FROM THE ARMY
ACQUISITION EXECUTIVE DR. BRUCE D. JETTE
TEAM A WINNING
The Army, ASA(ALT) and the U.S. defense industry work together to overcome COVID-19 dif ficulties.
T
his issue gives me another opportunity to praise the transparent and productive working rela- tionship we’ve established with our commercial and organic industrial base partners, particu-
larly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, the Army and our defense industry colleagues were presented with unique challenges, and we’ve faced (and continue to face) them together.
Te Army has issued more than 25 policies implementing expanded authorities and acquisition flexibilities for our industry partners, allowing a rapid response from the Army contracting enterprise. Tese include increasing progress payment rates up to 90 percent for large businesses or 95 percent for small businesses and granting limited exemptions and waivers from certain federal contracting requirements.
In many cases, we’ve also accelerated payment schedules and shortened payment times from 30 days to 15. We worked hard to make sure the cash flow was managed in the indus- trial base and our industry partners did the yeoman’s work in trying to manage that as well. Hundreds of millions of dollars, particularly with our large vendors, were advanced to subcontractors so they could stay afloat. Tis extraor- dinary teamwork is exemplary, and it’s keeping both our testing and fielding schedules, as well as our programs and modernization priorities, largely on track.
For me personally, my daily report on the health of the industrial base that once spanned more than 80 pages is now a weekly report. Early on, I spent many hours each week in conference calls and on the phone with company executives. I continue this outreach today, but now have an opportunity to travel, although with limitations, and see firsthand the resilience of our industry partners. However, I continue to miss having engagements where I am able to visit multiple companies in one setting. Tose 20 to 30 minutes together with company representatives in a face-to-face discussion at events—such as those held by the Association of the United States Army, the National Defense Industrial Association, the Aerospace Industries Association and other important organizations—will be hard to do again until the restric- tions related to COVID-19 are resolved.
PEOPLE ARE THE MVPS As we assess the industrial base and programmatic impacts of the pandemic, I am reminded once again that people are our most valuable asset. It’s significant how we’ve learned to take better care of our people. As I write this, the Pentagon is currently at 50 percent staffing. Some observers have said that only essential people now go to work at the Pentagon; I tell them, all workers are essential. Te question is, how do we make it effective for our workforce to do their jobs while remaining safe and protected? We’ve found numerous ways to do that, both within the Army and in industry. Te
https://asc.ar my.mil 5
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