by Angela Sanson WASHINGTON (Dec.3, 2021)—Mr. Gregory M. Kausner, performing the duties of undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, announced the winners of the 2021 Defense Acquisition…
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SPEED BY CONSORTIUM: Using consortia, the government can quickly access innovative nontraditional defense contractors. This would be significantly more difficult outside of the consortium other-transaction authority construct. Consortia…
Optimism about Army modernization just might be reasonable, thanks to alternatives to old school, FAR-based acquisition. by Steve Stark Army acquisition seems to have changed a great deal…
LEADING THE FIELD: Soldiers assigned to 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division (3/25 ID) operate two-channel leader radios at Kahuku Training Area, Hawaii, on Aug. 22. (Photo by…
COUNT DAU IN: Spc. Juan Colón Otero helps count COVID-19 vaccines May 21 at the Comprehensive Cancer Research Center in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. DAU provided a fully embedded cross-functional…
SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION: Soldiers participate in the 2021 Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment at Fort Benning, Georgia, in March. During this exercise, LifeLens Technologies successfully demonstrated the Ascent Platform as part of…
PROTECTION FOR ALL: The need to find and field new technology to detect CBRN threats is pressing—protecting U.S. forces is paramount. AIM is here to help. (Photo by Master Sgt….
ASSEMBLY LINE: An Airman unpacks safety needles to be used in syringe assembly. Safety syringes and needles have an attached shield to reduce the risk of accidental injury. (Photo by…
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (October 25, 2021)—“Talent management is key to success,” said Mr. Rob Richardson, the new director of acquisition career management (DACM) and director of the U.S. Army…
CORPS AT WORK: Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has kept pace with its mission. In February, the Corps worked with the Texas Parks and…
CLEAN SWEEP: The Roomba, a now ubiquitous floor-cleaning robot, is perhaps the biggest success story to come from the SBIR program—but it lacks practical application in a military setting. (Photo…
by Angela Sanson Last fall, 17 Army acquisition officers convened in Fort Knox, Kentucky, to undergo a demanding four-day inaugural offering of the Acquisition Leader Assessment Program…
ROLL CALL: Adm. Mike Mullen, left, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, congratulated the author at the National Defense University commencement exercise in June 2010. (Photo courtesy of…
CRITICAL EFFORT: The DA2 screening and diagnostics team was able to secure the onshore production of pipette tips. They are critical to molecular-based testing and sustainment of the nation’s blood…
A FINE VINTAGE: A Marine Corps combat instructor fires an M1 Garand during vintage rifle live-fire competition on Camp Pendleton, Calif., in 2018. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Drake Nickels) …
TWINSIES: A digital twin is a digital, 3D model of a real-life object. (Image by Getty Images) U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command is leading the way in…
OBSOLESCENCE IN PRACTICE: It’s an all-too-familiar scenario for many. When purchasing a new cellphone, you may find yourself also needing a new charger, new earbuds and a new case. The…
PROTECTORS OF COMPETITION: When a sole-source award for Humvee control unit components was challenged, GAO found that the Army didn’t know the minimum quantity needed, and had made no…
SHARED GOALS: Command Sgt. Maj. Sean Rice, left, senior enlisted advisor at U.S. Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC), talks with soldiers assigned to the aviation maintenance unit of…
by Ellen Summey Since he was just a kid growing up in Hutchinson, Kansas, Brig. Gen. Garrick Harmon was determined to join the Army—a goal he pursued…
CONSULTING ALLIES: Brig. Gen. Garrick Harmon, left, commander of the Security Assistance Command at Redstone Arsenal, spoke with senior military members of the Polish army during a June 1 meeting….
DRONES ‘R’ US: As drones have become more advanced, less expensive and more widely available, DOD has shifted its approach to dealing with the threats they pose to troops in…
ACQUISITION ON THE MIND: Behavioral acquisition studies the way acquisition decisions are made. Human personalities, tendencies and biases affect our decisions, even when we think we are making choices based…
The AT4 Combined Space is fired in the open. (Photo courtesy of PM CCS) Project Manager Close Combat Systems takes the next generation shoulder launched munition in a…
SUPPLY CHAIN IN MOTION: The Army runs on data. EBS-C will enable the Army’s ERPs to more easily share that data, which will in turn provide timely, accurate and readily…
by Ellen Summey FORT BELVOIR, Va. (July 28, 2021)—The Summer 2021 issue of Army AL&T magazine focuses on “Enabling Modernization.” Sometimes we’re our own worst enemy in…
WALKING IN MEMPHIS: 1st Lt. Maryna Williams deployed to Memphis as the lead for FAST 22, to assist with the community vaccination mission there. She said she has strengthened her…
REMARKABLE SERVICE: Spisak delivered comments to members of the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) at the AAW Summit in September 2017. Craig Spisak may be retiring, but his legacy…
ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER: After 35 years of public service, Spisak is retiring. He looks forward to more golfing and time with his wife. FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITION CAREER…
by Brandon Pollachek, PEO IEW&S ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (June 4, 2021)—A change of responsibility and retirement ceremony conducted virtually on May 26, marked the closing of…
By Rebecca Leonard Government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) Army ammunition plants serve a vital role in producing ammunition for the U.S. armed forces. Energetic and inert materiel components are produced…
Don’t bury your head in the sand—try out your “modern eyes” to modernize the Army. by Elizabeth Chirico Four years ago, I sat at a large table…
by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology WASHINGTON (May 27, 2021)—The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army…
FUTURE VISION: JMC’s revised ammunition strategy will build a 21st century organic industrial base capable of sustaining fielded systems, maintaining pace with Army modernization efforts, and able to…
Everything you need to know about writing award nominations that win. by Ellen Summey It’s a familiar scenario in most Army workplaces as awards season approaches. “Hey,…
