By Ashley Tolbert

NORMAN, Okla. – Soldiers from the U.S. Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve gathered on July 21-23 for the Reserve Component Acquisition Training Summit, spending time in workshops and presentations from senior leadership from the Army, Army Reserve and National Guard that stressed the importance of integrating the reserve component and the active component and reinforcing the Total Force Policy within the Army Acquisition Workforce.

ACC’S COMING MISSION
Maj. Gen. James Simpson, commanding general of the U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC), explains the challenges that ACC faces in the coming years. (Photo by Maj. Gerald Lyles, Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support)

The Total Force Policy—an ongoing effort to integrate active-duty Soldiers, the Army Reserve and the National Guard into one operational force governed by the same policies and procedures—was originally introduced in 1973 and was most recently revamped in 2012 by then Army Secretary John McHugh. Under that directive, service components are required to “organize, man, train and equip their active and reserve components as an integrated operational force to provide predictable, recurring and sustainable capabilities.” Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley has emphasized that all Army components need to work together as a total force, and he has made readiness his top priority.

Lt. Gen. Michael Williamson, principal military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology (ASA(ALT)), was one of several senior leaders who spoke at the Norman summit. “To be ready, you have to be trained, have the right equipment, and [have] leader development. All of those pieces are important for the force. … There is no way that we can have a mission that doesn’t involve the active and reserve components,” he said.

“If you look at how skill sets are broken out, the experience that people have and the size of the active Army, which is smaller today than it has been in dozens of years, we don’t have the capability without the Army Reserve and National Guard to execute any mission. The reserve component brings talent, experience and more numbers to execute our mission and be a total force.” said Williamson. He also expressed the urgency of integrating the components now rather than later. “You have to build that capability and capacity every day; you can’t wait until there’s a fight. You have to make that a normal part of business and you have to incorporate the training.”

Many reservists and National Guard members have jobs that enhance the acquisition skill set, he added, working as auditors or program mangers or in contracting. “We need to think of ways to bring them into the total force,” he said, and take advantage of those “untapped resources.”

UPS, DOWNS OF ACQUISITION
Cynthia Tolle, principal assistant responsible for contracting for the National Guard Bureau, explains the good, the bad and the ugly of acquisition at the Norman, Oklahoma, conference for members of the Army Reserve and National Guard. (Photo by Maj. Gerald Lyles, Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support)

Other senior leaders at the summit included Stephen Austin, assistant chief of the Army Reserve; Maj. Gen. James Simpson, commanding general of the U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC); James Balocki, command executive officer for the Army Reserve; Cynthia Tolle, principal assistant responsible for contracting for the National Guard Bureau; Sgt. Maj. Rory Malloy, sergeant major for ASA(ALT); and Sgt. Maj. Jose Castillo, command sergeant major for ACC.

Simpson described the challenges that ACC will be facing in the coming years. “Between FY15 and FY19, I’m going to lose about 30 percent of my military personnel in contracting positions—that’s a loss of 287 military positions. When you take that many cuts, it impacts readiness,” he said, adding, “The only way to mitigate the cuts is to integrate the Guard and Reserve components, utilize deployable civilians and reach out to other services for support.”

EMBRACING TOTAL FORCE
Lt. Gen. Michael Williamson, military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, spoke at the conference about a range of issues, including Army acquisition and the Total Force Policy. (Photo by Maj. Gerald Lyles, Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support)

Tolle shared a story about her experience as a purchasing agent in Fort Polk, Louisiana, during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. “That was the first time we ever saw, in my tenure, the reserves get called out to go support overseas. And every year after that, [the Army Reserve] role keeps becoming more and more important to the Army,” she explained. “I know Gen. Milley has made it a priority to promote the Total Force Policy. You [Army Reservists] play a critical role in that … you’re acquisition professionals, so you play an even more important role because they [the active Army component] are counting on you to help us move those missions forward.”

Austin echoed that statement. “Acquisition is a critical element of how we gain decisive advantage on the battlefield,” he said, “and contracting enables capability to how we build and sustain readiness.”

Soldiers also participated in training workshops on market research and developing a performance work statement, led by Kurt Webb and Steve Wical, both from Defense Acquisition University-South Region in Huntsville, Alabama. The workshops discussed methods of conducting thorough market research and how to write a clear, concise performance work statement.

On the last day of the summit, Soldiers participated in a team-building kickball tournament, with an acquisition application: After each inning, teams had to answer acquisition questions to earn points. More than 35 people participated in the tournament.

KICKING IT AROUND
Attendees at the conference—representing active Army, the Reserve and the National Guard—participated in a team-building kickball tournament with an acquisition angle: after each inning, teams could answer acquisition questions to earn points. (Photo by Ashley Tolbert, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center)

Related Links

2016 Reserve Component Acquisition Training Summit Flickr Album

A Different Road to Implementation of the Total Force Policy

By Valerie Inge, DUSA-TE, and Joyce Junior, Army DACM

The Test and Evaluation Managers Committee (TEMAC) hosted its annual leadership workshop at the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command’s (ATEC) Redstone Test Center at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, July 12-14. The workshop brought together more than 50 Army senior acquisition T&E professionals to share ideas, learn best practices, and develop a cohesive plan across the Army acquisition enterprise. TEMAC Chair Larry Leiby led the workshop on behalf of the Army T&E Executive, David Jimenez.

Per Army Regulation 73-1 (Army Test and Evaluation Policy), TEMAC is established and convened by the chair to accomplish specific T&E objectives and serves as a centralized departmental committee supporting Army T&E and the acquisition and requirements generation communities. TEMAC also forges efficient and effective working relationships among materiel developers (MATDEV) and capability developers, testers, system evaluators and others who participate in the Army T&E process.

James Cooke, director of the Army Evaluation Center, presents Larry Leiby with a Commander’s Award for Outstanding Service at the July TEMAC workshop.(All photos by Valerie Inge, DUSA-TE, and Joyce Junior, Army DACM Office)

TEMAC members are senior T&E managers of an Army command, activity, agency or office, including all U.S. Army Program Executive Offices, the U.S. Army Forces Command, the U.S. Army Materiel Command, the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM), U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, and the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command. A major focus of TEMAC is ensuring that commands understand and adhere to the AR 73-1, which prescribes implementing policies and assigns responsibilities for T&E activities during the systems acquisition process. Numerous T&E policy changes were recently made to that regulation, and as a result, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology (ASA(ALT)) has some additional responsibilities:

• Test Schedule and Review Committee synchronizes integrated or bundled test candidates’ acquisition milestone decision dates and fielding plans to support planning and execution of integrated/bundled testing.
• Provide the initial and subsequent update of the acquisition program baseline threshold and objective “Test Windows;” serve as the Independent Acquisition Logistician for all systems, except for MEDCOM.
• Ensure that program executive officers and program managers (who act as MATDEVs) under supervision of the ASA(ALT) comply with their responsibilities listed in appendix B, Key Functional Area Roles and Duties for Test and Evaluation;
• ASA(ALT) and the System of Systems Engineering and Integration plan, conduct and fund all integrated tests, except for programs of record.

Army T&E Executive David Jimenez addresses TEMAC members at the recent workshop at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

The TEMAC Leadership Workshop aimed at improving unity and cohesion and highlighted the need for a professional, well-trained and capable acquisition T&E workforce. At the conclusion of the event, Larry Leiby, on behalf of the ATEC Executive, thanked Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson, ASA(ALT) principal military deputy and the Army director for Army acquisition Career management (DACM); and Craig Spisak, director of the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center and the deputy DACM, for their efforts in making Defense Acquisition Workforce Development funds available to defray the TDY costs for most of the TEMAC member organizations.

Army T&E Executive David Jimenez recognizes Larry Leiby for 16 years of distinguished service as the TEMAC chair.

FT. BELVOIR, Va. (October 13, 2016) – The Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office released the Army Acquisition Workforce Human Capital Strategic Plan (AAW HCSP) today. This five-year plan focuses on improving the readiness of the Army’s 37,000 acquisition professionals.

Over the past year, representative stakeholders from across the AAW met to identify, understand, and address the greatest strengths and challenges facing the AAW. The plan that emerged focuses on the following five key themes: workforce planning; professional development; leadership development; employee engagement; and communication and collaboration.

The AAW HCSP establishes clearly defined goals, objectives and initiatives, institutionalizing an enduring human capital planning process for the entire AAW. The plan supports every acquisition professional’s career from recruitment-to retention-to retirement.

“It’s about readiness, the Army’s number one priority. Our acquisition workforce must remain ready to provide the equipment and services Soldiers need to win across multiple missions, conditions and geographies.” said Lt. Gen. Michael Williamson, Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)) and DACM

Williamson will host a Virtual Town Hall via milSuite on October 20, 2016 at 1:00 P.M. ET to discuss the Army’s new plan with his workforce. All AAW members are encouraged to attend and submit questions in advance via https://www.milsuite.mil/book/hcsptownhall.

For more information, visit http://asc.army.mil/hcsp/.

With more than 1,000 participants signing in from across the country, Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson, Army director for acquisition career management (DACM), hosted a live, virtual town hall forum via milSuite on Oct. 20, addressing more than 40 questions from the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) regarding the recently launched AAW Human Capital Strategic Plan (HCSP).

The forum featured a lively exchange of questions, feedback and ideas between Williamson and the AAW. Some of the topics that were covered included:

• Strengthening the alignment between Career Programs and Acquisition Career Fields.
• Understanding selection board ratings and determinations.
• Mentoring.
• Addressing capability gaps created by the anticipated increase in the retirement rate.
• Employee incentives.
• Civilian Education System Advanced Course quotas.

Lt. Gen. Michael Williamson, DACM, and Mr. Craig Spisak, Director, USAASC answered questions received from the Army Acquisition Workforce about the HCSP during the live Town Hall in milSuite on Oct. 20. (Photos by Vincent Nguyen)

“The HCSP virtual town hall provided a method for discussion that is less intimidating than asking a question at an in-person town hall in front of a large group,” said David Grieco, a chemist with the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. “This unique medium enabled those from across the country to engage Lt. Gen. Williamson simultaneously in an environment not possible years ago.”

Williamson and the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center’s (USAASC) Army DACM Office thank milSuite for hosting this virtual forum and all those who submitted questions and participated. Nearly 1,040 users logged in, with 31 participants creating discussions and 122 commenting, replying or rating those discussions.

A large number of substantive questions were submitted, and those that were not answered during the session were answered via milSuite on Oct. 21. They’re included in the Q&A document on the AAW HCSP website at http://asc.army.mil/web/hcsp/. HCSP developments can also be found by following USAASC on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Williamson encouraged those who were unable to join the forum to visit http://asc.army.mil/web/hcsp/ to read the AAW HCSP brochure, view HCSP information and review the event’s Q&A transcript. “As we move forward with the implementation of this plan, I urge you all to stay engaged,” he said. “Keep the conversation going by regularly checking the website and following us on social media using #AAWStrong. Thank you for your hard work and your outstanding service you provide to the Army, our Soldiers and our country.”

The DACM Office gathered with Lt. Gen. Williamson and Mr. Craig Spisak (center) for a photo at the conclusion of the HCSP Town Hall. The DACM office members in the photo include: Jennifer Farlow, Randy Williams, Joan Sable, Jack Kendall, Stephanie Watson, Tom Evans, Jason Pitts, Scott Greene, Brian Winters, John Kelly, Wen Lin and milSuite representative, Megan Cronhardt.

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by Ms. Susan L. Follett

FT. BELVOIR, Va. (November 15, 2016) – Three Army civilians and four organizations have garnered top acquisition honors from the DOD, earning 2016 Defense Acquisition Workforce Achievement Awards in individual and group categories as well as the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition and Should Cost and Innovation Awards.

“These awards were established to recognize individuals and teams that have demonstrated excellent performance in the acquisition of products and services for the Department of Defense,” said Hon. Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, announcing the winners on Nov. 14. “It is with great pride that we recognize the outstanding accomplishments of all our acquisition professionals and acknowledge those whose contributions represent the best of the best.”

The U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC) was doubly honored, with ACC-Warren garnering silver honors in the Workforce Development Award – Large Organization category and ACC-Rock Island’s Sharon D. Valle receiving the Workforce Individual Achievement Award in Industrial Property.

Also doubly honored was the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Ammunition: Paul Manz received the Individual Achievement Award in Engineering, and its Project Manager for Maneuver Ammunition Systems team received the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award.

Rounding out the list of Army award winners are Jacki A. Garner, U.S. Army Europe, who received the Individual Achievement Award in Information Technology, and the Joint Program Office for Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JPO JLTV), which received the 2016 Should Cost and Innovation Award. A joint program between the Army and the Marine Corps, JPO JLTV operates under PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS).

Also among the year’s big winners was the U.S. Special Operations Command, which earned five individual awards and two team awards. The full list of award winners follows.

Individual Achievement Award Winners

Workforce Development Award Winners – Large Organization

Workforce Development Award Winners – Small Organization

David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award

Should Cost and Innovation Award

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By Chris Erbe

FT. BELVOIR, Va. (November 28, 2016)– Students at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, received a special presentation on military logistics, leadership and how to navigate the joint environment from a well-informed guest lecturer Nov. 22. Defense Logistics Agency Director Air Force Lt. Gen. Andrew Busch spoke to the group comprising mid-career Army officers from diverse professional military backgrounds.

Busch briefed the students on DLA’s support to its customers through its nine supply chains with locations in 48 states and 28 countries around the world. He described the agency’s primary purpose — providing the logistics requirements of the armed forces and other customers for food, clothing, fuel, repair parts and more. The DLA director also informed the group that 1,100 military service members, both active duty and reservists, serve among the 25,000-employee workforce.

“When I talk about who our customers are, there are three groups,” Busch said. “We have the combatant commands, our military service customers and our whole-of-government customers, all of which have different demands. It’s an entirely diverse range of things that we’re involved in at DLA.”

Busch’s overview included a description of the divisions within DLA as well as the agency’s place in the military joint logistics enterprise and the Department of Defense. He informed the group of ongoing initiatives such as performance-based logistics, which places responsibility on industry to improve quality and efficiency in the products it sells to the military.

Attendees were surprised to learn the level of support DLA provides other federal organizations, like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of State, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Busch offered advice for attendees who increasingly find themselves working in joint environments. “More and more, we’re required to work with people from different services,” he said. “One thing I learned years ago as a lieutenant colonel at DLA was that when you look at how other services do things, don’t be judgmental. It’s not right or wrong, bad or good — it’s just different.”

“This is the first time in many years we’ve had the DLA director speak to our students,” said James Kennedy, assistant professor in the school’s Department of Logistics and Resource Operations. “Our students gained valuable insights from Lt. Gen. Busch about the scope and responsibilities of DLA and how they support whole of government and joint operations. We truly appreciate him spending his valuable time with us.”

The Command and General Staff School at Fort Belvoir is a satellite campus of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The curriculum prepares field-grade officers for leadership positions in Army, joint, multinational and interagency organizations executing unified land operations.

DLA Director Air Force Lt. Gen. Andy Busch spoke to students at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Nov. 22. (Photo by Chris Erbe)

By Debra A. Dawson
Program Executive Office Soldier
Public Affairs Office

FORT BELVOIR, Virginia (Dec. 2, 2016) – Ms. Steffanie Easter, senior official performing the duties of the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology (ASA(ALT)) and the Army acquisition executive (AAE), and Lt. Gen. Michael Williamson, ASA(ALT) principal military deputy, presided over the 2016 Army Acquisition Executive’s Excellence in Leadership Awards Ceremony Dec. 1.

The annual awards ceremony highlighted talent from across Army Acquisition to recognize those who have demonstrated excellence in their field and a dedication in their service. Also honored during the ceremony were the authors for the Maj. Gen. Harold J. “Harry” Greene Awards for Acquisition Writing.

“You are the best group of professionals I’ve ever met,” said Easter to a room of more than 300 Army Acquisition Soldiers, civilians and their families. “My confidence in you is unwavering. I will put you guys against anybody any day.”

Williamson also praised the work of the Acquisition Corps. “We deliver capability to Soldiers every day,” he said.

Following their remarks, Easter and Williamson presented the following awards:

2016 Army Modeling and Simulation Award in Acquisition went to Product Manager Special Operations Forces Training Systems, PEO Simulation, Training and Instrumentation

The Acquisition Support Professional of the Year Award went to Lawrence J. Nevins, Program Executive Office (PEO) Missiles and Space, and James T. “Tim” White, PEO Aviation. This award recognizes professionals whose outstanding contributions and achievements support the Army Acquisition workforce and merit special recognition.

The Mr. Thomas “Tom” E. Mullins Business Operations Professional of the Year – Award went to Cora S. Knapp, PEO Aviation. Established this year, this award pays tribute to Mr. Mullins, an Acquisition professional who dedicated his life and career to providing the best equipment for Army Soldiers. The award honors the individual whose outstanding contributions and achievements merit special recognition by the AAE.

The Defense Exportability and Cooperation Professional of the Year Award went to Toni S. McNeal, Joint Munitions Command. It recognizes the individual whose outstanding contributions and achievements to defense exportability and cooperation merit special recognition.

The Honorable Dr. Claude Bolton, Jr. Engineer and System Integrator of the Year Award went to Jeannie L. Sommer, PEO Missiles and Space. Established this year, this award remembers and pays tribute to Dr. Bolton, whose service and character we recognize, and whose sacrifice we shall never forget.

The Logistician of the Year Award went to Alfreda W. Green, PEO Missiles and Space. This award recognizes the individual whose outstanding contributions and achievements in logistics merit special recognition.

The Science and Technology Professional of the Year Award went to Matthew T. Lazzaro, U.S. Army Materiel Command’s Communications-Electronics, Research, Development and Engineering Center. This award recognizes the science and technology professional whose outstanding contributions and achievements merit special recognition.

The Secretary of the Army Excellence in Contracting Award for the Barbara C. Heald Contracting Award – Deployed Civilian went to Natanielle L. Little, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Afghanistan District, Bagram, Afghanistan. Established in 2006, the award remembers and pays tribute to Ms. Heald, whose service and character we recognize, and whose sacrifice we shall never forget. This award honors a DA civilian who clearly demonstrates selfless service to our country, extraordinary and uncompromising professionalism in contracting and true commitment to the personal and professional growth of others. This award recognizes a deployed Army civilian (GS 1102 series) whose actions clearly demonstrate or embody those unique, outstanding qualities possessed by Ms. Heald.

The Product Management/Product Director Professional of the Year (O5 Level) Award went to Lt. Col. Mark P. Henderson, PEO Command, Control and Communications – Tactical. This award applauds the Product Management/Product Director Office professional whose outstanding contributions and achievements merit special recognition.

The Project Management/Project Director Professional of the Year (O6 Level) Award went to Col. Glenn A. Dean III, PEO Ground Combat Systems. This award recognizes the Project Management/Project Director professional whose outstanding contributions and achievements merit special recognition.

The Product Management/Product Director Office Team of the Year (O5 Level) Award went to the Joint Assault Bridge Integrated Product Team, PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support. This award recognizes the Product Management/Product Director Office team whose outstanding contributions and achievements in excellence merit special recognition.

The Project Management/Project Director Office Team of the Year (O6 Level) Award went to Project Manager Maneuver Ammunition Systems Team, PEO Ammunition. This award recognizes the Project Management/Project Director Office team whose outstanding contributions and achievements in excellence merit special recognition.

The Maj. Gen. Harold J. “Harry” Greene Awards for Acquisition Writing recognize distinguished commentary that is instrumental in shaping the public dialogue about Army acquisition. Greene gave his life for our country on Aug. 5, 2014, while deployed to Afghanistan. At the time of his death, he was the deputy commanding general of the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan. He served as the deputy for acquisition and systems management in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology.

There are four categories in the Maj. Gen. Greene Awards.

The Future Operations Award went to Maj. Hassan M. Kamara, assistant product manager (APM), PAC-3 Product Office, Lower Tier Project Office, PEO Missiles and Space. The title of the major’s article is “Future Conflict: Adapting Better and Faster than an Adversary.”

An Honorable Mention went to Lt. Col. James Howell, Department of the Army System Coordinator (DASC) for Defense CYBER and the Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit (HMS), ASA(ALT) Office of the Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management. The title of his article is “Expeditionary Situational Awareness at the Tip of the Spear, Preparing for Future Operations through Innovation.”

The Innovation Award went to Maj. Andrew Miller, APM, Product Manager Ground Soldier Systems, Nett Warrior, PEO Soldier. The title of his article is “Culture: The Foundation of Innovation.”

An Honorable Mention went to Lt. Col. Rachael Hoagland, Training with Industry (TWI) Fellow at Amazon.com, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) and formerly assistant project management positions in U.S. Special Operations Command. The title of her article is “Inspiring Innovation by Changing My Vantage Point on the Battlefield.”

The Lessons Learned Award went to Lt. Col. Patrick “Josh” Baker, a TWI Fellow at General Dynamics, USAASC and formerly with the Office of Legislative Liaison/Army Aviation Programs. The title of his article is “Robots and Deal Makers: Lessons Learned from an Acquisition Officer Serving as a Legislative Liaison.”

An Honorable Mention went to Lt. Col. Steven G. Van Riper, Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. The title of his article is “A BIT [Built-In Test] of Advice.”

The Acquisition Reform/Better Buying Power Award went to David M. Riel, professor of acquisition management at Defense Acquisition University Midwest Region in Ohio. The title of his article is “User Requirements: An Enduring Conversation.”

An Honorable Mention went to Joe Novick, product manager for the Next Generation Personnel Decontamination Personnel Decontamination System and the deputy product manager for the Joint Expeditionary Collective Protection Program, Joint PEO Chemical and Biological Defense. The title of his article is “How Important is Getting It Right the First Time? A Case in Applying Agile Acquisition Management.”

After presenting all the awards, Easter praised the work of the Acquisition Corps. “We’re going from good to great in everything we do,” she said.

View more images of the night and look for more information about the award winners in the January – March 2017 issue of Army AL&T magazine. View the Army Acquisition Wall of Fame showcasing past Army Acquisition winners.

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By Ashley Tolbert

FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Dec. 9, 2016) — More than 70 veterans, volunteers and support staff attended Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) Sixth Annual Fly Fest Dec. 2-4. This annual event gives veterans and disabled service members an opportunity to fly fish with volunteer guides at Harman’s Luxury Log Cabins in Cabins, West Virginia.

PHWFF is a private, nonprofit program dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled military service members and veterans through fly-fishing education and events. The program provides fly-fishing clinics for all skill ranges and to those who are adapting their skills to their new abilities. It also teaches participants casting techniques as well as how to tie flies and build rods. All fly fishing and tying equipment is provided to participants at no cost. Single and multi-day fishing trips are also provided free of charge.

(left) PHWFF volunteer, Bruce Gilley, a veteran himself, helps (right) retired Maj. Rick Warrington and PHWFF Fort Belvoir participant land a trout during the Sixth Annual PHWFF Fly Fest at Harman’s Luxury Log Cabins in Cabins, West Virginia, Dec. 2-4. The annual three-day event gives veterans and disabled service members an opportunity to fly fish with volunteer guides on the waters of the North Fork River. (photo by Juli Hedrick)

Bob Gartner, program lead at Fort Belvoir, has been volunteering for PHWFF since 2010. “Our program has grown over the years, and now we get about 25-30 people at our weekly meetings,” he said. “We meet on Mondays at the USO building from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and welcome everyone who is interested in learning about fly fishing.” The Fort Belvoir group has 14-16 fishing trips a year, and frequently pairs up with the program at Marine Corps Base Quantico to give veterans and active service members more opportunities to participate. The Quantico program was the host for the annual Harman’s event.

PHWFF was established in 2005 by Ed Nicholson, avid outdoorsman and retired Navy captain. In 2004, Nicholson was being treated for cancer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he witnessed first-hand men and women who had returned from war with life-changing injuries. Seeing the disabled service members struggle physically and emotionally with their new lifestyle, he was inspired to help any way he could. As a passionate fly fisherman, Nicholson understood the therapeutic powers of nature and wanted to get the patients out of the hospital and on the river. He started the first PHWFF program at Walter Reed and used his passion for fly fishing to give patients a new way to help cope with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Over the past decade, Nicholson and his work with PHWFF has gained national attention, including his selection in 2009 as a CNN Hero.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, about 11-20 percent of veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom are diagnosed with PTSD each year. PTSD is a serious condition that can develop after a person has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event.

Lt. Col. Robert Rugg, Chief of Structure and Proponency Branch, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center, enjoys the waters while fishing Dec. 2 during the Sixth Annual PHWFF Fly Fest at Harman’s Luxury Log Cabins in Cabins, West Virginia. Rugg has been a volunteer with PHWFF since 2009 and recently returned to Fort Belvoir from an assignment outside the area. (photo by Taylor Laksbergs)

The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center’s Lt. Col. Robert Rugg became a fly fishing guide and volunteer in 2009 and has thoroughly enjoyed the time he has spent with other service members. “I’ve [done] six tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, so I know what they’re going through,” Rugg explained. “I was wounded in a helicopter crash in 2001 and it killed my co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mike Reece. It was tough coming home, and it’s good to help out people that are going through the same journey I did.”

PHWFF currently has over 206 operational programs serving disabled veterans and military service personnel from all 50 states and Germany. Each program is managed at the local level by volunteers who work with Department of Veterans Affairs’ facilities, DOD military installations, Warrior Transition Units and other institutions. In 2015, more than 200,000 hours were donated by over 3,500 PHWFF volunteers. Thanks to their efforts, more than 7,400 disabled veterans and military service personnel were able to participate in PHWFF program activities.

If you or someone you know is interested in participating or volunteering for PHWFF, please contact Fort Belvoir program lead, Bob Gartner, at bgartner3@verizon.net or (202) 494-5778 and follow the local programs on their social media pages at https://www.facebook.com/BelvoirPHW/ and https://www.facebook.com/QuanticoPHW/ .

More than 70 veterans, volunteers and support staff attended the Sixth Annual Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) Fly Fest Dec. 2-4 at Harman’s Luxury Log Cabins in Cabins, West Virginia. The event was hosted by the PHWFF Quantico program and included more than 45 wounded warriors from seven different PHWFF programs. (photo by Taylor Laksbergs)

By Tara Clements

WASHINGTON (Feb. 14, 2017) – Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson was honored Feb. 9 by peers, staff and family for his 34 years of service in the U.S. Army at a farewell ceremony at the Pentagon.

The event started off with a bit of comedy that continued throughout—an endearing, personal sendoff to a champion of Soldiers and people after a lifetime of service—in the Pentagon auditorium among an army of acquisition professionals.

OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP
Steffanie Easter, host of the event and the acting ASA(ALT), thanked Williamson for his leadership and support. “I wanted to say thank you for your outstanding leadership,” she said. “Lt. Gen. Williamson has done more for this organization than I think a lot of us even appreciate.” (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Ricky Bowden/Released)

“He’s bigger than life,” said Steffanie Easter, host of the event and the acting assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology (ASA(ALT)). “He taught me so much about the Army. … I couldn’t have come up to speed without his support.”

“I wanted to say thank you for your outstanding leadership. Lt. Gen. Williamson has done more for this organization than I think a lot of us even appreciate,” she added.

Williamson assumed his duties as the principal military deputy to the ASA(ALT) and the Army director of acquisition career management in April 2014.

There were many speakers at the Pentagon ceremony, from the National Guard to immediate staff, indicative of the support felt across the community.

“One of the prime things Lt. Gen. Williamson did when he came into this organization was care about people and start a number of efforts—all about talent management,” said Craig Spisak, director of the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center.

In his remarks, Williamson addressed the importance of talent management initiatives. “My belief is that if we have the right people, it doesn’t matter what the problem is,” he said. Shortly into the job, he said, he realized the need to be able to react quickly to solve problems.

TALENT MANAGEMENT
Lt. Gen. Williamson greets Craig Spisak, director of the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center and deputy director, acquisition career management, at the farewell ceremony. “One of the prime things Lt. Gen. Williamson did when he came into this organization was care about people and start a number of efforts—all about talent management,” said Spisak. (U.S. Army photo by Tara Clements/Released)

“It’s not necessarily about the thing we’re building today. It’s about having the capacity to build what’s needed and have the ability to do that very quickly,” Williamson said. “When it turns out we may have made a mistake, the enemy gets a vote; they’re doing something different and we have to react to it. And the only way to do that is to have the right people with the right training, education and experience.”

Williamson opened his remarks with the story of how President Franklin Roosevelt, addressing Congress a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, asked the nation to produce 60,000 aircraft, 60,000 tanks and 120,000 anti-aircraft guns in a year. “It took us all of our might to be able to build the things our Soldiers need,” Williamson said. What Roosevelt knew at the time was that we were going to have to put the industrial might of our nation forward if we were going to win, he added.

“It’s our ability to learn, our ability to adapt, the compassion of our Soldiers, that makes us powerful … makes us really powerful,” he said, adding that combined with our ability to build, design and innovate, “that’s what makes us great.”

He also shared a story from his own experience and observations about the evolution of the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) as an example of what acquisition professionals bring to the fight. Williamson was serving as the military assistant to the secretary of the Army when Soldiers first deployed to Iraq. He recalled that the Army went from unarmored HMMWVs to upgrading and bolting armor on HMMWVs; to redesigning up-armored HMMWVs; to bringing in Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles; to now watching the Joint Light Tactical Vehicles roll off the assembly line.

MEMENTOS OF 34 YEARS OF SERVICE
Speakers from across the Army Acquisition Workforce offered mementos of Lt. Gen. Williamson’s service during his farewell ceremony Feb. 9 at the Pentagon. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Ricky Bowden/Released)

“What I tell people is that you could not have done that without acquisition professionals who have relationships with our industry partners, who understand contracting, who understand money, who understand design, who understand production, who understand fielding,” he said.

As a career Soldier with 34 years of experience, Williamson outlined his thoughts on money versus time, the acquisition community’s capacity to react to a change in the environment and its ability to develop the relationships, processes and capabilities to provide Soldiers with what they need.

“People always want to talk to me about money. Money’s interesting, but Congress, the American people, have always demonstrated that when we need money, they’ll give it to us,” he said. It’s not about money—it’s about the ability to go along that journey, he added, referring to the HMMWV story.

“What I tell people is that it’s about time. And why time is so important is because if you started this journey and end up here, there are Soldiers who have been wounded and killed while they wait for the next capability.”

He added, “So your value and what you do every day has to do with making sure Soldiers can accomplish their mission and come home. That’s it. That’s why we exist.”

Williamson closed by thanking those in attendance and offering a piece of advice: “At the start of the day, if you can say, ‘I’m doing this to get a capability to a Soldier in the field,’ then you have been successful.”

The comments, stories, laughs and personal mementos shared by those in attendance demonstrated Williamson’s impact throughout the community.

“When you think of what he’s done for ASA(ALT) and the acquisition community and the Army, it’s nothing short of amazing,” Easter said. “Your leadership has been strong, it’s been ethical, and done with the utmost character. … You’re going to be missed.”

View more photos of Lt. Gen. Williamson’s retirement ceremony on the USAASC Flickr page.

FOND FAREWELL
Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson says farewell Feb. 9, after 34 years of service, at the Pentagon Auditorium. Williamson became the principal military deputy to the ASA(ALT) and the Army director of acquisition career management in April 2014. “At the start of the day, if you can say, ‘I’m doing this to get a capability to a Soldier in the field,’ then you have been successful,” he told the audience. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Ricky Bowden/Released)

Mr. Edric V Thompson (CERDEC)

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — The U.S. Army celebrated a ribbon cutting for a new research and development aircraft hangar at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. Feb. 10.

The U.S. Army’s Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, or CERDEC, moved its Flight Activity, the CFA, from a 74-year-old WWII hangar into a modern facility.

Elected officials, appointees, former employees and senior leaders from across Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and the Army Science and Technology community were on hand to celebrate the ribbon cutting.

“We must analyze capability gaps and implement solutions faster than our adversaries. This multimillion dollar facility is an Army strategic investment that will significantly enhance CERDEC’s ability to continue key cross-domain aviation research and experimentation in areas that are so essential to the nation’s defense: intelligence, cyber, electronic warfare, communications and mission command,” said CERDEC Director Henry J. Muller.

Managed by the CERDEC Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate, or I2WD, the CFA provides a unique aviation platform sensor development and integration capability to government agencies, academic institutions or industry partners with valid Department of Defense missions, according to Charles V. Maraldo, CFA director.

This includes end-to-end aviation support for emerging airborne electronics systems, quick-reaction capabilities to units, post-production aircraft modifications, and support to programs of record, he explained.

“We support programs of record from early in the product life cycle — by maturing potential new technology — all the way to the Sustainment phase by evaluating and integrating sustainment or pre-planned product improvement upgrades. We also provide independent airborne test platforms that will allow them to assess candidate capabilities in an environment free of corporate influence,” Maraldo said.

The new hangar, which is able to accommodate C-130 sized aircraft, houses the CFA’s fleet of fixed and rotor wing aircraft, including UH-60M Black Hawks, RC-12s and UV-18 Twin Otter.

With more than 100,000 square feet, it features fully climate-controlled high- and low-bay aircraft hangars, and includes an aircraft-component and avionics maintenance shop, administrative facilities, a fixed wing taxiway and a rotor wing landing pad.

A staff of more 175 professionals support the CERDEC Flight Activity’s mission. Programs of record turn to the CFA as an independent airborne test platform for assessing comparative candidate capabilities and for maturing new technologies. Across the lifecycle of airborne communications-electronics, the CFA provides a critical capability that is poised to support Warfighters well into the future. (Photo Credit: Edric Thompson, U.S. Army CERDEC)

“An aircraft by itself is a complex system of electronics, aerodynamic surfaces, and mechanical systems that all must work together. Integrating and testing new communications, EW, Cyber or SIGINT capabilities requires that all of those components continue to work safely together while not degrading the safety of the host platform. This new hangar will allow us to provide aviation integration and experimentation support more efficiently and safely than ever before,” Maraldo said.

“The increased capabilities will enable our staff of engineers, integrators, fabricators and pilots to support all aspects of airborne experimentation under one roof: concept, engineering, design, fabrication, integration, flight testing and analysis,” Maraldo said.

The hangar’s military value “was clear” when it was specifically requested by the Army in a 2013 budget that was slashed by more than $1 billion dollars, noted U.S. Representative Chris Smith of the N.J. Fourth Congressional District, who helped secure funding for the hanger in the Future Years Defense Plan.

“The CERDEC Flight Activity is a vital tenant at the base and for our local community. It is a prime example of a mission that has grown and can continue to grow as a result of a coordinated and concerted effort to highlight the talented workforce and other assets–including this new $50 million investment by the Army–that we have here,” Smith said.

“The work done in this hangar supports aviation research and development that is critical to continue advancing our C4ISR [Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance] technologies and the quick-reaction capabilities that ensure our men and women in the field have the tools necessary to successfully complete their mission–and return home safely,” Smith said.

In the CFA’s new facility, CERDEC will be able to support all aspects of airborne experimentation in fully climate-controlled high-bay and low-bay aircraft hangars; this includes an aircraft-component maintenance shop, administrative facilities, a fixed wing taxiway and a rotor wing landing pad. (Photo Credit: Edric Thompson, U.S. Army CERDEC)

The ceremonial groundbreaking for the hangar took place April 11, 2014, with Rep. Smith, then Third Congressional District Rep. Jon Runyan, members of the Army Corps of Engineers and representatives from the Army’s research and development community.

Almost three years later, the completion of the multi-million dollar facility is a reflection of a commitment between partners, said Col. David Caldwell, Commander of the New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Together, we have built a facility to keep our military at the cutting edge, enabling our armed services to continue to successfully perform its mission. It is safe for workers, energy efficient and… [will] save the taxpayers considerable money,” Caldwell said.

“[This new facility] has ensured that we will continue to create opportunities that enhance the operational readiness of our military and warfighter. We at USACE are proud to have had a hand in it,” Caldwell said.

The new hangar will also enhance critical Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst missions, making the Joint Base a unique military asset to the United States Armed Forces, said U.S. Representative Tom MacArthur of the N.J. third Congressional District.

“I have long believed that a strong America is our best hope for a safer world. Today’s evolving global threats have changed the way we view our defense capabilities. It’s our duty to provide the tools our warfighters need to protect the freedom of American citizens. CERDEC will help provide this. We must keep supporting their work because it’s helping Soldiers execute their missions and come home safely,” MacArthur said.

Sitting among the varied topography of the N.J. Pine Barrens and coastal region, the 20-mile-wide Joint Base is accessible to industry and government laboratories on the East Coast and offers the varied topography, radio frequency spectrum and restricted airspace needed for aerial experimentation in Communications, Signals Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and RADAR.

Strategically co-located on the nation’s only tri-service base, CERDEC’s Flight Activity and Ground Activity, or CGA, are leveraging these resources to deploy ground assets within range of aircraft flight tracks to help the Army explore and advance innovative, multi-domain capabilities.

“Our flying laboratories at the Flight Activity and our field laboratories at the Ground Activity complement each other beautifully and are an extension of our engineering environment back at Aberdeen Proving Ground. When interaction is necessary between ground and aerial layers, we can do so without relocating assets from elsewhere in the country,” Muller said.

The CERDEC Flight Activity’s unique skillset and expertise are regularly leveraged to develop quick-reaction capabilities on Army aircraft and to provide unique post-production modifications for most of the Army’s UH-60 and HH-60 Black Hawk fleet. (Photo Credit: Edric Thompson, U.S. Army CERDEC)

“They allow us to bring together lab-based and field-based risk reduction, which helps us prove what is in the art of the possible for the Army as it looks to enable capabilities that support multi-domain battle across air, land, sea and cyber,” Muller said.

The CFA and its new hanger are a state-of-the-art capability for the greater DoD science and technology community to leverage when determining what does and, more importantly, does not work, said Gary W. Blohm, CERDEC I2WD director.

“As we develop and assess technologies in labs across CERDEC, we can also bring them into the Flight Activity to understand integration challenges early and upfront. This allows leadership to understand how technologies will work on the platform, how we can best integrate them, and how can we deliver them in an efficient way that will dominate the electromagnetic spectrum, command the operation and enable decisive effects,” he said.

The need to conduct airborne electronic systems experiments dates back to the early days of aviation when Fort Monmouth conducted the first test of air-to-ground communications in 1918. In 1963, that mission moved into the then 20-year-old Hangar 5 at Lakehurst Naval Air Station and remained there until now.

Generations of former Flight Activity employees who worked in Hangar 5 attended the ceremony and traded stories as they reminisced along an exhibit of news clips chronicling the CFA’s history.

These efforts include communications intercept and location, Morse Code interception, radar detection, Stand-Off Target Acquisition, the first glass cockpit Black Hawk, GPS and Foliage Penetrating Radar systems.

Ohhhh, SNIP…that just happened! Col. David Caldwell, Commander of the New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Representative Tom MacArthur of the 3rd Congressional District, N.J.; CERDEC Director Henry J. Muller; U.S. Representative Chris Smith of the 4th Congressional District, N.J.; and CERDEC I2WD Director Gary Blohm officially open the hangar. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Lauren A. Russell, USAF)

From Vietnam and the Cold War to the wars on drugs and terror, the CFA has played a significant role in pioneering airborne communications and sensors, Blohm noted.

“It’s family. When you accomplish things together, it bonds you for a long time. For folks who were building this capability 60 some odd years ago to our current workforce, there have been so many people who have made this happen,” Blohm said.

With the opening of the new hangar, the CERDEC Flight Activity is poised to provide another several decades of support to the Army’s aerial C4ISR needs, Blohm said.

“This is a celebration of a storied past and a firm promise for the future of airborne electronics systems experimentation. If you look back at the history, we’ve been doing relevant work that’s made a difference. If you look at the emerging [concept of operations] for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and electronic warfare, the Flight Activity is more relevant than it’s ever been. We will continue to be at the forefront of airborne electronics systems development while anticipating S&T needs for future conflicts,” Blohm said.

This article was originally published on Army.mil.

The U.S. Army has selected Dr. Donald Reago Jr. to serve as acting director of its Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army CERDEC)

Reago, who was selected for the Senior Executive Service in May 2014, previously served as the director of the CERDEC Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

In his previous capacity as NVESD director, Reago was responsible for planning and executing the Army’s science and technology investments in Electro-Optical/Infrared and Countermine/Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices sensors and signal processing. The technical scope of his mission was comprised of in-house research, contract research and development, and support to various Program Executive Offices and Program Managers across the Army and Joint Service acquisition communities.

Reago is an internationally recognized authority in Night Vision, Countermine and Sensor technologies, and has served on numerous joint, national, and international coordinating activities. He is currently the chairman of the Office of Secretary of Defense Sensors Community of Interest, and the Army representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, Sensors and Electronics Technology panel.

He is also an Executive Committee Member and Fellow of the military Sensing Symposium and has co-authored the book “Analysis and Evaluation of Sampled Imaging Systems,” published in 2010 by the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

A graduate of the University of Missouri-Rolla in Rolla, Missouri, with a doctorate and Bachelor of Science in Physics, Reago has worked in the field of Night Vision for the Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, since 1987. He also holds Army Acquisition Corps Level III Certifications in Systems Engineering and Program Management and a Level II Certification in Programs Systems Engineering.

His detail as acting director, which began April 1, is slated to last no more than 120 days. During this time, Dr. Michael J. Grove will serve as the acting director for CERDEC NVESD.

The Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to provide innovative research, development and engineering to produce capabilities for decisive overmatch to the Army against the complexities of the current and future operating environments in support of the Joint Warfighter and the Nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Material Command.

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By Ashley Tolbert

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (April 13, 2017) — Army AL&T magazine Senior Editor Steve Stark and Editor Mike Bold conducted a newly revamped writers workshop March 31, hosted by the Project Lead for Network Enablers in the Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications – Tactical (PEO C3T) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The workshop was a pilot for a new approach by Army AL&T that emphasizes one-on-one interaction.

Breck Tarr, product lead for Common Hardware Systems; Noel Roldan, deputy product lead for Communication Security Cryptographic Systems; and Robert Vik, product director for the Communications Security Cryptographic Systems; attended the afternoon session of the Army AL&T writers workshop. Roldan provided his thoughts on a colleague’s essay during the peer review. (U.S. Army photos by Ashley Tolbert, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center)

“We’ve held an annual writers workshop for the last four years,” Stark said. “This year we found an opportunity to work very closely with small groups of subject matter experts at Network Enablers.” The organization’s leadership, Project Lead Stan M. Niemiec, “wanted to see his people communicate more effectively about the very complex work they do.”

That commitment to communication from a project lead is remarkable and clearly motivated the team, Stark said. “The enthusiasm and engagement of his team and the intensive workshop format made for an event that, based on the feedback we received, was extremely useful not only for them but also for us.”

Niemiec had a similar assessment. “The workshop not only met my expectations but went well beyond. In the short time since that event, I have already begun to see more focused and better-written communications from my subordinate supervisors who attended,” he said. “The difference is striking when compared not just with their previous submissions, but also when matched to their peers who did not have the opportunity yet to attend the workshop.”

Stark noted that, based on this pilot, Army AL&T magazine staff intend to do as many as three writers workshops—at no cost to the host—each year to help other organizations within the Army acquisition, logistics and technology (AL&T) community.

COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
The award-winning magazine is a premier source of career and professional news for the Army AL&T community. Stark, himself an award-winning novelist, best-selling ghostwriter and a college-level creative writing teacher, led the workshop with Bold, a writer-editor with more than 30 years’ experience at some of the nation’s best-known newspapers and news organizations, including the Sacramento Bee and McClatchy News.

The goals of the workshop are to provide participants with a better understanding of how to write persuasively for a general audience; show them how to look at articles more objectively; and teach strategies to communicate effectively about what a program or project does and the difference it makes.

More than one senior policymaker has noted that the Army and DOD in general do a poor job of communicating to taxpayers what they do. “The magazine helps the Army communicate more effectively about what a program or project does, and why it matters to the Army, Soldier and taxpayer. It is also a publication to record lessons learned in a clear, effective way, helping others learn those lessons or solve those challenges,” Stark said during the workshop’s introduction.

Kelly Zayak, Business Management Chief; Joyce Hampshire, Chief of the Operations Support Division; Sonya Gadson, Operations Officer, listen intently during the morning session. Gadson was instrumental in bringing the pilot session to PEO C3T.

A HANDS-ON APPROACH
Each participant in the four-hour workshop—offered twice that day, in the morning and afternoon—had to provide a 500-word writing sample, preferably describing the work they do. The participants also read all of the samples of the others in their group.

The essays, provided to Army AL&T in advance, were the basis for what the workshop would cover. After hearing an overview of how the magazine’s editorial team works, each group provided criticism on each essay.

Morning participant John Pankowski said he was surprised to learn that less-technical writing was preferable. He remarked on the importance of knowing the audience for an article, and on learning that it is acceptable to use “I” and “you” in his writing—something he hasn’t done previously because he thought it was too informal.

As participants in each session analyzed the essays and gave the authors their honest feedback, they explained what worked or didn’t, how readable the writing was, and how effective it was in getting the point across. Stark and Bold moderated and provided their own thoughts.

“The atmosphere was very relaxed because we were in a class with our colleagues and we felt comfortable giving our honest opinion on their writing,” said Tom Curran, chief for the product lead for MilTech.

As part of the exercise, each author had to remain silent while the rest of the group commented on the work, reflecting the fact that “you can’t be there with the reader to tell them what you meant,” Stark said.

“Good criticism is the most valuable thing you can get to make your writing better. Every writer needs it, regardless of how accomplished they are,” explained Bold. “Sometimes when I get feedback on my writing, I instantly get defensive. But then I go back, rethink it and realize that there really is room for improvement. In short, virtually no writing is at its best right out of the gate. Accept criticism gracefully—which after 30 years, I am still learning.”

“I’d bet I spent more time on your essays than you did,” Stark quipped, describing the thorough, constructive criticism he and Bold provided to each of the attendees.

Senior Editor Steve Stark and Editor Mike Bold led Army AL&T magazine’s pilot writers workshop hosted by Product Lead Network Enablers in the Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications – Tactical (PEO C3T) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

IT’S ALL GEEK TO US
All of the attendees had highly technical backgrounds, and most were accustomed to using the same technical language in their writing as they do with their peers. However, Stark and Bold emphasized the importance of knowing their audience and the importance of communicating in plain language when writing for those with no knowledge of the subject matter.

“I bring my ignorance to the table as an asset, because I know if I don’t understand what you’re saying in your article, an ordinary person wouldn’t either,” said Bold. “That’s why we’ll constantly be pestering you to simplify and explain everything.”

At the end of each workshop, the magazine editors encouraged the attendees to submit articles to Army AL&T and explained how the staff can help contributors craft their articles for a broader audience beyond their own program or PEO. “Army AL&T contributors and the magazine’s staff have a symbiotic relationship,” Bold said. “You’re acquisition experts. We’re not. We’re professional writers and editors. You’re not. We need each other to produce the best articles possible.”

MAKING TIME TO ‘GET IT WRITE’
Bold offered encouragement for contributors. “When you get your stories back from us with a ton of questions and suggested changes, don’t be discouraged. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means that we liked your story enough to invest a lot of time in it, and here’s how you can make it better.”

This intensive one-on-one coaching was not the only difference between the March 31 pilot workshop and Army AL&T’s past writers workshops, which were directed largely at organization and command public affairs personnel. In this new model, magazine staff travel to the command or organization to work with its experts—software developers, system engineers and the like.

“It was very convenient for the workshop to come to us,” said Sonya Gadson, operations officer for Network Enablers in PEO C3T. “Everyone’s schedule is so busy, it’s nearly impossible for everyone to get away long enough” for an off-site workshop. While the magazine staff conceived and organized the workshop, Gadson contributed tirelessly to coordinating the event. She also gamely submitted her own essay. “Luckily, many attendees from the Network Enabler team were able to make it,” Gadson said. PEO C3T hopes to repeat the workshop and expand it to other program offices.

Commands or organizations looking to host a similar workshop should contact Stark at 703-664-5636. For those interested in submitting an article to Army AL&T magazine, go to http://asc.army.mil/web/publications/army-alt-submissions/.

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• Technically Speaking: You’re saying what?
• Army AL&T’s 2016 ‘ALTies’ are in, and the winners are…
• More photos of the workshop can be found on USAASC’s Flickr site.
• For more information about Army AL&T magazine go to http://asc.army.mil/web/publications/army-alt-magazine/.

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By Tara Clements

FORT BELVOIR, Va. (April 25, 2014) – Five members of the 2014 Competitive Development Group/Army Acquisition Fellowship (CDG/AAF) were recognized at a graduation ceremony April 18, marking their completion of the three-year developmental program that provides expanded training through a series of educational, leader development and broadening assignments for members of the Army acquisition workforce.

“This is a great day to celebrate achievements in the Army,” said Craig Spisak, director of the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) and host for the ceremony. Spisak was a member of the very first CDG/AAF program, and recalled his experiences from nearly 20 years ago.

“In April 1997, I got that call and was very excited to join the ranks of what I thought was going to be and has now subsequently proved out to be one of our premier leader development programs,” he said. “It’s an honor to be here because I’ve walked in your shoes to some degree.”

Since its inception, the program has provided board-selected individuals with essential leadership training and developmental assignments to better position them for future selection into critical acquisition and key leadership positions.

CDG/AAF graduate David Oatley noted that the program’s diverse experiences helped him to “see the bigger picture.” (U.S. Army photos by Ashley Tolbert)

In his remarks, Spisak stressed the importance of building relationships. “As you progress, remember that the vast majority of the things you do becomes less and less important about how smart you are and how good you are, and more about your personal relationships with other people.”

He also advised the graduates to remember the importance of trust, professional conduct and preserving one’s reputation. “At the end of the day, those will all come back to whether or not people trust that you’ve done the legwork, you’re prepared and what you say has some bearing and meaning and that they know you’ll stand by your word.”

Those selected for CDG/AAF have their choice of two distinct tracks: program management or acquisition leader.

Participants who pursued the acquisition leader track came from such fields as systems engineering, contracting and logistics. The acquisition leader track offers fellows broadening assignments within their acquisition career fields (ACFs) and opportunities to gain experience in other ACFs. The program management track features developmental assignments as well as posts as an assistant product manager, DA systems coordinator and other developmental program management positions.

“This program gives you the opportunity to take [rotational] assignments and experience the different functions that you may be interested in and learn more,” said David Oatley, one of the graduates and project officer for the Gator Landmine Replacement Program at the Program Executive Office for Ammunition.

Timothy Goddette, deputy program executive officer for Soldier and guest speaker, highlighted the value of the CDG/AAF program. “This is a program we need because of the opportunities it provides you to develop yourself,” he reminded the graduates.

The 36-month timeline provides a series of diverse experiences and rotations similar to military counterparts. “In three years, we’ve been able to accomplish what may take 5, 10 or 15 years for some,” said Oatley.

And from his perspective, the time was well worth it. “[This program] will help us be more effective for the Army in general and also get more satisfaction from our own careers and personal growth,” he said.

Timothy Goddette, deputy program executive officer for Soldier and guest speaker, highlighted the value of the program and what it says about the people who complete it. “This is a program we need because of the opportunities it provides you to develop yourself.”

Goddette outlined three key components that best describe the benefits of the program: competition, in that those who are selected are “among the best” in the Army Acquisition Workforce; development, an important component for those who don’t know exactly what’s next in their careers but strive to grow and be challenged; and networking and staying connected, critical to being effective.

“That’s the key: being able to get people to focus on a common goal to get something done for our Soldiers,” he said.

Lauren Johnsky was not able to attend the graduation ceremony in person, so the team at the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center found a way to have her there virtually.

Out of 17 graduations, this was the first where one of the graduates participated virtually. “Attending over the screen was much like being there in person,” said Lauren Johnsky, who was unable to get to Fort Belvoir for the event. “My favorite moment was having my photo taken with everyone! I felt completely included.”

For those interested in applying for the program, Johnsky and Oatley have some advice.

“The effort you put in is the reward you will gain from it,” said Johnsky, a program support specialist at the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center. “I also think that it’s absolutely imperative to use the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and meet new people.”

For Oatley, recognizing the need to take charge of his own career was a key factor in pursuing the CDG/AAF program. “There are opportunities and I think the Army does a fantastic job at making things available. So if you’re not taking advantage of [those opportunities], that’s on you. You can’t just sit back and think that if you do a good job, things will happen—because it doesn’t.”

Applications for the next year’s class will be accepted beginning Aug. 15.

Craig Spisak, left, director of USAASC, hosted the graduation ceremony marking completion of 17th Competitive Development Group/Army Acquisition Fellowship Program at Fort Belvoir on April 18. With Spisak are fellows David Oatley, Mo Stephens, Lauren Johnsky (who attended virtually), Monica Clemons and Walter Hamm Jr.

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By Kelly White, CERDEC Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – The lieutenant governor of New Jersey visited the U.S. Army Material Command’s Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, or CERDEC, Ground Activity, or CGA, last month, to learn about the mission growth path.

Lt. Gov. Kimberly Guadagno visited the CERDEC Ground Activity to learn about the mission growth path, March 30. (U.S. Army CERDEC photos by Kelly White)

The CGA, which is part of CERDEC’s Space and Terrestrial Communications Directorate, or S&TCD, is on the cutting edge of supporting this generation and next generation’s operational gaps for training and cyber activities, something Lt. Gov. Kimberly Guadagno wants to support from outside the wire.

“To support the Army’s active duty component, the state has the ability and purview to help quality of life issues that benefit the military who live on or around the base, from economic development to school-related issues,” Guadagno said. “The state also can aid in roads, land management around the base [encroachment issues] and air space.”
CGA, along with CERDEC’s Flight Activity, are part of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst which is the only tri-service base in the country, servicing Army, Air Force and Navy, and the second largest employer in the state of New Jersey. Representing a very active community, Guadagno wants to help push and shape the tri-service joint base, which is known for maintaining controlled terrain; air corridors and spectrum management.

Jason Kosmann, network engineer, explains how the CGA emulates architecture for stakeholders and vendors who want to test on a network similar to what the Army utilizes in a tactical environment. The CGA uses a Service Provider capability to provide a network to participants at remote locations that performs as if they were at Fort Dix.

“The Joint Base plays a critical role in supporting our local, state, and national communities,” Guadagno added. “The over 44,000 service members and their families living and working around the base contribute $6.9 billion to the local economy.”

As chair of the Military Installation Growth and Development Task Force, Guadagno said she is proud of the steps recommended and implemented to encourage defense-related development around the Joint Base, such as “attracting private capital to and around the base, ensuring that private sector businesses choose to partner with our military installations, and improving New Jersey’s pipeline of science, technology, engineering and mathematics-educated young people who can fill the needs of our future military and defense jobs

The CGA provides an Army-wide venue that tests capabilities from both ground and air and can utilize varied terrain, the use of restricted ranges and airspace, and the freedom to interact between ground and aerial layers with the Flight Activity without having to relocate assets from elsewhere in the country.

Lt. Gov. Guadagno’s team met with visiting soldiers who spoke on why the CGA capabilities have been important to get their objectives done.

“We are a world class lab coat community, but we are also a world class field base community that understands how to translate engineering into operations,” said Dr. Richard Wittstruck, associate director of Field Based Experimentation and Integration for CERDEC S&TCD.

During the visit on March 30, Wittstruck spoke of three focus areas for CGA that included global mobility, training and innovation.

“We’re looking forward to how the lieutenant governor can help the Army, community and the CGA,” Wittstruck said.

Guadagno and her team received a capstone briefing during the visit, with a focus on innovation of unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, followed by a tour of the CGA’s vehicle integration bay, resident 3D printing technology, and the tactical communications facility. From there, the team drove in a Stryker to meet with visiting Soldiers who spoke on why the CGA capabilities have been important in getting their objectives done, especially with exercises like Cyber Blitz, which focused on assessing cyber and electromagnetic activities, or CEMA, in a tactical environment.

Lt. Gov. Guadagno’s team experienced a rolling tour of a Stryker while visiting the CGA.

“It provided a first in training experience for every single Soldier that attended the training. This exercise greatly affected how our brigade develops our tactical operating picture and how we approach CEMA, cyber and intelligence reparation of the battlefield,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 James Bass, electronic warfare tech for the 25th Infantry Division, in speaking about Cyber Blitz.

“The CGA provides a superb facility to experience, develop, streamline and document Battle Drills for easy knowledge sharing and distribution to other similar U.S. Army units,” Bass added.

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By Ashley Tolbert

FORT BELVOIR, Va. (May 16, 2017)—Thirty-five future military and civilian Army acquisition leaders completed the fifth Acquisition Leader Preparation Course (AALPC) last month in Arlington, Virginia, preparing them as future product managers, acquisition directors and contracting commanders.

Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, the newly appointed principal military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and director of the Army Acquisition Corps (AAC) spoke at AALPC for the first time. He explained what to expect as a new commander and what it means to be successful. “Success as an O-5 commander is based on your knowledge and your ability to articulate what you do,” said Ostrowski. “… You have to be the smartest person in the room, always, with respect to your program. … You have to know your business. You have to be the master at what you do.”

Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski (shown here as a Major General, before his promotion), explains to students what to expect as a new commander. (U.S. Army photos by Michelle Strother)

The attendees included newly selected centralized selection list product managers, acquisition directors and contracting commanders, as well as product directors (PD). About 95 percent of the participants are assuming command this coming summer, while the remaining 5 percent of the class are PD incumbents who assumed command last summer.

Over the five-day course, a variety of senior leaders from DOD and industry spoke to the group covering a wide range of topics, including; leadership, effective communication, talent and organizational management, risk identification and management, and budget.

Craig Spisak, director of the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center and host for the event, said he was glad to have Lt. Gen. Ostrowski speak to the students as the new director of the AAC. “This was our fifth AALCP course and each year our speakers get better and better. We had a variety of new senior leaders, as well as a few who have returned. We also had our first four-star general speaker, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Daniel Allyn,” he said.

Allyn explained the impact a leader can have on their command. “Be excited about the opportunities you have to make a difference in our Army,” he told the attendees. “Be passionate about the opportunity that you have, because your excitement level, your passion and your commitment are going to be most impactful. … The impact you have on the environment you create is among the most important attributes you can deliver to the organization.”

Gen. Daniel Allyn, the Army’s vice chief of staff, answers students’ questions about their upcoming positions during the AALPC.

AALPC began in April 2015 under Lt. Gen. Michael Williamson, the former director for acquisition career management (DACM), to generate thought and discussion with accomplished leaders and seasoned practitioners about a host of challenges that future acquisition leaders likely will face in their new jobs. AALPC is designed to provide acquisition leaders with training that compliments the pre-command courses offered at Fort Leavenworth, Defense Acquisition University and the Army Acquisition Center of Excellence.

The course also helps participants better understand the dynamics of the environment in which they operate, know their roles and the roles of their subordinates, to capture lessons learned, and to develop an outline for what it takes to run an organization as an Army acquisition leader.

During his remarks, Ostrowski advised the students they should know as much as possible about their program, such as the status of the program’s funding and where the program is on its milestones. “You shouldn’t have to guess at what your dollars look like. You shouldn’t have to guess at when your milestone is. … These are things we expect you to know,” he said.

He also explained what it takes to become expert commanders. “The only way you’re going to know [your program] is if you spend the time studying it. You’re going to have to have extremely good relationships with the folks that are your customers. … Number one: know your program. Number two: know your customers.”

Maj. Gen. Bob Marion, deputy for acquisition and systems management, spoke on the last day of the course and gave some encouraging advice on how to have a healthy work and life balance. “Balance is important in life and it’s hard. Don’t miss your kids’ soccer and softball games. Don’t ever lose leave. … Do the things you need to do to be the best leader you can be,” he said.

The Army DACM Office plans to conduct two AALPC courses each year to train centrally selected officers and civilians before they assume their new positions. The next session is scheduled for December 2017 in the Washington area.

In April, 35 leaders from across the Army acquisition community participated in the fifth AALPC in Arlington, Virginia.

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By Scott Sundsvold, I3MP

Assistant Product Manager Alberto Dominguez, left, Product Team Lead Willie Matthews, center, and Product Team Assist Joe Casazza led the infrastructure modernization project that wrapped up in April at Fort Detrick, Maryland. (U.S. Army Photos by Scott Sundsvold, I3MP)

The Product Manager for the Installation Information Infrastructure Modernization Program (I3MP) completed delivery of a state-of-the-art information technology (IT) capability modernization at Fort Detrick, Maryland, on April 15, improving Army voice and data networks for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and the National Cancer Institute, all located at Fort Detrick.

Part of a multi-year project, the modernization enabled Fort Detrick to provide a new building for USAMRIID, with Enterprise Survivable Servers and gateways to support Voice over Internet Protocol and analog requirements.

Alberto Dominguez, an I3MP assistant product manager, led the $1.02 million effort’s integrated project team in building network capacity that simplifies and standardizes Installation Campus Area Networks at Army installations. During the Fort Detrick project, Dominguez’s team, known as APM CONUS, oversaw work on the inside cable plant and network modernizations to the Fort Detrick information infrastructure, enabling the integration of standards-based network services and available enterprise applications.

“This mission-critical infrastructure is tailored to meet the operational needs of the newly constructed USAMRIID facility at Fort Detrick,” said Dominguez at the project closeout meeting April 14.

Willie Matthews, the Fort Detrick product team lead, managed the day-to-day activities to ensure timely completion. Along with assistant Joe Casazza, Matthews coordinated and collaborated with industry partner Nisga’a Data Systems to install and route the data source network traffic through the new, one-of-a-kind infrastructure. “I feel safer knowing the network upgrades at Fort Detrick ensure that agencies such as the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the National Cancer Institute have the necessary voice and data infrastructure to carry out their critical missions,” Matthews said.

The team supporting the infrastructure modernization effort at Fort Detrick includes, from left, Willie Matthews, I3MP product team lead; Vikki Jean-Baptiste, director of capture management for Nisga’a Data Systems (NDS); Alberto Dominguez, I3MP assistant product manager; Joe Casazza, I3MP product team assist; Thomas Abraham and Ryan Sanders, USAMRIID network engineers; Mark Widrick, Fort Detrick Network Enterprise Center (NEC) network engineer; Richard Pruitt, All Native Inc./NEC project manager; Juan Cepeda, Fort Detrick NEC network engineer; Daniel Manno, NDS IT director; and Ryan Shepherd, NDS project scheduler.

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By Susan L. Follett

FORT BELVOIR, Va. (May 18, 2017) — Award nominations are now being accepted for the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD(AT&L)) Acquisition Awards—a chance for the Army to highlight the organizations and individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to defense acquisition.

Awards will be given in six categories:  

• The Workforce Development Innovation Award recognizes organizations for exceptional outside-the-box thinking and progress in tackling workforce development challenges.
• The Individual Achievement Award This award recognizes individuals in each of the acquisition functional disciplines.
• The David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award recognizes civilian and military teams that demonstrate innovation and technical excellence in acquisition to achieve more cost-effective outcomes for the warfighter and the taxpayer.
• The Should Cost and Innovation Award honors organizations that display outstanding commitment, innovation and results in should-cost management, a concept that’s fundamental to proactive cost control throughout the acquisition life cycle.

The deadline for submitting nominations for these awards is June 16.

Two other awards will also be given:

• The Secretary of Defense Product Support Manager (PSM) Award recognizes the PSM accomplishments and contributions in two categories: Major Defense Acquisition Programs/Major Acquisition Information Systems, Acquisition Category (ACAT) I PSMs; and Major Weapon System/Other Weapon Systems, ACAT II and below PSMs. The deadline for submitting nominations for this award is June 23.
• The Secretary of Defense Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) Award recognizes organizations that have made outstanding achievements in PBL development, implementation and execution at the system, subsystem and component levels. The nomination deadline for this award is July 21.

Each organization can submit one nomination for each award category—with the exception of the PBL Award, which permits one nomination for each level. Completed nomination packets must reach the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) by the appropriate deadline. USAASC will compile the nominations and submit them to senior leadership, who will then select and forward the Army submissions to the USD(AT&L) for consideration.

Winners of the awards, which are considered the most prestigious in the defense community, will be announced later this year or early next year. Nominations for the 2017 Army Acquisition Executive’s Excellence in Leadership Awards will open next month.

Detailed information on each award and instructions on submitting nominations can be found at http://asc.army.mil/web/acquisition-awards/. And for tips on submitting a winning package, go to “And the Award Goes To…” at http://usaasc.armyalt.com/?iid=149666#folio=162.

By Tracie Dean, ARL Public Affairs

Dr. Stuart Young of ARL’s Computational & Information Sciences Directorate presents the Autonomous Systems Manned/Unmanned Teaming technology to the commanding general of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, during DOD’s Lab Day at the Pentagon. (Photo Credit: Jhi Scott) VIEW ORIGINAL
ARL researchers discuss Warrior Injury Assessment Manikin technology with Lab Day attendees during DOD’s Lab Day at the Pentagon.
2 / 2 Show Caption + ARL researchers discuss Warrior Injury Assessment Manikin technology with Lab Day attendees during DOD’s Lab Day at the Pentagon. (Photo Credit: Jhi Scott) VIEW ORIGINAL

WASHINGTON — Scientists and engineers from research laboratories across the Department of Defense gathered at the Pentagon on May 18 to showcase their innovative technologies at the second DOD Lab Day.

The event was created as an opportunity for the science and technology communities to highlight and display the groundbreaking work developed throughout DOD. Lab Day provided a platform for researchers to showcase near and far-term research and development efforts and technologies that may someday benefit the Warfighter and perhaps provide them with “leap ahead” capabilities.

An opening ceremony kicked off the event and included remarks by acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Mary J. Miller.

Miller talked about the exceptional talent within the defense laboratory enterprise and underlined the important role DOD labs play in maintaining a technological edge over potential adversaries.

“Lab day showcases a small sample of the ground breaking and innovative work currently being done by the more than 39,000 scientists and engineers over the 63 defense laboratories, warfare centers and engineering centers,” Miller said.

“The defense laboratory enterprise help meet today’s urgent operational needs while ensuring decisive overmatch for the force of the future. It provides foundational capabilities for the joint Warfighter across the entire spectrum of operations.”

The latter portion of the ceremony was dedicated to recognition of Lab Scientists of the Quarter, the STEM Advocate of the Quarter and presentation of the Applied Research for the Advancement of S&T Priorities grant.

Three ARL researchers were recognized during the event: two for S&T excellence based on outstanding performance of their duties and one for outstanding support of STEM education and outreach.

Dr. Kang Xu, research chemist, ARL fellow and lead for ARL’s Aqueous Electrochemistry team, received the DOD Lab Scientist of the 2nd Quarter, 2017 for his collaborative work with University of Maryland scientists in inventing a new class of aqueous electrolytes that have wide electrochemical stability window. These new water electrolytes can resolve the safety hazard of the current Li-ion batteries, as well as enable the flexible batteries of high energy and long life.

Xu’s work has been considered as a transformational breakthrough that will likely reshape the battery industry.

Dr. Kristopher Darling, research scientist in ARL’s Lightweight Specialty Metals Branch, received the DOD Lab Scientist of the 4th Quarter, 2016 for his research related to stabilized bulk nanocrystalline metals and alloys in support of basic and applied research programs.

Darling’s findings will allow the defense department to replace the current exotic materials required for applications with more common, lower-costing alloys with no degradation of performance.

Dr. Rose Pesce-Rodriguez, research chemist in ARL’s Energetic Materials Science Branch and ARL fellow, received the STEM Advocate of the 2nd Quarter, 2017 Award for her work through various programs, including Chemistry in the Library, U.S. Army Education Outreach Programs and ARL’s Summer Intern Program/Symposium.

Pesce-Rodriguez demonstrated exemplary support for STEM education and outreach across the DOD. Her involvement in STEM education and outreach in has made a significant impact on students across Howard County, Maryland, among other school districts throughout the region.

The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics James MacStravic, awarded the Applied Research for the Advancement of S&T Priorities grant to the Defense Optical Channel Program, a collaborative effort between ARL, the Naval Research Laboratory, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

The $45 million award is aimed at projects oriented towards the design, development and improvement of prototypes as well as new processes which may translate promising research and solutions into solving high priority military needs.

ARL technology displays highlighted the 2017 Lab Day theme, “DOD Labs and Warfare Centers: Solving problems today designing solutions for tomorrow.”

Showcasing advancements in autonomy and protection technologies, the ARL displays included: Soldier Weapon Exoskeleton; Research and Development for Medical Simulation and Training; Warrior Injury Assessment Manikin and Micro-Autonomous Systems Technology.

One of the most popular exhibits of the event was the Autonomous Systems Manned/Unmanned Teaming. Dr. Stuart Young of ARL’s Computational and Information Sciences Directorate discussed the challenges facing the technology which is focused on transitioning robots from tools to robots as teammates.

“One of the things we have to do as part of that effort is to get robots that can operate in complex environments that Soldiers and military personnel have to go into. One of the unique challenges is to be able to manipulate the environment called bi-manual manipulation. Another unique challenge is unlike industry where they work with familiar objects and within locations that they know, we have to manipulate unknown objects in the unknown world,” Young said.

The DOD held its first Lab Day in 2015. The event was created as an opportunity for the Armed Forces S&T communities to highlight and display the groundbreaking work developed throughout DOD. The audience included members of Congress, military and civilian S&T leadership, STEM high-school students, members of the media and special guests.

This article was originally published in Army.mil.

Dr. Stuart Young of ARL’s Computational & Information Sciences Directorate presents the Autonomous Systems Manned/Unmanned Teaming technology to the commanding general of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, during DOD’s Lab Day at the Pentagon. (Photo Credit: Jhi Scott)

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By Karen D. Kurtz

WASHINGTON (June 26, 2017) – The Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)), Maj. Gen. Paul A. Ostrowski, announced the fourth annual Maj. Gen. Harold J. “Harry” Greene Awards for Acquisition Writing competition today to encourage critical writing focused on Army acquisition.

“The annual writing competition is designed to showcase the tremendous talent and creativity within the acquisition community and those associated with it,” said Ostrowski. “Each year, we invite participants to candidly share their ideas, expertise, and experiences by writing about them,” he continued. “In doing so, we honor a leader who was passionate about our responsibility to provide Soldiers with the best equipment in the world.”

Designed to drive the dialogue about meeting and overcoming challenges in delivering capabilities to the Warfighter, the competition is open to anyone and seeks maximum participation, especially by members of the defense acquisition workforce. “We are living in interesting times,” Ostrowski said. “We need to think and write clearly about our challenges and opportunities. This competition is the perfect venue to reflect on Army acquisition – its past, present, and future.”

Prospective authors may submit articles, opinion pieces, or essays from 500 words to 1,800 words in one of four categories including lessons learned; innovation; future operations; or acquisition reform. The 2016 winners and honorable mentions were published in a supplement accompanying the January 2017 edition of Army AL&T magazine. They were also honored at the U.S. Army Acquisition Executive’s Awards Ceremony and Banquet held in Springfield, Virginia, in December 2016.

Submissions must be unclassified, original, not previously published or submitted to a writing competition, and completed during Fiscal Year 2017. Four award winners will be selected, one in each category with four additional works selected for honorable mention. All entries must be submitted by email no later than midnight September 26, 2017. Additional information about the competition is found at the ASA(ALT) website, including the call for submissions. The winners will be recognized at an award ceremony in Washington, D.C.

One of the authors earning an honorable mention in the innovation category during the first competition noted the benefits of participating. “It provided a means to have my voice heard other than just through the established chain of command in submitting comments and recommendations for draft regulation reviews, and it also served as an important way to represent [Lower Tier Project Office],” said David Cook, from Program Executive Office Missiles and Space.

The acquisition writing competition is named for Maj. Gen. Greene, the Deputy Commanding General of the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, who was killed by an Afghan Soldier on Aug. 5, 2014, while making a visit to Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was promoted to Maj. Gen. in 2012 while serving as the Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management in ASA(ALT) prior to deploying in January 2014 to Afghanistan.

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 Edric Thompson, CERDEC Public Affairs

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The U.S. Army has selected Gary W. Blohm to serve as acting director of its Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) as the search continues to fill the position left open in the wake of Henry J. Muller Jr.’s retirement on March 31.

“Within RDECOM, Gary Blohm has demonstrated his leadership in many ways. As a former director at CERDEC, he is a long-time member of the communication-electronics family and has the trust and support of many peers and associates,” said Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, commanding general of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM).

The U.S. Army has selected Gary W. Blohm to serve as acting director of CERDEC. Blohm takes over for Dr. Donald Reago Jr., whose detail as acting director began April 1 and ended July 29. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army CERDEC)

Blohm, who entered the Senior Executive Service in 2003, previously served as the director of CERDEC’s Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate ( I2WD). In that capacity, he was responsible for researching and developing capabilities in the areas of signals intelligence, electronic warfare, measurement and signature intelligence, information operations and intelligence dissemination and fusion. He also led his organization in providing expert technical support to various program executive offices and project managers across the Army and joint service acquisition communities.

Prior to that, Blohm served as the director of CERDEC’s Command, Power and Integration Directorate from July 2015 to April 2016, where he was responsible for planning and executing the Army’s science and technology investments in mission command, power generation and quick reaction and prototyping technology.

Blohm served as director of the Army Architecture Integration Center, under the Army Chief Information Officer/G6, from October 2010 to July 2015. Here, he was responsible for ensuring the interoperability and supportability of the Army’s information technology architectures and for leading the planning, development and implementation of the Army’s enterprise architecture.

This is his second stint in the CERDEC front office, having served as CERDEC’s director from 2008 to 2010.

Blohm, who holds a bachelor of engineering degree in electrical engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey, began working for the Army in satellite communications in 1985. He holds Level III certifications in information technology and engineering.

Blohm takes over for Dr. Donald Reago Jr., whose detail as acting director began April 1 and ended July 29. Reago has returned to his former position as director for CERDEC’s Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

“We thank Dr. Reago for his dedication and exemplary service over the past four months; with Gary Blohm’s detail, we will ensure that CERDEC leadership remains in capable hands as the Army proceeds with the process of permanently filling this critical position,” Wins said.

As with Reago, Blohm’s detail is slated to last no more than 120 days. A replacement has yet to be selected to serve as the acting director for CERDEC I2WD.

Links:

U.S. Army Materiel Command

U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command

U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command

U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center

CERDEC on Facebook 

CERDEC on Twitter 

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