The second in a series, ASA(ALT) at Work, which looks into ASA(ALT) organizations, what they do and where they do it.
Led by Chérie A. Smith and headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, PEO EIS is the Army’s home for information technology (IT) networks and business systems. Leading more than 3,000 personnel, Smith manages approximately $3.5 billion per year in support of all 10 combatant commands, and also aids foreign military sales. The PEO comprises 37 product offices and 71 acquisition programs for Army and DOD communications, logistics, medical, finance, personnel, training and procurement operations. In short, PEO EIS connects the Army, supporting Soldiers worldwide.
Q: WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT PEO EIS?
- From recruitment to retirement, home station to foxhole, our systems support Soldiers every day around the world making sure they’re ready to fight tonight.
- We are the Army’s trusted network and software acquisition professionals.
- We believe that the Soldier is the centerpiece of everything we do.
- We support the Total Army and serve as a committed teammate.
- We ensure that the Army’s networks, logistics, human resources, finance, business systems and cyber defense support anything a Soldier and the Army need to do the job, every day.
- We get Soldiers to the fight, support the fight and bring them home safe.
TAKING STOCK
Soldiers work with the Automated Movement and Identification Solutions (AMIS) system developed by PEO EIS. AMIS combines the capabilities of the Radio Frequency In-Transit Visibility system and the Transportation Coordinators – Automated Information for Movements System II to automate planning, coordination, execution and tracking of unit deployment, movement and sustainment, assisting DOD in improving asset visibility worldwide. (Photo courtesy of PEO EIS)
Q: WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS?
Smith: “The partnerships we’ve forged with our key Army stakeholders. They are investing in the way forward and helping us lay out that future. Having those advocates that understand the value we provide and are willing to speak on our behalf is critical for us to be successful.”
Q: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DATA CHALLENGE FOR PEO EIS?
Smith: “Our challenge is about communicating the complexity of the Army’s data landscape. The fact that it’s being discussed by our senior leaders is something I’m really proud to see. When it comes to the Army’s data, there is no panacea. There’s no quick fix. You’ve got to do the hard work, and we’re ready to take that on.”
Q: WHAT WOULD BE A SUCCESS STORY FOR PEO EIS, IN TERMS OF DATA?
Smith: “To me, the success is all about the end user, the operator: if we can get them the data they need, in the time they need it, to allow them to make the right decisions, whatever that may be—medical, operational, maintenance.”
Q: WHAT DO YOU WANT SOLDIERS TO KNOW ABOUT PEO EIS?
Smith:
- “The scope of what we do. We want to eliminate duplicated effort, so part of that is just building awareness of what we’re doing.
- “The programs we have that they can leverage. Our enterprise solutions, the hardware and software contract vehicles they can use, common platforms.
- “This is a great place to be for acquisition professionals! If you’re someone who likes a challenge, it’s here. If you want high-visibility projects, they’re here. We’re focused on talent management and leader development, and that benefits our workforce as well.”
SOLDIER TOUCH POINTS Brig. Gen. Yesenia R. Roque, assistant director for Army National Guard Personnel and Talent Management, discusses IPPS-A with Virginia National Guard Soldiers during an April 6 visit to the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Staunton, Virginia. Virginia is the second state to conduct initial fielding of IPPS-A, developed by PEO EIS and designed to integrate personnel, pay and talent management capabilities in a single system for all Army components. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Saul Rosa)
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES AND GOALS?
We are working on four specific priorities with strategic goals.
- Talent management – The right people in the right place at the right time.
- Stakeholder management – Building and maintaining relationships.
- Enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration – Integrated and innovative ERP systems.
- Network integration – Network modernization, cyber security operations and enterprise solutions.
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR RECENT WINS?
We are rolling out the Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army, the Army’s new comprehensive human resources system that has subsumed the Standard Installation and Division Personnel Reporting System.
The Product Manager for Defensive Cyber Operations opened C-RAPID, a collaborative “forge” between Army IT, academia and industry partners that allows cyber troops to test emerging technologies to address cyber threats.
Our Allied Information Technology program celebrated a major milestone on March 12. Armed Forces Ukraine, along with Allied Information Technology, hosted the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch; Ukraine’s deputy minister of defense, Oleg Shevchuk, and the chief of defense forces, Viktor Muzhenko; at a ceremony commemorating the transition of responsibility for various mission command, cybersecurity and defense business system capabilities valued at nearly $25 million. These assets have been implemented by Army IT in Ukraine, under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative over the past three years.
The Project Manager for Defensive Cyber Operations has developed a prototype deployable defensive cyber system that can be easily transported in the overhead storage compartment of a commercial airline. This is a vast improvement over the larger systems used previously, and enables much faster deployment with better flexibility and capability.
In conjunction with the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, PEO EIS is fielding the Inflatable Satellite Antenna on the Korean peninsula. The antenna is a versatile, lightweight improvement to an existing mobile satellite dish (the Combat Service Support Very Small Aperture Terminal), and is easier to move, faster to set up and provides more flexibility to operators. (For more information, see the Faces of the Force profile of Capt. Zachary Schofield)
We are addressing the Army’s data problem through our Army Leader Dashboard initiative, providing a way for senior leaders to access and visualize the Army’s troves of data. (For more information, see Creating Insight-Driven Decisions)
This article is published in the Summer 2019 issue of Army AL&T magazine.
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