Speakers

Congressman Rob Wittman is the vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, which he has served on since his election to Congress in 2007. He concurrently serves as chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee and previously led the subcommittees on Seapower and Projection Forces, Readiness, and Oversight and Investigations.

As vice chairman of the full committee, Congressman Wittman helps the committee navigate America’s national security enterprise, advocating for a strategy that addresses the defense of the homeland and U.S. interests abroad. In his leadership role, he balances the demands of America’s immediate threats with modernization efforts for long-term great power competition—while always putting servicemembers first.

As chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, he oversees a vast portfolio of modernization programs that impact the future capabilities of the U.S. military's ground and air forces and munitions stockpiles. Through authorizing procurement and R&D programs, Congressman Wittman ensures that American servicemembers are well-equipped to carry out their missions.

In the 118th Congress, Wittman was appointed to the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, where he collaborates with colleagues from both parties to counter the CCP's malicious agenda, military build-up, and its use of diplomatic and economic coercion.

Committed to fiscal responsibility, Wittman believes in being good stewards of taxpayer dollars while maintaining military strength and readiness. Recognizing the critical role of a robust defense budget for national security and the economy, he underscores the importance of supporting the military and workforce, particularly in Virginia.

Caroline Bean is the director and program executive officer for the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Program Executive Office Services. In this position, Bean is responsible for the development and acquisition of IT services for the Department of Defense. Her six portfolios encompass DOD-wide enterprise services and unified capabilities, business systems, mobility, and warfighting command and control capabilities.

Prior to her current appointment, Bean previously served as the program director, Defense Enterprise Office Solution. She was responsible for the integration and deployment of cloud based enterprise software solutions for the DOD. Her portfolio included DISA’s enterprise software as a service cloud offering, Defense Enterprise Office Solution, as well as the newly deployed commercially hosted collaboration suite, DoD365-Joint, that will service all defense agencies and DOD field activities and combatant commands.

Throughout her DISA career, Bean has served in a variety of program management roles, developing, and sustaining mission critical enterprise services and maximizing on the adoption of cloud-based solutions within the DOD, to include the commercially owned and commercially operated infrastructure as a service offering, milCloud 2.0.

The Honorable Andrew P. Hunter is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Arlington, Virginia. He was sworn in on Feb. 7, 2022. As the U.S. Air Force’s Service Acquisition Executive, Mr. Hunter is responsible for and oversees Air Force research, development and acquisition activities totaling an annual budget in excess of $60 billion for more than 550 acquisition programs. In this position, Mr. Hunter serves as the principal adviser to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force Chief of Staff for research and development, test, production and modernization efforts within the Air Force.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Hunter was a Senior Fellow in the International Security Program and Director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He focused on issues affecting the industrial base, including emerging technologies, the defense acquisition system, defense trade and industrial policy.

Mr. Hunter previously served as a member of the Senior Executive Service in the Department of Defense as Director of the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell. His duties included fielding solutions to urgent operational needs and leading the work of the Warfighter-Senior Integration Group to ensure timely action on critical issues of warfighter support. Mr. Hunter served as the Chief of Staff to the Honorable Ashton B. Carter and the Honorable Frank Kendall, while each was serving as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. Additional duties while at the Defense Department included support to the Deputy’s Management Action Group and examining ways to reshape acquisition statutes.

Mr. Hunter served as a Professional Staff Member of the House Armed Services Committee, leading the committee’s policy staff and managing a portfolio focused on acquisition policy, the defense industrial base, technology transfers and export controls. He also served in a variety of staff positions in the House of Representatives, including Appropriations Associate for Congressman Norman D. Dicks; Military Legislative Assistant and Legislative Director for Congressman John M. Spratt Jr.; and staff member for the Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military and Commercial Concerns with the People’s Republic of China.

Lea T. Kirkwood, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Program Executive Officer, Electronic Systems, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts. She leads more than 1,800 Airmen, government civilians, and support contractors to execute an $11.3 billion active year portfolio of Acquisition Categories, non-ACAT, technology transition and software programs, and Foreign Military Sales cases. She provides direction and oversight on acquisition policy, strategy development, and program management in support of aerospace management, sensors, force protection, electronic warfare, position, navigation, timing, and command and control capabilities.

Ms. Kirkwood served 29 years as an active-duty Air Force officer. As an acquisition program manager, she managed space, command and control, mission planning, automatic test systems, and early warning and control programs for United States and NATO operations, as well as foreign military sales. She led international relations at the Pentagon, in Hungary and United Kingdom. She commanded the 422nd Air Base Squadron, Royal Air Force Croughton, United Kingdom, and served as Deputy Commander, 78th Mission Support Group, Robins AFB, Georgia; Deputy Commander, 451st Expeditionary Mission Support Group, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan; and Vice Commander, 72nd Air Base Wing, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. She deployed in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Freedom’s Sentinel, and for the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission.

Prior to her current position, she served as Program Executive Officer and Director for the Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. She led over 1,600 military and civilian personnel and was responsible for executing $8.2 billion annually to provide materiel solutions and acquisition life cycle management for simulators, support equipment and vehicles, electronic warfare, combat avionics, human systems, automatic test systems, and metrology and calibration to meet Air Force operational needs.

EDUCATION
1992 Bachelor of Environmental Design, Architecture, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Master of International Business Administration, Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Master of Arts, Security Studies, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2009 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. February 1993–August 1995, Executive Officer to the Director of Acquisition Development and Chief Engineer, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
2. September 1995–September 1996, Acquisition Manager, Directorate of Acquisition Development, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
3. September 1996–August 1997, Executive Officer to the Commander, 8th Support Group, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
4. September 1997–October 1999, Program Manager, Mission Planning Foreign Sales and Program Manager, B-1B Mission Planning, Combat Air Forces Command and Control System Program Office, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
5. October 1999–September 2000, Deputy Division Chief, Joint Mission Planning, Combat Air Forces Command and Control System Program Office, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
6. September 2000–June 2003, International Politico-Military Affairs Officer, Foreign Liaison Office, Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. June 2003–June 2004, Executive Officer to the Director for External Relations, Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
8. June 2004–August 2005, Chief, GPS III Acquisition Integration Branch, Navstar/Global Positioning Satellite Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
9. September 2005–December 2006, graduate student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
10. January 2007–July 2008, Deputy Chief of International Relations, Headquarters Third Air Force, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
11. July 2008–July 2010, Commander, 422nd Air Base Squadron, RAF Croughton, United Kingdom
12. August 2010–July 2013, Deputy Commander, 78th Mission Support Group, Robins AFB, Ga.
13. July 2011–February 2012, Deputy Commander, 451st Expeditionary Mission Support Group, 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
14. July 2013–June 2014, Chief, Automatic Test Systems Division, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins AFB, Ga.
15. June 2014–August 2016, Vice Commander, 72nd Air Base Wing, Tinker AFB, Okla.
16. August 2016–July 2019, Chief, International Airborne Battle Management Command and Control Division, Battle Management Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
17. October 2018–April 2019, Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy and Policy, Headquarters Resolute Support, and Chief of Staff, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan
18. July 2019–July 2020, Deputy Director and Deputy Program Executive Officer, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
19. August 2020–January 2022, Acting Director and Program Executive Officer, Agile Combat Support Directorate, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
20. January 2022–September 2024, Director and Program Executive Officer, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
21. September 2024–October 2024, Director and Program Executive Officer, Training Directorate, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
22. October 2024–present, Program Executive Officer, Electronic Systems Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Silver Medal, Ministry of Defense, France

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES
2019 Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP), Program Management Advanced

Aditi Kumar is the Deputy Director for Strategy, Policy, and National Security Partnerships at DIU. In this role, Aditi drives DIU’s collaboration with the Military Departments, Joint Staff, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense to deliver capabilities at scale to meet warfighter requirements. She further leads our teams focused on policy, interagency partnerships, legislative affairs, and international affairs.

Prior to joining DIU, Aditi served as the Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment. At A&S, she supported some of the Department’s highest priority initiatives including security assistance to Ukraine, industrial production expansion and acceleration, supply chain risk management, and military installation and housing policy.

Before joining DoD, Aditi was the Executive Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. Aditi also led the Belfer Center’s Economic Diplomacy Initiative, focused on research and expertise at the intersection of international affairs and economic policy.

Aditi was previously a Principal at management consultancy Oliver Wyman in the financial services and public policy practices. She worked primarily with U.S. commercial and investment banks as well as U.S. regulators and policymakers on designing and implementing financial regulation. She also served as a Project Manager at the World Economic Forum, responsible for leading policy discussions among financial sector executives and policymakers on managing financial risk and designing effective global financial regulation.

Aditi has a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania’s Huntsman Program, an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School, and a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. Aditi immigrated from India when she was nine and grew up in Missouri.

Mr. Manning is the Deputy Director Electronic Warfare, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Platform and Weapon Portfolio Management (OUSD A&S, P&WPM).  He is responsible for portfolio management and recommendations on investment decisions in electromagnetic warfare. 

Prior to joining A&S, Mr. Manning was the Systems Engineering Section Head within the Tactical Electronic Warfare Division at U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.  Mr. Manning spent over eight years working on technology, prototypes, and acquisition programs supporting ship self-defense.  He researched basic algorithms and technologies to support Counter-C5ISRT, missile defense, and electromagnetic sensor protection. Mr. Manning began his career at a small defense contractor, working on Analysis of Alternatives, program support, and milestone reviews with OPNAV, ASN RDA, and PEO IWS.  

Mr. Manning provided key technical direction and leadership as an Integrated Product Team (IPT) functional lead for Electronic Attack (EA) subsystem hardware including active solid state phased arrays, an advanced techniques generator and RF conversion equipment, a two-phase chiller unit, and a prime power conversion and distribution component.  Mr. Manning was the principal engineer for the concept, design, implementation, and verification of the AN/SLQ-32(V)7 hardware, which successfully completed Factory Qualification Test (FQT).  Mr. Manning also served as the lead systems engineer for the Shipboard Passive Electro-optical Infrared (SPEIR) acquisition program, the principle investigator for the Long Endurance Airborne Platform (LEAP) FNC payload, and chief engineer for the Long Endurance Electronic Decoy (LEED) acquisition program.  He developed multiple requirements documents for systems such as AN/SLQ-32 and helped develop behavioral models of deployed systems. 

Mr. Manning is recognized for his technical competence, for his positive and proactive approach to problem solving.  Over his career Mr. Manning has received numerous citations and accolades for his contributions including multiple certificates of appreciation, team award for the LEED acquisition, and technical achievement awards.  His perspective of the technical challenges in developing and fielding new EA capabilities to counter advanced threats and his vision for possible solutions to these challenges will ensure advanced technology solutions meet the needs of the warfighter.

Mr. Manning earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  In addition, he earned a Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering, Management Science Focus from Virginia Tech.  He currently resides in Arlington, VA with his wife, Abigail, and their daughter Nora. 

David is the director of DIU’s autonomy portfolio and has more than 15 years of experience working across the government and private sectors in military, special operations, and program management roles. He works on small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) issues such as Blue UAS to rapidly provide cutting edge sUAS technology to warfighters. David also  led DIU’s expansion into ground vehicle autonomy projects. 

Prior to becoming a Portfolio Director, David was a Project Manager at DIU. Before that, David was an infantry officer in the U.S. Army where he served in special operations and conventional units. He held leadership and command roles from the platoon to battalion levels, serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment twice. David was also a General Wayne Downing Scholar with the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point while he attained his graduate degree.

David  holds a Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics  from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Audrey Decker is the air warfare reporter for Defense One. She previously reported for Inside Defense, where she reported on the Navy and emerging defense technology. She's a graduate of the University of Maryland.

Bradley Peniston is executive editor of Defense One. A national security journalist for a quarter-century, he helped launch Military.com, served as managing editor of Defense News, and was editor of Armed Forces Journal.

His books include No Higher Honor: Saving the USS Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf (Naval Institute Press, 2006), which has been recommended by the Navy's Professional Reading Program and the U.S. Coast Guard's doctrine guide.

Patrick Tucker is science and technology editor for Defense One. He’s also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move? (Current, 2014). Previously, Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. Tucker has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, MIT Technology Review, Wilson Quarterly, The American Legion Magazine, BBC News Magazine, Utne Reader, and elsewhere.

Lauren C. Williams is senior editor for Defense One. She previously covered defense technology and cybersecurity for FCW and Defense Systems. Before then, Williams has reported on several issues, including internet culture, national security, health care, politics and crime for various publications. She has a master's in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park and a bachelor's in dietetics from the University of Delaware.