WORKFORCE
the 2035 Army Modernization Strategy. “Acquisition Soldiers are helping to define what the requirements are—what do those weapons systems look like, where are those weapons systems going,” Harley said. “Start to finish, and cradle to grave.”
Some of the systems associated with the Army’s modernization strategy that were showcased at the summit included the new Modular Scalable Vest, the Ballistic Combat Shirt and the Ballis- tic Pelvic Protector. “We are scaling back the amount of weight we’re putting on the Soldier,” said Capt. Kim Pierre-Zamora, a reservist attached to Product Manager Soldier Protective Equip- ment at the Program Executive Office for Soldier. “We’re also giving them that same or increased level of protection.”
Pierre-Zamora presented prototypes of the next generation of body armor and outlined the improvements of the new systems. She described how previous versions of body armor often limited the Soldier’s movement and made it harder for them to perform their combat roles. “Essentially we made the Soldier a turtle with the IOTV [Improved Outer Tactical Vest] and the IBA [Inter- ceptor Multi-Treat Body Armor System],” Pierre-Zamora joked. “We covered them so much it caused a lot of musculoskeletal issues.” Tose issues often lead to Soldiers not wearing their body armor properly or sometimes not even wearing it at all.
Te Modular Scalable Vest (MSV) can be more quickly and precisely adjusted to fit Soldiers better than the IOTV. Te shoul- ders of the new vest provide unrestricted arm movement while still protecting the Soldier from shrapnel. Te Ballistic Pelvic Protector is easier to connect, disconnect and store out of the way. “It’s that purpose-driven design,” said Pierre-Zamorra. “We’re trying to make sure our protective equipment works with the Soldiers instead of against them.”
One unique feature of the new body armor is that it allows the Army to repurpose some of the ballistic plates from the previous versions. “When we’re looking at new equipment, we’re making sure that it works for Soldiers and the Army’s budget,” said Pierre- Zamora. Tere are many as-yet unused IOTVs in Army storage centers across the country. “We’re cutting down the unused and test-ready IOTV plates into the MSV shape that will fit in the new MSV shell,” Pierre-Zamora said. “When we reuse equip- ment that has not been used and does not ballistically degrade, we are saving the Army millions of dollars.”
CONCLUSION In addition to ensuring that current best practices and resources are shared across the acquisition career field, as the Army
https://asc.ar my.mil 125
transforms and modernizes, “One of the things about the Acqui- sition Training Summit that is so valuable to the acquisition Soldier is networking,” said Harley. “Networking with peers, networking with senior leaders … that linkage is just critical.”
“We only do this once a year,” said Maj. Gen. Rod Faulk, commander of the 99th Readiness Division and the Army Reserve senior proponent adviser for acquisition. “It’s a great opportunity for professionals to network and share their best practices. Also, to enhance their knowledge base in what resources are avail- able and what techniques are successful.” Faulk led one of the key sessions on the first day of the conference, introducing the summit and outlining expectations for the Reserve component workforce. He advised Reserve Soldiers to think big and keep improving every day.
“One of the things we talked about was leaning forward and taking new challenges,” said Faulk. ”Not sitting back and being comfortable in the job that you’re in today. Do the very best you can with your present job, be a good teammate and you’ll be in demand because you’re always giving your best effort.” He encouraged acquisition Soldiers to use their training to acquire what they need to be successful on the battlefield. If the Army is going to be able to meet its mission in the new multidomain environment, Faulk said, “We need these folks to be 1000 percent on target!”
“Our motto in the Reserve is ‘Ready Now, Shaping Tomorrow,’ ” he said. “We have to be ready now. At the same time, we have to evolve our concept of warfare and make sure that we’re able to meet future foes on a future battlefield and dominate.”
For more information, contact Col. Keith G. Harley, Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, Director of Acquisition Integration Office,
keith.g.harley.mil@
army.mil.
SPC. ANTONIO C. RODRIGUEZ, of Dallas, is assigned to the 356th Broadcast Operations Detachment. He joined the Army Reserve in 2017 as a mechanic. He re-enlisted and completed the Defense Information School in March as a 46S military occupational specialty public affairs specialist.
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