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.
For questions regarding the awards season, please contact Rachel Longarzo at 520-684-6607, or email at rachel.m.longarzo.civ@army.mil.
Now accepting nominations for the 2026 Warfighting Acquisition Awards! Nominations must be submitted electronically below no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT September 8, 2026
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 Warfighting Acquisition Team Awards for Software Innovation recognize teams advancing the DoW’s acquisition transformation by rapidly delivering impactful software capability to the warfighter. Award recipients apply modern software development and software acquisition best practices to prioritize execution, adaptability, and measurable results over process and compliance.
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The Warfighting Acquisition Awards for Individual Achievement
The Warfighting Acquisition Awards for Individual Achievement recognize acquisition professionals who demonstrate excellence in developing, acquiring, and sustaining capabilities that directly support the warfighter and protect the American taxpayer. These “best-of-the-best” individuals advance the National Defense Strategy, the Secretary of War priorities, and embody the Acquisition Transformation Strategy. Through exceptional leadership, innovation, and mission-focused risk-taking, these individuals strengthen the Department’s ability to deliver dominant capability at speed and scale.
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The Warfighting Acquisition Team Awards for Workforce Development Innovation
The Warfighting Acquisition Team Awards for Workforce Development Innovation honor acquisition organizations that exemplify talent management excellence by deliberately elevating and empowering the acquisition workforce to rapidly deliver capability to the warfighter. Award recipients implement workforce development initiatives that directly advance acquisition transformation in talent management excellence by recruiting, developing, and retaining top talent from government and industry; reducing unnecessary barriers to execution; and fostering a risk‑based, mission‑focused culture that enables outcomes rather than compliance.
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The David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award
The David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Awards recognize organizations, groups, and teams who have achieved exemplary results using best acquisition practices and demonstrated meaningful progress in advancing the Department’s Acquisition Transformation objectives and improving capability to the warfighter. It is the DoW’s highest acquisition team award and was first awarded in 1996 in honor of David Packard, a Deputy Secretary during the Nixon Administration. This is a great opportunity to recognize the best of DoW’s outstanding acquisition teams for their innovative acquisition practices, accelerated execution, and removal of institutional barriers that impede effective capability delivery.
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The Warfighting Acquisition Team Award for Flexibility in Acquisition
The Warfighting Acquisition Team Awards for Flexibility in Acquisition recognize DoW civilian and military teams that exemplify innovation, agility, and mission-focused risk-taking in their approach to program management and contracting, demonstrated through use of flexibilities and authorities provided by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Other Transaction Authorities (e.g., 10 U.S.C. 4022), and DoW Instruction 5000.02 (Operation of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework). The recipients of this award leverage the available authorities to remove unnecessary barriers, streamline processes, and improve outcomes in schedule, performance, cost, and productivity.
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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.
