Photo By Enrique Vasquez | Maj. Gen. Christopher Eubank (left), NETCOM Commanding General, presents Col Eric...... read more read more
FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz.,- This past month Col. Eric Tollefson, Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM), Chief of Staff and former Data Science Director joins the veteran ranks as he becomes a Soldier for Life. Although Army Soldiers retire every day, very few leave the service as the subject matter experts in their field. Such is the case with Col. Tollefson, as he departs the military as a former a Functional Area 49 (FA49), Operations Research and Systems Analysis or (ORSA).
ORSAs are the Army's subject matter experts in the newly emerging field of data science, who support organizations within the Human Resources, Cyber and Intelligence enterprises.
“Let me elaborate about how important it was to have someone like Eric on the NETCOM Team; as NETCOM’s first Data Science Director in 2018, Eric hit the ground running. Not having a large team he quickly expanded the directorate from just nine personnel to 35 personnel distributed across four sites located throughout the continental United States to ensure the best use of resources within academia and industry.,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher L. Eubank, NETCOM Commanding General during Tollefson’s retirement ceremony on 26 May, 2022.
“Eric skillfully guided his team of data scientists to use data to help the command make data-informed decisions.”
“His breakthroughs in NETCOM’s data analysis capabilities had a global impact on the Army and led to a 20% increase in endpoint computer visibility, reduction of network troubleshooting time by over 95%, shortening of hiring times by over 20%, and a three-fold improvement in service desk first call resolution,” said Eubank.
During the retirement ceremony, Eubank expounded on the remarkable achievements regarding Tollefson’s 28 years of service as he gave credence to this fine officer’s long list of distinguished accolades.
“No written biography …or my humble remarks…can ever come close to telling the tale of Eric’s outstanding career,” said Eubank.
“A 1994 WestPoint graduate and former infantry officer by choice, Eric took the jobs that were the most perplexing in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, while earning a PhD in Philosophy along the way.”
“He finished his time with the Army in one of the more challenging assignments of his long career, as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM),” said Eubank.
“With almost three decades of service to our Army and our nation, Col. Tollefson performed his duties with consummate distinction throughout his extraordinary career to include outstanding service while assigned to 82nd Airborne Division, United States Military Academy, U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and the NETWORK Enterprise Technology Command,” said Eubank.
Tollefson also echoed Eubank’s accolades as he reflected on his experiences in the Army and offered a little bit of advice for those seeking a career in the military.
“The Army is made of and is focused on people. They are our primary weapon system and our soldiers and Army civilians are the best in the world and it is they that make the Army such a great institution,” said Tollefson.
“The other thing about the Army that I'd like to recognize though is the opportunity that it provides because of its size. There are a tremendous number of paths to a successful career.”
“Most folks reading my bio, particularly those who stayed in their basic branch for their whole career, like many folks here will recognize that the path that I took is not a standard path going from infantry to FA-49, [which involved] lots of schooling [along the way] to teaching assignments of West Point,” said Tollefson.
“I don't plan to give out a bunch of advice or pearls of wisdom in my remarks today, but I will say this for soldiers considering getting out and folks with family and friends, who were considering a career in the military,” said Tollefson.
“Make sure you look into all that the Army has to offer. There are many diverse paths and it's likely that at least one fits their skills and interests.”
“There's a ton of opportunity in this Army and it's a great organization to be part of,” said Tollefson.
Tollefson also thanked his family for all of their support during his Army career.
“To my children, Nathan, Emma, Claire, John, and Erin, thanks for giving my life meaning and for being willing to uproot your lives, during each of our moves, and for your love and support,” Tollefson.
“We're finally going somewhere where we will stay. I know that may be a little late for my older teens, but at least you’ll have a stable place to come back to. And to my wonderful wife and confidant, Kara, thanks for joining me on this [journey].”
“I should point out that we [Kara and I] met when I was in graduate school. The very first time she ever saw me in uniform was on our wedding day. She had absolutely no idea what she was getting. So thank you for 20 great years, and I can't wait to spend another 20 plus years together,” said Tollefson.
“This has been quite a ride. I will absolutely miss the Army,” concluded Tollefson.
At the end of the ceremony, General Eubank presented Tollefson with the Legion of Merit medal and his wife, Mrs. Tollefson, with the Meritorious Public Service medal. Eubank also presented each Tollefson child with their very own, "Certificate of Appreciation," as he thanked the family for supporting Tollefson throughout his military career.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.10.2022 16:57 |
| Story ID: | 422706 |
| Location: | SIERRA VISTA-FORT HUACHUCA AIRPORT, AZ, US |
| Hometown: | HUNTSVILLE, AL, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NETCOM’s First Data Science Director Retires, by Enrique Vasquez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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