24-year active-duty career was as the Program Executive Officer for Fixed Wing Programs, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command where she was responsible for more than 100 special operation forces acquisition programs. 7. . He holds a master non-rated aircrew badge. Walden, who is the director and program executive officer for the RCO, has been named senior executive advisor in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, according to a July 11 announcement from the Air Force. Jun 04 - Jun 05, Executive Officer, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington DC 8. The Air Force and Space RCOs will work together as the X-37B offers more insight into new technologies that could shape future space systems. 3. January 2002June 2003, High Power Microwave Applications Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. MakM@gao.gov (202) 512-4841. Part 5302 - Definitions of Words and Terms | Acquisition.GOV AWARDS AND HONORS January 2017 February 2019, Director, Development and Integration PEO Integrated Warfare Systems, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Your browser is incompatible with this widget. Mission, Organization Copyright 2023. Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering, Level II, APDP 6. (Current as of November 2020), An official website of the United States government, Air Force Distributed Common Ground System, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Air Force scientist takes over as director of Space Force rapid Ms. Johnson graduated from the University of Florida in 1995 and received her commission from the United States Air Force Officer Training School in March 1996. Everybody has their job to do and they do it., Rolls-Royce has started testing the F130 engine that will replace the B-52's aged TF33, the company announced. The Space Rapid Capabilities Office procures commercial and classified technologies for the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Clipboard (Opens in new window). Air Staff (United States) - Wikipedia The Space Rapid Capabilities Office, a direct reporting unit of the U.S. Space Force, has a specialized, restricted and unique mission. Director. Lt. Charles Schramka and Sergio Mendoza interact with Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson at the Air Force Research Laboratory's booth during the Air Force Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference to discuss National Technology Satellite-3 or NTS-3, the DAF Vanguard program pushing the boundary of today's position, navigation and timing technology via an . During her assignment at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, she served as the Chief of the Offensive Capabilities Branch, where she was responsible for integrating acquisition efforts in support of multiple classified programs valued at over $600M. 2013 - 2014, Director, Air Force Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. We're weird, he said. Colonel Melissa A. Johnson is the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Fixed Wing Programs, HQ US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), MacDill AFB, FL. EDUCATION Staff photo by Mike Tsukamoto. Military aviation and technology are ever-changing, from the prevalence of drones to a shift to jets for special mission surveillance, once the province of propeller aircraft. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office Director Randy Walden said the ABMS would connect weapons systems, platforms and command systems in a centralized network and enhance the service's enterprise . In November 2020, the Air Force tapped the Rapid Capabilities Office to manage ABMS procurement and create the effort's acquisition strategy. CAREER CHRONOLOGY He firmly opposes the prospect of moving under the Space Forces new Space Systems Command, the organization meant to encompass all space research, development, and acquisition under the Department of the Air Force. The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO or DAF RCO) is an office in the United States Department of the Air Force tasked with expediting the development of select technological systems. Mr. Walden retired from active duty in 2002 with more than 20 years of military experience as an acquisition and technical professional. The Department of the Air Force's Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems, or CROWS, is working to expand best practices in the field of cyber security by potentially expanding its Cyber Focus Teams to Space Force Program Executive Offices, as well as updating the DAF System Security Engineering Guidebook. USSF Unveils Space Systems Command's Structure Air Force Commendation Medal October 2010 August 2013, Aegis System Engineering / Baseline Development / Strategic Planning Principle Assistant Program Manager, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Former AFRL Official Kelly Hammett Takes Over as Space RCO Director I dont see that changing. AWARDS AND HONORS It will slow us down. 12. 4. March 1998September 2000, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla. In summer 2021, the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, headquartered in Washington D.C., stood up the ABMS Program Executive Office Integration Team at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., to bring together acquisition directorate personnel to leverage their developed capabilities for use in the ABMS. August 2007January 2009, Air Force Legislative Fellow, Air University, Washington, D.C. September 2005January 2006, Chief, Theater Contracts Division, Principal Assistant Responsible for ContractingForces, Joint Contracting Command - Iraq/Afghanistan, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq July 2009July 2010, Project Lead, Integrated Financial Operations, Joint Concept Development and Experimentation Directorate, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Suffolk Va. Ed Keller - Director of Contracting, DAF Rapid Capabilities Office and August 2011July 2015, Materiel Leader, Strategic Combat Systems, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. The U.S. created an Afghan air force that was too technologically advanced for its native country to sustain, then pulled the rug out from under it, according to a U.S. government inspector general report. Walden had also predicted the first article would fly this summer, but Air Force officials have since walked back that prediction. Aug 16 May 17, Chief, Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent Integration, Intercontinental Ballistics Systems Division, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill AFB UT 14. Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. Once you get a feel for the space system you want to go build, then you can start populating with the right folks and get the right contracting officers and program managers.. One of its first projects was to deploy significant upgrades to the Integrated Air Defense System, now operational around the National Capital Region, to meet critical counter-terrorism objectives before the January 2005 Presidential Inauguration Day. Air Force Achievement Medal The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. A space solar power program that fell under the former Operationally Responsive Space office is transitioning to the Air Force Research Laboratory instead. Tanya M. Skeen - Our People - Purdue Engineering 1982 Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, Christopher Newport College, Newport News, Va.