Paper: Cutting Costs and Establishing an Affordable Program
Abstract: Cost is a defining metric for every program or project. However, in recent years as programs have stretched far beyond original projections, reducing costs has gained entirely new importance.
Biography: As the Deputy Program Manager of the Test & Evaluation (T&E) Phase for the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) Air Launched Program, Rick Packard is directly responsible for coordinating the integrated schedule with the Air Force & Navy in order to achieve the B-1B and FA-18E/F Early Operational Capability (EOC) dates in 2018/2019. Over his 12 year career with Lockheed Martin he has served as, Deputy Director Advanced Programs for Combat Maneuver Systems (AP/CMS), Program Manager for Counter Mine System (CMS), Deputy Program Manager for the Joint Air to Ground Missile (JAGM) Program, and Operational Advisory Group (OAG) Integrator for the F-35 Block Plan and Mission System Requirements.
A retired Colonel, he served over 28 years in the Marine Corps as an F-4 and FA-18 Fighter Pilot, a graduate of the Naval Fighter Weapons School “Top Gun” and Marine Weapons & Tactics Instructors course (WTI), his assignments include: Carrier deployment with the VMFA-531 “Grey Ghosts” from MCAS El Toro, CA as a Squadron & Wing Landing Signal Officer (LSO) in the F-4N on the USS Coral Sea (CV-43) Cruise with CVW-14 to the Indian Ocean during operation “Desert One”; Training command tour as Advanced Jet Instructor & LSO in the TA-4J for VT-4 at NAS Pensacola, FL; West-Pac deployment as Operations Officer for the VMFA-251 “Thunderbolts” transition of the from F-4S to FA-18A at MCAS Beaufort, SC; Special assignment as Operations Officer of Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) coordinating the mobilization of the weapons school in support of Desert Shield / Desert Storm; Command tour CO of Marine Aircraft Group 49 / Detachment A, NAS Andrews AFB, Washington, DC transitioning the VMFA-321 “Hells Angels” from the F-4S to the FA-18A; Staff tour to HQMC Washington, DC as the Division Head for all Aviation Officer Assignments (MMOA-2); Acquisition tour as Director of Operational Requirements for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program Office developing the Joint Operational Requirements Document (JORD) and JSF Model Specification (JMS) used for source selection; Command tour as CO of Marine Aircraft Group 41 “Commander Marine Aviation Texas” at NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas, transitioning the VMFA-112 “Cowboys” from the FA-18A to the FA-18A+, plus deploying the VMGR-234 “Rangers” with KC-130Ts to Operation Enduring Freedom / Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) .
Mr. Packard holds a Bachelor of Science in “Business Management” from Oregon State University, and a Master of Science in “National Security Strategy” from the National War College.