Top performers across the Defense Department's information technology realm recently took home DoD Chief Information Officer Award honors.
The CIO Awards program, now in its second year, recognizes outstanding achievement in at least one of seven key areas of information technology outlined in the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996: acquisition; architecture and interoperability; information assurance; management and standards; applications (technology or process); capital planning and investment; and information management/information technology work force.
Recognized achievements provide better service, cost- savings and significantly impact DoD's information technology mission.
Section 5123 of Clinger-Cohen (co-named after then-U.S. Sen. and former Defense Secretary William Cohen) requires DoD to leverage information technology and adopt related goals toward improving efficiency and effectiveness across the department.
DoD CIO Awardees for 2002 include:
Team Award Winner: U.S. Air Forces in Europe Network Operations and Security Center, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, developed information technology solutions to improve information assurance for more than 40,000 customers across 10 European and Asian countries. Also developed a more efficient, computerized "one-stop" personnel-processing system that greatly enhances quality of life for USAFE service members, family members and DoD civilian employees.
Second-Place Team Winner: The Navy Supply Information Systems Activity, Commercial Asset Visibility II System Team, Mechanicsburg, Pa., developed a computerized logistics system that tracks and monitors supply assets in the repair cycle, providing 99.55 percent accurate accountability of stock in transit for repair. The system is credited to saving more than $300 million in inventory management and $1 million in direct labor costs.
Third-Place Team Winner: The Headquarters, U.S. Army Knowledge Online team's Web site, https://www.us.army.mil/portal/portal\_home.jhtml, is recognized by CIO Magazine as one of the top 50 across business and government. InfoWorld also ranked the Army as No. 10 out of 100 organizations for its innovative use of information technology.
Team Award Finalist: Information Support Activity, U.S. Army Accessions Command, Fort Monroe, Va., used information technology to improve recruiting operations, including a special web portal that monitors quality of service and performance.
Team Award Finalist: The efforts of the U.S. Marine Corps Legacy Applications Team at Quantico, Va., were cited for significantly improved computerized systems used to support the war fighters, while ensuring that legacy computer databases have been identified, tested and certified before being transitioned into the improved and interoperable Navy-Marine Corps Intranet system.
Individual Award Winner: Army Maj. Mitchel Hudson, director of the Information Support Activity at the U.S. Army Enlisted Records and Evaluation Center, Indianapolis, is credited with developing an online site for official military personnel files. He integrated the personnel electronic management systems networks of the Total Army Personnel Command, the Enlisted Records and Evaluation Center, the National Guard Bureau, the U.S. Army Reserve Personnel Command. Savings are expected to exceed $1.1 million.
Second Place Individual Winner: Col. John M. Maluda of Headquarters, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, was cited for a computer security initiative that realized a 68-person staff reduction and established a common standard for computer security operations.
Third Place Individual Winner: Thomas J. Sheehan, deputy director for information technology management in the Pentagon's Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, worked to accomplish successful testing of a secure, remote, dial-up communications system for senior DoD leaders to use in the event of additional terrorist-precipitated actions. As part of another pilot project, he also worked to marry wireless technology with the OSD Enterprise E-mail system.
Individual Award Finalist: Marine Corps Lt. Col. Hal M. Gobin, U.S. Marine Forces Atlantic at Norfolk, Va., was recognized for his role in helping to establish DoD's Public Key Infrastructure program within Marine operations along the Atlantic coast of the United States.
Story by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service