WORKFORCE
Among the biggest projects in Mullins’ career is a tech refresh for the Strategic Command Center at the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) headquar- ters in Miami, which was completed in August. She managed the design, engi- neering, installation, test and delivery of an information infrastructure system tailored specifically for SOUTHCOM. Te new system provides IT solutions to support DOD’s Global Command and Control System – Joint, which provides the communications, computing and data infrastructure that integrates and presents combat support information to the warfighter on a single computer using the Common Operational Picture – Combat Support Environment. “We were able to see combatant commanders use the system in an exercise with deployed forces—that kind of firsthand experience is invaluable for our team,” she said.
Mullins noted that her outgoing personality facilitates cooperation and motivates team members. But it wasn’t always the case, she said. “When I first joined PEO EIS as a Soldier, I asked people a lot of questions about what they were doing, and some people were a little defensive. Tey thought I was trying to take their job, when in reality I was trying to understand how all the pieces fit together.”
PEO EIS’s structure helped with that, she said, noting that the organization has G-1, personnel, G-2, intelligence and security, and G-3, operations, sections similar to an Army unit. She also learned that working with civilians necessitates a different style of communication. “In an Army line unit, you might have disagree- ments with your fellow Soldiers but we all understand that we have each other’s backs. In an acquisition organization that’s mostly civilians, it takes longer to build trust. I’ve learned how to be
DOUBLE DUTY
Mullins and her husband, Jason, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2010. Mull- ins’ experiences as a Soldier and now an Army civilian have taught her that working in a military unit requires a different style of communication than working in a group of civilians. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Mullins)
a better communicator and the impor- tance of developing relationships.”
Her work requires her to identify the factors impacting the project and to act quickly to gain cooperation and build consensus, she explained, as well as creative tension and the free expression of different opinions. “But as a leader, I need to anticipate when to take steps to prevent counterproductive confron- tations in order to manage and resolve conflicts constructively.” A little humor helps, she found. “I use humor to help others to remain resilient, so they can recover quickly from setbacks and remain optimistic and persistent, even under the adversity of continuously changing environments.”
For Mullins, being part of the Army Acquisition Workforce “requires an
entrepreneurial spirit. Te Army’s combat readiness depends on us to identify new opportunities to develop or improve products or services. We need to rapidly identify and analyze problems, weigh the relevancy and accuracy of all available information, and then take the necessary calculated risks to accomplish the Army’s mission.”
Accomplishing that mission requires the ability to understand and apply Army acquisition principles, procedures, requirements and policies, she said, “to develop new insights into unique situ- ations. You will need to question conventional approaches and encourage your teams to seek out innovative solu- tions to implement.”
—SUSAN L. FOLLETT
https://asc.ar my.mil
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