ARMY AL&T
“I enjoyed gaining and developing broad expertise while supporting the Excalibur program and continue to expand my acquisition knowledge in my current role,” he said. “Tere is never a dull moment as each program has its own unique chal- lenges that require new and adaptive ways to overcome and meet the mission—delivering ammunition to the warfighter.”
Te most important points in his career, Townsend said, have been engagements with industry; much of the work he and his team does is made possible through collaboration and coopera- tion with industry partners.
“Early in my career, I was able to spend 18 months at the Raytheon facility working on the Excalibur project. Being a part of the daily engineering discussions helped me better understand the challenges that industry faces meeting their contract and program obligations. I was a part of engineering, configuration management, daily staff calls and leadership level discussions,” he said. “I wish I had taken an opportunity much earlier to do a rotation at the Pentagon as I imagine it would have provided a breadth of opportunity to participate in efforts at a much differ- ent level.”
An Insights course, in 2018, provided Townsend and others from his leadership with valuable instruction about different commu- nication styles. Te focus, he said, was to understand his own style, but just as importantly, to identify and understand the style of others so he can adapt to communicate with them effi- ciently and effectively.
“My boss was in the course with me, and I think we both left with a greater sense of how to better communicate with each other,” he said. “I learned that I need to approach him with more detail and supporting data for ideas and to expect probing questions to understand a recommendation or path the program is taking.”
His advice for junior acquisition personnel is to regularly develop their communication skills, with the right level of detail for the audience based on written and oral communication. “Te level of detail you give to the product manager is different than the program manager, which is different than a general officer,” he said. “Additionally, learn how to create presentations that clearly provide the message without unnecessary detail. Tis is some- thing I strive to work on for myself and with my team.”
Outside of work, Townsend is an avid DIYer who likes to build, fix and create. In 2022, he and several partners turned their interest in homebrewing into co-owning a commercial brewery
6.8 DAY
Townsend, middle, with Art Fiorellini, left, Project Manager Soldier Lethality, and John Conway, right, DEVCOM AC, at a team picnic celebrating “6.8 Day” in honor of fielding the 6.8 mm NGSW and Ammunition at Picatinny Arsenal. The event scheduled for June 8 was held on June 13, 2024, due to the weekend. (Photo courtesy of Todd Townsend)
called Double Tap Brewing in Whippany, New Jersey. “I think the commonality with work is that big projects are achievable if you have the right team. Te partners in the brewery are multi- disciplined—engineering and program management, a lawyer, an electrician—and all of us were avid homebrewers,” he said. “By taking a team approach across disciplines, we were able to achieve the momentous task of opening a brewery. Similarly to working for the Army, there were many challenges along the way we had to overcome.”
He said in addition to being adaptable, “It’s all about teamwork.”
“At home it’s a team effort with my wife and family. At the brewery, it’s ensuring my partners and I function as a team. At Picatinny, it’s about building a team culture within my office, the users [Soldier Lethality Cross Functional Team] and indus- try partners to accomplish our mission.”
—CHERYL MARINO
https://asc.ar my.mil
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