An Army civilian pursues a change in career path at age 55.
by Thomas LaFontaine
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This idiom has been used more often than most people over the age of 40 care to hear. Is it true? How many times have you seen an older or more senior person struggle with their phone only to hand it to their kids to fix the issue? My goal is to break this idiom wide open and change my Army civilian track while being north of 55 years old. I feel that if the Army can change from counterinsurgency operations to multidomain operations, why can’t I, and others, effectively execute a career path change? It is time I moved from working as a program manager in international programs to a domestic program manager or product director.
How do I make a change while ensuring I learn all I can to be an effective leader? The Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office has a program that provided me with the relevant classes and on-the-job training, allowing me to transition from international programs to domestic. I applied for the Leadership Excellence and Acquisition Development (LEAD) program to jumpstart my transition. In fiscal year 2022, I was the only selectee for the LEAD program, beginning my 24-month journey in April 2022.
THE TEAM
The author, front right, stands with ASA(ALT) DASM Intelligence and Simulation Directorate, Department of the Army systems coordinators at the Pentagon, June 2023. Front from left, Maj. Justin Bond, Abi Laxa and LaFontaine. Back row from left, Edgar McAnderson, Linda Comfort, Steve Przybylowicz, Maj. Timothy Roberts and Sely Popal. (Photo courtesy of the author)
TAKING THE LEAD
After 11 years working in international programs supporting the Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions (TAGM) Project Office within the Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space (PEO MS), I began the LEAD program. In my final years at TAGM, I was the international branch chief for aviation programs. I managed international programs supporting the Hellfire anti-tank missile system, the AGM-179 joint air-to-ground missile and the Aviation Rockets and Small Guided Munitions product offices. I always felt then, as I do now, that the international sales of those weapon systems enabled our product directors to deliver more to our Soldiers. Our foreign military sales (FMS) team created increased production numbers, helping to reduce cost and obsolescence. The FMS sales reduced unit costs and ensured the continued success of the missile system for the U.S. Army and its allies.
Why would I change my path while enjoying work on international programs? It wasn’t an easy decision, but I ultimately changed because I felt a calling—one that many who have served in uniform have at one point in their lives. I wanted to give back more directly to our Soldiers. FMS cases deliver capability to our allies, ensuring they are more capable of defending their borders and handling small-intensity conflicts in their regions. This reduces the need for U.S. Army local assistance and keeps our Soldiers out of harm’s way. International sales also allow our Soldiers to operate with their allies with like equipment, creating battlefield synergy between coalition partners in conflict. So, why do I feel I needed to change? I want to do more to directly support or influence the support of the Army’s warfighters.
I have gained the skills over the years to be in line with, or a bit ahead of young product managers. All I needed was the motivation to continue to learn and the sharpening of my skills guiding me to lead a future product team with competent skills and leadership attributes.
Is it possible to make such a drastic change supporting the Army? Yes, absolutely. I, along with many others, make career changes all the time. My first change was heading off to the Army from a small town in northern Wisconsin. Within a couple months I was a Soldier in uniform, taking commands and doing outstanding things to defend our country. In eight years, I was taking another broad jump, attending a grueling seven-month program to become a technical missile system warrant officer. The biggest leap of all, while I was in the military, was my decision to leave it. It was the moment with the most uncertainty, as I had to learn to navigate the waters of private industry for the first time in 24 years.
After retiring, I spent the next 17 years working in FMS programs. I absolutely love the field of FMS and security assistance programs. I was fortunate to work on and support programs from multiple offices, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, the Office of Military Cooperation in Egypt, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command and multiple project offices. Traveling the world in support of these programs proved to be exciting and rewarding. After almost two decades working the international programs traveling the world, I felt it was time to focus my efforts internally on our Soldiers.
I chose a fast-paced program with multiple classes and assignments to jump start my transition from FMS to domestic program management—the Army’s LEAD program. The first nine months of my LEAD program were busy, with an assignment to the Search, Track, Acquire, Radiate, Eliminate (STARE) Project Office within PEO MS, working as the deputy in the Program Management Directorate. I worked to build my skills in business management. Not only did the STARE Project Office provide me with the skills I was seeking in business management, but also many new friends. In addition to opening my eyes to new disciplines and advanced training, the LEAD program is allowing me to meet new people.
STAYING ON COURSE
During LEAD, I attended the How the Army Runs Course, the Synchronization Staff Officer Training Course, the FA51 Intermediate Qualification Course, the Congressional Operations Seminar at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University and the U.S. Army Data Driven Leadership Program at Carnegie Mellon University. The How the Army Runs (HTAR) Course, presented by the Army Force Management School, is designed to educate and train military and civilian force managers on how the Army runs in the current operating environment. HTAR teaches the roles, missions and functions of the seven interdependent and continuous processes within the Army Force Management Model—strategy, joint capabilities integration and development system, defense acquisition system, structure, authorizations, personnel and equipment—the nine force integration functional areas—structuring, manning, equipping, training, sustaining, funding, deploying, stationing and readiness—and the requirements and acquisition processes that work together to produce trained and ready forces for the combatant commanders. HTAR provided focused training on the above Army functional areas that sharpened my understanding of Army processes and skills to navigate within those processes. HTAR training provided me with not only the knowledge gained but a connection to the subject matter experts in their field to call on for advice.
The Synchronization Staff Officer (SSO) Training Course is primarily designed to provide director of material deputy chief of staff G-8 personnel with an in-depth understanding of SSO specific missions, responsibilities and organizational relationships. The course examines how an SSO coordinates the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development Systems; the Defense Acquisition System; and the planning, programming, budgeting and execution process in support of the research, development, acquisition, procurement delivery allocations and sustainment of required capabilities. The SSO course is a deep dive in financial and acquisition planning, furthering my movement to domestic acquisition programs.
The FA51 Intermediate Qualification Course (IQC) is part of the FA51 Leader Development Plan taken by Army officers transitioning into acquisition. IQC trains military acquisition leaders and civilian LEAD program participants on innovative leadership and acquisition topics. IQC provides depth and understanding of Army acquisition programs and leadership of those programs. IQC provided me with a broader depth of knowledge from civilian contractors, Army depots and Army senior leaders.
The Congressional Operations Seminar at Georgetown University includes topics such as leadership and organization in Congress, key stages in the authorization process, the budget and appropriations process, representing constituent interests, the role of committee staff, and the role of special interests in policy formulation, to name only a few. The seminar has been conducted for over 40 years for industry and government personnel. This course is beneficial to understand how an acquisition program should interact correctly in the political process. The seminar was arguably the best short course I have ever taken. The course provides accurate insight into how Congress actually operates versus the standard high school civics information we all fall back on to discuss politics. I wish everyone had the opportunity to attend this course. We all should know more about how our government works.
The U.S. Army Data Driven Leadership Program is a direct response to Young Bang, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, who last year said, “2023 is the year of digital transformation for the Army. … Simplifying and flattening the Army’s data architecture will result in more effective and efficient data-driven decisions.” This course will help workforce professionals meet that intent and is a must for senior acquisition personnel. It provides students with knowledge on how to make decisions based on facts versus personal feelings. While a gut instinct decision can sometimes be a winner, more often it is best to compile accurate data and make informed decisions. I feel I chose a mixture of this when applying to LEAD. My heart told me to make the change late in my career to support our warfighters, while data told me I could do even more to support them if I worked in domestic programs.
To pull all this training together, LEAD participants are required to apply to the Army’s centralized selection list (CSL) for acquisition product directors before graduating from the program. In my first attempt at the CSL, I was selected for the alternate list for product directors. Once chosen to be on the tentative list, selectees are invited to attend the Acquisition Leader Assessment Program (ALAP), part of the Command Assessment Program, conducted at Fort Knox, Kentucky. During this assessment, military and civilian selectees are put through several assessments and scenarios used to further assess an individual’s readiness to lead. At ALAP, civilians go through most of the same assessments as their military counterparts. ALAP allows selectees to further showcase their knowledge of acquisition principles, leadership and Army values.
CONCLUSION
The culminating assignment while in the LEAD program is to work as a Department of the Army system coordinator (DASC) for the Office of the Deputy for Acquisition and System Management (DASM) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)). During this development assignment at the Pentagon, I learned Army acquisition, reporting and staffing at a remarkable pace. I learned as much in a few months on the job in ASA(ALT), as I had in the previous year. The mission as a DASC is not only fast paced, but provided me with a view of the Army acquisition process through a lens much different from a project office. The ASA(ALT) DASM Intelligence and Simulations Directorate provided a lifetime of knowledge from my director, John Reid, and deputy director, Kelly Tisch. Thanks to their leadership and the constant support from the team, my time at the Pentagon will pay off immensely in my future assignments.
I stand ready for what my career may hold for me for the latter part of my working life. Thanks to the LEAD program and the CSL, I have taken gigantic leaps in a short time while honing my skills as a future product director. I will take all I have learned during my international years and all I have learned in the past two years to demonstrate you can teach an old dog new tricks, if the old dog wants to learn.
For more information on the LEAD program, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/lead.
THOMAS LAFONTAINE has worked for the U.S. Army for 39 years, including 15 years as a Department of the Army civilian and 24 years on active duty before retiring as a chief warrant officer 4 missile system electronics technician. He is currently working as a Department of the Army systems coordinator supporting PEO Simulation, Training and Instrumentation. He has an M.S. in program management from the Naval Postgraduate School and a B.S. in management from Park University. He holds an Advanced certification in program management and Foundational in life cycle logistics.
