CRITICAL THINKING


“It’s simply not healthy or sustainable to sit in front of a computer for 10 hours a day, five days a week.”


THE INDISPENSIBLE EYE


Vantage Robotics’ Vesper short-range reconnaissance vehicle is designed to be inex- pensive, rucksack-portable, with vertical take-off and landing ability. The company says it will provide platoons with a rapidly deployable intelligence, surveillance, and recon- naissance capability to provide situational awareness. (Photo by Vantage Robotics)


Despite the obvious hurdles, Fisher said his team has refused to let the pandemic stand in its way. “We’ve won $7.2 million in R&D [research and development] contracts since the COVID lockdown. We’ve been ramping and expanding production. We continue delivering units to customers,” he said. “Te first priority will always be keeping everyone safe, but the team has really risen to the challenge of getting the job done amidst these new constraints.” And he sees DOD as a responsive and reliable partner in this entire process. “I think DOD has been really effective in this transition,” he said. “Teir willing- ness to continue to move ahead with our key contracts during this time … those financial resources are certainly critical to us.” And he understands the challenge of


drastic change for such a large organiza- tion. “It’s much, much more challenging to be nimble as a million-person organization than it is for us as a 20-person organiza- tion,” he laughed. “I really respect how they’ve managed that.”


CONCLUSION Te Army relies on its partners in indus- try, and they are determined to deliver. Government contractors provide critical products and services for our nation’s warf- ighters, supporting their ability to prevent and respond to threats around the world. Trough the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ingenuity and flexibility of DOD and its partners in industry have proven that sometimes even a freight train can turn on a dime.


For more information about resources for companies navigating the complexities asso- ciated with the coronavirus, visit the DOD Office of Industrial Policy website at: https:// www.businessdefense.gov/coronavirus.


ELLEN SUMMEY provides contract support to the U. S. Army Acquisition Support Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as a writer and editor for SAIC. She holds an M.A. in human relations from the University of Okla- homa and a B.A. in mass communication from Louisiana State University. She is certi- fied as a Project Management Professional and Change Management Professional, and has more than 15 years of communica- tion experience in both the government and commercial sectors.


https://asc.ar my.mil 139


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