ACQUISITION
and weight constraints and reducing the burden—cognitive as well as physi- cal—on the Soldier.” For PM SWAR, a systematic approach to integration helps identify problems early on, “at the con- cept or design stage rather than during production,” said Barker.
Tat effort includes conversations as early as possible in the development phase and integrated product teams that involve a variety of stakeholders. “We want to make
sure that the equipment being
developed in one PM shop doesn’t con- flict with the space and weight claims for equipment being developed in other PM shops, that they’re complementary. Te ultimate goal is to ensure that the Soldier can use whatever capability we develop without any problems,” he said.
Barker’s career followed an atypical path.
“When people ask me how I got here, I usually joke that
it’s because I haven’t
been able to hold a job,” he said. Barker enlisted in the Army in 1988 as a field artillery forward observer, eventually earning a Green to Gold Scholarship and entering the officer corps as an infan- try officer. He spent four years with the branch detail program, which transi- tioned him to the Military Intelligence Corps. “I completed three years as a mili- tary intelligence officer, and during the latter part of my company command, I was exposed to the wide range of oppor- tunities in acquisition,” he said. “Te thought of doing something other than [in] the tactical world I had lived in was intriguing." He submitted a packet and became an acquisition professional as a senior captain.
Tat was in 1999. Barker spent the first six years in a highly classified environ- ment as director of contracting. “When it came time for my O-5 command, the Army selected me to be a program
Another leap that shaped his career was his assignment to the highly classified job, which he was told little about. “Te cul- ture of that organization was that of the quiet professional: not caring who gets credit but caring only that the job gets done,” he said. “Te position provided daily feedback on what we were doing to impact the global war on terror. Work- ing in an environment as dynamic as that was an invaluable experience.”
In addition to the leaps, Barker noted the career-shaping contributions of sev- eral mentors. “Lt. Col. John Carmichael, my second battalion commander, looked out for me in so many ways and taught me what it meant to be a good officer and an even better man.” Lt. Gen. Paul A. Ostrowski has also served as a men- tor, when he was a PM with U.S. Special Operations Command and when he served as PEO for Soldier—first during Barker’s time in the classified world and
manager at the National Reconnaissance Office, and that served as my transition to the program management side.”
Between that post and his current one at PM SWAR, which began in Sep- tember 2015, he served as the executive officer (XO) for the Hon. Heidi Shyu, then the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and the Army acquisition executive. Tat assignment was one of several “leaps of faith” that shaped his career, Barker said.
“When I was selected to interview with Ms. Shyu, I was not well-known, given all the time I spent in the classified world. She took a leap of faith on me as a rela- tively unknown lieutenant colonel, and I am so thankful she did. Ms. Shyu taught me so much about patience, resilience and listening, along with so many other things, and I carry those with me today in both my professional and personal life.”
later when he was Shyu’s XO. “He helped me in my early days as I was learning to navigate the waters of the Army staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Pentagon.”
During his tour as XO, Barker also had the opportunity to work with Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene, then Shyu’s deputy for acquisition and systems management. (Greene later served as deputy command- ing general of the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan and was killed in August 2014 in an attack by an Afghan soldier in Kabul.)
“Aside from having a brilliant mind and being an esteemed acquisition profes- sional, he reminded me every day that if you’re not
laughing and having fun,
you’re doing something wrong,” Barker said. Greene passed along some job- related advice that still resonates. “He said the things you can always control are doing a good job and having a good work ethic, wherever the Army sends you or whatever it asks of you. If you can do those simple things, you will be surprised at the doors that will open. He was a very wise man.”
For Barker, trust is the key to success, and trust is built with time. “Get to know your people and those you work with on a daily basis, and you will be amazed at the trust you build,” he said. “When things are tough … they are there for you.” Time in the classroom is important, too, he added, for more than just book smarts. “Schooling and certifications help establish a baseline skill set and pro- vide the opportunity to make important friendships and connections. You’ll find out how small the world is when you start to run into people you’ve met throughout your career.”
—MS. SUSAN L. FOLLETT
ASC.ARMY.MIL 21
ACQUISITION
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