Army program overseeing Manpack and Rifleman radios changes hands

By Argie Sarantinos-Perrin

Project Manager Tactical Radios

PEO C3T

When Lt. Col. Rayfus Gary received his commission, the most influential people in his life were his older brothers, one in the Air Force and the other in the Army.

So it was no surprise that he too decided to serve.

“Primarily my decision to join the Army was due to my older brothers,” said Lt. Col Gary, product manager for Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (PdM HMS). “When I was commissioned, my original goal was to complete my mandatory obligation, but once I started to serve in a position that I love, which is communications, time flew by.”

Now, after building a strong foundation for the Army’s critical HMS radio program, Gary will move to his next assignment as the program’s charter is passed to Lt. Col. Michael Baker. Baker previously served as the Deputy, Computational and Information Sciences Directorate at Army Research Lab, working on future distributed computing in the tactical environment and later as Simulation Sciences Branch Chief.

Acting more like mini-computers, the HMS radios exchange voice, data and video over the air using high bandwidth waveforms. As the Army moves to a more expeditionary force, these radios serve as an integral part of the Army’s communications network, enabling Soldiers to stay connected even in the most austere and remote locations.

As he moves to his next assignment as the Military Deputy Director and Senior Military advisor to the Senior Executive Service director, Night Vision and Electronics Sensors Directorate, Gary leaves behind a strong foundation for the HMS team.

“Lt. Col. Gary’s success during this last year in awarding two major contracts with ceiling value approaching almost a combined $20 billion – ahead of schedule – is a testament to his leadership,” said Col. James Ross, project manager for Tactical Radios (PM TR). “His efforts will live well on into the future and Lt. Col. Gary can be very proud of his team and their accomplishments with him at the helm.”

The Product Manager HMS change of charter was held on June 15 at the Myer Auditorium, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. and was hosted by Col. James Ross. PM TR is assigned to the Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T).

During his tenure as PdM, Gary moved the program toward the Army’s first procurement of its next generation Manpack and Rifleman radios. He attributes his success to faith from people who inspired him throughout the years, the power of mentorship and a strong family foundation.

“Everyone has given me something to make me who I am today, and I am humble because I am a result of my village,” said Gary. “There are so many people who had faith in me and inspired me along the way, including elementary and middle school teachers, coaches in high school and teachers in college.”

Gary, who was raised in Perry, Ga., was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps in 1994 and joined the Army Acquisition Corps in 2006.

“When the Signal Corps was going through a mass reorganization, I saw a good opportunity to do something outside of the traditional Army so I joined the Acquisition Corps,” said Gary. “In this capacity, I helped meet Soldiers’ materiel needs by delivering equipment that made their jobs easier.”

As a result of Gary’s dedication and strong leadership, the Army leveraged a new acquisition strategy, or Non-Developmental Item, to award contracts for both the Rifleman and Manpack radios, moving the program toward Full Rate Production. With these radios, Soldiers can send messages, access mission-related applications and track one another’s locations with Global Positioning System technology.

A key achievement during Gary’s tenure at HMS was ensuring the Rifleman Radio Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) was signed.

“Getting an approved TEMP was a big step for the program,” said Brian Baroni, deputy product manager PdM HMS. “When you add that HMS never had an approved TEMP and went through a major shift in its acquisition strategy toward a Non-Developmental Item approach, post Milestone C, it is truly a feather in Lt. Col. Gary’s cap.”

Gary chalks up his success to a good core team that includes ‘the unsung heroes on our admin staff to the engineers.’ He also pays forward the strong mentoring that helped shape his military career by mentoring several members on his team.

“One of the things that I love the most about my job is talking to the assistant product managers and sharing my experience with them so they don’t hopefully make the same mistakes that I made,” Gary said. “If they do well, then I’ve done my job.”

Gary progressed from his first assignment as platoon leader and later executive officer of C Company, 24th Signal Battalion to assistant product manager, Legacy Waveforms to his most recent position as the product manager for HMS.

Gary deployed twice, the first time to support Operation Iraqi Freedom where served as team lead for the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) Forward Operational Assessment Team. At ATEC, his team conducted assessments and testing on selected systems that were used to support combat operations throughout the Iraqi theater. The mission, which was important to the nation’s security, ensured that U.S. Soldiers were equipped with the most suitable, effective and survivable systems to accomplish their respective missions. In support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Gary deployed to the U.S. Central Command theater of operations where he worked with regional contracting centers throughout Afghanistan to ensure commanders had services and supplies – including materials to build schools and dig wells – to support their combatant and civil service missions.

Raised by a single mother, Gary leaned on his older brothers for direction, including his decision to serve in the Army. He credits his family to making him a more effective leader.

“Family is everything, and it gives you the ability to do what you need to do,” said Gary. “As a military service member, I always remember that my family is making sacrifices and serving too.”

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