Strategic Communications Division

Q: What is the U.S. Army Acquisition Corps (AAC)?
A: The AAC is a uniformed and civilian workforce dedicated to researching, managing, developing, testing, evaluating, contracting, fielding and sustaining the Army’s warfighting systems and equipment to support the Army’s transformation from the Current to Future Force.

Q: What are the current challenges that AAC professionals are facing?
A: AAC professionals are adapting to meet the threats of global terrorism, urban warfare and an increasingly complex battlefield by harnessing tomorrow’s technological advances today.  They work to provide world-class, network-centric systems that support a campaign-quality Army with a Joint and expeditionary mindset.

Q: What is the AAC’s primary role?
A: The AAC is the premier integrator and developer of strategically responsive, highly supportable warfighting, intelligence and communication systems that provide combatant commanders and their Soldiers unprecedented capabilities to fight with greater lethality, survivability and sustainability.

Q: What is the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC)?
A: USAASC is a Direct Reporting Unit supporting the Army Acquisition Executive/Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASAALT) and the Director of Acquisition Career Management.

Q: What does USAASC do to support the AAC?
A: USAASC provides oversight for the AAC and the AL&T Workforce by ensuring the professional development of the entire workforce as mandated in the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA).

Q: What are three principal functions of the USAASC?
A: USAASC’s principal functions include communicating the AAC’s mission and vision; planning, programming and overseeing/executing career management activities for the AL&T Workforce; and providing major command-level support to Program Executive Offices (PEOs).

Q: What is USAASC’s vision?
A: USAASC’s vision is to be recognized as the premier federal acquisition agency providing seamless support to the Army acquisition community through superior leadership, professionalism, quality performance and products, workforce competence and commitment to excellence.

Q: How does USAASC support ASAALT’s PEOs?
A: USAASC provides major command-level support to the PEOs in the areas of resource management, human resources management and force structure.  USAASC also provides policy, guidance, support and services regarding Army acquisition issues and initiatives, and proponency functions that include doctrine, training, education, force design, policy and programs.

Q: What are the objectives of the acquisition process?
A: The acquisition process is designed to provide a needed capability to the Soldier in the shortest practical time while concurrently reducing risk, ensuring affordability and providing adequate information for decision making.

Q: What is the purpose of the FA 51 Basic Qualification Course?
A: The 13-week FA 51 Basic Qualification Course provides initial acquisition training to Army officers and civilians.  It prepares newly accessed officers and selected civilians for assignment to any acquisition organization.

Q: What year was DAWIA signed into law?
A: Former President George H.W. Bush signed DAWIA into law in 1990.

Q: What does the Competitive Development Group-Army Acquisition Fellows (CDG-AAF) Program offer?
A: The CDG-AAF Program is a 3-year developmental program that offers board-selected applicants expanded training, leadership, experiential and other career development opportunities.

Q: What is the role of the U.S. Army Human Resources Command’s (HRC’s) Acquisition Management Branch (AMB)?
A: HRC’s AMB is USAASC’s sister organization, responsible for planning, developing, executing and maintaining acquisition career management programs and policy for military AAC members.

Q: What percentage of the Army’s Senior Executive Service (SES) members are part of (or belong to) the acquisition community?
A: More than 50 percent of the Army’s SES members are part of the acquisition community.

Q: What is the goal of the Uniformed Army Scientist & Engineer (UAS&E) Program?
A: The goal of the UAS&E Program is to grow and manage a pool of acquisition officers with scientific and engineering knowledge.  UAS&E officers will serve as experts supporting the Army’s scientific and engineering needs across a broad spectrum of assignments.  UAS&E officers strive to find real-time technology solutions to immediate battlefield requirements while looking forward to providing technical leadership to meet future program needs.

Q: What is the purpose of the Army’s Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP)?
A: LOGCAP provides vital services such as food, laundry and shower services to Soldiers who are deployed on mission.

Q: What are the objectives of the Contracting and Acquisition Career Program Office (CP-14) Division within the USAASC?
A: USAASC’s CP-14 Division is responsible for managing and executing the Army Contracting and Acquisition Career Program (CP-14) functions on behalf of the Functional Chief Representative (ASAALT).  CP-14 develops, executes and manages policies, procedures and programs to continually enhance the professionalism and quality of an empowered workforce.

Q: What three organizations merged to form the current USAASC?
A: The Acquisition Career Management Office (ACMO), the Army Acquisition Executive Support Agency (AAESA) and CP-14 merged to form USAASC.  In October 2006, a new General Order was issued formally designating USAASC as a Direct Reporting Unit to the ASAALT, not a Field Operating Agency.

Q: How many AL&T Workforce members are there?
A: The AL&T Workforce has more than 45,000 members.