AN OUTSIDER’S TAKE ON ACQUISITION


Synchronizing fieldings, along with units’ other tasks, will pro- duce better-trained Soldiers who are more confident in their skill sets. Well-trained Soldiers also will help the Army reduce its reli- ance on contracted logistical support, to achieve time and cost savings. Te Army’s C4ISR (command, control, communica- tions, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) Home Station Training Initiative, which is executed by the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command with support from PEO C3T, helps address these issues. Trainers and readi- ness resource managers catalog information (trouble tickets) on systems that units had difficulty using during operational train- ing, to determine which systems see the most requests for field support assistance; the unit is then informed on how to receive additional training support for its personnel from the training providers available to them at home station.


Unfortunately, this is not enough, and we must begin to produce new Soldiers and leaders proficient on the systems they will find in their units. Until we can align our institutional training and business processes, far too much burden is being placed on our unit commanders.


One aspect of the Army’s institutional business approach to total life cycle management is producing positive outcomes. Te Army’s C4ISR community at Aberdeen Proving Ground,


Maryland, functions as a single team for life cycle management of our equipment. Te U.S. Army Research Laboratory explores how emerging science and engineering could be transitioned into applied research for near- and long-term capabilities. Te U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Develop- ment and Engineering Center (CERDEC) executes engineering and prototyping, in coordination with partners such as PEO C3T and PEO Soldier at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. CERDEC’s activities then transition into acquisition through its relation- ships with PEO C3T, PEO Enterprise Information Systems and PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors. Te Communications-Electronics Command, including Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania, completes the collective approach to addressing readiness issues. Te field support initiative— whereby Soldiers are once again the primary operators and maintainers of C4ISR equipment at the unit level—is pushing down to our tactical units.


TRANSFORMATION, NOT TRANSACTION I personally dedicated much effort to fostering and strengthening these relationships and orienting their collective efforts on the challenges our tactical commanders were facing.


Smaller, faster, simpler, more rugged and easily transportable. These are all common refrains I heard while talking to operational units. If we don’t work across the community to heed these requirements, units will continue to leave their fielded systems behind at home station and deploy with less capability.


Finally, I gained an appreciation of just how complex our acquisition process is and the commitment of our acquisition professionals. PEO C3T has a tremendously professional work- force, composed of both civilian and military staff. Tey are laser-focused every day on the readiness of our formations and the needs of the future. Tey are meeting the challenges from senior Army leaders—including those from the assistant secre- tary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and the U.S. Army Materiel Command—for greater innovation across the phases of research, development, engineering and acquisi- tion. Te PEO, like all others, is more closely managing risk as it accelerates capability generation and fieldings. Te challenge is to remain focused on the Soldier while being transformational instead of transactional.


As an outsider, I would like to think I helped in this area the most. By challenging the common assumptions, focusing our program managers on outcomes and not process, advocating for our Soldiers and their desires, and being willing to underwrite risk for our acquisition leaders, the PEO continues to improve and thrive.


CONCLUSION My time at PEO C3T has been a great opportunity and one of my most valued assignments. I believe the Army made a wise


246 Army AL&T Magazine January - March 2018


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