NEW HORIZONS OF EXCELLENCE
at Fort Bliss, TX. MTD is a subordinate organization of the Fires Test Directorate at Fort Sill, OK, which is part of the U.S. Army Operational Test Command.
Ferreira found his most rewarding TWI experience was working with the people of EADS North America, immersing him- self in their culture and encountering a unique opportunity to grow and diversify his professional acquisition knowledge.
READY TO FLY
In his TWI tenure at EADS North America, Ferreira had the opportunity to be involved in multiple aspects of program management and design review for the UH-72A Lakota helicopter. Here, Fer- reira stands by one of the newly produced UH-72A Lakotas at the American Eurocopter Corp. facility in Columbus, MS, May 17. (Photo by James Darcy, EADS North America)
“As a Soldier, it was extremely rewarding to be part of an organization commit- ted to supporting the Army by providing high-quality products like the UH-72A Lakota Helicopter to the warfighter, Fer- reira said. “Our military careers can be somewhat predictable due to the pre- ordained requirements, qualifications and gates we must meet as acquisition professionals.
Participating in TWI
not only gives you the opportunity to broaden your abilities but also improves your profession.”
an Army unit; a new material introduc- tory brief and orientation at a National Guard aviation unit
in Williamstown,
WV; participation in the assembly-line build of new Lakota helicopters at the production facility in Columbus, MS; and a flight in one of the new-produc- tion helicopters.
“Tis comprehensive exposure provided me with a solid understanding appreciation of
the requirements
and and
complexities associated with operating a large, unique ACAT I defense aviation program like the UH-72A Lakota heli- copter,” Ferreira said.
His biggest challenges during the TWI assignment, he said, were a lack of experience with and understanding of the aviation defense acquisition “busi- ness” and unfamiliarity with the people, products, processes and organizations.
164 Army AL&T Magazine
So this assignment was a perfect fit for Ferreira, allowing him to broaden his acquisition horizons.
“Overcoming this obstacle was not too dif- ficult,” he added. “EADS North America took a very active role in my assignment. I had a very good sponsor, Mr. John Burke, vice president and program manager, UH-72A Lakota Helicopter Program, who interacted with me on almost a daily basis. He supported my training plan and any endeavors I wished to pursue. Addi- tionally, I had the entire EADS North America Lakota Program Office team, plus the corporate team, who all went out of their way to educate and assist me. All the industry employees that I interacted with were more than willing to educate and involve me in this business.”
Ferreira’s follow-on assignment is as the director, Missile Test Division (MTD)
July–September 2013
For information on AAC’s TWI program and the companies involved, go to http://
asc.army.mil/web/career-development/ programs/aac-training-with-industry. To apply for TWI, contact your assign- ment officer. For other inquiries about TWI, contact Marti Giella at 703-805- 2700 or
marti.a.giella.civ@
mail.mil; or Scott Greene at 703-805-1229 or
scott.m.greene14.civ@
mail.mil.
MR. ROBERT E. COULTAS is the Army AL&T magazine departments editor and an Access AL&T News Service editor. He is a retired Army broadcaster with more than 40 years of combined experience in public affairs,
journalism, broadcasting
and advertising. Coultas has won numer- ous Army Keith L. Ware Public Affairs Awards and is a DOD Tomas Jefferson Award recipient.
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