Name: Becky Westing
Work location: Dayton, OH
Years of impact at Booz Allen: Less than a year
For Becky Westing, providing multiple solutions for a resilient positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capability is exciting work. In her role at Booz Allen, Becky and her team enjoy building solutions for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and Office of the Secretary of Defense, and seeing the work have a direct impact on warfighters.
What makes our PNT capability so exciting and critical? We spoke with Becky about forging her career path and how she is empowering change through her work.
How did you get started in your field?
As an engineer in the Air Force, I had the incredible opportunity to be a navigation payload analyst for Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. It was humbling to be charged with safeguarding a system that touches nearly every person in the world. I quickly learned that the people entrusted with protecting these assets develop a passion for GPS and the capabilities it provides. I was excited to find a PNT engineering position at Booz Allen, where the employees are motivated by the same desire to protect and strengthen our PNT capabilities.
What projects are you working on at Booz Allen?
I’m working on a project that uses Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to create a PNT Architecture Standard that will enable modularity of complex mission systems and facilitate faster PNT capability insertion. A MBSE approach allows the complexities of the PNT domain to be captured in a flexible and illustrative model. We’re excited to have just started a project where an open PNT architecture will be applied to proof-of-concept designs. I hope my hands-on experience operating GPS satellites will provide real world context to improve proposed engineering solutions.
How do you feel you’re making an impact?
Our end goal is to provide warfighters with assured PNT. The Department of Homeland Security considers reliable PNT vital to 13 of our nation’s 16 critical infrastructures including air transportation, maritime shipping, electrical power, communications, financial services, and emergency responders. The loss of PNT could cost the U.S. over $10 billion a day. Robust and resilient PNT solutions will help bolster our PNT capabilities in concert with addressing GPS vulnerabilities.
Why did you choose Booz Allen?
Booz Allen recognizes people as one of their greatest assets and gives us the tools to succeed. As a military spouse who had been at home with the kids for four years, I was apprehensive about re-entering the workforce. However, I’ve learned that Booz Allen values the unique perspective that each individual brings, and even has dedicated resources for employees who are preparing to move. I work closely with employees throughout the country and am continually impressed by the caliber of the people and work we do, along with our genuine desire to help others thrive.
