By Karen D. Kurtz
WASHINGTON (June 1, 2015) – The Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)), Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson, announced the second annual Maj. Gen. Harold J. “Harry” Greene Awards for Acquisition Writing competition today to encourage critical writing focused on Army acquisition issues.
“It is important that members of the acquisition workforce and other interested individuals drive the dialogue about meeting and overcoming challenges in delivering capabilities to our Soldiers now and in the future,” said Williamson. “This writing competition was created to allow members of the acquisition community to tell their own stories to internal and external stakeholders.” The competition is open to everyone and seeks maximum participation, especially by members of the defense acquisition workforce.
The inaugural competition launched in June 2014 and resulted in 114 submissions from across the defense acquisition workforce, including all services and several commands worldwide. The entries were judged by a panel of experts ranging from retired general officers, industry experts, journalists and defense acquisition leaders. The 2014 winners and honorable mentions were published in a supplement accompanying the April 2015 edition of Army AL&T magazine. The winners were also honored at the U.S. Army Acquisition and Contracting Awards ceremony held in Huntsville, Alabama, last April.
“I was very impressed by the quality of papers submitted in the first competition,” Williamson said. “In my mind, the real winners of this competition are the Army, the acquisition profession, and the many people who read these essays and benefit from the insights, experience, thoughts and recommendations.”
Authors may write articles, opinion pieces, or essays from 500 words to 1,800 words on U.S. Army acquisition in one of four categories including acquisition reform/Better Buying Power; future operations; innovation; or lessons learned.
The submitted works must be unclassified, original, not previously published or submitted to a writing competition, and completed during fiscal year 2015. Four award winners will be selected, one in each category with four additional works selected for honorable mention. The deadline for submissions is midnight Aug. 16, 2015, to usarmy.pentagon.hqda-asa-alt.mbx.acq-writing-awards@mail.mil. Additional information about the competition is found at http://www.army.mil/asaalt, including the ‘call for submissions’. The winners will be recognized at the annual U.S. Army Acquisition and Contracting Awards ceremony to be held in late 2015, and their submissions along with the honorable mentions will be published in Army AL&T magazine.
The acquisition writing competition is named for Maj. Gen. Greene, the Deputy Commanding General of the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, who was killed by an Afghan Soldier Aug. 5, 2014, while making a visit to Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on Aug. 14, 2014.
“Harry Greene was a Soldier, a leader, a mentor, and a friend who inspired all of us to tackle complex problems on behalf of Soldiers,” Williamson said. “I can think of no better way to honor Harry’s 34 years of distinguished service than by having this award named for him.”
Call for submissions instructions
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