The U.S. Army Operational Test Command promoted and welcomed its new civilian executive director in a ceremony Friday at West Fort Hood.

Robert Miele, formerly of the U.S. Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., was promoted to the Senior Executive Service, the federal civilian employee equivalent of a general officer. Brig. Gen. Scott Spellmon, OTC commanding general, hosted the ceremony for Fort Hood’s only SES.

“I’m really humbled and honored to be part of this great command,” Miele said. His wife, Laurie, and his son, Kyle, participated in the ceremony.

A graduate of Widener University, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and Johns Hopkins University, Miele entered civil service in 1989 as an Army Materiel Command engineering intern. He also studied at the Army School of Engineering and Texas A&M University, and is a graduate of the Logistics Acquisition Management Program, Defense Leadership and Management Program and the Army Management College.

Miele served as AMSAA’s acting Technical Director, the acting Technical Director for the U.S. Army Developmental Test Command and the acting SES for DTC’s Director of Test Management. He has had assignments as an AMSAA team leader; chief, Chemical Demilitarization Office; chief, Maneuver Systems Branch; and associate director, Test Management, Army Test and Evaluation Command.

A Certified Level III Acquisition Corps in both test and evaluation and systems planning research development and engineering, Miele has completed the senior acquisition course requirements from the Defense Acquisition University. He is the recipient of numerous service and performance awards, including two Wilbur Payne Awards, Achievement Medals for Civilian Service, Superior Civilian Service Award, Baltimore Federal Executive Awards Supervisor of the Year and the Meritorious Civilian Service Award.

OTC, with four test directorates located at Fort Hood and four others at Fort Bliss; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; and Fort Sill, Okla., is the only independent operational tester for the Army.