Leadership of the Army’s Product Manger Combat Training Instrumentation Systems (PdM CTIS) passed from one leader to another during a change of charter ceremony at Capability Program Executive Simulation, Training, Test and Threat (CPE ST3) headquarters in Orlando, Florida, on May 28.
During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Kyle Hudalla assumed the PdM CTIS charter from Lt. Col. Jennifer Brewster, who had served as product manager since June 2024.
PdM CTIS is responsible for equipping the Army with advanced live-training instrumentation, software architectures, and data analytics, and for managing the instrumentation systems at all the Army’s premier combat training centers both in the U.S. and around the world.
“Today, we gather in a time-honored tradition, the change of charter ceremony, and these ceremonies are more than formalities,” said Liz Bledsoe, Project Manager Training Devices (PM TRADE), who presided over the ceremony. “They represent the continuity, trust, and passing responsibility from one leader to another. They remind us that while people transition, the mission endures.”
Bledsoe focused her remarks on both honoring Brewster, the outgoing product manager, for her numerous successes over the past two years, and recognizing Hudalla as the incoming leader for his engineering and acquisition expertise as well as his innovative strategic thinking.
“Transitions like today are powerful reminders of what makes the Army special; leaders come from different backgrounds, experiences and branches,” Bledsoe said. “They bring different perspectives and strengths, yet all are united by service, commitment, and the responsibility to leave the organizations better than they found them.”
Bledsoe highlighted how today’s ceremony symbolized the end of one chapter for PM TRADE and PdM CTIS and the beginning of another.
“Jen, thank you for your leadership, friendship, and dedicated service,” Bledsoe said. “Kyle, congratulations, welcome, and I am looking forward to seeing what you can do in your new leadership role.”
As the outgoing product manager, Brewster thanked her family for their support as well as her team’s numerous accomplishments and milestones achieved often behind the scenes despite complex technical hurdles, demanding stakeholders, and limited resources.
“Serving in this organization has been an incredible honor, the mission of CTIS is unique and critically important to Army training and preparation for future fights,” Brewster said. “Every system fielded, every capability delivered, and every training event supported directly contributes to preparing Soldiers and leaders for success on tomorrow's battlefield.”
Brewster thanked several members of her team by name for their accomplishments and then welcomed Hudalla to his new role as product manager.
“Kyle, you are inheriting a talented mission focused team that understands the operational army and the acquisition enterprise,” Brewster said. “Their expertise, commitment, and passion for the mission will continue to drive this organization forward.”
After receiving the charter, Hudalla delivered his remarks, focusing on the opportunity to continue the success of past product managers.
“Thank you for trusting me with the honor to continue the legacy of so many amazing product managers,” Hudalla told CPE ST3 senior leaders. “Many of my fondest and proudest memories as a leader were training or facilitating the training of Soldiers to execute a mission.”
Hudalla also thanked his wife Jessica for her support, and his parents for raising him to work hard, take on challenges, and succeed, which laid the foundation for his assuming advanced leadership roles in the Army.
“As product manager CTIS, our team will continue to deliver world-class training devices and training support capabilities,” Hudalla said. “To the CTIS team, I am thrilled to continue this journey with you all, and I look forward to building some incredible solutions and memories together as we deliver capabilities to the warfighter.”
A small reception for family, invited guests, and the CPE ST3 staff followed the ceremony.
Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, CPE ST3 is comprised of a highly skilled and diverse workforce of 980 Soldiers, Army civilians and contractors, who work with Army partners to enhance operational readiness and support the Army’s modernization efforts by fielding and sustaining the next generation of multi-domain operations testing, training and information operations capabilities