On its own initiative Army aviation came up with a plan to make the hard budget choices and restructure while retaining combat power and not imposing impossible burdens on the soldier, according to the outgoing Program Executive Officer (PEO) Aviation.
Maj. Gen. William “Tim” Crosby said, “I’m comfortable with that.”
The key is that the plan comes from aviators and is not imposed in a “salami slice” fashion across the board leaving concerns about what the branch can’t do, he said. At the same time, the initiative works to minimize the impact on the soldier.
The plan does not bring a bill to the Army, he said. The initiative works with existing assets and attempts innovative ways to solve problems balancing readiness, modernization and end strength.
The plan, described to attendees at the Association of the United States Army aviation symposium Jan. 14, is still pre-decisional and is being discussed in the Pentagon by top service leaders.
“We made a plan. We owed our Chief of Staff a plan,” he said, to bring aviation’s best judgment on how to keep the branch Army aviation relevant and best in the world while moving into an uncertain future.
As Crosby prepares to leave the service and a job he obviously loves, he offered some advice to promotable Col. Robert Marion who will replace him.
Crosby’s guidance: “Be yourself, because that’s what got you here.”
The Senate, Dec. 20 confirmed Marion’s first star. He is currently assistant deputy for acquisition, and systems management Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology).
“What he needs to do (Marion) is look 20 to 30 years out and at how to shape aviation for the future,” he said. “To think in terms of programs, think of 20-30 years out and consider what to pull back to the left, and what to push out to the right.”
Crosby’s priorities for the future continue to be the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP), to meet the needs of the warfighter, and digitizing the UH-60L model analog cockpits to get them on a better timeline. But those priorities could change depending on circumstances.
Photo: U.S. Army
In his final formal interview with defense press, Crosby said it was hard to believe he had been PEO Aviation for five years: “I’ve loved every minute of it…it’s what I love, it’s what I love to do.”
While each leader looks at a job differently, the most satisfying aspect of the job for him has been “a repetitive occurrence.” Acquisition officials repeatedly measure everything and have metrics for everything, he said. “I’ve tried to use metrics to help us manage programs.”
For example, instead of “drive-by” fielding, where acquisition officials bring new equipment to a unit and leave, Crosby has teams that stay with each unit until the unit commander says they’re ready, and then they leave.
“That’s my metric, that kind of feedback,” he said. There are other important things but “when the unit commander looks at me and says your people have done good,” that’s his job satisfaction and mark of success.
The most troubling thing he has had to do as PEO Aviation was to furlough people, he said. “That was very difficult.”
Photo: U.S. Army
When a leader takes care of the health and welfare of those who work for him, “they will cross anything, fight anything, to help you,” he said. “But they saluted and moved out, and didn’t bat an eye. I couldn’t have been more proud of them.”
Crosby has known Marion a long time, recounting how he’s watched him evolve into a strategic leader over the last 20 years.
Marion pins on his star Jan. 24 as Crosby retires.