The Warfighting Acquisition Awards are an annual program hosted by the Department of War to honor individuals and teams whose work in research, development, and sustainment directly supports the warfighter and strengthens the National Defense Strategy. The awards highlight excellence in speed, flexibility, and disciplined execution, aligning with the Secretary of War’s priorities and the department’s acquisition transformation strategy.
The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office of the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center is the official collection point for U.S. Army nominations. The Army DACM Office will compile the nominations and submit them to senior leadership, who will then select and forward the Army submissions to USW(A&S) for consideration.
Check back for information about nominations for the 2026 Warfighting Acquisition Awards!
For questions regarding the awards season, please contact Rachel Longarzo at 520-684-6607, or email at rachel.m.longarzo.civ@army.mil.
The nomination period for the 2026 Warfighting Acquisition Awards will open soon. Nominations must be submitted electronically no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT.
All eligibility requirements and submission instructions for the Warfighting Acquisition Awards are below. Please read the following information carefully before completing and submitting a nomination.
How to Write a Winning Nomination
Warfighting Acquisition Awards Categories
The Warfighting Acquisition Team Award for Software Innovation
The Defense Acquisition Team Award for Software Innovation was established in 2019 to recognize teams who are driving speed, innovation, and the use of best practices in software development and software acquisition. Across DoD, new software teams, including Service “software factories” are standing up to deliver frequent and high-quality software capabilities into the hands of Warfighters – supporting the National Defense Strategy is imperative to increase readiness and lethality.
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The Warfighting Acquisition Awards for Individual Achievement
The Defense Acquisition Awards for Individual Achievement are the acquisition community’s opportunity to recognize individuals who demonstrate the highest levels of excellence and professionalism in developing, acquiring, and sustaining operational capability that supports the Warfighter and protects the taxpayer. These prestigious awards recognize an individual’s accomplishments in support of the current National Defense Strategy and the Secretary of Defense’s priorities to revive the warrior ethos, rebuild our military by matching threats to capabilities, and reestablish deterrence by defending our homeland.
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The Warfighting Acquisition Team Awards for Workforce Development Innovation
The Defense Acquisition Team Awards for Workforce Development Innovation recognizes talent management excellence and innovation by acquisition organizations to ensure their workforce is ready and equipped to deliver world-class warfighting capabilities to the Warfighter. Cultivating talent includes equipping the acquisition workforce with training and development for today and future mission success, preparing for the next generation workforce, engaging the early career workforce, developing leaders, improving diversity and leveraging innovation and technology to achieve modern talent management.
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The David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award
The David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award recognizes organizations, groups, and teams who have demonstrated exemplary innovation and best acquisition practices that achieve acquisition excellence in the Department of Defense (DoD). It is the DoD’s highest acquisition team award and was first awarded in 1996 in honor of David Packard, a Deputy Secretary during the Nixon Administration.
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The Warfighting Acquisition Team Award for Flexibility in Acquisition
The Defense Acquisition Team Award for Flexibility in Acquisition recognizes Department of Defense (DoD) civilian and military teams who have, in their approach to program management and contracting, demonstrated outstanding innovation and use of flexibilities and authorities provided by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Department of Defense Instruction 5000.02 (Operation of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework). The award was established by Congress in 2017.
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2025 Warfighting Acquisition Award Winners
Flexibility in Acquisition Team Award
Product Manager Robotic Combat Vehicle Team, Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems, from Detroit Arsenal, Michigan
The team is first U.S. Army program to proactively decouple hardware and software acquisition by executing two Adaptive Acquisition Framework pathways. Thanks to the team’s innovative software development strategy, the development and delivery of foundational and transformational software capabilities has never been quicker.
David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Team Award
The Integrated Fires Mission Command Project Office, Program Executive Office Missiles & Space from Huntsville, Alabama
Their groundbreaking work set the standards for modern software development leading to increased capability for the Warfighter to match the constantly changing threat environment.
