POSITION AND UNIT: Industrial Engineer in the Program Evaluation Division, Program Management Directorate of the Lower Tier Project Office; Program Executive Office Missiles and Space
TOTAL YEARS SERVICE: 32
AWARDS: The 2014 Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene Award for Army Acquisition Writing; Honorable Mention, Innovation
EDUCATION: M.S. in industrial engineering, University of Alabama; M.S. in wood science and technology and B.S. in forestry, Mississippi State University
A subset of one
By Susan L. Follett
It’s likely that the subset of people with master’s degrees in forestry and wood utilization sciences who work in defense acquisition is very small in number. And it’s possible that it’s a subset of just one: Meet David Cook, an industrial engineer in the Lower Tier Project Office (LTPO) for Program Executive Office Missiles and Space (PEO MS).
As Cook explains, the transition between two very different professions was considerably more logical than it might appear. “In the late 1970s, I was working for the Utilization Section of the Alabama Forestry Commission. Our team performed onsite qualitative and quantitative analyses of sawmills using the Forest Service’s Sawmill Improvement Program models to determine mill efficiency of converting softwood timber into lumber. I also developed and tested a statistical model to determine the quality and cost-effectiveness between the two prevalent types of hardwood lumber drying methods. These real-work experiences prompted my desire to continue my education in industrial engineering; therefore, I enrolled in the University of Alabama in 1980. In 1982, I accepted an offer from the Army at Redstone Arsenal to work as an industrial engineer in Quantitative Analysis, where the duties were closely aligned with and similar to my previous educational background and work experience.”
The position also gave him the opportunity to serve his country, albeit differently than he once envisioned. “I grew up in Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s. Encountering active duty or retired military personnel then was as easy as meeting an engineer in Huntsville today. Some type of military influence was everywhere. And being young and inquisitive, I was constantly interested in hearing stories about my close relatives who had served in combat during the Civil War, World War II and Korea,” he said. “So, I enrolled in Army ROTC in high school. As cadets, we were issued the standard Army uniform and a fully functional service rifle—the M-1 Garand—and we conducted marching drills, in uniform and with rifles, on the front lawn of Central High School in downtown Jackson. In 1972, when I was first eligible to be drafted for service, I was not called for duty, and then the draft ended that year. I opted to stay in college because leaving would almost certainly mean never returning.”
Now starting his eleventh year with LTPO, Cook recently entered the 2014 Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene Award for Army Acquisition Writing competition. The competition “provided the perfect opportunity, in part, to demonstrate that I’m not slowing down at this stage of my career,” he said. “It provided a means to have my voice heard other than just through the established chain of command in submitting comments and recommendations for draft regulation reviews, and it also served as an important way to represent LTPO.” His essay, illustrating that regulations should be written with sufficient clarity to convey proper intent and direction, was one of two that earned an honorable mention in the category of innovation. The competition netted 114 entries, and he said, “I was pleased and honored to learn that my submission was chosen as a winner from such a large group.”
What do you do in the Army? Why is it important?
I have worked as an industrial engineer for the entirety of my 32 years of service in the Quantitative Analysis Branch of the Production and Procurement (P&P) Directorate, Army Missile Command; and the Program Management Directorates of the Javelin, Common Missile and Lower Tier Project Offices of PEO MS.
For the first five years of my career, I worked in quantitative analysis, evaluating validity and technical acceptability of contractor proposals for the procurement of sole-source weapon systems. In 1987, I accepted a promotion with the Javelin Project Office in program management, which provided an expanded role in other aspects of the acquisition environment. By then, I had sufficient technical writing experience to develop documentation necessary for transitioning milestone reviews. Thus, I developed a standard procedure of preparing the format template and the follow-on process of writing, compiling and editing in order to take best and timely advantage of teamwork required to establish comprehensive program status and proposed direction. Documents included the Modified Integrated Program Summary, Acquisition Plan and Acquisition Strategy for the Javelin, Joint Common Missile, Patriot System and the PAC-3 MSE missile programs. This major role represents what I consider to have been—and still is—one of the most important contributions I’ve made in supporting the Army project office.
What has your experience been like? What has surprised you the most?
As an Army civilian, I’ve had the opportunity to develop professionally while working to meet the demands inherent in working in program management for an Army project office. My analytical, critical thinking and technical writing skills, including creative abilities, have grown as a result of the successful execution of my responsibilities. I’ve also discovered an enormous amount of intellectual capability and dedicated effort across industry, government and the military to provide reliable and effective weapon systems to the warfighter.
What is your greatest satisfaction in being part of the Army?
The greatest satisfaction in being part of the Army is knowing that my efforts are important well beyond my responsibilities and duties, and that dedication and professionalism will eventually translate to a capability for the warfighter. From my first day working for the Army, I have had the opportunity to meet and exceed task requirements, pursue initiatives where none are expected, and then generate successful outcomes to support organization mission.
Editor’s Note: The 2015 Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene Award for Army Acquisition Writing kicked-off June 1. For submission details, visit www.army.mil/asaalt.
- “Faces of the Force” is an online series highlighting members of the Army Acquisition Workforce through the power of individual stories. Profiles are produced by the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center Communication and Support Branch, working closely with public affairs officers to feature Soldiers and Civilians currently serving in a variety of AL&T disciplines. For more information, or to nominate someone, please contact 703-805-1006.
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