Mazzucchi to lead CECOM

Brig. Gen. Mike Mazzucchi will take over for retiring Maj. Gen. William Russ.

The Army's top program official for warfighting information technology will assume control later this month of Communications-Electronic Command and Fort Monmouth, N.J.

Brig. Gen. Mike Mazzucchi will take over for the retiring Maj. Gen. William Russ. The Army will hold a change of command, advancement and retirement ceremony on June 25, according to a service statement.

Mazzucchi will get his second star during the morning event. But he will continue in his previous duties as program executive officer in the Program Executive Office-Command, Control and Communications Systems Tactical, said CECOM spokesman Tim Rider.

The decision to make Mazzucchi CECOM commander and PEO-C3T program executive officer signifies the Army's desire to reorganize and streamline its acquisition management structure, Rider said.

Mazzucchi gained prominence during the military buildup to the second war in Iraq. He oversaw the procurement, management and installation of more than 1,000 Blue-Force Tracking systems, the first time in warfare that friendly forces could digitally track themselves in combat that significantly reduced fratricide.