WHO’S WHO AND WHAT’S WHAT
A MAJ. JOHN M. CLOSE
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Prod- uct Director for Army Watercraft Systems, Project Manager for Transportation Systems, Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support
TITLE: Assistant product manager, Maneuver Support Vessel (Light)
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 1 YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 11
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level II (educational requirements) in program management; Senior Logistician designation from the International Society of Logistics
EDUCATION: M.A. in organizational leadership, Baker University; B.A. in American history, University of Florida
AWARDS: Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commen- dation Medal (second award), Army Achievement Medal (second award), Meri- torious Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal, Global War On Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Mobi- lization Device, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist’s Badge
little more than one year removed from an acquisition classroom at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, Maj. John Close has learned a great deal in his new role with the Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS).
Asking questions and learning more about how the organization operates have been the keys to flattening the learning curve.
Close is assistant product manager for the Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) (MSV(L)) program, the first new developmental watercraft for the Army in nearly 40 years and the primary effort toward modernizing Army water- craft. Te program was created to deliver a new vessel that enables Army mariners to transport combat-configured personnel and equipment into diverse littoral settings and give commanders greater ability to project fire- power in support of maneuver operations. Expected to operate in five feet of water, the MSV(L) will be designed to carry a combat-configured main battle tank, two Strykers or four Joint Light Tactical Vehicles into a wide range of littoral environments. With a planned range of 360 nautical miles and a speed over 21 knots, it will improve the Army’s ability to maneuver land power when and where commanders need it.
“Tis is a high-visibility project, and the Army really wants to get it right,” said Close. “Not many people know that the Army has watercraft, and even among Soldiers, access to the vessels is pretty limited.” Te constraints of watercraft manufacturing and the number of stakeholders involved present additional challenges. “Unlike ground vehicle programs, our program has been limited to producing and testing one prototype vessel. We’re incorpo- rating a unique design for it, so there’s a lot of planning, collaborating and risk-reduction efforts underway,” he said. “Tere’s that saying, ‘Measure twice, cut once,’ but we’re measuring 15,000 times.”
For Close, the most appealing part of the job “is serving with a diverse group of experts every day. I am always learning, and the myriad perspec- tives and personalities I get to engage with around the world and at all levels of government and industry make the assignment all the more enjoyable.” Te program puts him in contact with engineers, finance experts, naval architects, civilian contractors and other “green suiters,” he said. “Te goal is to foster collaboration, not just cooperation. We’re debating the issues and collectively creating effective solutions. Building relationships with all our stakeholders and making decisions as a team has proven to be the key
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Army AL&T Magazine
Fall 2019
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