FERMENTATION IN VATS: DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center’s Biomanufacturing Facility can scale biomanufacturing processes in up to 1,000-liter fermentation vats. Once a process is proven at this level, it can be…
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DISCUSSION IN PROGRESS: The JPM CBRN Medical and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services discuss preparations and responses to warfighter and public health threats during a panel session…
PARTNER NATIONS: Spc. Charles Ramirez, an infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, aims a simulated Javelin Anti-Tank System during Karelian Lock 23 on Pahkajarvi Training Area, Finland, May…
How OTA consortia are delivering for defense acquisition and our warfighters. by Al Abramson, Brig. Gen. USA (Ret.) From an acquisition standpoint, the Army’s modernization efforts have…
TIES THAT BIND: You’ve found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, but maintaining employment in your career field after becoming a military spouse is…
DATA-CENTRIC ADVANTAGE: The Army Vantage data platform gives Soldiers the capability, using a suite of tools, to create a custom common operating picture that can track essential functions and enable…
MOVING FORWARD: Maj. Gen. Faulk, commander of the 99th Readiness Division and the Army Reserve senior proponent advisor for acquisition, talks to a Soldier during the question-and-answer session of the…
FELLOWS FORMATION: TWI fellows line up in front of the Veterans Wall on Sept. 21 at Deloitte in Rosslyn, VA. (Photo by Rachel Berry, USAASC) Training With Industry…
LESSONS LEARNED: Hacking and other malicious threats lurk online, stressing the importance of exceptional products to thwart these attacks. Contracts to develop these products can and will terminate if the…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) TITLE: Deputy joint program executive officer, Senior Executive Service (SES) YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE:…
UP TO THE CHALLENGE: Maj. Kenny Torres of Army Futures Command demonstrates the pull-up bars during the command’s Murph Challenge event at Camp Mabry, Texas, on May 26. The Army…
Microsoft Teams allows leaders to check in with their employees in real time and establishes a sense of community among workers. (Image by Getty Images) From the Director of…
SOLITARY GRIND: Recent studies show that telework can expose employees to psychosocial risks such as feelings of isolation, lack of support, stress and overwork. (Getty Images) U.S. Army…
SUCCESS ON STAGE: JA2’s diligent efforts to procure vaccines, therapeutics and enablers have been critical to the nation. (Photo by Staff Sgt. K. Tucker Owen, U.S. Air Force) …
Career Navigator Overworked and overwhelmed? You may be experiencing burnout. by Jacqueline M. Hames In this era of side hustles and the glorification of workaholics, it’s hard…
By thoughtfully destroying old habits and processes, the Army can challenge the status quo to become stronger and more powerful. by Dr. Bozena “Bonnie” Berdej, Col….
OPENING REMARKS: The Hon. Ellen Lord, former undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, office of the secretary of defense public affairs, records opening remarks for the TEDxDAU…
COUNT DAU IN: Spc. Juan Colón Otero helps count COVID-19 vaccines May 21 at the Comprehensive Cancer Research Center in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. DAU provided a fully embedded cross-functional…
ASSEMBLY LINE: An Airman unpacks safety needles to be used in syringe assembly. Safety syringes and needles have an attached shield to reduce the risk of accidental injury. (Photo by…
CORPS AT WORK: Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has kept pace with its mission. In February, the Corps worked with the Texas Parks and…
CONSULTING ALLIES: Brig. Gen. Garrick Harmon, left, commander of the Security Assistance Command at Redstone Arsenal, spoke with senior military members of the Polish army during a June 1 meeting….
A SHOT IN THE ARMP: Spc. Cassandra Acosta, a combat medic at Fort Stewart, Georgia, administers a COVID vaccine to a patient in a community vaccination event in April. Vaccinations…
by Brandon Pollachek, PEO IEW&S ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (June 4, 2021)—A change of responsibility and retirement ceremony conducted virtually on May 26, marked the closing of…
A CBRN-DEFENSE TOOLBOX: DR SKO, packaged in a cargo container the size of a backyard shed, is a system of sensors and protective equipment that is essentially a CBRN-defense toolbox….
PRECISION DATA: The TESS is a laser-based system used in live simulation training. It calculates the pilot’s timing, accuracy, the target’s movement, armor and other data to produce scientifically precise…
BETA TESTING: Elizabeth Wilson, DASA (DE&C), addresses the students in the beta session of the instructor-led training portion of the Army security cooperation enterprise course. (Photo by Cathy…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors TITLE: Procurement coordinator ACQUISITION CAREER FIELD: Business and industry, contracting YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 10 MILITARY OR…
By Michael Bold FORT BELVOIR, Va. (April 6, 2021)—The Spring 2021 issue of Army AL&T magazine focuses on “Shaping Army Acquisition,” examining the culture of acquisition in…
ON THE SCENE: President Joe Biden walks with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, left, Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,…
A HAND UP: Living through a pandemic is a challenge for which few people were adequately prepared. It’s important to seek help when needed. (Photo by Staff Sgt….
GETTING SCHOOLED: Capt. Alex Pytlar works with cadets during the Hacking for Defense course in this 2019 photo. Hacking for Defense is a graduate level course currently taught…
Army Reserve Col. April Myrick, front left, and Col. Ali K. Sonmez, second from left in back, stand with Army, Army Reserve, Air Force, Navy and U.S. Public…
HERE TO HELP: A combat medic with the 135th Area Support Medical Company, Pfc. Nicole Atkinson, drives a Chemical Biological Protective Shelter M8E1 Light Medium Tactical Vehicle on…
NEW COLD WAR?: If we’re entering a new cold war, it’s not the same as the post-World War II version. China would appear to be the main foe,…
THE WHOLE KIT AND CABOODLE: The team was tasked to award contracts for things like KN95 respirators, face shields, nitrile gloves, shoe covers, and surgical caps, gowns and…
FLYING DRAGON: A U-2 Dragon Lady assigned to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing prepares to land at Beale Air Force Base, California, on Dec. 15, 2020. This flight marks…
TITLE: Field Support Branch chief COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: AMCOM Logistics Center, PEO Missiles and Space PM STORM ACQUISITION CAREER FIELD: Life cycle logistics YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 11 MILITARY…
VEHICLE LOADING: Procurement administrative lead time has dropped from 93 days to 48 days because of long-term contracts, like the one for Medium Tactical Vehicles. Here, U.S. Army Soldiers…
ON TOUR: Jason Fullen, center, project coordinator with Pine Bluff Arsenal’s textile production, gives a tour of sewing operations to Col. Gavin Gardner, JMC commander, during a visit in July….
AEOP builds the STEM citizenry of tomorrow, one student at a time by Jack Meyer After Noel Obi, 17, graduates from his Houston high school, he…
FRESH AIR: Dr. Irene MacAllister enjoys some time outside the lab running in the Hradec Forest across from her apartment near the research center at the Czech Republic’s University of…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition, Project Manager Close Combat Systems TITLE: Business management specialist ACQUISITION CAREER FIELD: Business management specialist, contracting YEARS OF SERVICE…
PEACE OF MIND: Teleworking gave many of us peace of mind, knowing we could continue to work while minimizing possible exposure to the coronavirus. (Image by Getty Images) …
NEW NAVY SWABS: USAMRDC’s Additive Manufacturing Working Group was stood up to streamline the process assisting all DOD additive manufacturers interested in organically producing personal protective equipment and…
BRAND NEW: Soldiers with the 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade trained virtually on new equipment in April 2020 to ensure their readiness using multiband radios for current and…
LOAD ‘EM UP: Sgt. Cedric Melton, 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion (ESB), 35th Signal Brigade inspects the vehicles before they are loaded on a plane at Hunter Army Airfield,…
THE COLLECTION: Maj. Juan Guzman, the chief of the Armed Services Blood Bank Center–Pacific Northwest, shows Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Thomas McCaffery where the center…
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (February 1, 2021)—For nearly a year now, the Army’s acquisition enterprise has forged ahead through unprecedented difficulties, delivering and enhancing capabilities in the face of…
There may never be a silver bullet for defeating COVID-19—instead, it may require defense in depth, including three possible weapons from USAMMDA. by Carey A….
MADE EASY TO USE: Spc. Nathaniel Coleman, a treatment non-commissioned officer with the 44th Medical Battalion, demonstrates MEDHUB system in a field hospital setting. The MEDHUB system was…
THANKING THE TEAM: Secretary of the Army, Hon. Ryan D. McCarthy, visited defense contractor facilities and government offices at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama on July 1 to thank personnel…
IN THE FEEDBACK LOOP: A rifle squad from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, visit Bell Flight’s Arlington, Texas, facility in October. The Soldiers provided crucial feedback on the…
IN THE FIELD: Soldiers gained hands-on experience during field validation exercises with the Hamilton T1 ventilator at the 10th Field Hospital at Fort Carson, Colorado, in 2018. (Photo…
READY FOR ITS CLOSEUP: A shipment of vials of remdesivir intended for clinical trial use. Gilead Sciences invested millions of dollars of independent research and development funding to…
SUPPLY CHAIN IN MOTION: U.S. Navy Logistics Specialist 1st Class Emmeline Manaois moves medical supplies to be counted and distributed within Javits New York Medical Station, April 11, 2020, in…
DECONTAMINATION COMPLETE: The 436th Airlift Wing and the 436th Maintenance Wing complete testing of the Joint Biological Agent Decontamination System (JBADS) Lite on an in-operation C-17. (U.S. Air Force by…
FROM THE DIRECTOR FOR ACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENT CRAIG A. SPISAK Back-to-Basics puts defense acquisition workforce in a whole new world. The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act…
Afghanistan to receive more than a million ventilator masks, gowns and gloves by Adriane Elliot Neither a global pandemic nor a pending troop withdrawal has halted U.S….
FEEDBACK IS KEY: A Soldier wears the IVAS and wields a Squad Immersive Virtual Trainer prototype at a touch-point event. If not for constant Soldier feedback from these events, the…
The COVID-19 pandemic forced U.S. Army Operational Test Command to innovate during a new system’s operational test. by Maj. Graham L. Mullins The proverb “Necessity is…
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION: A Crane Army Ammunition Activity employee labels containers of hand sanitizer. Crane Army collaborated with McAlester Army Ammunition Plant to develop a hand sanitizer…
by Sarah L. Aubouin On October 8–9, 2020 a cohort of up-and-coming Army acquisition leaders from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey…
AUSTERE CARE: NETCCN is meant to provide military medical care to the austere environments likely to be found during multidomain operations, like the ones these U.S. Marines found in August…
The Army’s xTechSearch program uncovers value and innovation. By Jess Stillman A panel of Army experts chose 48 concept white papers from the 351 submitted for…
The Army’s xTechSearch program leverages its success to find the innovation the Army needs—and reveals good old American ingenuity. by Christopher J. Semancik The COVID-19 pandemic hit the…
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Sailors and civilians assigned to Naval Medical Center San Diego attend a Bureau of Medicine and Surgery roadshow that brought the Army’s GFEBS rollout team to…
NOT YOUR MOTHER’S MICROWAVE: RCCTO will field a prototype Indirect Fire Protection Capability – High Power Microwave at the platoon level in fiscal year 2024. (Photos courtesy of RCCTO) …
FROM THE DIRECTOR FOR ACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENT CRAIG A. SPISAK Developing leaders for the future Army Acquisition Workforce doesn’t stop, not even in the face of a…
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Oct. 17, 2020)—During the final week of August, the two Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) program cohorts came together via Microsoft Teams…
QUICK DRAW: Sgt. Brett Knox with the Kendrick Memorial Blood Center, located outside Fort Gordon, Georgia, takes blood from Patrick Young, an employee at Winn Army Community Hospital, as a…
THE DIVISION: The Kansas City District Contracting Division is pictured with then-Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement Stuart Hazlett, outside of the Bolling Federal Building in downtown Kansas…
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition, Program Manager Towed Artillery Systems TITLE: Program Management Engineer ACQUISITION CAREER FIELD: Engineering YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 11…
by Dr. Bruce D. Jette In my role as the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology (ASA(ALT)), my team and I serve as lifecycle…
SEEING THE SUPPLY CHAIN: Full visibility of the supply chain has been a high priority for the PM IVAS team, in collaboration with industry partners. The security and quality of…
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENT CRAIG A. SPISAK For the Army Acquisition Workforce, training has continued in spite of the limitations brought on by COVID-19….
VIRTUAL LEARNING: Student-centered learning will help mitigate the challenges people have with distance learning. (Image by U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center) The challenges of virtual education are many…
DECISION TIME: AI is just about everywhere. Search engines, social media, smartphone digital assistants and even local grocery stores are already using AI to improve their offerings. To make meaningful…
MAJOR MOUNTED PLATFORM UPGRADE: The NBCRV SSU, pictured during a demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground South in 2019, uses unmanned systems teaming with a manned platform, leveraging land and air…
AN AGILE SYSTEM: Chief Warrant Officer Gabriel Garcia and Spc. Edward Bolton during the third iteration of training for the Deployable Defensive Cyberspace Operations System – Modular at the Georgia…
FROM PARACHUTES TO MASKS Parachute riggers with 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Group Support Battalion, sew surgical masks for medical patients at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., March 31, 2020. The…
BRIEFING THE BOSS: Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper speaks with biological safety officer David Harbourt during a tour of USAMRIID at Fort Detrick in March. (Photo by John W….
DRAWING UP PLANS: Members of 80th MCT support multiple III Corps units at Port Arthur, Texas, in anticipation of the Defender-Europe 2020 deployment. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. First Class…
THE VIRTUAL FUTURE: 1st Sgt. Michael Weaver, 1-31st Field Artillery Battalion, 434th Field Artillery Brigade, uses virtual reality to take an early look at components of the Army’s new prototype…
by Michael Bold When I spoke with Aimee Mullins in April, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had just imposed a stay-at-home order on the state because of the…
READY FOR PATIENTS: Soldiers stage medical equipment and beds at the CenturyLink Event Center in Seattle, during the last week in March 2020, as part of the Army’s response…
MASK UP: ASA(ALT)’s COVID-19 Task Force is studying the risks and challenges that COVID-19 presents to readiness and modernization. Here, a Soldier wears a face mask to drive an electric…
COVID-19 RESPONSE: JPM CBRN Medical, in support of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, rapidly delivered a new COVID-19 diagnostic test under the FDA’s Emergency…
