The first principle of any defense acquisition must be the welfare of the warfighter, more than the program’s future, although it isn’t always so. by John T. Dillard, Col., USA…
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Strengthening ties with the intelligence community From the Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center How well do the acquisition and intelligence communities synchronize their efforts, coordinate their activities and communicate…
Rosie the robot learns about the world, with help from a plethora of ARL-designed sensors by Dr. Joseph Conroy and Mr. Earl Jared Shamwell If you ever watched “The Jetsons,”…
By Mr. Robert E. Coultas and Ms. Susan L. Follett The seeds of the now-ubiquitous integrated product team took root some 20 years ago, producing a major shift in mindset…
Central management of medical materiel keeps four fully stocked combat support hospitals at the ready. by Maj. Nikki L. Davis More than a dozen years of combat have offered many…
The namesake of the Major General Harold J. “Harry” Greene Awards for Acquisition Writing cherished the talent, creativity and expertise of the defense acquisition workforce. by Lt. Gen. Michael E….
None of what the Army Rapid Capabilities Office does can be found in a requirements document, so the office’s director of operations, Maj. Gen. Walter E. Piatt, provides an overview…
Fifteen years of irregular warfare took a toll on the capabilities needed to defeat a peer competitor. So, when a recent RAND Corp. study prompted stunning headlines, it was nothing…
Army acquisition is advancing from reform to strategic thinking From the Army Acquisition Executive Ms. Steffanie B. Easter The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus wrote that the “only constant is change,”…
By Michael Bold FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Jan. 4, 2016)—Just what is strategic acquisition? It’s a holistic, cradle-to-grave view of acquisition, from design to procurement to testing to deployment to sustainment…
USASAC’s FMS efforts around the world benefit warfighters, industry and the defense acquisition community closer to home. Ms. Adriane Elliot, USASAC Public Affairs Like its embattled cousin acquisition reform, strategic…
From the Director, Acquisition Career Management Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson Achieving dominance starts early, at weapon system design, and continues to procurement, testing and deployment all the way to…
The Joint Tactical Networking Center shares lessons learned in providing software-defined radio products to enable strategic acquisition. by Lt. Col. Matthew A. “Matt” Jury It is much easier to define…
Started at Stanford and soon to be nationwide, this class turns college students loose on national security problems, and expects results. by Mr. William Treseder and Mr. Darren Halford Team…
A suite of changes to the acquisition lessons learned portal makes it easier to learn from others who’ve fought similar battles. by Mr. Steve Stark and Mr. Robert E. Coultas…
With a startup mindset, military know-how and a wide-ranging network of technology partners, Peter Newell, the former head of the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force, and Jackie Space, a former Air…
Being a good steward of taxpayer dollars means thinking and acting decisively. That’s just what CCAS and ECC-A did—examining and consolidating the contracts under its purview to make it easier…
ARL releases its first open source software and explores the options, benefits and challenges of making similar releases in the future by Mr. Joshua Edwards Army computer science innovators have…
JPEO-CBD takes a fresh look at the required analysis of alternatives and finds ways to make it a more effective, less time-consuming tool. by Ms. Breena Berté and Mr. Marshall…
Respondents to Army AL&T magazine’s biennial survey of its readers were thoughtful and incisive, and provided much food for thought for the magazine’s staff. (And, oh, by the way, can…
DASA(P) looks ahead to new possibilities for streamlining acquisition as a new congressionally created panel embarks on a sweeping review. by Mr. Harry P. Hallock A few months ago, I…
Winning isn’t everything, but it sure feels good. Follow these tips to make your next award nomination a winner. By Ms. Susan L. Follett The Army Acquisition Workforce includes more…
DIUx, DOD’s outreach to the tech community, has developed commercial solutions opening, an OTA mechanism that moves from first contact to final contract in 60 days or less. And DIUx…
Reverse auctions turn sellers into bidders and drive competition. by Ms. Stacy Watson In January 2016, Computer Hardware Software and Solutions (CHESS) launched its reverse auction capability through the CHESS…
RDECOM explores new ways of using 3-D printing to meet Soldiers’ needs quickly and inexpensively while minimizing the logistics footprint. by Argie Sarantinos-Perrin A Soldier heads back to camp, grabs…
Brig. Gen. Karl Gingrich looks at acquisition through the eyes of an operations research analyst to bring clarity to the readiness, fielding and operations of the Army’s tactical network by…
The president and CEO of Bell Helicopter draws on the company’s decades of defense experience to provide insights for the way ahead. by Mr. Mitch Snyder Bell Helicopter is honored…
All programs are ACAT I, with all the bureaucracy and paperwork that implies, even when they’re ACAT II or III—except when they’re ‘tailored to the characteristics of the product being…
Acquisition ‘reform’ is on the table again, as it has been at least once in each decade since the end of World War II, such that it seems like ‘Groundhog…
The bottom line for winners of the Maj. Gen. Harold “Harry” J. Greene Award? Support the Soldier by Mr. Brian Beall A lifesaving medical device, a mobile app that improves…
William J. Perry, secretary of defense during the Clinton administration, discusses acquisition reform, program managers and his worries about a nuclear catastrophe. When President Bill Clinton asked William J. Perry…
By valuing individual and group potential, the Human Capital Strategic Plan points the way to success for the Army Acquisition Workforce From the Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center Human…
The Human Capital Strategic Plan: What does it mean for you? by Ms. Joan L. Sable Shaped by two important factors—the Army priority of readiness and the Army acquisition executive’s…
From the Director, Acquisition Career Management Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson To deliver complex capabilities to the warfighter takes a lot of different players, all focused on the same mission….
Building on lessons from OIF and OEF and taking a page from an Air Force playbook, the Army is creating a Rapid Capabilities Office to address new threats. by Mr….
Overcoming acquisition reform challenges with cost-saving solutions From The Army Acquisition Executive The Honorable Katrina McFarland Following his confirmation as secretary of the Army in May 2016, the Hon. Eric…
