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Eric Koerner

Career growth at MITRE can lead to unusual journeys. For Eric Koerner, the search for a career-broadening opportunity took him from Bedford, Massachusetts—where he was a systems engineer and project manager—to Brussels, Belgium, where he is the U.S. national expert assigned to the NATO Air Command and Control System Agency (NACMA). NACMA is responsible for procuring the NATO Air Command and Control System, or ACCS.

Koerner, who had never lived outside the United States, says he "did not necessarily have a long distance move in mind" when he approached his manager looking for opportunities to broaden his career after 13 years with MITRE. But he was excited to get this chance to expand his experience and skills into international relations.

For 10 of his years at MITRE, he had been in project management, mostly related to strategic command and control and sensor systems. Just before his transfer, he was the deputy chief engineer for the Electronic Systems Center, Strategic Command and Control System Program Office (SPO); He also maintained the title of Missile Defense Program Manager for the MITRE Air Force Center.

He brought all that knowledge to the ACCS, which is a major acquisition program aimed at modernizing the air command and control capability for NATO. Koerner explains that although his air defense background wasn't extensive, "the plans for ACCS to expand into a missile defense role for NATO made the opportunity both a good fit and an opportunity to broaden my expertise." Plus, the program goes beyond air defense, encompassing all defensive, offensive, and air support operations, and allows him to develop expertise with NATO and coalition operations, Koerner says.

The Diplomatic Dimension

There's one more dimension to Koerner's journey: he is now part diplomat. "While the job has significant technical aspects, diplomacy may be equally important for success here," he observes, noting that he needs "to understand the agendas of the various organizations and nations that vote and make decisions relevant to the program."

Koerner and 14 other national experts work in Brussels and serve as advisors to their respective NATO member nation official representatives. Although he interacts regularly with his counterparts, he finds that "our individual national interests and priorities are often very different." Hence the need to be part diplomat. Says Koerner: "Pursuing U.S. interests and initiatives is both challenging and rewarding. It requires understanding how to present the ideas in ways that will interest other NATO member nations and also requires patience, as coordination across NATO can be a lengthy and time-consuming process."

A MITRE Move

There was also a personal aspect to his decision to take this job, according to Koerner, who described his family's interest in going international. "My children are young: they're nine and five. My wife and I saw this as a good time to live abroad for a few years, before the kids got tied to their schools and community. A significant factor in our decision was the opportunity for our family to get international exposure, learn other languages, and understand what life outside America is like."

MITRE was key to the Koerner family's smooth transition, both professionally and personally. Koerner's predecessor helped him get acclimated, introduced him to key players, and guided him toward understanding the agendas and priorities of NATO and its members. In addition, MITRE provided essential relocation services, and MITRE staff members in Brussels helped the Koerners prepare for their move and get situated.

Now Brussels is home. They've settled in a French-speaking neighborhood; the kids attend the International School of Brussels; travel adventures await; and Koerner is taking French lessons.

Koerner sums up the change: "We are really enjoying ourselves. We do miss our family and friends in the U.S., but the work and personal experiences in Brussels are really unique and special. I'm finding the job assignment very interesting and quite different from anything I've done previously."

—by Shari Dwyer and Margaret MacDonald

In 1969, MITRE established a site in Brussels, Belgium to support the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) test program for its Air Defense Ground Environment system. Over three decades later, MITRE's nine member Brussels' staff representing all three centers comprising the DOD C3I FFRDC, supports a variety of NATO and U.S. organizations including the U.S. National Experts Office, NATO BICES Agency, NATO Air Command and Control System Management Agency, and the U.S. Mission to NATO.