ABUNDANT OPPORTUNITIES
get the most out of both. Yongue chose to begin the application process for the ACS program following his permanent change of station. "I realized I needed to focus on my move and new posi- tion but am working the application process into my long-term career timeline," he said.
Te Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is also open to NCOs and officers. NCOs may now apply through the ACS program and select NPS as one of the schools that they would like to attend. Yongue said that two NCOs currently attending NPS are expected to graduate this July, and two more will be enrolled that same month.
“Te Naval Postgraduate School is also available to our work- force, where an individual could complete their intermediate-level education for military education, earn a master’s and complete required classes for certification in their area of concentration,” said Maj. Timothy Demerath, FA51 proponency officer with the DACM Office. “If you need a master’s degree, then the Advanced Civil School option is great for accomplishing that degree.”
Officers can apply to NPS to complete part of their Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act-required certification training, as well as to complete master’s degrees and intermedi- ate-level education requirements, Demerath said.
However, sometimes money is the sticking point in continu- ing education—that’s where the Acquisition Tuition Assistance Program comes in. Te ATAP program is designed to fund indi- vidual college courses related to business and acquisition or those required for undergraduate and graduate degrees in a related disci- pline. It covers tuition as well as laboratory and technology fees, within limits, to acquisition workforce civilians and contracting NCOs. Everyone—civilians and military—can apply for ATAP.
GET TO WORK Education can be a good way to advance your career, but expe- rience outside of your normal work environment can also be extremely valuable—not only for you as the employee, but also for your employer. One of the DACM Office’s best development opportunities for military personnel is the Training With Indus- try program.
TWI is a work experience program designed to provide exposure to managerial techniques and industrial procedures within corpo- rate America. Te program is mostly for FA51 officers, though there is one space for a 51C NCO at the Defense Logistics Agency in Lorton, Virginia, Yongue said.
112 Army AL&T Magazine Spring 2023
Lt. Col. Rob Heatherly, who is currently attending the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, participated in the TWI program earlier in his career. A self-described lifelong learner, he said he was “super lucky” to be selected for the TWI program during his acquisition career. “Tat was hands-down the best broadening assignment for an acquisition officer,” he said. Te experience allowed him to learn about partners in the defense industry and how they cooperate with DOD. One of the most valuable things he learned was how to cultivate relationships with defense contractors. “You should have open and honest commu- nication. You should have a relationship with them, a professional relationship, but what makes relationships work is communica- tion,” he said.
Officers and NCOs can also attend various leadership courses to help hone their skills, including pre-command courses and program management courses for officers, and the Advanced, Senior or Master’s Leaders Courses for NCOs.
CONCLUSION Te actual benefit of all that training and education can some- times feel a bit nebulous. But if you stick with it, it can help advance you to high-level jobs.
Colonels, lieutenant colonels and sergeants major may be eligible to apply for centralized selection list (CSL) positions when they are ready to take on command or key acquisition billets. Te CSL process selects the best qualified individuals for specifically iden- tified positions to meet the needs of Army acquisition. Required training, certifications, work experience and relevant degrees from the DACM Office’s training and education programs could help with securing a CSL position, Demerath explained.
“That was hands-down the best broadening assignment for an acquisition officer.”
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