THE COST OF SPEED L BELER H. WATTS III
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Close Combat Weapon Systems Project Office, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space
TITLE: Deputy product lead, Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 10
YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 20
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level III in program management and in logistics
EDUCATION: M.A. and B.A. in busi- ness management, Columbia College
AWARDS: Commander’s Award for Civilian Service (2)
He joined PEO MS in 2008, initially assigned to logistics programs related to the Bradley: testing, equipment specifications, working with depots and producing tech- nical manuals and other publications. In 2012, he took a developmental assignment as deputy product lead. “I had been a logistician for about four years with the Close Combat Weapon Systems [CCWS] Project Office, and was ready for a change. I then competed for the deputy product lead position, was fortunate enough to be selected, and I’ve been here ever since,” he said.
“My advice is to pursue some of the opportunities out there for developmental assign- ments and experience what the acquisition world has to offer,” he said. “Tere are
ike most members of the Army Acquisition Workforce, Beler Watts has a lot on his plate. He’s deputy product lead for the Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) within the Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space (PEO MS), and he and his team are working to get the new
system fielded expeditiously. But speed often comes at the expense of quality and utility, and he’s hoping to avoid that. “We want to get the system to the Soldier as quickly as we can, but we want to make sure we’re getting them something that does what it should. What’s that saying? ‘Quick and cheap isn’t always good, and good isn’t always quick or cheap.’ ”
It’s Watts’ job to make certain that all aspects of the LMAMS program are accom- plished. “I ensure that the contracting actions are complete, and I monitor the finance actions and training for the system,” he said. “I try to ensure that Soldiers are getting the best product in their hands in the shortest amount of time. Te greatest satis- faction I have is knowing that what I do is part of the bigger picture and that my small part ensures that quality products are fielded to the warfighter.”
It’s not surprising that the biggest challenge he faces is time management—“finding time to do all the different things that need to get done, and doing them well.” Adding to that challenge is the size of Watts’ team: At around 10 people, it’s relatively small. “We all get to wear a lot of hats, but that’s what makes this job so interesting. I do a multitude of things on a daily basis, including contracting, finance, logis- tics and engineering. And that’s the best thing about my job—that on any given day, I’ll be in contact with all of those different areas. Every day I’m doing some- thing different.”
After a 20-year career in the Army, Watts retired in 2005 as a sergeant first class. While on active duty, he worked with the Dragon and TOW (tube-launched, opti- cally tracked, wire-guided) missiles for Bradley Fighting Vehicles and with missile guidance systems. After retirement, he spent three years as a contractor, doing staff work related to aviation maintenance, pre-positioned stocks and equipment transfer.
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Army AL&T Magazine
January-March 2019
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