TITLE: Senior logistics management specialist
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), Project Manager Cyber, Test and Training (PM CT2), Product Manager Special Operations Forces Training Systems (PDM STS)
ACQUISITION CAREER FIELD: Life cycle logistics
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 12
MILITARY OR CIVILIAN: Civilian
YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 24 years
AAW/DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level III in life cycle logistics, Level II in program management, member of the Army Acquisition Corps
EDUCATION: M.S. in technical management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; B.A in organizational management, Warner University College of Business
AWARDS: Civilian Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Distinguished Service Award, Army Civilian Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal
HOMETOWN: Titusville, Florida

Jennifer A. Schneider

by Ellen Summey

“The best things in my life have been a result of my time serving my country, and now I get to serve those who are carrying on that service,” said Jennifer Schneider, a logistician for Product Manager Special Operations Forces Training Systems (PDM STS) at the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI). She retired from the Army Reserves in 2008 after 24 years of service, having worked most of her civilian career as a NASA contractor on the Space Shuttle program at Kennedy Space Center—and she knew she wasn’t done with the Army yet. “I then transitioned to my first Army contract as a product coordinator at PEO STRI,” she said. After successfully fielding 78 systems in nine months on that contract, the Army hired her as a civilian in 2010—something she said was like going home. “I wanted to join the acquisition workforce and be surrounded by high-caliber people with the same work ethic, integrity and love of our military service members.”

Today, in her role within Project Manager Cyber, Test and Training (PM CT2), Schneider provides training and training aids to the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and other agencies, to ensure their operators and warriors are as effective as possible. “I don’t typically describe what I do to others outside of the Army community, except to say that I help provide training via government contracts. People find it interesting that my customers are special operations forces, being that I’m a 105-pound, middle-aged woman,” she laughed. “They don’t always see that coming.”

Petite though she may be, Schneider is no diminutive daisy. She and her husband, Robert, also a retired Army Reserve officer, are both committed athletes who run “off-road, ultra, trail marathons” together. “Running off-road is so much gentler on the joints than running on asphalt,” she said. They’ve found a way to combine their love of outdoor activities, her penchant for travel and his masterful planning skills with something they call “run-cations.” “We set and work toward lofty goals together—currently, we’re running half-marathons in all 50 states.”

Schneider said she and her husband have always run and trained together, but one particular tradition change led them on a new journey. They started running together on their wedding anniversary—one mile for each year of marriage. They had met at Fort Gordon, Georgia, during Advanced Individual Training, as young enlisted Soldiers. “Once we got to 30 years, that got to be a lot of miles,” she laughed. “We decided to switch to kilometers instead, but that’s ultimately how we got into running ultramarathons.” Having that sort of shared interest is obviously a benefit for a married couple, but Schneider said it helps her in her professional life as well. “That aspect of my life certainly supports my working with Soldiers, since their lives are built around physical fitness. Having shared interests and experiences strengthens any relationship.” And the shared interests don’t stop there. “All my kids are in the military, too,” she said. Schneider and her husband have two children, both of whom are military officers, and both are married to fellow military officers as well. “They are all captains,” she said. “We could not be more proud of them.”

She shares advice with junior acquisition workforce members when asked, encouraging them to resist “becoming institutionalized.” “Establish relationships with your customers, vendors and contractors, because trust is a must in this business and people can’t trust who or what they don’t know,” she said. “Having relationships keeps us focused on success, because we don’t want to let down the people who trust us.” Her most important piece of advice, however, is to always take responsibility. “Taking responsibility both on and off the job is the best way to ensure you always do the right thing. When we talk about a person’s character—integrity, candor, loyalty, personal courage, maturity, humility and accountability are all related to taking responsibility for our words and actions—or inaction, which is also a choice.”

Schneider said she learned about responsibility as a child, having to face consequences for her actions. “Accepting and seeking responsibility in life is what defines a person. It separates those who choose the easier path from those who don’t.” If you want to be successful and sleep well at night, always take responsibility for your actions, even if there are unpleasant circumstances, she said. “Because in the end, you’re responsible for your life and career regardless of the outcome. I try to deploy this philosophy in all that I do.”

The most important assignments of her career, she said, were the times she volunteered to support other projects or programs outside of her organization. “I found these broadening experiences to be very valuable assignments which required a higher level of independence, greater responsibility and most importantly, the ability to bring back the best of that experience to your parent organization.” Recently, she completed her Antiterrorism and Operations Security level II certifications, which she said were also beneficial to her career. “As a COR [contracting officer’s representative] and ACOR [assistant COR], having greater institutional knowledge of other roles and responsibilities provides clarity to working program requirements. I always recommend taking coursework, training or classes outside of your primary series, in order to become a more effective IPT [integrated product team] member.”

Schneider’s entire adult life has revolved around the Army, in one form or another. From her enlistment as a young Soldier, to meeting her husband at training, her decades of service in the Army Reserves, later becoming an Army civilian, and now watching her children become officers themselves—it’s no surprise she feels so deeply linked to service. She is running her race, building relationships and embracing personal responsibility at every opportunity.

“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/.