POSITION AND OFFICIAL TITLE: DA Systems Coordinator (DASC) for Defensive Cyber Operations; Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit; and the Joint Tactical Networking Center
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 7
YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 23
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level III in program management
EDUCATION: M.A. in procurement and acquisition management, Webster University; master of communications technology, National Radio Examiners; B.S in psychology and political science, Campbell University
AWARDS: Bronze Star (3), Meritorious Service Medal (4), Army Commendation Medal (2), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (1 campaign star), Iraq Campaign Medal (3 campaign stars), Combat Action Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge

Lt. Col. James E. Howell III

By Susan L. Follett

Lt. Col. James Howell is the first to admit he wasn’t what you’d consider a poster Soldier when he enlisted nearly 25 years ago. “As a young man, I got into some trouble and I wasn’t doing well in school prior to enlisting in the Army. So I am eternally grateful to our nation and our Army for this opportunity.”

He has made very good use of his chances, starting as a radio, satellite, networking and communications security equipment repairman and eventually becoming a signal officer and an acquisition officer. He’s currently a DA systems coordinator (DASC), advising leadership for the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology on the cost, schedule, performance, risk, political and economic issues affecting successful program execution for defensive cyber operations, the Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit tactical radio program within the Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications – Tactical (PEO C3T) and the Joint Tactical Networking Center.

Howell coordinates and briefs all proposed Army positions with the associated PEO and program manager, the Army Budget Office, G-8, G-3, G-6, the Office of General Counsel, congressional liaisons and staffers and joint staff. He also prepares senior leadership for congressional testimony, and reviews and staffs all programmatic documentation, including procurement and research and development forms, requirements documents, weapon system handbooks and U.S. Government Accountability Office reports.

“A DASC must understand and remain focused on our strategic, operational and tactical goals,” he said. “Our capabilities must fit in our echelons and enable mission accomplishment in a coalition, joint or Army environment.” Staying informed and coordinating across all of the organizations he’s involved with are the biggest challenges he faces, Howell said, which he addresses with good planning and a strong backbone: “Having the moral courage to disagree with anyone, regardless of rank or position, who is moving us away from the chief of staff of the Army’s No. 1 priority, which is readiness of the Total Army.” Asking a lot of questions and inviting himself to every meeting has also been important. “If you smile, you can usually stay in the room for those meetings you’re not invited to,” he added.

Howell joined the Army Acquisition Corps in 2010, following stints as a signal officer and electronics repair technician. Before becoming a signal officer in 2001, he earned some electrical engineering and networking certifications that introduced him to the development, production and maintenance of communications networks. He spent a lot of his time as a signal officer supporting tactical special operations units and light infantry units in deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Over the course of his career, Howell has picked up a range of tools and experiences that he now applies to his work in acquisition. The three years he spent in Iraq and Afghanistan “have proved the most powerful and influential in my career,” he said, and the memories of those years remind him of his responsibility to all of his fellow Soldiers, “from our newest private to our chief of staff.” His Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification showed him that everything can be made more efficient, and attending the Captain’s Career Course at the Marine Expeditionary Warfare School taught him the importance of joint coordination with our sister services. “The Marines do a great job of joint integration planning in preparation for combat operations,” he noted.

But it was a recent tour as executive officer (XO) for PEO C3T that he found had the biggest impact on his career. “As the XO, I was able to serve the program executive officer, Maj. Gen. Daniel Hughes, and the great people of the organization. Maj. Gen. Hughes did an amazing job of connecting with everyone and showing his appreciation for the work they were doing, and instilled confidence throughout the organization that they were making a difference for our Soldiers.”

Hughes is one of a handful of people who Howell noted had an impact on his career. He and Col. Greg Coile, project manager for Warfighter Information Network – Tactical at PEO C3T, “taught me the importance of building simplicity into our capabilities and building effective teams,” he said. “Both of these great officers taught me to aggressively look at ways we can make our capabilities simpler, more intuitive and easier to employ, integrate and maintain on the battlefield.”

Howell’s acquisition career began in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) under Patrick O’Brien, chief of the USASOC Combat Developments Division, and he credits O’Brien with teaching him the importance of focusing on the Soldier and understanding how a capability supports Soldiers in an operational environment. “He showed me that my most valuable asset is my combat experience, taught me how to look for and understand our Soldiers’ needs and demonstrated how our capabilities enhance mission success.”

His DASC leadership—Col. Mark Evans, director of Mission Command, and Dan Joyce, deputy director of Mission Command—have helped with information coordination and synchronization. “Both of these great leaders helped me understand the art and science and the importance of coordination of our Army positions through integrated product teams, coordination meetings and our necessary formal actions—Configuration Steering Boards, Defense Acquisition Boards, etc. Stakeholder coordination and integration is a critical element in a successful program’s execution and integration,” Howell said.

Late last year, Howell received honorable mention in the future operations category of the Maj. Gen. Harold J. “Harry” Greene Awards for Acquisition Writing. Howell had previously had the opportunity to meet Greene, who was close friends with Maj. Gen. Hughes. “Maj. Gen. Greene always made sure we remember our link to the battlefield,” Howell said, and his entry in the writing contest was “actually a letter to our leaders to continue to analyze and care for our Forced Entry units. It’s my attempt to leave a legacy that reminds us that our call is constant, urgent and sobering.” Greene was killed on Aug. 5, 2014, while serving as the deputy commanding general of the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan.

Howell will finish his work as a DASC over the next few months before moving to a leadership role with a classified program in U.S. Special Operations Command. He urged those interested in a similar career “to remember that you—as a Soldier, civilian or contractor—represent the warfighter in every meeting, in every discussion, in every forum or exchange of information. All of our competence, or lack of it, will manifest itself on the battlefield. Be the acquisition expert our Army needs. Our career field is complicated, our tasks are not easy and our future challenges will increase on today’s battlefield. Master your craft.”

“Faces of the Force” is an online series highlighting members of the Army Acquisition Workforce through the power of individual stories. Profiles are produced by the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center Communication and Support Branch, working closely with public affairs officers to feature Soldiers and civilians serving in various AL&T disciplines. For more information, or to nominate someone, please go to https://asc.army.mil/web/publications/army-alt-submissions/.