FORT BELVOIR, Va. (May 29, 2026)—On May 21st, nineteen fellows, along with their families and friends, gathered at the Warfighting Acquisition University’s (WarU) Scott Hall to celebrate the graduation of the Senior Service College Fellowship (SSCF) class of 2026.
The SSCF program is a 10-month senior leadership development opportunity sponsored by the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center’s Director, Acquisition Career Management Office. It provides leadership acquisition training to prepare senior-level civilians in the grades of GS-14/15 (or broadband equivalent) for leadership roles. During the ceremony, remarks were provided by Bilyana Anderson, president of WarU; Chris Manning, the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for research and technology; and Col. Barry Williams, deputy director of the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center. Williams made a particular note to thank the graduates’ families for their support and encouragement throughout the program, which was integral to enabling the success of the graduates.
The challenges that the fellows faced throughout the program are “all designed to strengthen your ability to address complex, high-position challenges, manage risks and exhibit strong leadership in environments where ambiguity is the norm, and the stakes are hot,” Anderson said. She encouraged the graduates to continue to take on tough challenges as they move forward in their careers and reminded them to continue to lean on the connections with their cohort and WarU faculty.
Manning, who graduated from the SSCF program 16 years ago, told graduates to seek experiences outside their comfort zones. “I challenge you to never stop learning, always be outside your comfort zone, reflect on how you’re making a difference, how you’re making things better and always follow your why,” he said.
The graduating fellows nominated a member of their own cohort to speak at the graduation—Katherine Fry. She congratulated her classmates and compared mastering the tools they learned about in the program to mastering the violin—it’s not possible in 10 months, but it gives you a good foundation to grow on. The most important part of the program, she said, was that “it established the habits, relationships and resources that can make continued growth and effectual mastery possible.”
“We will keep reflecting, keep learning, keep adapting and keep helping one another grow. And as we return to organizations, cares and transformational stream, this cohort is more prepared to support its people and help shape meaningful change,” Fry said. “Congratulations, class of 2026.”
Redstone Seminar Paige Bridges Jason Buckner Katherine Fry Spencer Guida Kelsey Haynes Whitley Mann Leah McIntosh Summer Wilson LeJeania Wood
Virtual Seminar Renée Bober Brian Gruchacz Eric Hodges Amy Kozlowski Phillyp Lawson Lindsay Longobardi Katherine Mangum James Sawyer Darin Stevens Donel Wanton Sr.
Learn more about the Senior Service College Fellowship program on the USAASC website at https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/senior-service-college-fellowship/.
JACQUELINE M. HAMES is an editor with Behind the Frontlines. She has 15 years of writing, editing and reporting experience with the federal government, and has a B.A. in creative writing from Christopher Newport University.