Jeff Joo is a jack of all trades and master of one

Jeff Joo, the program officer for Satellite Terminal Systems, began supporting the Army in 1998 as a student trainee pursuing a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Born in South Korea, his family moved to New Jersey when Joo was five-years old. When not working, Joo enjoys spending time with his family, jogging and playing ultimate frisbee. He answered 10 questions about his career and life.

How do you support the Army?
I manage a program that acquires, develops and modernizes strategic satellite terminals supporting the Army, Air Force, Navy and other agencies. I am part of the Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems (WESS) program, which is in the Defense Communications and Army Transmissions Systems (DCATS) portfolio.

How has DCATS responded to COVID-19?
My team started teleworking. PEO EIS ensures that we have the resources required to perform the mission while teleworking.

We changed our fielding schedules. Our partners at Information Systems Engineering Command and Tobyhanna Army Depot have a team completing testing at Camp Roberts, Calif. An installation team working in Germany is completing an installation.

I start my work day earlier so I can spend more time with my wife and two daughters. That has been one sunny side of this situation. When I worked in the office, I came home and only spent an hour or two with my kids before they went to bed. Now I have coffee breaks and lunch with them every day.

Describe the PEO EIS culture.
We work hard to get the mission done. There are some really long days, but our leadership understands the importance of work-life balance. When my daughters were born, I took three weeks off from work. It’s a balancing act. You need to get the mission done and take care of your people.  

How would your co-workers describe you?
I hope they think I am fair, tough at times, picky, detail oriented and willing to roll up my sleeves and help them.

What is challenging about acquisition?
We have to be on the same page. Acquisition is a team effort. Jackie McIntyre, our acquisition manager, knows what flies and what doesn’t in defense procurements. DCATS and WESS are supported by very talented Contracting Officers from Army Contracting Command-Rock Island.

Why have you been so successful in your career?
I have supported Army satellite programs for 22 years. I have had the opportunity to learn our systems and understand our users, which helps us meet customers' expectations.

Anyone managing a program has to be a jack of all trades. I am very fortunate to have a great team. Our integrated product support team includes logistics subject matter experts. I know enough about logistics to be dangerous, but I count on them to ensure that the technical product we field is trainable, maintainable and reliable. Our installation team manages construction projects to install and assemble antennas on site. We have a great test team supported by software and documentation experts. Together, we field terminals that perform to a high standard.

Why does your team work so well together?
We have a good mix of seasoned people and newer staff. One of our contractors has supported the Modernization of Enterprise Terminals (MET) program since 2005. He understands what the various subsystems do and the history of the engineering tradeoffs we made.

Lt. Col. Anthony Whitfield, the product manager for WESS, does an excellent job of making my team feel appreciated.

What do your customers value about your program?
We are experts in fielding satellite terminal systems. We also understand acquisition. We know how to come up with an idea and get it on contract so it can be fielded, tested and maintained. We don’t do drive-by fieldings—we provide a full package. We install a system and make sure that the necessary training elements are in place to support and maintain it.

When are you happiest?
I am happiest when my kids learn a new skill. My oldest daughter, a first grader, is very proud that she can read chapter books on her own.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?
Now is a pretty exciting time to live. I am constantly amazed by new technologies that improve our lives. I am looking forward to self-driving cars.