DACM Hot Topics offers a monthly overview of timely educational and career resources for Army Acquisition professionals to enhance their career success.
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As the Army continues to navigate changes in 2026, strong leadership and critical thinking skills remain at the forefront to maintain a workforce that is comprised of the most capable officers and civilians.
DACM Hot Topics offers a monthly overview of timely educational and career resources for Army Acquisition professionals to enhance their career success.
The SSCF program is a 10-month educational senior leadership developmental opportunity sponsored by the DACM Office.
DACM Office proudly announces the 2027 Centralized Selection List, identifying the best-qualified leaders to serve in critical acquisition command and key billet positions.
The DACM mission is to recruit, train and retain an agile, adaptive and professional workforce with the acquisition acumen and critical thinking skills to accelerate delivery capability to Soldiers.
Introducing, “Behind the Frontlines: Enabling the Warfighter,” an all-online outlet consisting of exclusive and partner-created content focusing on Army acquisition.
LaTrish M. Jones and Traci B. Williams were recently celebrated as graduates of the Year Group 2023 for the Leadership Excellence and Acquisition Development (LEAD) program.
WELL-DESERVED AWARD Everett Roper, Ph.D., who recently went through the Centralized Section List process and was chosen for a GS-15 project manager position, receives the Professional Achievement in Government Award...
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WHAT’S NEW? CATALOG OF FISCAL YEAR 2025 PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS Now that fiscal year 2025 is upon us, newly published program announcements are available! Perhaps you’re interested in getting...
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TAILOR YOUR CAST: Employers need to tailor their hiring approach to fit the group they are targeting. Just as different types of bait attract different fish, millennials and Gen Z…
STRONG OBJECTIVES: From left, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Garrett Yee, vice president and general manager at GDIT; James and Craig Whitten, met in Sept. 2022, in Falls Church. Yee and Whitten…
ROUGH SEAS: The stakeholder network can answer a boat-load of questions and help workforce members as they navigate the sometimes treacherous waters of career planning and development. (Images by Getty…
DOUBLE TIME: The IVAS program went from a concept to a rapid fielding decision in two years thanks to iterative, Soldier-focused design, alternative acquisition methods and innovations that leveraged existing…
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…
ROLL CALL: Adm. Mike Mullen, left, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, congratulated the author at the National Defense University commencement exercise in June 2010. (Photo courtesy of…
REMARKABLE SERVICE: Spisak delivered comments to members of the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) at the AAW Summit in September 2017. Craig Spisak may be retiring, but his legacy…
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Jan. 25, 2021)—“Hold on to your hat, because big changes are coming our way,” said Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Craig A. Spisak….
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 ROTATION: Under the redesigned LEAD program, the entire cohort of fellows will complete a concurrent six-month rotation at the Pentagon, working as Department of the Army…
DACM OFFICE UPDATE ARMY ACQUISITION WORKFORCE (AAW) HUMAN CAPITAL STRATEGIC PLAN (HCSP) People are a top priority in the Army, and one of the many ways we’re…
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…
ONWARD AND UPWARD: The SRPE is forward-looking, an assessment of the potential for civilian acquisition professionals to perform in positions of increased responsibility, based on their demonstrated leadership skills. In…
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…
The first cohort of Army Acquisition Degree Curriculum 522 is ready to graduate with a Master of Science degree in systems engineering management from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey,…
Amy Larson TITLE: Contract Specialist COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Army Contracting Command – Rock Island YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 6.5 AAW/DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level III in contracting; Level I in information technology and…
Joan L. Sable COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center TITLE: Deputy director, Acquisition Career Management Office; chief, Army Acquisition Workforce Strategy and Communications Division YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE:…
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENT CRAIG A. SPISAK Supporting the future force by building a more technically savvy Army Acquisition Corps. You can only get out of a…
Policy changes are shaping the way we do business An AAFL is a fairly new role in the Army acquisition community. On Sept. 4, the Army DACM signed a memo…
By Joan Sable, Army Deputy Director, Acquisition Career Management (DDACM) On Jan. 29, Hon. Ellen M. Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment (USD(A&S)), signed a memo titled “Department…
Army DACM Office Updates: Craig Spisak, Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM), has officially appointed Joan Sable as the Deputy DACM. In that role, Sable will act on behalf...
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Army DACM Office Updates: Business – cost estimating and business – financial management have new certification training requirements as of Jan. 1. More details can be found here: https://asc.army.mil/web/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Oct2018_DACM-Newsletter.pdf ....
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FORT BELVOIR, Va. (July 26, 2018)—The July issue of the DACM Newsletter is filled with the latest news and updated information about Army acquisition career development. Knowing how to leverage…
Army DACM Office Updates The money is in! The Army received its FY18 Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund (DAWDF) allocation on Oct. 23, 2017. Work with your DAWDF Program Analyst,…
In the absence of a single, unifying intranet, knowing where to find key resources is the next best thing. by Mr. Steve Stark When I came onboard as senior editor…
More than 30 initiatives are underway, and we’re just getting started. by Ms. Joan L. Sable October 2017 marks the completion of the first year of a five-year Army Acquisition…
This career basic helps acquisition workforce members keep track of what they need to do and when. By Mr. Robert E. Coultas Jobs in defense acquisition are unlike most others…
The AALPC primes program managers for success as acquisition leaders by Craig A. Spisak Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center One of the imperatives for a program manager (PM) to…
Here’s why you should reconsider By Shannon Potter and Wen Lin, Army DACM Office Let’s be honest. Supervisors have a lot of administrative requirements and likely are not looking for…
By Tara Clements Just before his retirement in March, we had the opportunity to sit down with Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson and capture some of his reflections after more…
The Senior Rater Potential Evaluation is key to identifying the AAW’s civilian future leaders. Perspective from the USAASC Director Craig Spisak Nothing that I or any other leader within the…
Earning DAWIA certification is challenging but not impossible, and it creates a smarter, stronger acquisition workforce. By Robert E. Coultas There are jobs, and then there are careers. And for…
By Susan L. Follett ORLANDO, Fla. (Dec. 2, 2015) – The Hon. Heidi Shyu, the Army acquisition executive (AAE) and the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and…
Hot Topics – November 3, 2015 By Marti Giella Hot Topics is a monthly breakdown of current news, important dates and updates affecting the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW)…
Army DACM Office introduces Hot Topics 2.0 By Tara Clements and Marti Giella FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Oct. 6, 2015) – Hot Topics is back, providing a monthly breakdown…
‘Required’ Reading: Latest Army AL&T magazine online By Steve Stark FORT BELVOIR, Va. (June 30, 2015) — The newest edition of Army AL&T magazine is all about requirements and in…
By Natalie Duncan FORT BELVOIR, Va. (April 29, 2015) – The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM), Lt. Gen. Michael Williamson kicked off the first-ever Army Acquisition Leader Preparation Course…
By Tara Clements FT. BELVOIR, Va. (April 22, 2015) – Leaders from the office responsible for supporting the director of acquisition career management for the Army, or Army DACM Office,…
By Steve Stark FORT BELVOIR, Va. (April 9, 2015) – Army acquisition’s Training with Industry (TWI) Program welcomed its new cohort of 10 officers at an orientation at the Fort…
By Tara Clements and Jack Kendall FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Feb. 26, 2015)—Fourteen candidates from the Army Acquisition Corps were selected from the first-ever product director centralized selection board held Dec….
Hot Topic #1: Naval Postgraduate School Master of Science in Program Management (NPS-MSPM) Program Announcement The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) has the announced the offering of NPS-MSPM Program,...
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By Stan Emelander FORT BELVOIR, Va. – The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center’s Office of the Director for Acquisition Career Management (DACM) conducted the final survey for its pilot acquisition…
Talent management strategy seeks to grow, develop future acquisition leaders By LTG Michael E. Williamson, Director,Acquisition Career Management Force 2025 and Beyond is a comprehensive effort to develop concepts into…
By Tara Clements FORT BELVOIR, Va. – The 51C noncommissioned officer (NCO) reclassification board held here and concluded early December selected 10 candidates for reclassification. This board was the…
Hot Topic #1: 2015 University of Tennessee (UT) Aerospace and Defense MBA (ADMBA) Program The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office is pleased…
By Tara Clements and Steve Stark The Army DACM Discusses Talent Management FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Nov. 3, 2014) – Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson, Army director, acquisition career management (DACM),…
Hot Topic #1: FY 15/16 Announcement – The Army Acquisition Pilot Product Director Board closes Nov. 14 The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office and U.S. Army Acquisition Support…
By Steve Stark FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Oct. 1, 2014)—The new edition of Army AL&T magazine is here and it’s all about people—the 38,000-strong Army Acquisition Workforce with special recognition for…
By Tara Clements FT. BELVOIR, Va. (Sept. 24, 2014) – The Office of the Assistant Secretary for the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)) connected virtually with members of…
Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS) provides opportunities for officers to pursue advanced degree programs at civilian universities on a full-time, fully funded basis. The purpose of this program is to help…
Hot Topic #1: The Annual Senior Rater Potential Evaluation (SRPE) In November 2004, the Army director for Acquisition Career Management (DACM) spearheaded the implementation of the automated Senior Rater Potential…
By Karen Kurtz WASHINGTON (Sept. 4, 2014) – The Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)), Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson,…
Lasting bonds based on trust, respect and confidence are the foundation of the future By Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson, Director Acquisition Career Management Ninety days have passed since I…
Training with Industry program brings best practices from private sector to Army acquisition By Mr. Robert E. Coultas Sometimes the best way to further an Army acquisition career is to…
By Audra Calloway During a two-day session at the Pentagon last month, approximately 30 members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) gathered to discuss how to improve civilian career development….
Scott Greene, Army DACM Office Education and Training Branch Chief Do you need a few more college courses to meet your business hour requirement to become an Army Acquisition Corps...
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Hot Topic #1: Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program (ALCP) “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – President John F. Kennedy The Army Director, Acquisition Management (DACM) Office is sponsoring…
Talent management is more than human resources (HR); it’s a set of integrated HR processes with the ultimate and ongoing goal of creating and sustaining an inclusive, diverse and high-performing…
By Steve Stark Have you ever thought of trading in your ACUs for a business suit for a few months or maybe a year? This might just be your chance:…
Are you in a GS-7 to 11 (or broadband equivalent) acquisition position and believe you have what it takes to be a future leader? Perhaps the Defense Civilian Emerging Leader…
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (May 21, 2014) — The May edition of the director, acquisition career management (DACM) newsletter is out now and available at https://asc.army.mil/web/dacm-newsletter/. Get the news you need…
By Tara Clements FORT BELVOIR, Va. (May 19, 2014) — Thirteen members of the 2011 Competitive Development Group/Army Acquisition Fellowship (CDG/AAF) were recognized at a graduation ceremony at Defense…
By Tara Clements FORT BELVOIR, Va. (May 12, 2014) – Fourteen candidates were selected for reclassification as a result of the 51C Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) reclassification board held here April…
Managers encouraged to nominate high-achieving teams, individuals By Steve Stark FORT BELVOIR, Va. — The past year presented more than its share of challenges to the acquisition workforce, and…
By Lt. Col. Jim Craig Do you have acquisition experience that you could use to continue to benefit the U.S. Army? Would you like to gain or hone these…
Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson became the principal military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology (ASA(ALT)) and the director, acquisition career management…
Competitive Development Group welcomes 2014 fellows The Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC), Craig Spisak, welcomes seven new Competitive Development Group/Army Acquisition Fellowship (CDG/AAF) fellows during an orientation meeting…
Education and training opportunities By USAASC Acquisition, Education and Training Branch 2014 Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP): Applications will be accepted starting March 12- April 21. Following a…
Education and training opportunities By USAASC Acquisition, Education and Training Branch Defense Acquisition University-Senior Service College Fellowship (DAU-SSCF): The DAU-SSCF Announcement opened Jan. 29 and closes April 2,…
By Tara Clements FORT BELVOIR, Va. – If you think the movie “Her” is futuristic, members of the Office of the Army Director for Acquisition Career Management (DACM) have…
Education and training opportunities Congratulations to Newly Selected Competitive Development Group/Army Acquisition Fellows: Congratulations to the Year Group 14 (YG 14) CDG/AAF inductees. The YG 14 inductees are: Kyle Bruner,…
By Susan L. Follett Trying to determine the best way to manage civilian career development can be daunting, given the array of available tools and requirements. Staying current on…
Education and training opportunities By USAASC Acquistion, Education and Training Branch Defense Acquisition University-Senior Service College Fellowship (DAU-SSCF): The DAU-SSCF Announcement will open Jan. 29 and close April…
By Darrell Whitehurst FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Seven Army acquisition professionals are recent graduates of this year’s Excellence in Government Fellows (EIGF) program conducted by the Partnership for Public…
Education and training opportunities By USAASC Acquistion, Education and Training Branch FY14 Acquisition Education and Training (AET) Announcements The FY14 schedule for acquisition, training and education (AET) opportunities…
Education and training opportunities By USAASC Acquistion, Education and Training Branch Continuous Learning Points (CLP) Glide Path Each Acquisition Workforce member must obtain 80 continuous learning (CL) points…
Education and training opportunities FY14 Acquisition Education and Training (AET) Announcements The FY14 schedule for AET opportunities has been finalized. All AET opportunities (except for Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program)…
Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Training The FY14 schedule was released on May 16, 2013 and is available for student registration. Planning and applying early affords students a better opportunity in…
By Tara Clements ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (July 10, 2013) – Diane Bullis, a supervisory operations research analyst for Program Executive Office (PEO) Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA), was…
Civilian Education System (CES) Per Army Regulation 350-1, many civilians are required to complete the appropriate Civilian Education System course(s) depending on their grade level and supervisory responsibility. This becomes…
Even in the face of significant fiscal constraints, our acquisition workforce still has statutory requirements to meet. Therefore, we will still be offering many of our Acquisition Education, Training and…
Faces of the Force: Anthony “Cory” Foster POSITION: Contracting Proponency Officer UNIT: U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. TOTAL YEARS OF SERVICE: 10 EDUCATION: B.A. Business…
Education and Training Opportunities The Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) office, along with the rest of the Department of Defense, has recently received significant funding cuts. However, our...
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Army Acquisition Civilian Leadership Development Plan The Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) recently published our first leadership development plan for civilians. Unfortunately, there is not one clear path…
