Photo By Joshua Free | Harry Sotomayor, director of engineering for the U.S. Army’s Program Executive...... read more read more
Soldiers and civilians from the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) joined the friends and family of Harry A. Sotomayor, PEO STRI’s director of engineering, on May 30 for a retirement ceremony honoring his nearly 40 years of federal government service.
Sotomayor, who grew up and attended high school in Puerto Rico, joined the federal government as an Army civilian in 1986 at the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) in Aberdeen, Maryland, and came to work for the Simulation Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM), the forerunner to PEO STRI, in Orlando, Florida.
“I am humbled to see so many friends, colleagues, family, gathering today to celebrate my retirement,” Sotomayor told the packed room during the ceremony. “I feel honored to be in the presence of so many great leaders.”
Sotomayor said he was also overwhelmed with gratitude for the privilege of serving for almost 40 years with so many remarkable people on the PEO STRI staff and in the military’s modeling and simulation community. His career included working on the Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT), Live, Virtual and Constructive Integrating Architecture (LVC-IA) program, Joint Simulation System (JSIMS), and Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS).
“I have been blessed to have an amazing career filled with challenging programs, great coworkers, outstanding industry partners, and great influential leaders,” Sotomayor said. “Life is full of surprises, you never know people you meet along the way are going to help you, or you are going to help them in the future. So, always be kind to people and treat everyone with respect.”
During his early years at ATEC, STRICOM, and PEO STRI, he was responsible for integration, testing, research, development and product improvement. Sotomayor then climbed the engineering ranks at PEO STRI, becoming the lead engineer on several key simulation products, the lead engineer for a project manager office, and even the chief technology officer before becoming the PEO STRI director of engineering.
“As I transition to a new phase of my life, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for an incredible journey we have shared,” Sotomayor said. “I am immensely proud of the accomplishments we have achieved together, and I have no doubt PEO STRI will continue to excel in this vital mission. I wish you all the best in the future, and I will always cherish the memories we made together.”
Brig. Gen. Christine A. Beeler, PEO STRI’s program executive officer, presided over the ceremony and thanked Sotomayor for his numerous accomplishments. Her remarks focused not only on his personal achievements but also on the legacy he leaves behind with a team of engineers he helped to build.
“It is clear that your thumbprint is evident across the quality of engineers, the quality of engineering and programs that go on at PEO STRI,” Beeler told Sotomayor. “You have made a real difference in ensuring our national defense and really taking care of Soldiers.”
Beeler spoke in detail about how Army readiness is impacted by training devices and software developed and fielded by PEO STRI, and how Sotomayor’s dedication to the mission helped develop those products over the past four decades.
“I have only known Harry about 11 months, and in our initial conversations, Harry didn’t say much,” Beeler said. “But we had some good conversations and from that I was able to understand a lot about what’s happening at PEO STRI, not just what is currently going on but how we got to where we are and really thinking about how we continue forward.”
During the ceremony, Sotomayor received a shadowbox with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol, letter of appreciation, retirement certificate and lapel pin, and a lifetime member of PEO STRI certificate. Beeler also presented Sotomayor with the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal to recognize his exceptional service while serving as PEO STRI’s director of engineering from June 2020 to March 2025.
The award citation stated, “his technical acumen, leadership, and dedication to the Army's engineering mission have made him an invaluable asset to our organization, and his contributions will continue to pay great dividends in the future.”
A small reception for family and friends followed the ceremony. Sotomayor said he plans on spending his free time in retirement with his children, grandchildren, and traveling with his wife.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.03.2025 14:40 |
| Story ID: | 499550 |
| Location: | ORLANDO, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 305 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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