Required DAWIA Training:
  • Defense Acquisition University Training
    The Defense Acquisition University provides mandatory, assignment-specific and continuing education courses for military and civilian acquisition personnel within DOD. Its mission is to provide a global learning environment to support a mission-ready defense acquisition workforce that delivers and sustains effective and affordable warfighting capabilities.
Degree and Tuition Assistance Programs:
  • Acquisition Tuition Assistance Program (ATAP)
    ATAP provides tuition assistance for Military Occupational Specialty (MOS)51 Contracting (51C) Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) who must meet one of the following Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA)education requirement for their current position:
  • – Need at least 24 credit hours in accounting, law, business, finance, contracts, purchasing economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
  • – Bachelor’s degree in an acquisition or approved business field of study.
  • Only one government source of funding may be used at a time. For example, one funding source cannot be used to fund part of a course and use ATAP to fund the balance of the same course. MOS 51C NCOs must either exhaust, as much as possible, their military tuition assistance for each FY prior to using ATAP funds or use the ATAP to fund their educational goals. An Active Duty Service Obligation is required as part of the application process and implemented upon completion of the program. A minimum grade of “B” is required for all graduate credit hours. A minimum grade of “C” is required for all undergraduate credit hours. Reimbursement is required if the grade for each course is not met.

Please refer to the ATAP website for additional information.

Leader Development:
  • Non-Commissioned Officer Program: MOS51C and CMF 51
    USAASC’s FA 51 Military Proponency Office provides career development and training information and policy to officers and NCOs who are acquisition workforce members in one of the five DOD Acquisition Career Fields: Program Management; Contracting; Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering; Information Technology; and Testing and Evaluation. The primary objective is to ensure that Army contracting NCOs are qualified, trained, experienced and available to maintain a high state of combat readiness.
NCO Career Planning Steps