COMMAND CENTER: Brigadier General Susan K. Mashiko
Vice Commander, Space and Missiles Systems Center, L.A.F.B., CA
A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering, General Mashiko’s career has encompassed a broad range of space and acquisition assignments. She was the Chief of the Programs Division in the Office of Special Projects, the executive officer to the Department of Defense Space Architect, and Program Manager for the Atlas V Program. She has also served as Director of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle System Program, Vice Commander of Air Armament Center, and the Program Executive Officer for Environmental Satellites.>
These critical assignments have served her well, as the General now assists the base commander with the management of the research, design, development, and acquisition and sustainment of space and missile systems, lauch, command and control, and operational satellite systems... no small task! Milsat Magazine was delighted to have the opportunity to speak to General Mashiko regarding her career and Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC).
MilsatMagazine
General, as the Vice Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center, you have an enormous responsibility in helping to command a variety of wings that are responsible for the security of our nation. How do you manage and prioritize your daily tasks?
BGEN Mashiko
As the Vice Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center, I am responsible for supporting the Commander, Lt. Gen. Tom Sheridan, in overseeing a wide variety of areas, both in his Program Executive Officer for Space role and in his Center Commander role.
We both rely on our Wing Commanders and Staff Organization Directors to handle most of the day-to-day program and center staff issues. Items only become elevated to the command level when there are impacts across multiple organizations, or when there is a major item with long-term consequences. When that happens, both Lt. Gen. Sheridan and I have outstanding staffs to help us manage and prioritize our daily tasks.
MilsatMagazine
The U.S. Air Force appears to select commanders based on their experience and talents... how were you selected for this important posting?
BGEN Mashiko
I am truly honored to have earned the opportunity to be the Vice Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center. Selections for positions like mine are made by a board of general officers who consider individuals based on their experience and performance. The board looks at your past assignment history to determine if you have relevant experience to lead a particular organization. They also look at your performance evaluations and promotion recommendations to determine if you have the leadership, management, strategic, and other skills necessary for a command position.
I have served in the Air Force for 28 years, almost exclusively as a space professional. I have had a range of assignments in space organizations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Each of these assignments has added another skill to my toolbox and has increased my understanding of space systems and the related acquisition, policy, and operational issues. I think the sum of my experience and career history has prepared me well to help lead the Space and Missile Systems Center.
MilsatMagazine
You manage a huge $46 billion budget for Milsatcom. What processes are important for suppliers to realize in order to become leading contenders in support of U.S.A.F. programs?
BGEN Mashiko
The Military Communications Systems Wing (MCSW) at the Space and Missile Systems Center manages the $46 billion dollar military satellite communications systems portfolio. Contracts in this capability area are solicited in much the same way contracts are solicited in any of our other materiel wings.
All Air Force contract proposals are evaluated using a structured, thorough, deliberative, and disciplined process that proceeds in accordance with established regulations and processes. All proposals are evaluated for their technical adequacy, cost, risk, and contractor past performance. Each of these criteria is weighted differently for different solicitations. Because each solicitation is different, an essential part of competing successfully during a source selection is simply complying with the directions in the Request for Proposals (RFP).
There are no “secrets” I can offer for how suppliers and vendors can become leading contenders in this process. Each proposal is evaluated individually, following the guidelines established in the solicitation, and every supplier is given equal opportunity to put their best foot forward.
MilsatMagazine
What is your connection and interaction with other major commands, as well as the NRO, NASA, and the Secretary of Defense?
BGEN Mashiko
The Space and Missile Systems Center is part of Air Force Space Command, a major command. Requirements for the systems we acquire are developed by Air Force Space Command, in conjunction with the operator and warfighter communities in other major commands. We report to Air Force Space Command in our role to organize, train, and equip SMC for mission execution. In addition, Lt. Gen. Sheridan, as the Program Executive Officer for Space, reports to the Secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition program execution. Depending on the size of a program, acquisition decisions will be made either by the Program Executive Officer, the Secretary of the Air Force, or the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.
SMC’s relationships with organizations such as the NRO and NASA generally include cooperation on specific programs or technology development projects and joint participation in space acquisition community forums. For example, all three of these organizations participate in the Mission Assurance Forum, which brings together government and industry participants in space launch. Meetings like the Mission Assurance Forum allow for the sharing of best practices, processes, and standards to strengthen the chances of success for space launch. One example of technology cooperation is the Air Force, NRO, and NASA’s cooperation to upgrade the RS-68 rocket engine. This cooperation will provide enhanced performance for the Delta IV and Ares V launch vehicles that use the RS-68 engine.
MilsatMagazine
How did you become intrigued and interested in Milsatcom, when there are so many career paths in the U.S. Air Force?
BGEN Mashiko
Military satellite communications are a critical part of the command and control infrastructure that our warfighters depend on in the field. When we conduct operations in remote parts of the world, often unconnected to terrestrial communications systems, we rely heavily on our military satellite communication systems as part of the Global Information Grid. Almost every piece of information that comes to or goes from the field will, at some point in its journey, pass through a satellite communications system.
As the former Wing Commander of the Military Communications Systems Wing and now Vice Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center, I support our continued investment in military satellite communications systems, as well as space systems in all of the SMC capability portfolio areas.
MilsatMagazine
Your career has seen you posted to a variety of bases. In fact, wasn’t your first assignment in June of 1980 your first posting to L.A.F.B. as the Director of ASAT Systems? How have your assignments, from Wright-Patterson to Maxwell to Washington D.C. prepared you for your current command role?
BGEN Mashiko
My breadth of experience in the Air Force and inter-agency space community has prepared me for my current role as Vice Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center. I have a long history of assignments in the space arena. With each assignment, I’ve learned about the capabilities that Air Force space systems provide and how the Air Force develops, acquires, operates, and budgets for these systems. Only by having a breadth and depth of knowledge about the whole range of issues affecting the space capability area can one assume command of an organization with a portfolio as wide-ranging as that of the Space and Missile Systems Center.
MilsatMagazine
There are several, critical projects underway at SMC. Of those that can be discussed, which one do you feel will have the most impact in aiding our warfighters and protecting our country, and why?
BGEN Mashiko
All of the programs at SMC will have an impact in aiding our warfighters and protecting our country. I can’t choose any one to say it will have the most impact because each program has its own unique role in supporting the warfighter and the nation.
One of the interesting things about space systems, and in fact most modern military systems in general, is that they are all interconnected. A military aircraft, for instance, receives its mission orders via a communication satellite, plans its operations using information collected by weather and other reconnaissance satellites, and executes its flight path with the help of GPS coordinates. All of those systems are necessary to conduct a successful operation. Every system that SMC develops and acquires has an impact for our warfighters and our nation.
MilsatMagazine
You were promoted to Brigadier General in September of 2006. This is a terrific accomplishment. How was this attained, all the while looking after your family and personal life?
BGEN Mashiko
I’m very fortunate to be in the Air Force general officer ranks. When an officer is selected for promotion to a general officer it is because of his or her record of accomplishment and potential for leadership. Getting to the point where you are under consideration for such a promotion requires hard work and dedication throughout your career. It is always a challenge to balance career and personal life. Throughout my service, I have maintained a strong commitment to the Air Force and to excellence.
MilsatMagazine
The requisition and acquisition cycle can sometimes seem to take forever in order to obtain Congressional approval and financing for projects. Having a great deal of experience in acquisition management, are there any steps that you could recommend to help optimize the process to more quickly move critically needed projects to the front burner?
BGEN Mashiko
There will always be acquisition challenges to contend with and, unfortunately, it can take time to acquire space systems. This, after all, is “rocket science”! Anyone involved in the programming and budgeting process must understand Air Force, Department of Defense, and Congressional processes intimately and work within the established laws, policies, and guidelines. Being able to articulate requirements and communicate their warfighter impacts is an essential part of the process because we must justify why a project is in the national interest. Effective communication among all services is vital to our national security and the national security space enterprise.
MilsatMagazine
Lastly, General, what do you see as the most important role of Milsatcom over the next few years?
BGEN Mashiko
Military satellite communications will continue to play a key role in supporting our warfighters and decision-makers around the world. The Air Force and other services rely on both military and commercial communication assets to keep information flowing to and from the battlefield. Military satellite communications systems enable command and control of our ground forces, equipment, and other space systems. They also carry information to warfighters in the field and national decision-makers. Military satellite communications systems play a key role in connecting our warfighters into a global information grid.
At SMC, we play the important role of delivering new military satellite communications systems capabilities in the next few years. As we continue to sustain existing systems such as the Defense Satellite Communications Systems (DSCS), we are fielding new systems such as the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) and Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) systems. With the recent favorable reviews of the Transformational Communications Satellite (TSAT) program, we also look forward to the development of a next generation system that will enhance our capabilities and grow the Global Information Grid.
To learn more about SMC, select the logo below...