Colonel Walter Bustelo is the Deputy Program Executive Officer and Deputy Director of the Business and Enterprise Systems (BES) Directorate. In this position, he is responsible for acquiring, operating, and sustaining operational support information technology systems for the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Colonel Bustelo oversees over 140 programs, a workforce of more than 2,500 military, civil service, and contractor support personnel, and an annual budget exceeding one billion dollars.
Prior to his current duties, Colonel Bustelo was the Senior Materiel Leader for the Financial Systems Division and Program Manager for the $3.3B Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System (DEAMS) responsible for delivering an upgraded financial management system to enable timely, accurate and reliable decision making in support of worldwide Department of the Air Force operations.
Colonel Bustelo was also the F-16 Director of Foreign Military Sales where he led a 230-member team and was responsible for a $27B FMS portfolio producing, developing, and sustaining more than 1,950 F-16 aircraft from 26 partner nations.
He was the Materiel Leader for the Americas, Southeast Asia and Pacific Branch, Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In this position, he provided security assistance for countries within NORTHCOM, SOUTHCOM and PACOM. Colonel Bustelo was responsible for developing, negotiating, and executing international agreements through Foreign Military Sales to include acquisition and sustainment for nearly 950 cases for 30 countries valued at $35B.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Civil Engineering) degree and received his commission in 1996 from the Unites States Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Campus. He also completed a Master of Science (Aerospace Engineering) degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1997).
Colonel Bustelo is a United States Air Force Test Pilot School Graduate and an acquisition program manager who has served in a variety of line and staff positions in Special Programs, manned spaceflight and satellite operations, academia / independent research and development, scientific and technical intelligence, and fighter and heavy aircraft flight test, including the F-22 and Special Operations Forces aircraft. He has 200+ hours in various aircraft including the AC-130, MC-130, F-4, F-15, F-16, T-38, T-6, C-17, C-12, C-5, KC-135, T-43, and MH-53.
Colonel Bustelo is married to Mariluz Bustelo and has a daughter Adriana and a son Walter Manuel.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelors of Science, Civil Engineering, with Honors, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR
1997 Masters of Science, Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
2002 Experimental Flight Test Engineer Course, US Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, CA
2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Correspondence
2007 Naval Command and Staff College, Seminar
2010 Distinguished Graduate - Army Command and General Staff College, Ft Benning, GA
2014 Air War College, Correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1996 - December 1997, Student, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
2. September 1998 - May 2001, Lead Foreign Space Systems Engineer, National Air Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
3. June 2001 - July 2002, F/A-22 Integrated Avionics Flight Test Engineer, F/A-22 Combined Test Force, Edwards AFB, CA
4. July 2002 - June 2003, Student, US Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, CA
5. June 2003 - February 2005, Fixed Wing Flight Commander, 413th Flight Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
6. February 2005 - July 2006, Assistant Operations Officer, 413th Flight Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
7. July 2006 - October 2007, Deputy Lead, F-35 Weapons Integration Team, Arlington, VA
8. October 2007 - June 2009, F-35 Program Manager for Italy and Turkey, Arlington, VA
9. June 2009 - May 2010, Student, Army Command and General Staff College, Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, Fort Benning, GA
10. May 2010 - May 2011, Chief, Advanced Aircraft Survivability Branch, Special Programs Directorate, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
11. May 2011 - June 2013, Deputy Chief, Operational and Export Division, Special Programs Directorate, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
12. June 2013 – July 2017, Materiel Leader, Americas, SE Asia and Pacific Branch, Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB OH
13. July 2017 – June 2018, Chief, F-16 System Program Office Foreign Military Sales Programs, Fighters and Bombers Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
14. June 2018 – August 2023, Senior Materiel Leader, Financial Systems Division, Business and Enterprise Systems Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
15. August 2023 – Present, Senior Materiel Leader/Deputy Program Executive Officer, Business and Enterprise Systems Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Professional Qualifications/Certifications:
Level III - Program Management, Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP)
Level II - Test and Evaluation, APDP
Level II - Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering, APDP
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 8 June 1996
First Lieutenant 8 June 1998
Captain 1 August 2000
Major 1 July 2006
Lieutenant Colonel 1 November 2011
(Current as of Aug 23)