AFFTC says farewell to its top civilian

Published Dec. 6, 2011
By Kate Blais
95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With family, friends and colleagues assembled in Hangar 1600, Thomas Berard, the Air Force Flight Test Center's executive director, said farewell to Edwards after 33 years of federal service in his retirement ceremony, Dec. 2.

Berard began his career here at Edwards in 1979 working as a mathematician in the 6510th Range Squadron and served the AFFTC continuously until 2004.

"Clearly something happened during that time period to allow Tom to become the senior civilian here at the Air Force Flight Test Center," said Brig. Gen. Robert C. Nolan II, AFFTC commander.

Berard worked on and managed many test projects including the B-1B, A-10, KC-135 and eventually transitioned from mathematician to data analyst, an uneasy change for Berard that turned into a new opportunity.

"I didn't want to go. I went kicking and screaming," admitted Berard. "But every so often when you're a manager or leader, you see something in somebody that they don't see themselves."

"I was put in a place where I was very uncomfortable. It was a change, but I never looked back after that. I couldn't," Berard said.

"I had such a great time and I've relished change ever since then, because every change is a challenge and an opportunity to move forward," he said.

From 1984 to 1989, Berard was responsible for building the control facility at South Base that enabled testing and evaluation for the B-2 program.

"Then in 1989, post first flight of the B-2, we decided we got to get Tom off the base, so we sent him to grad school," said Nolan. "That's clearly what we needed him to do," continued Nolan, "fill his head with more stuff, and become smarter so that we could then tap that intellectual capital here at the Air Force Flight Test Center and on behalf of the United States of America."

Berard spent 1989 pursuing his Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering until 1990 when he returned to the AFFTC to manage the Engineering and Technical Support Services contract and then serve as chief of the Developmental Engineering Division where he was responsible for AFFTC's multi-million dollar Improvement and Modernization Program.

"Tom runs this part of our enterprise for four years," said Nolan. "And he does it so successfully that we said 'Let's put this guy into an airplane as a reward.' So [in 1998] we sent him to the 445th Flight Test Squadron, which at the time was testing the F-15 and the T-38 and we made Tom the director of test."

Berard remained at Edwards until January 2005 when he received a broadening assignment as the technical director of the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range, N.M., quickly becoming the director of the range in November of the same year and eventually the executive director in 2007, making him the first civilian to hold that position.

After three years of working for the Army, Berard returned to Edwards to become the senior civilian on base and executive director of AFFTC.

During the retirement ceremony, in addition to numerous letters of appreciation from AFFTC and major command leadership, Berard was presented the Outstanding Civilian Service Award in recognition of his distinguished performance in support of the Air Force, while his wife, Janet Berard, was presented with a certificate of appreciation from the Air Force for her support.

"Tom, I can't thank you enough for the friendship that we've had," said Nolan. "Your advice and counsel has been incredible and I hope that we remain friends for the rest of our lives."

When he began his remarks, Berard was admittedly emotional about his farewell.

"After 33 years, this is kind of a culmination of a spectacular career, but it's really just a transition to something else," he said. "Whenever I got put into a situation when I was uncomfortable and I was given a challenge, I learned a lot. It's just been wonderful, all of the things that I've been able to do."

As a civilian at the top of his game in senior executive service and the senior civilian at the AFFTC, Berard had a great deal of responsibility and his capacity as a leader was highly valued by his colleagues.

"This is at a time in the United States history that's important for us and at a time when leadership is a rare commodity," concluded Nolan.

And turning to address Berard's children in the audience Nolan said, "Your parents, Tom and Janet, are role models and your dad is one hell of a leader. We're going to miss him. And Tom we thank you for everything you've done on our behalf."