The application window to the Public Private Talent Exchange (PPTE) program is closing on Sept. 11.

The PPTE program provides mid-career civilian acquisition workforce employees in the grades of GS-12 through GS-15 (or broadband equivalent) the opportunity to complete a professional assignment with industry by serving for six months with a private sector organization. PPTE promotes increased communication between government and industry, enables participants to gain a better understanding of industry’s business operations and challenges, and facilitates the sharing of innovative best practices.

Participating industry partners for any given year cannot be guaranteed, but participants in past years have included Accenture, Amazon, Ball Aerospace, Boeing, The Dcode Group, Deloitte, General Atomics, National Defense Industrial Association, Raytheon, National Industries for the Blind, SAP NS2, SAP Public Services, and Sterling Foods.

Applications to the Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS) education opportunity for noncommissioned officers (NCOs) are being accepted now through Dec. 11.

If you’re considering pursuing an advanced degree in an acquisition or business discipline at a civilian university, ACS may be a good fit for you. The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office fully funds board-selected NCOs enrolled in advanced education programs. As part of ACS, 51C NCOs are eligible for a 12–18-month Naval Postgraduate School Curriculum 815 Program in Monterey, California, which awards a Master of Science in Defense Contract Management.

The curriculum is designed to empower NCOs with the necessary skills to serve effectively in systems-buying offices, field contracting offices, contract administration offices, and contracting policy offices.

Mark your calendar for Oct. 1.

We invest in you, so you can invest in the mission.

Starting Oct.1, the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) application window will be open. The SLRP is designed to repay federally insured student loans as a retention incentive for civilian acquisition employees with critical acquisition skills. If you’re an Army acquisition civilian, and have Federal Student Loans, the Army DACM Office may be able to pay up to $10,000 of that student loan balance, with a potential $60,000 lifetime maximum.

SLRP reflects our commitment to fostering meaningful, sustainable carer paths for our Army Acquisition Workforce. Especially for those in STEM fields who have specialized knowledge and expertise that are essential to achieving the mission.

The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office is accepting applications in CAPPMIS/AAPDS for the Naval Postgraduate School Master of Science in Financial Management (MSFM) Program (Curriculum 857-273) from Sept. 14 through Oct. 22, 2026.

The Army DACM Office sponsors the full cost of tuition and up to $250 per course for books (book reimbursement is subject to availability of funding) for the MSFM Program. Participants incur a two-year Continued Service Agreement after graduating from the program.

Coming soon! The Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program (ALCP) will open on Oct. 1.

The ALCP harnesses self-awareness as the tool for enhancing leadership, innovation and professional development by demonstrating how individual preferences and behaviors affect the ways we interact with coworkers and are viewed by others. Program participants will understand how accepting individual differences can produce a stronger group and a leadership corps that’s capable, collaborative and creative.

Depending on which option is selected, ALCP is open to civilian and military Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) members in various grades and ranks, including Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratories term employees.

• ALCP B “Beginnings” – ALCP B assists new hires in building a solid foundation for effective and efficient acclimation into the federal and acquisition workforce by introducing participants to their behavioral preferences and leadership tendencies, giving them the “big picture” of three consistent challenges faced by professionals. ALCP B is a 1.5-day virtual module open to civilian AAW members at the GS-7 through GS-11 or equivalent levels.
• ALCP I – ALCP I focuses on the individual, with emphasis on who they are, their behavioral preferences and leadership tendencies and if those preferences work for them now and for the long term. A model for understanding the dynamics of leadership is presented with facilitated participant understanding of how a variety of psychological instruments results indicate how an individual approaches leadership challenges in a variety of scenarios. The specific challenges of change, decision making and conflict resolution are addressed. ALCP I is a 2.5-day virtual module open to civilian and military AAW members at the GS-12, GS-13, O-3, O-4, E-6 and E-7 or equivalent levels.
• ALCP II – ALCP II focuses on the major challenge for new organizational leaders: to incorporate individual talents into a cohesive workforce. To be prepared to do so, they need to understand the motivations, needs and interests of other people. The goal is to bring each participant to a heightened self-awareness and to build intrinsic and extrinsic value to their organization. ALCP II is a 2.5-day virtual module open to civilian supervisors and military AAW members at the GS-14, GS-15, SES, O-5, O-6, E-7 and E-8 or equivalent levels.

The process for enrollment into ALCP is changing to an online tool, Events Management. Events Management will be located within AITAS. Two Lunch-and-Learn events will be hosted showing how to use the tool and apply for ALCP courses. The Events Management tool will be available after the Lunch-and-Learn events are conducted. Read on for details about the Lunch-and-Learn events.

The registration process for the Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program (ALCP) is changing.

Starting Oct. 1, participants can utilize AITAS to apply to the second quarter fiscal year 2027 (Q2 FY27) offering of ALCP. Once you are logged into AITAS, go to the Events Management tab.

If you’re interested in applying to ALCP, start off by attending one of the two upcoming Lunch-and-Learn events. This is your chance to get introduced and become familiar with the new application process. Supervisors and Organization Acquisition Points of Contact (OAPs) are strongly encouraged to attend.

The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office will be hosting two Lunch-and-Learn events. Add one (or both) of these events to your calendar by placing the Microsoft Teams links below to your preferred date. The Army DACM Office looks forward to introducing this new registration process and AITAS capability.

Teams Link to Lunch-and-Learn Session 1:
Date: Sept. 16, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Eastern

Teams Link to Lunch-and-Learn Session 2:
Date: Sept. 22, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., Eastern

Starting Oct. 1, applications will be accepted to the Training With Industry for noncommissioned officers (NCOs).

The Army’s Training with Industry (TWI) program is a one-year work-experience training program designed to take selected NCOs out of the military environment and expose them to the latest commercial business practices, organizational structures and cultures, technology development processes, and the latest corporate management techniques. This assignment will be unlike any you have had or will have in the future.

The companies that partner with the Army in this training program are developers of innovative, cutting-edge technologies and established business leaders in their respective fields. Companies are adjusted each year to ensure we are capturing the best of breed in industry.

Mark your calendar—the application submission window for the Senior Service College Fellowship (SSCF) opens on Nov. 2.

The SSCF program is a 10-month educational senior leadership development opportunity sponsored by the Office of the Army Director, Acquisition Career Management. SSCF is conducted by Warfighting Acquisition University (WarU) through Redstone Arsenal and virtual seminars. The purpose of SSCF is to provide leadership and acquisition training to prepare senior level civilians for key roles such as product director, product and project manager, capability program executive, and other key acquisition leadership positions, to include Contracting. The program conducts multiple acquisition activities to include:

• Credit for completion of the WarU Program Management Course (PMT 4010).
• Leadership courses.
• Studies in resource requirements and acquisition integration for senior and strategic leaders.
• Studies in executive leadership.
• Applications of acquisition in national defense and security study.
• Acquisition training in Life Cycle Management linked to Life Cycle Management Commands.
• Research in acquisition issues and processes.
• Mentoring program with government and industry senior leaders.
• Senior Leadership Speaker’s Program.
• Please note that acquisition activities are subject to change per AR621-7, Chapter 2-1c.

The Army DACM Office is excited to announce the FY27 schedule release of Carnegie Mellon University’s Data Driven Leadership (DDL) and Leading Agentics Artificial Intelligence (LAAI) certificate programs.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW – DDL

The Certificate in Data Driven Leadership (DDL) covers key areas, such as data management, data science, decision making, emerging technology, change management, data privacy and security to assist U.S. Army leadership in the development of a robust enterprise data management and data science capability to improve decision-making to better support the mission of the U.S Army. As part of this 10-module, 5-day certificate program, students will participate in a group exercise to share experiences and discuss how they would apply the methods, tools, and techniques taught during the program to benefit their career and current work environment. DDL is open to all members of the Army Acquisition Workforce; as explained below, student priority levels apply.

The Certificate in Data Driven Leadership Executive (DDL EXEC) is a condensed, 2-day version of the 5-day DDL course. DDL EXEC is open ONLY to acquisition workforce professionals at the GO/SES level.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW – LAAI

The Certificate in Leading Agentic Artificial Intelligence (LAAI) is a unique executive education program developed to grow a new generation of expert data and AI leaders to accelerate the adoption of new Agentic AI technologies in support of today’s transformational efforts. LAAI builds upon the success (and content base) of the Carnegie Mellon University Data Driven Leadership (DDL) course. Therefore, DDL graduates will be given priority seating.

Those who have not graduated DDL will be in a Reviewed status until two weeks prior to the class start date. If seats remain open two weeks prior to the class start date, they may be filled by students in a Reviewed status. The LAAI certificate program covers AI engineering/operations, agentic AI foundations and application, AI/ML operations, and AI strategy and governance.

Tuition for DDL, DDL EXEC, and LAAI has been fully funded by the Army DACM Office; however, commands must fund employees’ travel expenses. Students should not apply without first obtaining command funding approval for travel.

Class schedules and registration information is provided below. Unless otherwise stated, all training is held at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, PA.

FY27 DDL

Class 001: 7-11 December 2026
Class 002: 25-29 January 2027
Class 003: 22-26 February
Class 004: 15-19 March
Class 005: 19-23 April
Class 006: 17-21 May
Class 007: 7-11 June
Class 008: 9-13 August
Class 009: 23-27 August
Class 010: 13-17 September
Class 011: 27 September – 1 October

FY27 DDL EXEC (GO/SES ONLY)

Class 004: 26-27 July 2027

FY27 LAAI

Class 001: 13-14 January 2027
Class 002: 1-2 March
Class 003: 21-22 June (Arlington, VA)
Class 004: 18-19 August (Arlington, VA)

For members of the Army Acquisition Workforce, registration for all courses is managed via the Army Internet Training Application System (AITAS) at https://www.atrrs.army.mil/Aitas/. AITAS is a CAC-only system. Students must use a CAC-enabled computer to access the application. Students without an existing AITAS User Profile will be prompted to create one. When the supervisor is not found in AITAS, the supervisor must first log into AITAS and create his or her own user profile. Once the supervisor’s profile is created, the user will be able select them as his or her supervisor.

Before applying, all users must ensure that their AITAS user profile is current, especially their email address and pay grade/rank. Data on the AITAS User Profile should match the data on the ACRB. Applications received with incorrect profile data will not be processed. An AITAS Quick Start Guide for students and supervisors is available once they are logged in to AITAS; navigate to Support -> References near the top right of the AITAS screen.

Once the AITAS user profile has been created, or updated, navigate to My Career -> Search for Training. Search for CMU DDL, DDL EXEC, or CMU LAAI depending on interest, then click on “Find Available Classes.” Next, click on “Show Classes” then click on the “Apply” button for the desired class. The student and supervisor will receive automated emails from AITAS as the application moves through the registration process.

Applications will be prioritized by rank/grade as follows:

GO/SES = Priority 1
COL/GS-15 = Priority 2
LTC/GS-14 = Priority 3
MAJ/GS-13 = Priority 4
CPT/GS-12 (and below) = Priority 5

Applicants may see a lower priority on their application when they apply; however, priority levels will be reviewed and updated when the application is processed by the Army DACM Office course Program Manager. It is possible that a lower priority student could be bumped, up to one week before the class start date if the seat is needed for a higher priority student. Classes showing with “available seats” does not guarantee a reservation; seats are allocated by rank/grade, and some seats are reserved for a specific group of students.

Applicants who receive a confirmed reservation will receive course information from Carnegie Mellon University instructors approximately one week before their class start date.

QUESTIONS?

Acquisition personnel should submit inquiries about this training via a CAPPMIS Help Request at https://apps.asc.army.mil/camp/index.cfm?fuseaction=support.helpRequest.

Non-acquisition personnel should send their inquiry to the USARMY Pittsburgh PA AI2C Mailbox DDL Course at usarmy.pittsburgh-pa.ai2c.mbx.ddl-course@army.mil.

The deadline for earning 80 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) is Sept. 30.

To comply with Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) statutory requirements, Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) professionals are required to earn at least 80 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every two years. The start and end dates of the two-year cycle is the same for every AAW professional: it begins Oct. 1 of each even-numbered year and runs through Sept. 30 of the following even-numbered year. The current two-year cycle dates are Oct. 1, 2024 – Sept. 30, 2026.

Continuous learning is a vital part of remaining current in your primary functional area, proficiencies, and other leader-related skills. This policy applies to all military and civilian AAW professionals. You are encouraged to reach a goal of achieving 40 CLPs annually.

Not sure where to start?

Start with recommended training—all six acquisition functional areas (AFAs) have a curated list of recommended learning specific to your AFA. To see your recommended training list:

• Visit the AFA page here.
• Select your AFA.
• Select the Continuous Learning tab.

Another great way to earn CLPs is through the defense acquisition credential program.

Completion of the ethics training is due by Sept. 30 of each year. Being an AAW professional calls for high ethical standards and if you’re in an acquisition position, one of your annual requirements is taking an acquisition ethics training course. To get credit for completing the training, remember to record your completion within your Individual Development Plan. There are several suggested training options for satisfying this requirement:

• Army Office of General Counsel Annual Ethics Training in the Army Training Information System (ATIS).
• Annual Ethics Training for Army Personnel through the Judge Advocate General Corps website.

The fiscal year 2026 Senior Rater Potential Evaluation (SRPE) season is just around the corner. As an AAW professional, you must ensure a SRPE is completed every year. The SRPE is a talent management tool used to evaluate the potential of civilian AAW professionals in designated grades to perform in positions of increased responsibility. To help you prepare for the upcoming SRPE Release on Oct. 1, you are encouraged to become familiar with the guidance, tips, and resources located on the SRPE webpage.