DoD’s drive toward better tactical capabilities begins with simplicity, capacity

MG Bassett comes to PEO C3T after serving as Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems since September 2013. He was responsible for the life-cycle management of a complex and diverse organization with six Acquisition Category I programs (Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle program, M109A7 Self-Propelled Howitzer program, Abrams Tank upgrades, Bradley Fighting Vehicles upgrades, the Stryker Family of Vehicles and the M88 HERCULES). In addition to the combat vehicle modernization efforts for each of the ACAT I programs, to include active protection systems, he is also responsible for multiple Foreign Military Sales efforts and pending programs such as Mobile Protect Firepower. The ground combat systems portfolio has an annual budget of over $2.67 billion with a total program budget of over $14.8 billion (POM FY16-20).

MG Bassett was commissioned through ROTC in 1988 into the Signal Corps with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia. As a junior officer, he served in Germany in tactical positions as Communications Platoon Leader, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and as Battalion S4 and Company Commander in 123rd Signal Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division.

Following the Signal Officer's Advanced Course and Advanced Civil Schooling at the University of Virginia where he received a Master of Science in Computer Science, he was assigned to the US European Command Staff, where he served as the Requirements Analysis and Interoperability Action Officer, J6.

He transferred to the Army Acquisition Corps in 1999 and was assigned to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, as Operations Officer, Communications and Electronics Command Software Engineering Center. MG Bassett went on to serve at Fort Monmouth as the Chief Software Engineer for the Future Combat Systems Network and as Program Integrator and Product Manager, Future Combat Systems, Software Integration. He then served on the Joint Staff as the Ground Maneuver Analyst, Capabilities and Acquisition Division, J8.

From July 2009 to May 2012, MG Bassett served as the Army's Project Manager for Tactical Vehicles within the Program Executive Office for Combat Support & Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS). In June 2012, Tactical Vehicles was restructured, and he was tapped to lead the Joint Program Office, Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, PEO CS&CSS, through the Engineering and Manufacturing Development award, from June 2012 to August 2012.

In September 2012, MG Bassett assumed responsibilities as the Deputy Program Executive Officer for CS&CSS. As the DPEO he provided technical and managerial oversight for approximately 270 tactical wheeled vehicles, special purpose vehicles and equipment, physical security equipment, petroleum and water systems, and other support systems/equipment for the US Army and sister services.

MG Bassett is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and a distinguished graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C.

COL Robert M. Ryan currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Network Cross-Functional Team (CFT). The Network CFT is responsible for the focused integration of network, command, control, communications and intelligence to enable mission command across the network. As the deputy director, he is a key enabler within the team to drive the execution of the cross-functional team’s mission. Bringing expertise from a maneuver formation, Ryan provides critical feedback from the field and warfighter to inform CFT experimentation efforts and drive requirements.

Prior to his current assignment Col Ryan's was Commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team 25th Infantry Division. In 2010 to 2012, COL Ryan commanded the 4th Bn., 31st Inf. Regt. at Fort Drum, N.Y. He was then assigned with the 2nd Brigade Command Team, 10th Mountain Division as the brigade’s deputy commander in Patika Province, Afghanistan. In 2013, COL Ryan returned to Fort Benning and assumed duties as the battalion commander for the Regimental Special Troops Bn., 75th Ranger Regt. During his tenure at the Regimental Special Troops Bn., he also served as the Joint Task Force Commander, in Kabul, Afghanistan. COL Ryan recently graduated from the Naval War College and earned a Master of Arts Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies.

From 2009-2010, COL Ryan completed his tour with U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) as the aide-de-camp for the commanding general, USASOC. In 2006, COL Ryan returned back to 3rd Bn., 75th Ranger Regt. to serve as a Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) commander and Joint Task Force Operations Officer, Ranger battalion operations officer, and Regimental Special Troops battalion executive officer. In 2005, COL Ryan attended the U.S. Air Force Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, where he received a Masters of Military Arts and Science.

He was selected for a third company command as the 75th Ranger Reconnaissance Detachment commander. In this capacity COL Ryan deployed to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq for over 18 months during his two years of command. As a staff officer and company commander, COL Ryan deployed during the initial combat operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Prior to his deployment he was assigned to Fort Riley, COL Ryan returned to the 75th Ranger Regt. and served as the 3rd Ranger Bn.’s assistant operations officer prior to assuming command of A Co., 3rd Ranger Bn. In 1998 COL Ryan assumed command of C Co., 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt. (Mechanized) and deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo from 1999-2000.

COL Ryan enlisted in the Army in 1984 and was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, with the 1st Ranger Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment. COL Ryan served from 1984-1989 as a rifleman, PLT RTO, team leader and squad leader. In 1993, COL Robert Ryan was commissioned into the Infantry as a Distinguished Military Graduate from the ROTC program at Cornell University. After attending the Infantry Officer Basic Course, COL Ryan was assigned to the 6th Brigade (Light) at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. There he was assigned to the 4th Bn., 9th Infantry Regiment and served as a rifle platoon leader, scout platoon leader, and company executive officer. In 1995, COL Ryan returned to Fort Benning, Georgia, and assumed duties as a Ranger rifle platoon leader and executive officer with the 3rd Ranger Bn., 75th Ranger Regt. COL Ryan attended the Infantry Officer Advanced Course in 1998 and was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he served as the assistant operations officer for 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Regt. (Mechanized).

COL Ryan’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (2 “V” devices, 1 silver and 2 bronze oak leaf clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (1 silver oak leaf cluster), Army Commendation Medal (1 “V” device, 1 silver oak leaf cluster), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (1 silver oak leaf cluster), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (with arrowhead device), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award, Afghan Campaign Medal (3 service stars), Master Parachutist Badge (with bronze combat service star), Military Freefall Master Parachutist Badge, and Ranger Tab.

COL Ryan is married to the former Christine Clarke of Syracuse, N.Y., and they have two children, Colin, currently serving in the US Navy, and Haley who is entering her senior year at West Georgia University.

Dr. Angela Dalton is a member of the Principal Professional Staff at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) where she is the supervisor for the Communication and Networking Systems Group. Dr. Dalton leads a team of over 50 scientists and engineers to architect and engineer end-to-end military communication systems that are adaptable to mission needs and resilient to electromagnetic warfare, limited spectrum, and cyber-attacks. She has served as a senior technical lead and manager for large Department of Defense projects to take a requirements-based, mission-driven, approach to future communication capabilities. Dr. Dalton has also been the Principal Investigator for a JHU/APL internal research and development project developing a moving target defense that provides system agility through software defined networking, software defined radios, and cross-layer interactions. Her research interests include software defined networking, delay/disruption tolerant networking, and context-aware and adaptive networking. She has extensive experience in research, development and analysis of networking technologies and software engineering experience including firmware development, middleware design, implementation, and analysis. Dr. Dalton earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Duke University and her B.S. in Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Lt. Gen. Steven W. Boutelle (Ret.) is a world-renowned expert in converged voice, data, and imagery over Internet Protocol (IP), particularly in helping large institutions adopt enhanced network infrastructure. As the former Chief Information Officer for the Army, he is prominent in military circles for his pursuit of technology that enhanced productivity and provided technological advantage to the warfighter. He is the former CEO of the Internet Routing in Space (IRIS) initiative and vice president for business development for the Global Government Solutions Group, both components of Cisco Systems.

In these roles, Boutelle advised government customers on business practices and technical solutions that address their mission goals. He remains a proponent of moving data using IP and was sought by Cisco after his distinguished military career because of his visionary leadership and critical experience in the technology fields.

A native of Pasco, Washington, Boutelle grew up in Portland, Oregon. He studied at Oregon State University before enlisting in the Army, attending officer’s candidate school. He was commissioned before moving to the Signal Corps. During his military career, he served in senior Army leadership positions, including Director of Information, Operations, Networks, and Space and Program Executive Officer of Command, Control, and Communications Systems. In 2005, he was named “U.S. Department of Defense Executive of the Year” by Government Computer News; the following year he was named a “Top 100 CIO” by Federal Computer Week.

Boutelle serves on the Defense Science Board Task Force for Interoperability and sits on the boards of PacStar Communications and ThreatMetrix. He is a sought-after speaker and has delivered keynote addresses at the World Economic Forums in Geneva and Jordan (2014 and 2015) as well as at the Berlin Security Conference in 2016.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound, an MBA from Marymount University, and a Doctor of Law, Honoris causa, from the University of Puget Sound.

Scot is the Regional Director for U.S. Department of Defense at Nutanix. He has spent over 30 years supporting the Federal Government and began his career as an electrical engineer in the Central Intelligence Agency. In his current role, he leads an interdisciplinary team of direct and inside sales, solutions engineering, channels, and marketing to serve and support our military customers. Scot’s particular areas of expertise include cloud computing, virtualization, storage, and data center innovations. Prior to joining Nutanix, Scot held leadership positions at VMware, NetApp, and BMC Software. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic University. Scot and his family are avid skiers and live in the Washington, DC area.

Jason Miller is an executive editor and reporter with Federal News Radio. As executive editor, Jason helps direct the news coverage of the station and works with reporters to ensure a broad range of coverage of federal technology, procurement, finance and human resource news.As a reporter, Jason focuses mainly on technology and procurement issues, including cybersecurity, e-government and acquisition policies and programs.