by Ellen Summey
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (July 06, 2020)—It’s the very nature of Army acquisition—always looking to the future. Despite being faced with an unexpected challenge in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Army was prepared and equipped to respond. “That, really, is what fielding the future is all about,” says Dr. Bruce D. Jette, the Army acquisition executive. “Creating the conditions and putting the tools in place so that our forces of the future will be able to respond to their own crises.” The summer issue of Army AL&T magazine takes a closer look at efforts to modernize the Army, as well as the ongoing response to the pandemic. In this issue:
- Soldier-centered design drives Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office prototype development, obtaining early and frequent feedback from the Soldiers who best understand a system’s uses. See “EVERY MINUTE COUNTS.”
- The Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems is in uncharted territory, constructing a 360-degree view of the Army’s data landscape. Read about how in “THE ARMY’S VANTAGE POINT.”
- The Army responds quickly to the face-covering challenge with characteristic ingenuity. Don’t miss “DRESS RIGHT AND COVER DOWN.”
- A Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition team developed a novel approach to conducting a system review, to stay on schedule in the face of social distancing restrictions. See “VIRTUAL REVIEW.”
- How U.S. Army Futures Command is going direct to Soldiers around the world, and how it can help your program. Read more in “FIELDING THE PROTOTYPE.”
- Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense uses new acquisition approaches to keep pace with modernization. Learn more in “EMBRACING DIGITAL ENGINEERING.”
- Many offices from across the Detroit Arsenal raced to develop requirements and gather information for the light- and medium-robotic combat vehicle concepts’ transition to reality. Take a look at “RAPID ROBOTIC REQUIREMENTS RELAY.”
- A system may be innovative, but a host of unforeseen supportability issues could limit its availability to Soldiers in the field. Read “EMPHASIZE SUPPORTABILITY EARLY.”
- S. Army Medical Research and Development Command is a key contributor to the Army and DOD pandemic response plan. Don’t miss “CENTER STAGE ON COVID-19.”
- The Army rolls out simpler, lighter software to support electronic health records during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more in “THE HALO EFFECT.”
- Field medical care takes new directions as the shape of military conflict changes. Read about the advances in “PRESERVING LIVES ON THE NEW BATTLEFIELD.”
- Future mega satellite constellations to power Army network modernization. Take a look at “NEW HORIZONS.”
- The Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications – Tactical adopts Agile software development best practices to deliver better tactical software to Soldiers, improved by early and frequent changes reflecting their feedback. Read “TACTICAL SOFTWARE ‘SPRINTS’ FORWARD.”
- Defensive Cyber Operations, Cyber Platforms and Systems creates a modular, carry-on-size cyberspace defense system. Read more in “TRAINING TO DELIVERY: CYBERSPACE WARFARE.”
Also, remember that Army AL&T is built on contributions from you, the Army Acquisition Workforce. For more information on how to publish an article in Army AL&T magazine or how to submit a Faces of the Force nomination, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/publications/army-alt-submissions/ to see our writers guidelines, upcoming deadlines and themes.
Summer 2020 Army AL&T
FROM THE AAE
FIELD THE FUTURE, SAFEGUARD THE PRESENT
Fielding the future and safeguarding the present are what we do and who we are.
FIELDING THE FUTURE
EVERY MINUTE COUNTS
Soldier-centered design drives RCCTO prototype development
THE ARMY’S VANTAGE POINT
PEO EIS enters uncharted territory to construct a 360-degree view of the Army’s data landscape
DRESS RIGHT AND COVER DOWN
The Army responds quickly to produce face coverings
VIRTUAL REVIEW
JPEO A&A gets creative during social distancing
FIELDING THE PROTOTYPE
How U.S. Army Futures Command is going direct to Soldiers around the world
EMBRACING DIGITAL ENGINEERING
New acquisition approaches keep pace with modernization
RAPID ROBOTIC REQUIREMENTS RELAY
A race to transition robotic vehicle concepts to reality
FACES OF THE FORCE: MAJ. SAMUEL G. BUTLER
Pushing the limits
EMPHASIZE SUPPORTABILITY EARLY
Unforeseen supportability issues could limit a system’s availability in the field
CENTER STAGE ON COVID-19
Medical Research and Development Command has multiple roles in pandemic response
THE HALO EFFECT
Army rolls out simpler health records software during pandemic
PRESERVING LIVES ON THE NEW BATTLEFIELD
Battlefield medicine adapts to emerging 21st-century threats
NEW HORIZONS
Satellite constellations to power network modernization
TACTICAL SOFTWARE ‘SPRINTS’ FORWARD
PEO C3T delivers software improvements faster with Agile
TRAINING TO DELIVERY: CYBERSPACE WARFARE
The Army needs carry-on-size cyberspace defense system
FACES OF THE FORCE: LT. COL. THERESA ELLISON
From art school to “Team Army”
FEATURE ARTICLES
AVOID BRIDGE TO NOWHERE
The problem with temporary contract extensions known as bridge actions, and how to fix it
MEASURE WHAT MATTERS
Improved stakeholder engagement advances business
ASA(ALT) AT WORK: JPEO-CBRND
The JPEO is joint services lead for CBRN defense, medical countermeasures
THE ‘PITCH AND CATCH’ MOVEMENT APPROACH
49th Movement Control Battalion makes the case for increase cooperation
UNDERSTANDING THE BATTLEFIELD
Army ERDC creating advanced geospatial tools
PLANNING FOR JOINT USE
Effective joint-use planning can speed facility occupancy
CRITICAL THINKING
DREAMS OF FLIGHT
Being born without fibulae didn’t stop Aimee Mullins; neither will anything else
COMMENTARY
THE DROIDS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR
The Army needs a thorough ontology framework to best use AI
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: AI NEEDS DATA
Artificial intelligence has the potential to radically change the government PM’s role
WORKFORCE
FROM THE DACM: LEARNING IN THE FACE OF PANDEMIC
Army Acquisition Workforce training has continued in spite of the limitations
FACES OF THE FORCE: BRANDON M. WILLIAMS
The trifecta of career success
CAREER NAVIGATOR: AN EDUCATION IN DISTANCE LEARNING
Here’s how the COVID-19 pandemic is changing Army education
THEN AND NOW: ‘TO INCLUDE’ DOESN’T
How far back does DOD’s curious locution go?
For more ways to read Army AL&T go to https://asc.army.mil/web/army-alt/.
And stay in touch with USAASC for the latest in AL&T news and information!
Like: www.facebook.com/usaasc
Follow: www.twitter.com/usaasc
Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/company/usaasc
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usaasc
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/usaasc
