CPE ST3 Welcomes New Product Manager for Next Generation Constructive

The staff of the U.S. Army’s Capability Program Executive Simulation, Training, Test and Threat (CPE ST3), along with family members and invited guests, gathered to witness the transfer of leadership responsibilities for Product Manager Next Generation Constructive (NGC) from Brentson Bell Jr., to Lt. Col. Emery C. Baughan at a Change of Charter ceremony on May 28 in Orlando, Florida.

NGC is a cornerstone of the Army’s modernization strategy and future simulation and training environment designed to replace legacy constructive training systems.It provides cloud-based, scalable architecture for commanders and their staff to conductlarge-scale combat operations within a multi-domain operating environment.

Col. Natashia Coleman, CPE ST3 Project Manager Simulation (PM SIM), officiated the ceremony and welcomed Baughan to his new role.

“Lt. Col. Baughan brings a great deal of experience to PM SIM,” said Coleman. “We have the utmost confidence that he will continue to progress the NGC capability. Emory, I know the team is happy to have you on board and I look forward to working with you as our next NGC product manager.”

Bell, who attended the ceremony remotely, has served as NGC product manager since 2024. Previously, he was deputy project manager at PEO STRI for Cyber, Test and Training in 2023-2024 and deputy product manager for the Persistent Cyber Training Environment from 2018 to 2023. He was deputy product director at PEO EIS; management staff for the deputy assistant secretary of defense – developmental test and evaluation; assistant product manager PM Test Lead at PEO Aviation; strategic resource manager at the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers; and served in instructor roles at ITT Technical Institute and Virgina College. He has been a U.S. Army engineer since 2003.

“We’re always leading from the front,” said Coleman, “and that’s exactly what Brent has done the last two years with NGC, blazing a trail for us. NGC is only two years old, but you’d think it has existed for way longer because of all the things the team has done. You’ve positioned the Army to be able to deliver this transformative collective training capability that’s going to transcend how our operational force trains to be ready for the next fight. Brent, you really embody the Army values. You have gone above and beyond what we’ve asked you to do, so thank you for your service and all the work you’ve done to push this program forward.”

In January 2026, Bell was selected for two highly competitive Army Civilian Career Management Activity (ACCMA) Enterprise Civilian Talent Development (ECTD) programs, the Defense Senior Leader Development Program (DSLDP) Cohort 2026-2028, building enterprise-wide perspective and leadership skills for joint, interagency, and multinational environments; and the Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) / Senior Service College 2026–2028, preparing senior leaders to address national security challenges.

“It has been an honor to work with the NGC and CPE ST3 teams,” Bell told the audience. “To my team, what a ride, what a challenge. Even when it seemed like it was mission impossible, we continued to tackle the challenge. It makes me feel good that we continue to make progress and were able to get where we are. You have a great leader who is taking the helm and he’s going to lead the charge. As I depart for war college, I want to say thank you CPE ST3, you are my family. I love you all and I’ll see you soon.”

Baughan has an extensive background in Army acquisition, most recently as the military deputy to the Director of Army Contracting Command (ACC) – Orlando. He was commissioned into the Army as a military intelligence (MI) officer in 2009, then completed Ranger School and deployed to Iraq in 2011. After finishing the MI Captain’s Career Course, he served in the Military Police (MP), including as commander of HHC, 705th MP Battalion.

Baughan moved to the Mission Command Center of Excellence at Fort Leavenworth’s Directorate of Training as the lead analyst for System Training Plans for the Command Post Computing Environment. He then served as the officer in charge of the counterintelligence section for the 8th Army G2 before attending Command and General Staff College and transitioning into the Acquisition Corps.

Baughan has earned a Master of Operational Studies, a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

“It is a profound privilege to assume this charter today,” said Baughan. “The foundation this team has built is outstanding. You have navigated complex challenges to build a critical training system for the warfighters. NGC is the future of the Army’s constructive training environment. It is a simulation that will prepare commanders and their staffs for large scale combat operations. NGC ensures we are ready to dominate multidomain combat operations, by fully integrating the warfighting functions with joint, cyber, space, land, air and maritime, all within one seamless training system. It’s an honor to be here.”

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, CPE ST3 is comprised of a highly skilled and diverse workforce of 980 Soldiers, Army civilians and contractors, who work with Army partners to enhance operational readiness and support the Army’s modernization efforts by fielding and sustaining the next generation of multi-domain operations testing, training and information operations capabilities.