Get to know Col. Rob Wolfe

“The Army is pivoting towards the software-acquisition pathway for all the right reasons,” Col. Rob Wolfe said. “It’s a big shift in the way we've been doing business. It’s less Waterfall and more Agile. It holds us accountable for rapid delivery.”

Wolfe, the Army Data and Analytics Platforms (ARDAP) project manager, just completed a six-month assignment as PEO EIS acting deputy program executive officer. “A lot of changes are happening inside PEO EIS, and it's all going to be good,” Wolfe said. “We are going to be a better organization.”

“We are doing a lot to standardize our business processes,” Wolfe said. “The two biggest cost drivers for maintaining legacy systems are the customizations and point-to-point interfaces. We are moving away from that. We will minimize customizations. Currently, customizations are about 85% of our business process. Going forward, we will keep it under 10%.”

Wolfe enlisted in the Army in 1989 and served in Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm with the 52nd Engineer Battalion. After completing his infantry career as commander of Charlie Company 2-35 Infantry in Iraq, Wolfe joined the Army Acquisition Corps.

A passionate patriot with 30 years of Army service, including multiple combat deployments, Wolfe answered questions about his career and life.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Amarillo, a small town in West Texas. I grew up playing football where you stand on the sidelines with your helmet and sing the national anthem. I grew up playing baseball where both teams line up at home plate to recite the Lord's Prayer.

My dad died when I was 20 years old. For most of his life, he was either working on offshore oil rigs or as a cowboy on ranches and farms. My mom worked at a Levi Strauss factory for 34 years. She started as a seamstress and worked her way into the payroll office until the factory closed.

Why did you enlist in the Army?
I planned to serve for four years to pay for college. I continued to serve because I love the Army’s discipline, traditions and protocols — all of the things that drive a lot of people crazy. I also love the camaraderie. Being surrounded by people supporting a common goal — that fires me up every day.

Why did you decide to join the Acquisition Corps?
I was exposed to the Acquisition Corps in Afghanistan. As the improvised-explosive-device threat started to evolve, our security posture evolved. Within a few months, we transitioned from vehicles with no armor to vehicles with level-five armor. It’s very rewarding to deliver products and services that have an Army-wide impact.

What challenges have you overcome in your career?
When I was an infantry company commander in Iraq, I accused my battalion commander of war crimes. Standing up for what I believed in, as hard as it was, was the best thing I ever did. It put me on an island for six months until he was relieved of his command.

What impact do PEO EIS programs have on Soldiers?
PEO EIS business systems make the Army run. Without them, people don’t get paid, Soldiers don’t get their equipment and supplies don’t move.

ARDAP programs help the Army leverage the value of data, including the power of integrating authoritative data to inform decisions at the speed of war. ARDAP tools enable Army leaders to make more informed, rapid decisions — instead of making good decisions on stale data; they make better decisions on current data.

Why is PEO EIS a great place to work?
The PEO EIS workforce includes a lot of great people who want to do great things for our country. They are motivated and passionate. It's incumbent upon us as leaders to take care of them and give them opportunities to excel.

What can someone learn from your daily routine?
In this this virtual world, you can spend eight hours doing 30-minute meetings all day long and never engage anyone on a personal level. Create space on your calendar to engage the team — and protect that time.

At ARDAP, we host newcomer briefings that are not about me talking to people. They are about spending time with everybody in the formation and learning about them. We also host virtual lunches and happy hours to talk about anything. When Jen Potts, my deputy, and I close out every day, we always talk about the engagements where we had the opportunity to get to know people inside ARDAP. It’s always the best part of every day.

What do good leaders do?
Your audio has to match your video. If you say you care about people, you can't fake it. You can say it and not do it — and any formation will see right through you. Either you do or you don't. The best leaders are consistent leaders — own who you are.

What advice do you have for companies interested in working for PEO EIS?
In the acquisition lifecycle, PEO EIS is the execution phase.

Do your homework. Understand our mission and strategies. If you identify a gap, that's a very interesting conversation to me.

Understand our current investments. Just because you have a shinier thing than the current Army thing doesn't mean we are going to pivot to your thing.

Have an objective when you meet with us. The first question I always ask in an industry meeting is: “What's your desired end state for this engagement?” If your objective is to get a follow-on meeting with more technical people and you get that during the first five minutes of a meeting, end the meeting. If you achieve your objective, declare victory and move on.

How has Army acquisition changed in the last five years?
We used to have one pathway for delivering capabilities: Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System. Now we have five different pathways. We have middle-tier acquisition, rapid prototyping, software acquisition, business-system acquisition and other-transaction authority (OTA). We have many more avenues to deliver capability with less restrictive and prescriptive processes. The Army uses OTAs because they provide a flexible way to rapidly deliver a capability.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?
I love to play golf. If I truly want to just relax, I sit in my basement and listen to old-school country records on a real record player with a glass of good whiskey.

I love listening to anything by Merle Haggard, George Strait, Conway Twitty or Don Williams.

George Strait’s “Amarillo by Morning” is my favorite song. It was written by an Amarillo native.

Do you have any book recommendations?
Gen. Tommy Franks’ “American Soldier” is a fantastic read about leadership and work ethic. Franks grew up in West Texas. After graduating from college, Franks confided in his father that he didn’t get the assignment he was hoping for. His father told him, “Well, son, just go be a hand.” Be a hand like a ranch hand. Work hard. Be valuable and contribute. Franks did that his whole life and made four stars. My favorite Franks quote is, “It's hard to roll up your sleeves when you’re wringing your hands.” When you’re just wringing your hands, you’re not getting to work.

“On Hallowed Ground” is a great book about the Arlington National Cemetery, a special place for me.

“The Boys in the Boat” is an inspiring story about the American rowing team that won the gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by defeating the German team. The book explains that the best team doesn’t have the best people; it has the best people who complement one another.

If you could have coffee with anyone in history or present day, who would it be?
Arnold Palmer. He brought the game of golf, which was designed for elites, to the working class. He believed in truly getting to know everyone with whom he engaged.

If you could thank one person for the role they played in your life, who would it be and why?
My wife keeps me humble and grounded. She has supported me through good times and bad times.

Who inspires you?
On September 11, 2011, there were tens of thousands of people in our country — doctors, lawyers, dentists, factory workers, police officers and firefighters — who had no intention of joining the Service. But on September 12, 2001, they found themselves in a reception station signing up to serve. Many of them, like Pat Tillman who left the National Football League to enlist in the Army, didn't make it home. Many of them are still serving. They inspire me.

When I was a company commander, my first sergeant taught me how to be a better Soldier. He was the best at everything he did. He was the best shooter. He was the fastest runner. He could carry the heaviest rucksack. And when you spend your time around people like that, you just want to be better.

Jen Potts cares more about people than anyone I know. On any given workday, her calendar will include a one-on-one mentoring session. At ARDAP, our mantra is: “Take care of people, and they will take care of the mission.” And she does it in spades.

How would you like to be remembered?
I want “husband, father and patriot” inscribed on my tombstone.