Electronic Strategist
Colonel Derrick M. Richardson
554th Electronic Systems Wing
Colonel Derrick M. Richardson is currently director of the 554th Electronic Systems Wing [ELSW] and is permanently assigned as its vice director. The 554th ELSW, which designs, acquires, installs and maintains operations support systems for the Air Force and the Department of Defense, is one of four acquisition wings at the Electronic Systems Center (ESC).
As vice director for the 554th ELSW, Richardson provides strategic direction, develops policy and manages resources for an organization that comprises approximately 2,000 military, civil service and contractor support personnel with a portfolio exceeding $8.5 billion.
Richardson entered the Air Force in 1983 as a graduate of the Air Force Academy. He earned a master’s degree in systems management from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is also a graduate of Air Command and Staff College and Air War College.
Prior to assuming his current position, Richardson served as commander, 727th Aircraft Sustainment Group, and commander, 448th Combat Sustainment Group, at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.
Richardson was interviewed by MIT Editor Harrison Donnelly.
Q: What is the mission of the 554th ELSW?
A: The 554th Electronic Systems Wing designs, acquires, installs and maintains operations support systems for the Air Force and the Department of Defense. The wing, one of four acquisition wings at the ESC, provides systems worldwide— used by virtually every airman, civilian and retiree—365 days a year, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have a portfolio valued at $8.5 billion to operate through FY13.
The wing enhances weapon system readiness through the development and maintenance of information and force protection systems supporting the worldwide logistics, financial, contracting, business, personnel and security needs of the Air Force and DoD. We are the “IT Depot” for the Air Force.
Q: How would you describe your role as vice director?
A: As vice director I am very involved in the strategic planning for resource utilization and strategic direction/vision for the organization. In addition, it is my responsibility to develop policy for the wing as it relates to all aspects of wing management. I view my role as the person who is behind the scenes making sure that all the moving parts are oiled and the way is clear for the director to meet with our leaders and industry partners to get our mission accomplished. Recently I have been designated as the wing director while we await the permanent replacement behind Frank Weber, who retired October 3.
Q: Please describe the organizational structure of the wing.
A: The wing is the largest of the wings in the ESC, with more than 1,900 personnel spread over six states. We are structured to manage by capabilities portfolios, which make for a more efficient organization. We have two direct-report groups. One is the 754th Electronic Systems Group headquartered at Gunter Annex Maxwell AFB, Ala. It is headed by Greg Garcia, a member of the Senior Executive Service, and is responsible for the portfolio supporting the logistics systems, infrastructure support and enterprise contracting programs. The second group is the 554th Electronic Systems Group led by Colonel Gregory Gutterman, headquartered at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. This group is responsible for the business, personnel and force projection programs.
In addition to the groups, the wing has two direct-report squadrons. The 643rd Electronic Systems Squadron, headed by Steve Wright, is responsible for wing systems engineering, architecture and policy, and direct engineering support to all groups/squadrons within the wing. Finally, the 642nd Electronic Systems Squadron, led by Patrick Marr, is the organization that I like to refer to as our “911 response team.” This squadron devises and implements systems that protect our warfighters and high-value assets around the globe, including in the area of responsibility fighting the global war on terror. To round out our wing, we have our own test operating location, specializing in operations supporting and standardizing system-level IT testing methodology, and a commander’s support detachment, both located at the Gunter Annex of Maxwell AFB.
Q: What is the wing doing to strengthen small business participation in programs, and how successful has it been?
A: Our wing has a history of exceptional small business support, for example NETCENTS, IV and V. We rely on small business talent to augment our diverse work force, and we find the small business environment is very responsive to quickly emerging information technologies. Currently, we do business with more than 70 small businesses, and the work we obligate to small business exceeds the new increased DoD statutory goal of 26 percent. For example, in the first half of 2007 we executed more than $100 million in small business contracts. For the past two years in a row, we shattered the DoD small business goals by 100 percent.
Q: What do you see as the most pressing information security issues facing the wing?
A: Information security continues to be an area to which we as a nation must pay great attention. We frequently read about hackers and people stealing identities and personal information, via available technologies on the Internet. Our wing continues to put great emphasis on not only securing the network, but also securing the work of the network. It has been documented that there are over 300,000 attacks on the network each day. It is not so much the destruction of information that gives us the most concern; a great deal of damage can be done if someone just modifies a piece of data that is in a database. Just think for a moment what would happen if readiness information was modified on an AF unit—it could be tragic—or if someone was to change the contents of an Air tasking order. The required sortie may not occur and hence mission failure, or if someone was to modify the financial information on a deployed airman…his family may not be able to pay the bills. You certainly get the picture. It is certainly important that we protect the work of the network in addition to the network itself. That is why under the auspices of our 754th Electronic Systems Group, we’ve established the Air Force Software Assurance Center of Excellence to procure and implement a set of software tools to help us ensure data integrity.
Q: You came to the wing from an acquisition background. How has your previous career shaped your approach to your current position?
A: Having such a breadth and depth of acquisition experience in aircraft munitions and spare systems development, along with a healthy dose of fielded system modernization and sustainment, has definitely benefited my IT transition. One key understanding is the inextricable link between operations support, life cycle portfolio management and sustainment. Our wing fully embraces this life cycle portfolio management, as it is one of the few that is responsible for both system acquisition and sustainment. You might accurately say we are indeed the Air Force’s “IT Depot.” With all the varied acquisition experiences, it still all boils down to delivering and sustaining mission capability.
Q: As you know, the most recent issue of MIT magazine featured a Question and Answer Cover Story interview with Greg Garcia, director of the 754th ELSG. Could you describe the key programs under the other groups, beginning with the 554th ELSG?
A: Well, of course the critical programs that the wing is working now are our transformational enterprise resource planning [ERP] programs. The two ERPs that we are currently working are the Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System [DEAMS] for financial operations and the Expeditionary Combat Support System [ECSS] for logistics operations. The estimate is that between these two programs we will be able to consolidate more than 500 legacy programs when they are deployed. This means capitalizing on the use of technology to achieve great economies of scale for our users and stakeholders—ultimately achieving millions of dollars in annual savings to the American people.
In addition to the DEAMS program, the 554th ELSG has the responsibility for the Deliberate and Crisis Action Planning and Execution Segments program, which enables our leaders to have insight on troop availability and location. It is the Air Force’s comprehensive software system to present, plan, source, mobilize, deploy, account for, sustain, redeploy and reconstitute forces. Another key program managed by the 554th ELSG is the Financial Information Resource System [FIRST]. This program provides an integrated, modern, seamless financial management system for air staff and MAJCOM use to develop budgets. Through FIRST, we are able to utilize consistent current information to make budgetary decisions.
The 754th ELSG has responsibility for the ECSS program. In addition, the 754th is responsible for managing the Global Combat Support System-Air Force [GCSS-AF] program. This program provides the infrastructure that enables the integration of many of our programs by providing shared computing services so applications don’t have to separately develop them. In addition, this common infrastructure use resulted in a $270 million cost avoidance last year alone! In these times of scaling back and budget cuts, these cost avoidances are critical. We anticipate this type of cost avoidance will continue in the future.
The enterprise contracting programs that are managed out of the 754th ELSG include NETCENTS and AFWAY. We are proud to be the managers of these important programs because they bring tremendous savings through blanket purchase agreements with major vendors of IT equipment, such as PCs, servers and cell phones, and services to Air Force programs. In addition, these programs are responsible for the management of the Federal Employee Home Use Program. This program enables an employee of the federal government to take advantage of deep discounts on software and hardware for use in their home. Here is the Website for the home use program: https://www.gunter.af.mil/acquisitions/KAI/KAIH/ EPP.aspx.
Q: What are the principal programs of the 642nd Electronic Systems Squadron [ELSS]?
A: The 642nd ELSS develops and fields force protection command and control systems for military installations worldwide— delivering integrated force protection solutions that enable users to “See First, Understand First and Act First.”
The key program here relates to Integrated Base Defense Security Systems [IBDSS]. IBDSS is intended to provide modular, scalable systems or equipment that can be assembled to protect assets varying in size from small units to large basewide mission areas. This capability is a vital component to the protection of our many warfighters and high-value assets. One of the primary systems employed under IBDSS is the Tactical Automated Security System. Originally intended to provide an expeditionary force protection capability to the Air Force’s security forces, it has been adopted by the sister services and is in heavy use in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, protecting over 150,000 troops.
Q: What about the 643rd ELSS?
A: As I stated earlier, the 643rd ELSS’s official mission is to provide world-class, robust systems engineering, technical management, and support services to the 554th ELSW and its stakeholders via a commitment to technical excellence, “best practice” processes, and highly qualified, user-oriented, collaborative personnel. What this statement doesn’t fully depict is the Capabilities Integration Environment [CIE] that is managed by the 643rd. The CIE is in essence a mirror image of the operating environment for all of our systems. Within the CIE we can effectively test the scalability and capability of software without the possibility of jeopardizing the operational network. This capability is an invaluable asset to the advancement of technology within the wing.
Q: What do you see as the most important operational challenges facing the 554th ELSW?
A: Operationally our biggest challenge is continuing to sustain our legacy financial and logistics systems while we keep pressing our ERP development efforts—DEAMS and ECSS. DEAMS and ECSS will dramatically transform how our customers conduct financial and logistics operations respectively. Meanwhile, however, our customers are counting on our existing financial and logistics systems to be there for them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Q: What are your goals for 2009?
A: Primarily, our goals are to deliver on our customer promises, which specifically means delivering our financial ERP, DEAMS, Spiral 2 by August 2009 for USTRANSCOM; continuing ECSS development through successful Milestone B [acquisition decision gate]; preparing our personnel systems for the new Defense Integrated Military Human Resource System ERP providing force protection solutions for personnel and equipment around the globe; and continuing legacy system sustainment to support current operations. In addition, we must stay on track with our source-selection efforts, which include our NETCENTS 2, GCSS-AF recompete, DEAMS Increment 2, Force Protection Security 2, and virtual Personnel Support Center follow-on. ♦
