CPE STRI Senior Leadership

Brigadier General Christine A. Beeler

Brigadier General Christine A. Beeler serves as the Capability Program Executive for Simulation Training and Instrumentation (CPE STRI) headquartered in Orlando. Florida. CPE STRI executes a multi-billion-dollar testing, training, and threat portfolio annually, and is staffed by more than 1,200 military, government civilian and service support contractors. The organization also manages portfolios of fielded systems with a current inventory value of over $2.65B in 125 locations; over 335,000 training devices in 65 countries; and over 480 sites worldwide.

Before assuming the charter as CPE, BG Beeler served as the Commanding General of the U. S. Army Contracting Command (ACC) headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. Prior to ACC, BG Beeler served as the Commanding General for the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Sam Houston, Texas. BG Beeler was a distinguished military graduate and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps through the Army ROTC program at Boston University in 1991, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

She began her Army Acquisition career in 2001, and is certified in Defense Contracting, Program Management and Logistics. Her advanced education includes a Master of Arts in Administration and Management from Bowie State University, Prince George’s County, Maryland; a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Management from Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Alabama; and a Master of Business Administration from Webster University. BG Beeler’s military education includes a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. She is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

BG Beeler has held numerous command and staff positions. Her key assignments include Logistics Officer, 501st Corps Support Group, Uijongbu, South Korea; Commander, 595th Maintenance Company, Songnam, South Korea; Contracting Officer, Doha, Qatar; Assistant Product Manager, Patriot Missile and Medium Extended Air Defense Systems, Huntsville, Alabama; Professor of Program Management and Course Director, Army Acquisition Basic Course, Huntsville, Alabama; Commander, Army Contracting Command-Kuwait, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; Contracting Operations Staff Officer, Expeditionary Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama; Executive Officer to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement, Army Staff, Pentagon; Commander, 414th Contracting Support Brigade, Vicenza, Italy; Deputy Director of Contracting, United States Army Corps of Engineers; and Deputy Commanding General, OCONUS Operations, United States Army Contracting Command.

Her military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and the Army Superior Unit Award. She is airborne qualified and authorized to wear the Army Staff Badge.

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Mr. Lee James III, SES

Mr. Lee James, III is the Deputy Program Executive Officer for the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI). In this position, Mr. James assists the Program Executive Officer in the execution of multi-billion-dollar testing, training and threat portfolio annually, and is staffed by more than 1,000 military, government civilians, and service support contractors. The organization also manages portfolios of fielded systems with a current inventory value of over $2.65B in 125 locations; over 335,000 training devices in 65 countries; and over 480 sites worldwide.

Prior to his current assignment, Mr. James served as the Project Manager of Enterprise Business Systems – Convergence (EBS-C), a newly created program within the PEO Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. EBS-C is the Army’s pathfinder for business modernization and transformation and will simplify, streamline, standardize and unify business operations while improving auditability.

Mr. James’ previous leadership roles at EIS included serving as the Assistant Program Executive Officer (APEO), Project Director for Enterprise Services, Product Director for Army Human Resource Systems (AHRS), Deputy Project Director for the Force Management System, Assistant Project Manager for the General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS), Deputy Product Manager for GFEBS – Sensitive Activities, and the Radio Frequency In-Transit Visibility (RF-ITV) Chief under the product manager for Joint Automatic Identification Technology. Prior to joining PEO EIS, Mr. James also served in the Army Chief Information Office (CIO) / G-6 as an Army Knowledge Leader, which included an assignment at the Network Command (NETCOM) G-3 office.

Mr. James began his federal service career as an intern at the Army Defense Ammunition Center in McAlester, Oklahoma. He is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps and the American Council for Technology. He holds an advanced Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification in Program Management and a practitioner certification in Engineering and Technical Management. He was a “Government Computer News” Rising Star in 2008 and received the Department of Defense Chief Information Office Award in 2009. He earned the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service in 2012 and 2015, the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service in 2009 and 2014, and the Superior Civilian Service Medal in 2018 and 2022.

Mr. Lee James III, graduated magna cum laude from Langston University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He earned a Master’s Degree in Information Resource Management from Central Michigan University. He also holds a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School of National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University.

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Sergeant Major Chuck Houston

Sergeant Major Houston is a native of Damascus, Maryland; he enlisted in the United States Army in September 1998 as an Infantryman. He attended One Station Unit Training (OSUT) at Fort Benning, Georgia. Sergeant Major Houston has served in every leadership position from Team Leader to Command Sergeant Major. Sergeant Major Houston’s job assignments include Team leader, Squad Leader, Scout Assistant Team Leader, Scout Team Leader, Scout Platoon Sergeant, Rifle Platoon Sergeant, Rifle and HHC First Sergeant, Operations Sergeant Major, Battalion Command Sergeant Major and Enlisted Commandant.  His assignments include Bravo Company 1^st Battalion 21^st Infantry Regiment (Schofield Barracks, HI), Bravo Company 1^st Battalion 4^th Infantry Regiment (Hohenfels, DE), Headquarters and Headquarters Company 2^nd Battalion 30^th Infantry Regiment and Bravo, Charlie and Headquarters Company 2^nd Battalion 4^th Infantry Regiment (Fort Polk, LA), Alpha Company 2^nd Battalion 327^th Infantry Regiment, 1^st Battalion 506^th Infantry Regiment, Battalion Command Sergeant Major for the 3^rd Battalion, 187^th Infantry Regiment (Fort Campbell, KY), Battalion Command Sergeant Major, 1^st Battalion, 4^th Security Force Assistance Brigade (Fort Carson, CO), Commandant, US Army NCO Academy Hawaii Schofield Barracks, HI), and Brigade Command Sergeant Major for the 174^th Infantry Brigade (JBMDL, NJ).

Sergeant Major Houston has completed all levels of the Noncommissioned Officer Education System, the U.S. Army Ranger course, Air Assault School, Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course, Malaysian Tracking Course, Javelin Trainer Course, the Instructor Training Course and the Combat Advisor Training Course.

Sergeant Major Houston’s military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Valorous Unit Award with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Unit Commendation with Oak Leaf Cluster, Good Conduct Medal seventh award, National Defense Service Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with four Campaign Stars, Iraqi Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon with numeral five, Multi National Forces and Observers Medal, the NATO Medal, the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, the Ranger Tab, Air Assault Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge

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