Experience is also an important factor. I was an armor officer. I’ve had four company commands, two overseas tours and about 12 years as a tanker that gave me an in-depth understanding of the oper- ational environment. When I retired from the Army, I started my own small busi- ness, and it was one of the best things I could have done—it taught me a great deal about managing budgets on a larger scale and spending money efficiently and effec- tively. My operational and small business experience allows me to understand the challenges at different levels of the acqui- sition enterprise, much in the same way our leaders, with in-depth training and experience, can see the nuances of those challenges at the production level.


Perhaps the most crucial part of enabling decision-making at the appropriate level is the dialogue it opens between headquar- ters and the team members throughout the organization. As I told my son when he was at West Point, there’s no organization with perfect leadership, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid being a leader or entering a position where you can affect an issue. Take note of how your predecessors dealt with challenges so you can envision how to address an issue ahead of time— reflect, talk to other people and get various opinions.


Once in that decision-making position— I’m talking to my current leaders—don’t be afraid to push back. We become too isolated and insular; no one feels comfort- able disagreeing with one another. A healthy, constructive debate among lead- ers over a challenge a program faces helps to streamline the acquisition process and perhaps avoid costly mistakes.


In closing, let me take this opportunity to wish our readers a happy and healthy new year. Let it be our goal this year to pursue what’s right at all times.


VISION ENHANCED


Soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, are the first to receive the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle – Binocular and the Family of Weapon Sights – Individual, in September at Fort Riley, Kansas. The Army acquisition executive has put in place new policies that field capabilities faster by removing layers of review throughout the acquisition process. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Bryce Gatrell, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs)


SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED


Army combat engineers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade test Qinetiq North America’s Dragon Runner 10 at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, in September. Now widespread, the use of robots in combat stems from rapid acquisition efforts undertaken by Jette and others who first brought the technology to Afghanistan in 2002. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Henry Villarama, 173rd Airborne Brigade)


https://asc.ar my.mil


7


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176