CARRYING THE BATON: The Ripsaw M5 is a robotic combat vehicle (RCV) developed by Textron Systems and Howe & Howe Technologies Inc. This platform features an optionally tethered unmanned aerial…
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SUPPORTING THE SOLDIER, LITERALLY: For dismounted Soldiers in the field, one of the most common injuries is from carrying nearly 100 pounds of gear for extended periods, often over rough…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support TITLE: Industrial base lead YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 12 years DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level III in engineering;…
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (July 17, 2020)—How is the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) responding to the COVID-19 pandemic? What plans are being made for the future? How are Defense…
PEO EIS is in uncharted territory, constructing a 360-degree view of the Army’s data landscape. by Ellen Summey “I don’t think there is one single leader we…
BRIDGE TO NOWHERE: Bridge contracts are often used to prevent service disruption after a contract ends, when a new contract is not immediately awarded. They are intended to ‘bridge’ the…
by Ellen Summey Acquisition is a notoriously complex beast. Enter Dennis Longo, the advocate for competition, task and delivery order ombudsman and senior procurement analyst for Army Contracting…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command TITLE: Director, Combat Capabilities Development Command Field Assistance in Science and Technology – Atlantic region YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 14…
MAZE OF DEFINITIONS: Knowing the definitions of terms in the FAR is essential. In April 2019, the GSA published a pre-solicitation notice requesting industry’s interest to provide warehouse space. Two…
EVALUATION TIME: The second RCCTO innovation day event included leaders, technical experts and Soldiers from across Army organizations to serve on panels. They were grouped based on technology topic, to…
LEARN AND GROW: Kirkpatrick encourages the Army Contracting Command – Afghanistan brigade staff and other junior acquisition officers to learn one new thing every day. (Photo courtesy of Master Sgt….
DACM OFFICE UPDATE CALL FOR NOMINATIONS! 2020 AAE EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARDS The Army Acquisition Workforce is filled with many impressive people—individuals and teams who develop new…
THE VIRTUAL FUTURE: 1st Sgt. Michael Weaver, 1-31st Field Artillery Battalion, 434th Field Artillery Brigade, uses virtual reality to take an early look at components of the Army’s new prototype…
LIKE A CHEETAH: Mullins recruited prosthetic maker Van Phillips to help develop new prostheses for her sports career. He employed material engineers to invent the “cheetah leg,” woven carbon-fiber prostheses…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Project Manager for Short and Intermediate Effectors for Layered Defense, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space TITLE: Lead systems engineer YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 14…
by Michael Bold When I spoke with Aimee Mullins in April, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had just imposed a stay-at-home order on the state because of the…
ENGAGING THE STAKEHOLDER: The 418th CSB was able to identify delays in the acquisition process that could trigger a bridging action by measuring what matters—early and integrated planning with requiring activity…
FUSION FOR GOOD: The Army National Guard’s COVID-19 response efforts highlighted the need for a broader AI tool—something that could fuse data between two domains, reconciling semantic reasoning. (Image by Getty…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Product Manager for Next Generation Weapons, Project Manager for Soldier Lethality, Program Executive Office for Soldier TITLE: Assistant product manager YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 2 YEARS…
READY FOR PATIENTS: Soldiers stage medical equipment and beds at the CenturyLink Event Center in Seattle, during the last week in March 2020, as part of the Army’s response…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Product Lead for Tactical Network Initialization and Configuration, Project Lead for Network Enablers, Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications – Tactical TITLE: Assistant product manager,…
MASK UP: ASA(ALT)’s COVID-19 Task Force is studying the risks and challenges that COVID-19 presents to readiness and modernization. Here, a Soldier wears a face mask to drive an electric…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S), Project Manager Intel Systems & Analytics TITLE: Product manager ACQUISITION CAREER FIELD: 51A YEARS OF SERVICE…
EMERGING CAPABILITIES: In January, the PEO C3T, N-CFT and the CCDC C5ISR team concluded the initial phases of medium Earth orbit satellite testing with prototype ground satellite terminals, at the C5ISR…
C2M2 provides size, weight and power (SWaP) reduction and gives the dismounted warfighter situational awareness and command and control messages using the Nett Warrior End User Device. By Justin…
SOLUTION WANTED: Rodriguez Live Fire Complex is a 3,900-acre training area in South Korea. Because of space constraints, errant training rounds are a recurring problem. FAST advisors offered 8th Army a…
ARMY DACM OFFICE UPDATES CONGRATULATIONS TO THE INCOMING CLASS OF 2021 DAU-SSCF SELECTEES Congratulations to the selectees of the Defense Acquisition University Senior Service College Fellowship program!…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Integrated Air and Missile Defense Project Office, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space TITLE: Product Manager, Integrated Air & Missile Defense Hardware ACQUISITION CAREER FIELD: Program…
FROM THE DIRECTOR OFACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENTCRAIG A. SPISAK Modernizing the Army means modernizing acquisition. Craig A. Spisak Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center and Director, Acquisition...
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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK: The Army DACM Office is developing a supervisor readiness portal that compiles information, guides and other resources into a one-stop shop for supervisors of AAW professionals….
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Product Manager for Force Sustainment Systems, Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support TITLE: Assistant Product Manager for Shelter Systems ACQUISITION CAREER FIELD: Program…
Maj. John Nikiforakis, assistant program manager for the Program Executive Office for Soldier’s Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular (ENVG-B), briefs 1st Infantry Division senior leaders on the ENVG-B in December at…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Project Director for Joint Bombs, Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition TITLE: Program analyst YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 8 DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level III in…
COVID-19 RESPONSE: JPM CBRN Medical, in support of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, rapidly delivered a new COVID-19 diagnostic test under the FDA’s Emergency…
Meeting rooms stand empty at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, while the Center professionals utilize maximum telework and adhere to social distancing guidance while…
Rajal Ganatra (center right) with Acquisition Pathway Director (right) Maj. David Rothzeid and other cohorts of the program: from left, Denzil Thomas, Jaylene Carteret and Steve Rapp (on screen). (Photo…
