ALEXANDRIA, Va. (USTCNS) --- A veteran U.S. Air Force acquisition officer is the new project director of the Defense Travel System Project Office.

Lt. Col. Larry Schaefer assumed command July 12 in a ceremony at the Crystal City, Va., project office.

Schaefer assumes command at a critical benchmark time for the Defense Travel System - the system has been frustrated by testing delays.

The new project director comes to the program director's office from his last assignment at the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

"I look forward to leading this team in the successful implementation," said Schaefer. "We will make the vision of the Defense Travel System a reality."

Lawrence Lanzillotta, Principal Deputy and Deputy Undersecretary of Defense of Management Reform, praised the work of Col. Pam Arias, the outgoing project director.

"She raised the Defense Travel System flag a little higher today because of her efforts," said Lanzillotta.

Arias is returning to the location of her last assignment, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to assume a new acquisition assignment.

The veteran Air Force acquisition officer arrived last summer at a difficult time for the Defense Travel System. A test at a Missouri Air Force base had gone poorly and been halted.

"The fact it is fixed in a year is a tribute to all of you," said Arias, gesturing to her staff.

A current round of testing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., is meeting expectations, she said.

"This is a ground-breaking system," said Arias. "It is laying the path for all the systems that will come behind it."

Defense Travel System will economize the costs of support to service members but maintain quality performance, she said.

The Defense Travel System, being developed by prime contractor TRW, Inc., is designed to fully digitize the approval, arrangements and payments for the temporary travel of Department of Defense service members. (MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS)