Test Chief Colonel Bailey transferred from Arnold

  • Published
  • By Shawn Jacobs
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  After being at Arnold AFB for only slightly more than a year, Arnold Engineering Development Center's (AEDC) Chief of the Test Division, Col. William Bailey, has been transferred.

Colonel Bailey's farewell luncheon at AEDC was held Sept. 29 and he was to report no later than Sept. 30 to the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) at Bolling AFB in Washington, D.C.

Test Division Technical Director Tom Fetterhoff will serve as acting chief until AEDC Commander Col. Michael Brewer selects a replacement from the Command Screening Board list. U.S. Navy Cmdr. Brian Allen is the division's deputy chief.

Colonel Bailey - who arrived at AEDC in July 2010 - said he did not seek the permanent change of station (PCS), which came about rather quickly.

"I did not expect it," Colonel Bailey explained. I had been assigned to the Rapid Capabilities Office before in the 2003-2006 timeframe, so they knew who I was.

"I'm going to replace a friend of mine, who got tapped to go to Wright-Patterson AFB. He got notified probably about a month before I heard, so I think it was a rapid fill to go take over for [him] at the Rapid Capabilities Office."

Colonel Bailey will be a senior materiel leader in the RCO, which is similar to a group commander.

"They're a combination of a program office to the acquisition program as well as a headquarters unit all rolled into one, so there will be quite a bit of work," Colonel Bailey said.

An electrical engineer and flight test engineer, Colonel Bailey was very familiar with the test business before coming to AEDC, but he said the base has given him a greater appreciation for ground testing.

"It's been surprising how fast this place grows on you," Colonel Bailey said. "I know I was at Wright-Patterson [AFB] at the lab and got notified of the assignment, so I started telling people, 'I'm going to Arnold.' I heard two types of responses. One shouldn't surprise anybody. 'Arnold, where's that?' The other response was, 'Arnold? You know so-and-so went down to Arnold and they never came back.'

"So I knew there was something going on down here that was going to be pretty special. It's been fantastic. The base is focused enough on its mission that everybody here can get their brain around why they're here and what's important. Everybody can pull in the same direction. It's very good when the people are fired up about the mission and they know where they fit and why it's important."

Despite AEDC's preeminence as a world-class ground testing center, it is not immune to constant budgetary pressures, which will only likely increase in the future, Colonel Bailey said. He said the Department of Defense (DOD) and Air Force are both under budgetary scrutiny. High-profile programs like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the F-22 Raptor are being singled out for possible cuts and sometimes that gets translated into cuts in test and evaluation, he said.

"So telling our story [and] explaining our value to the acquisition community and to the Air Force is something we can never stop doing," Colonel Bailey said. "I've been assigned to headquarters before and, in watching those budget battles, the only way to lose is to quit.

"We have a lot of capabilities that are unique to the U.S. and to the world and it will be very important to explain why that is significant and important because just the statement by itself won't be enough to convey our value to decision makers."

Colonel Bailey said he has enjoyed working with Col. Michael Brewer in recent weeks and he is impressed with the new commander's ability to tell AEDC's story.

"He's got a lot of experience in the different centers that do test and evaluation and he has great perspective," Colonel Bailey said. "He really understands what it takes to explain that value and he's been confident in explaining that to the senior leadership.

"As customers come in, as we're looking at a project, we need to provide as much value as we possibly can as a center, so when they leave they understand exactly why they came here. As we have distinguished visitors come in, we put out best foot forward and we explain to them why it's important to have this investment in Middle Tennessee.

Colonel Bailey said he, his wife, Tana and two children, 11-year-old Will and 10-year-old Katie, will miss AEDC and the community.

"They love it here and there were some long faces ... when orders came through because they had, in that short amount of time, made great friends both on and off base," he said. "They got involved in local soccer and school activities and have been doing well in the local schools."

Colonel Bailey said his family loved living on base and the nearby outdoor amenities.

"Having the lake right there was fantastic, whether hanging out on the beach or going to the marina and checking out a boat," he said. "The Services guys have been wonderful. We loved their attitude and tried to take as much advantage of [what they had to offer] as much as we could."

Colonel Bailey said his departure is certainly bittersweet, but he is looking forward to his new assignment.

"My head's still swimming a little," he said. "It's a bit the lot of an officer to move on a periodic basis. Now, clearly, this is a litter sooner than later, but it'll be exciting and I look forward to it."