RANGING IN ACQUISITION
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
—Anonymous
This centuries-old proverb teaches an important lesson: Each person plays a critical role in success and every minor detail counts.
That’s Lesson #1—every Army Acquisition Workforce professional plays a part in what the Soldier wears, carries or operates.
Many lessons have been learned since the proverb was first seen in the 13th century; since the establishment of the U.S. Army and the United States in 1775 and 1776, respectively; and most recently in the last few decades as we’ve experienced prolonged conflict, a pandemic and faced emerging threats. The lessons keep coming (some repeating), but it’s important to capture, reflect on and institutionalize those lessons.
LESSON #2: THE QUICK PIVOT
For the last 20-plus years, we’ve been focused on minimum sustaining rates to maintain critical industrial capability and ensure the viability of a fragile industrial base. We’ve watched major industry segments move significant manufacturing capacity offshore and more recently experienced major supply chain disruptions compounded by the lingering effects of COVID-19. We maintained minimum levels of production just to keep factories and suppliers operating. The discussion was rarely about how quickly you can ramp up production, but rather how few can we buy and still keep the factory, industry segment, etc., viable.
Then a quick pivot to the Russia-Ukraine war, where we are now at more than 40 presidential drawdowns—which allow for the speedy delivery of defense articles and services from DOD stocks to foreign countries in response to unforeseen emergencies—to meet immediate battlefield needs, while we also need to quickly replenish our equipment stocks. We’re doing this at a time that we’ve seen a reduction in budget and a larger emphasis on total cost. Where in the previous decades we were in an environment of stretching our programs and trying to keep things moving, we’re now having to surge in response to urgent needs and quickly ramp up production. We’ve had to be responsive and execute a variety of tasks simultaneously.
LESSON #3: IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS
2020 brought the biggest curveball, the COVID-19 pandemic. The Army, along with the rest of the world, faced resulting supply chain challenges. While our relationship with our industry partners has always been critical to mission success, we realized even more so during the pandemic that that collaboration would be key. Critical thinking was kicked into high gear: Actions had to be taken to protect critical infrastructure, and considerations had to be made with regards to working with what was seen as vulnerable foreign suppliers.
The COVID-19 pandemic required our workforce to innovate, incentivize and utilize all the authorities at our disposal, including some new ones we had to figure out as we went. We had to trust that our workforce understood their craft and practices, and ultimately had the ability to be effective at warp speed.
LESSON #4: “DON’T FORGET NOTHING”
This first standing order for the Army Rangers is one I always keep in mind, especially in my role as the Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM). And to me it’s the most important—important that we train, experience and remember.
I’ve experienced a lot throughout my Army career, and through every small part I’ve played, through every pivot and emergency, my team of acquisition professionals figured it out and were successful. That’s not to say there weren’t failures along the way, but those failures were learning experiences and ultimately a part of our path to success.
I hope you and our future Army Acquisition Workforce professionals experience success, too. I believe success can be accomplished through fundamentals, experience, confidence, and supportive and engaged management. My office—the DACM Office—is assisting in this effort by implementing on-demand training through credentials, reinforcing basic skills and empowering the supervisor and employee to determine the right training at the right time.
The U.S. Army is a learning organization. Just like we have a stockpile of materials, we need to have a stockpile of training. One way we are offering that is through Udemy, an online training platform. We have leveraged Udemy to offer our workforce a customized digital training pathway to help meet the vision of having a digitally transformed Army. Udemy also has a variety of other training courses available at any time for our workforce. We must always do our job today but also incorporate deliberate planning for the future.
CONCLUSION
It’s a testament to the quality and resilience of our exceptionally talented Army Acquisition Workforce that the old English proverb has really never impacted us. It’s clear our workforce is well trained, agile and has the acquisition acumen and tools to execute tasks and do the job at hand, whatever that may be. We’re working hard to capture all the lessons learned from current operations so that we can get off to a running start on the next emergency. It all comes down to doing the job with everything you’ve got. And we’re here to help with that.
RAMP IT UP Previously, the Army could stretch out programs. Now, we have to surge in response to urgent needs. (Photo by Dori Whipple, Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, May 2022)
AWARDS
2023 AAE AWARDS: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
The Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2023 Army Acquisition Executive (AAE) Excellence in Leadership Awards!
The Army Acquisition Workforce is filled with impressive people—individuals and teams who endeavor to develop new systems and products for warfighters or identify new ways to get those systems funded and fielded. The 2023 AAE Excellence in Leadership Awards are the chance to spotlight their work. The awards honor individuals and teams whose outstanding contributions and achievements merit special recognition. The deadline for submitting nominations is Sept. 7, 2023.
New for 2023:
In alignment with Back-to-Basics, the AAE Awards welcome four new categories that recognize exemplary efforts in the test and evaluation and engineering and technical management functional areas, as well as in digital transformation:
- Test and Evaluation Professional of the Year
- Test Organization of the Year
- Engineering and Technical Manager Professional of the Year (incorporates the previous Science and Technology Professional of the Year and Engineer and System Integrator of the Year categories)
- Digital Transformation Professional of the YearThe 2023 award categories are:
- Acquisition Career Support Professional of the Year
- Business Operations Professional of the Year
- Defense Export and Cooperation Professional & Journeyman of the Year
- Test and Evaluation Professional of the Year
- Test Organization of the Year
- Engineering and Technical Manager Professional of the Year
- Digital Transformation Professional of the Year
- Logistician of the Year
- Product Management/Product Director Professional of the Year (O-5)
- Project Management/Project Director Professional of the Year (O-6)
- Product Management/Product Director Team of the Year (O-5)
- Project Management/Project Director Team of the Year (O-6)
- Contracting Professional of the Year
- Contracting Unit/Team of the Year
- Barbara C. Heald Deployed Contracting Civilian of the Year
- Outstanding Grants or Agreements Professional of the Year
- Innovation in Contracting Strategies Individual or Organization
- Construction Services Professional of the Year
Once you’ve identified the professional or team whose accomplishments are noteworthy, be sure to read the complete nomination guidelines before putting the packet together. For detailed instructions on each award, please visit: https://asc.army.mil/web/aae-awards/.
Just keep in mind, the deadline will be here before you know it!
10TH ANNUAL MAJOR GENERAL HAROLD J. “HARRY” GREENE AWARDS
The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)) is now accepting articles, opinion pieces or essays for the 10th annual Major General Harold J. “Harry” Greene Awards for Acquisition Writing Competition. Articles must be from 500 to 1,800 words in length and in one of the following four categories: acquisition reform, future operations, innovation or lessons learned. Entries are due by Oct. 2, 2023. For more information, visit:https://www.army.mil/article/268061/authors_encouraged_to_participate_in_the_army_acquisition_writing_competition.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WELL DONE, DCELP GRADUATES!
Congratulations to the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) members who completed the Defense Civilian Emerging Leader Program (DCELP) this past May. DCELP is the premier DOD leader development program for civilians in grades GS-07 through GS-12 (and broadband equivalent).
Participants engaged in four one-week seminars that were conducted between March and May at the National Center for Employee Development in Norman, Oklahoma. The emerging leaders were immersed in a variety of experiential activities that promoted self-awareness, enhanced communication skills, demonstrated team-building strategies and strengthened overall leadership capabilities. The AAW DCELP graduates for fiscal year 2023 are:
- Dawn Carrano, U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC)
- Jeffrey Cox, ACC
- Brian Helser, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space
- Christopher Mohr, Joint Munitions Command
- Jacquelyn Noell, U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM)
- Jeffrey Reid, TACOM
- Sandra Schenning, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Debby Wells, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command
DOD offers this amazing program each year. The next application period is expected to open in March 2024. Are YOU an emerging leader? Do you KNOW an emerging leader who should attend DCELP? Learn more about the program at: https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/dcelp/.
ARMY ACQUISITION CORPS FEMALE MENTORING AND MORALE PROGRAM
“Mentoring Program Gains Momentum in the Acquisition Workforce”
by LeAndrea White, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center, Ft. Belvoir, Virginia.
The Army Acquisition Corps (AAC) Female Mentoring and Morale Program (FMMP) is gaining momentum empowering women in the Army. The AAC FMMP is a personal and professional development program for female Soldiers and civilians in the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) with a focus on addressing challenges and issues germane to all ranks of women in the areas of diversity, retention and leadership development. Though the AAC was officially disbanded in March 2022, it lives on in the name of the program.
Through an investment in networking sessions, workshops, panels and one-on-one mentoring, AAC FMMP is showing women, both civilian and military, that they matter. “As a leader and a woman serving in the Army, I recognize the importance of providing opportunities for professional development that specifically cater to the unique experiences faced by female Soldiers and civilians. That’s why I am a part of the executive board,” explained Col. Senodja Sundiata-Walker, chief of staff of the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. “This group is essential in providing a safe and supportive space for women to come together, share their experiences and learn from one another. It’s a needed platform for discussing issues that impact us as women in the Army, building connections and accessing resources and tools that can help advance careers.”
In recognition of Women’s History Month, the AAC FMMP held a roundtable discussion featuring Karen Saunders, the program executive officer for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation and Command Sgt. Maj. Julie A. Saorrono from Army Contracting Command. The roundtable centered around how each found work-life balance, especially during key developmental assignments and deployments.
These types of discussions and activities have been well received by participants. Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Rachel Harris at Army Materiel Command especially appreciated the opportunity to connect with other women to learn and actualize what is possible. “I found it refreshing for leaders to share their perspective of how to balance it all. During the discussions, panelists are vulnerable and share their personal stories of triumph over challenges. Additionally, I enjoyed the atmosphere of leadership being real and raw when sharing advice on managing a successful career.”
Women haven’t been the only demographic to benefit from AAC FMMP. Men have been welcomed to participate, to help them better understand women’s struggles and become better allies. Subsequently, they have become increasingly involved and actively contribute during panel discussions. The men participating want to have an awareness of and better understand the value women bring and want to play a role in optimizing that value to build cohesive teams.
“Throughout my career, coaching and mentoring have been critical to future leader development and growth. That is why I am honored to co-lead the Army Acquisition Corps Female Mentoring and Morale Program,” expressed Maj. Gen. Robert Collins, deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. That type of support has been demonstrated since AAC FMMP was established in April 2022 with Maj. Gen. Collins, as a founding general officer advisor providing executive oversight. “This rich experience has reinforced my belief that programs like this foster a more inclusive culture, improve morale and increase a sense of unity and cohesion for all Soldiers and leaders among our teams. The Army Acquisition Corps Female Mentoring and Morale Program is yet another way we are preparing future senior leaders to face tough, complex challenges in any environment.”
Sundiata-Walker added, “Providing opportunities for women to excel and reach their full potential strengthens the Army’s capabilities, ensuring that we have the most skilled and capable force possible. I encourage all women, everyone in the acquisition workforce, to take advantage of this opportunity and participate.”
The AAC FMMP meets virtually on a quarterly basis and focuses on various topics to help increase the strength and support for both female Soldiers and civilians. If you have interest in being involved or participating in the many voluntary AAC FMMP activities, contact Maj. Chalonda Estelle at chalonda.j.estelle.mil@army.mil for more information.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AY 2023-2024 DAU-SSCF SELECTEES
Please join the DACM in congratulating the selectees for the academic year (AY) 2023-2024 Defense Acquisition University – Senior Service College Fellowship (DAU-SSCF) program.
The DAU-SSCF program is a 10-month educational leadership development opportunity sponsored by the Army DACM Office. DAU-SSCF is conducted under the auspices of DAU through Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey and virtual seminars. The purpose of DAU-SSCF is to provide leadership and acquisition training to prepare senior-level civilians for leadership roles such as product and project manager, program executive officer, and other key acquisition leadership positions.
Selectees for the AY 2023-2024 DAU-SSCF program are:
REDSTONE ARSENAL SEMINAR
- Tobin Butler, Program Executive Office (PEO) Missiles and Space
- Tarun Gupta, Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office
- Michael Scott Harris, PEO Aviation
- Leslie Hyatt, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Aviation and Missile Center
- Bobbie Terry, U.S. Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal
- Carson Wakefield, PEO Aviation
- James Webster, PEO Missiles and Space
- Shanell Weissinger, Headquarters U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command
PICATINNY ARSENAL SEMINAR
- Christopher Ayoub, Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A)
- Laura Emanski, JPEO A&A
- George Herc, DEVCOM Armaments Center
- Andrew Lewis, JPEO A&A
- Tinesha Nicholas, JPEO A&A
- Stacy Poto, JPEO A&A
- Frederick Willecke, JPEO A&A
VIRTUAL SEMINAR
- Scott Doudna, PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support (CS&CSS)
- Kevin Puckace, U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command
- John Shotwell, PEO Command, Control and Communications – Tactical
- Michael Sprang, PEO CS&CSS
FY24 PRODUCT DIRECTOR SELECTEES
Thirteen GS-14 candidates from the Army Acquisition Workforce were selected as principals by members of the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Product Director (PdD) centralized selection board, which met June 5-9, 2023, at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Seventeen candidates were selected as alternates. This is a significant accomplishment for these acquisition civilians in the field of program management. The slating for the FY24 PdD positions will be announced in November 2023. Congratulations!
PRINCIPAL LIST:
|
NAME |
ORGANIZATION |
| CORREIA, CARLOS A | PEO Soldier |
| COX, GERRY R | PEO Aviation |
| FAMODU, ADEKUNLE O | PEO M&S |
| GLOVER, MISTY N | PEO M&S |
| HARLBERT, SHARON L | PEO STRI |
| HARTLEY, RAYMOND M | PEO C3T |
| HOSEIN, LESLIE L | PEO IEW&S |
| JOSEPH M WIELAND | PEO IEW&S |
| OREJEL, ANTHONY M | PEO CS&CSS |
| ROGERS, REGINA M | PEO CS&CSS |
| SAWYERS, MICHAEL A | PEO GCS |
| WAKEFIELD, CARSON L | PEO Aviation |
| WALKER, MONICA M | ASA(ALT) |
ALTERNATE LIST:
|
NAME |
ORGANIZATION |
| BELL JR, BRENTSON J | PEO STRI |
| BING III, ALVIN | PEO CS&CSS |
| BUTKIS, MATTHEW R | PEO GCS |
| BUTLER, TOBIN G | PEO M&S |
| FREDERICK, PHILIP A | AFC |
| HAGAN, STEFANIE A | JPEO CBRND |
| HAGAN, WENDY M | AFC |
| IOVANNITTI, SEBASTIAN C | PEO GCS |
| MATHEW, LEENA S | AFC |
| NICHOLAS, TINESHA P | JPEO A&A |
| NIKITUK, MARKO J | HQ USAASC |
| OMOLOLU, AYODEJI O | RCCTO |
| SPENCER, SHERMAN J | PEO M&S |
| WALDEN, JOHN W | PEO M&S |
| WHITAKER, GINA L | PEO EIS |
| WOOD, RYAN R | PEO M&S |
| ZADROZNY, ELISSA E | PEO EIS |
Note: FY25 Product Director and FY25 Project Director results will not be released until 2024.
GRADUATION CEREMONY – LEAD YEAR GROUP 2021 and 2022 LEAD
The Army DACM Office hosted the Year Group 2021 and 2022 Leadership Excellence and Acquisition Development (LEAD) graduation ceremony on June 29, 2023, in Springfield, Virginia, honoring five graduates: William “Cody” Swinford, Cassandra Reilly, Megan Henline, Kelly Sowell and Thomas LaFontaine. This was the first live graduation ceremony in several years.
Pictured above: Year Group 2021 and 2022 LEAD graduates from left: Cody Swinford, Cassandra Reilly, Megan Henline, Kelly Sowell, and Thomas LaFontaine
Cody Swinford, Cassandra Reilly, Megan Henline, Kelly Sowell, Kelly Terry (LEAD program manager), and Thomas LaFontaine
The LEAD program is a 24-month leadership development program offering expanded training through a series of education, leader development and broadening assignments to build skills required for positions of greater responsibility. For more information, go to: https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/lead/.
TRADOC EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to Sgt. 1st Class Marissa K. Warner, 51C Contracting Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Senior Leader Course Instructor, on her selection as the U.S Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Educator of the Year for FY23. Warner is the first NCO to win this category. She fostered a learner-centric environment that encouraged students to have candid conversations based on shared understanding and mutual respect.
SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS
Meet Emma Wilson!
From the state of Washington, also known as the “Evergreen State,” Wilson serves as the Acquisition Career Management Advocate (ACMA) for the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Defense (JPEO CBRND). As an ACMA, Wilson serves as chief advisor to the organization’s senior leadership for matters related to the execution and management of acquisition career and leader development, policy, procedures and programs. For more information about the Army acquisition stakeholder network, read “Career Navigator: A Port in the Storm.”
Briefly describe what you do in your position and why it’s important to the Army or the warfighter.
I have oversight and management of the headquarters logistics staff’s support to the joint project offices and the joint program executive officer. In addition, I oversee the JPEO’s audit readiness, and I am the JPEO’s Acquisition Career Management Advocate.
In addition to having the opportunity to support Soldiers, what’s the greatest satisfaction you have in being a part of the Army Acquisition Workforce?
Knowing that my efforts are supporting the warfighter.
If you describe your work to others, what’s one thing they typically find interesting or surprising?
In my 13 years at the JPEO I have served in 10 positions, which has given me a unique breadth of experience in nearly all aspects of the work this organization does on behalf of the warfighter. That experience is proving quite useful in my current role, as logistics in the CBRND world is a complex and fascinating field. PMs need to ensure the equipment we field can be supported by all of the services and the special operations forces.
How did you become part of the Army Acquisition Workforce, and why? What was your first acquisition position, and what appealed to you about the work?
My last assignment in the military was at the Pentagon where I was assigned to ASA(ALT) working in Integrated Logistics Support. That was my first experience in acquisition. My career up to that point had been mainly tactical communications. When I retired from the military and was hired as an Army civilian, I was able to join the Army Acquisition Corps and became certified for life cycle logistics.
What do you see as the most important points in your career with the Army Acquisition Workforce, and why?
Getting a civilian mentor and my decision to apply for Senior Service College (SSC). Going to SSC would require me to leave my current position after completing the training. As a result of this, I ended up at the JPEO after I completed Industrial College of the Armed Forces (now known as the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy).
Is there a program or opportunity you wish you had pursued but didn’t?
Yes, I think I spent too long at the headquarters level before moving to a product or project office. I wish I had moved to a product or project office earlier than I did, because it became a gap in my training and development.
What was the latest career development program you took? When did you take it, and what did you get out of it? Would you recommend it to someone else?
I did a detail at the Department of Health and Human Services in 2020 supporting Operation Warp Speed as a program manager. It not only allowed me to use my PM skills on a project I felt was important but gave me a better understanding of medical programs and the development challenges of medical countermeasures.
The last training program I did was at the [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] Sloan School of Administration where I received an executive certificate in management and leadership in July 2012. I took this training to address a gap I had in technology management.
Have you given advice to junior acquisition personnel? If so, what was it?
Yes, three things.
1) I advise them to stay open to opportunities and not become too focused or narrow in their options until they have tried out a few positions.
2) That they are their best advocate and career manager. I advise them not to count on good luck but to prepare themselves for future opportunities.
3) Do not solely focus on acquisition training. They need to take their Civilian Education System training as well, so they have a well-rounded training base to build on.
For those who know you outside of work, what do they know you for? (e.g., inventor, pizza chef, scout master, builder of ultralight aircraft, etc.)
My garden. I am happiest when I am elbow-deep in dirt or when pruning back plants trying to make order out of nature.
What does this have in common with your work?
Like my garden, work requires an occasional mess, a vision for how it could be, and a plan.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned—on the job or off—over the course of your career?
Our accomplishments and successes are not ours alone. They are built on the people that came ahead of us and the support and work of those we live and work with now.
How do you apply it in your work?
“Be appreciative of the efforts of those around you and recognize them.”
SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS
Meet Melanie Caines!
Melanie is a recent graduate of the FY23 Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) program. Among many other awards, Caines was also selected as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 2022 Procurement Analyst of the Year. As a contracting officer in the USACE Omaha District Acquisition Support Team, she supports the warfighter by handling contract awards and actions such as the Rapid Response Program contract at a military reservation in Honolulu, Hawaii. Read more about Caines in “When Work Gives Purpose.”
Interested in learning more and applying for the IDEAL program? Learn more at https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/inspiring-and-developing-excellence-in-acquisition-leaders-ideal/.
What were your expectations of the IDEAL program before you started, and how did they change as the program proceeded?
Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) was of great interest to me as I do have prior military leadership experience; however, I lack formal civilian supervisory leadership experience. I have consistently provided results in my career and had good working relationships with my peers, members of product development teams, and leadership alike. I have also found that others seek my natural leadership abilities for mentorship and guidance in their own careers. I do very much enjoy having a leadership role and know that the next natural step in the progression of my career is to take on a supervisory role within my organization.
I believed [IDEAL] would help to build upon the foundation that I already have and focus on some of the other leadership competencies that my previous leadership development courses have not fully touched on. This will better prepare me for a supervisory role and will allow me to do what I like to do best—hit the ground running!
I expected to touch on various leadership topics, gain additional skills in building interpersonal relationships, and instruction on looking at things from a strategic perspective. The instruction, along with the guest speakers, were intertwined well and as the course continued, I found myself taking notes on what concepts I wanted to do further research on, as I quickly realized the concepts were just scratching the surface.
What were your top three takeaways from IDEAL?
- There is not one specific roadmap to your career as a leader or supervisor. Be true to you but improve you.
- How important it is to have crucial conversations with superiors, subordinates and peers.
- Find a way to connect with people. Find out what they are passionate about and tap into it.
What skills, knowledge or experiences from IDEAL do you apply most, in your job or outside of work?
There are so many things that I learned in class that I could easily implement moving forward. For example, when delegating, ask the individual when they think they can get something back to you and hold them to that deadline.
I also realized through the course, that I tend to tell myself stories in my head when things don’t go the way I want them to go. Rather, if you look at the situation differently and separate stories from facts, you identify whether or not there is a reason for this. Is it that individuals do not have the ability to do something or the motivation to do something? From there, you can use that information to influence them.
How has IDEAL affected your career?
It really has given me a lot of different tidbits of information to take with me. It has provided a wealth of resources and a network of people that I have at my fingertips moving forward. I think it will have an impact on how I plan my career moving forward and will also help identify leaders that are just as passionate as I am in putting people first.
Who would you recommend IDEAL to, and why?
I would recommend this program to anyone who is seriously considering becoming a supervisor or those who are new or current supervisors. The information provided in this program is a tool that leaders and supervisors can not only use themselves but can also pass down to their team or mentees. There is a wealth of topics touched on in this program and there is further opportunity for individuals to do some additional reading to dive more into the concepts.
