FROM THE AAE


FROM THE ARMY ACQUISITION EXECUTIVE THE HONORABLE HEIDI SHYU


Train for the CHALLENGE


Wealth of opportunities makes acquisition one of Army’s top career fields


W


hen it comes time for Soldiers to choose a specialty in the Army, they often weigh personal interests, educational background and civilian career pros- pects. Te acquisition career field is consistently


among the most popular paths. Te opportunity to hone skills valuable in both the private sector and the military is one reason there are generally more individuals pursuing acquisition than the number of positions available.


Meanwhile, many of our Army civilians apply to competitive internships and other educational programs to develop their skills as acquisition or contracting specialists. Acquisition attracts mission-driven professionals who want to apply business skills to saving the lives of our Soldiers. Developing products and services that protect Soldiers as they, in turn, protect Americans is the most rewarding aspect of this work for me and many acquisition professionals—both military and civilian. We continue to have our pick of the best and brightest talent, but we cannot rest on our laurels.


Te Army Acquisition Workforce is a learning organization filled with knowledge workers, those who work primarily with infor- mation or who develop and use knowledge in the workplace. I


challenge every member of the workforce to take advantage of the many unique training opportunities available to enhance their professional skills. Equipping the U.S. Army is a tremen- dously complex endeavor. An acquisition professional must devote years to gaining the experience, education and training necessary to successfully manage a multibillion-dollar program, which is no small feat.


Te Army of today is developing many of the most technically advanced systems and technologies in human history. Tere is no cookie-cutter approach to acquisition. While we focus on some of its inherent challenges—cost, performance and schedule risks as well as funding instability—it is worthwhile to note that we con- tinue to succeed in fielding the best-equipped Army in the world. However, moving the world’s largest land force forward requires an ongoing commitment to learning and innovation.


INNOVATIVE TRAINING Training is one driver of the popularity of acquisition as a career. We offer classroom, online and multiple on-the-job training opportunities. One program that I would like to highlight is Training with Industry (TWI). Developed in the 1970s, TWI is a work-experience program providing long-term, daily exposure


ASC.ARMY.MIL 5


FROM THE AAE


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