ARMY AL&T MAGAZINE

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The Army Acquisition Workforce is charged with equipping Soldiers to fight and win America’s battles. And it’s that workforce that stands front and... read more

The Army Acquisition Workforce is charged with equipping Soldiers to fight and win America’s battles. And it’s that workforce that stands front and center of the July – September issue of Army AL&T magazine. From developing capabilities for Soldiers in the field to nurturing and inspiring future Army scientists and engineers in the classroom, we’ve got it covered. In this issue: Network Integration Evaluations and Joint Warfighting Assessments are evolving, and as they do the Army’s ‘trail bosses’ seize the chance to grow professionally as their roles expand in planning and executing the large-scale exercises. Find out how in “CENTER OF THE STORM.” Logistics demonstrations reduce fielding risk and Soldier burden by ensuring that units have the logistical capability needed to successfully operate, maintain and troubleshoot systems in the field. Read how in “TECHNICAL MANUALS THAT WORK.” CERDEC’s STEM Superstar program uses pop culture, superheroes and everyday activities to show elementary schoolchildren that science, technology, engineering and mathematics are everywhere. Discover how in “ENGINEERS DON’T NEED TRAINS.” And read how RDECOM’s STEM outreach program is targeting students from kindergarten to college, in “BUILDING A LOVE FOR MATH AND SCIENCE.” Harvard Business School Professor Linda A. Hill has made it her life’s work to study what makes a good manager a good leader, and vice versa. The former “Army brat,” the daughter of a Medical Service Corps officer, has seen the numerous ways that understanding the individual and the organization well makes for better managers and leaders who can build thriving teams. Read about her findings in “FIRST, MANAGE YOURSELF.” Credibility is especially key in the world of acquisition, where trust equals money. Program managers need the right mix of character and action to build a foundation of trust. To understand how that can be done, see “BUILDING CREDIBILITY.” PEO CS&CSS launches a two-pronged effort to maximize the effectiveness of the SRPE and get the most from its workforce. Read how in “THE SHAPE OF SUCCESS.”  less

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Rambo, robots and big cats stalk the acquisition landscape in our latest issue, dedicated to robotics, artificial intelligence and advanced... read more

Rambo, robots and big cats stalk the acquisition landscape in our latest issue, dedicated to robotics, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing—the stuff of sci-fi and Soldier dreams. In the April – June issue of Army AL&T magazine, contributors from around the defense world sketch out a future in which those dreams could come to life. • Making the soldier the decisive edge - Advanced technologies sharpen Soldier’s advantage • Lessons learned on acquiring systems for unmanned and cyber warfare • A green machine success - Innovatively funded R&D efforts yield next-gen small caliber ammunition • A glimpse from above - OSD Logistics Fellows get panoramic and up-close views of what drives their profession • SREHD Shreds the handheld competition - PM CCS uses robots to detect, mark and neutralize explosive hazards • X marks the spot - Creating a new picture of the cyber battlefield • Partnering at the speed of cyber - Stakeholders break out of traditional roles while testing, evaluating cybersecurity at NIE 16.2 • Mission command on semi-automatic - Autonomous control of routine tasks could free up mission commander’s time, support decision-making • Science on the spot - RDECOM FAST advisers develop 3-D printed pigs and other prototypes to protect Soldiers • Multidomain medicine - TATRC prepares for a more complex battlefield with advanced technologies for casualty care • Rambo’s premiere - Researchers fire 3-D printed ammo out of a 3-D printed grenade launcher • Need a LFT? - PEO Ammunition works to close capability gap left by cluster munitions • Robotics revolutionary - Paul Scharre fears bureaucratic resistance could stall robotics revolution • The jungle boot - Jungle cats versus ACAT IIICollaborative autonomy: A Tactical Offset Strategy - ARL develops the S&T behind intelligent systems • The multilingual PM - To translate between different specialized languages requires first understanding them • Preparation for operational testing- Iterative acquisition poses unique but surmountable challenges in testing • USAASC Perspective: Senior Rater Potential Evaluation holds great potential for talent management • Career Navigator: a plan for achieving certification - Meeting DAWIA requirements takes planning, effort and dedicated time • Learning to take the lead - DAU-SSCF shows fellows the whole Army and what’s at stake for acquisition leaders • Nobody, take the wheel! -- Nearly 50 years ago, the Army began tinkering with driverless vehicles   less

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For an acquisition team to tackle its goals requires a strategy to close the gap between current and future needs by lining up the best possible workforce,... read more

For an acquisition team to tackle its goals requires a strategy to close the gap between current and future needs by lining up the best possible workforce, innovation and resources. IN THIS ISSUE: FROM THE AAE The challenges of change; Army acquisition is advancing from reform to strategic thinking ACQUISITION FACES OF THE FORCE: CAPT. RAVEN CORNELIUS; Contract specialist seeks to be ‘voice of the warfighter’ Deter and Defeat; Capabilities to fight a military peer have shrunk; war games, studies help HQDA put money where the greatest needs are Getting to Work; FAQs from Army Rapid Capabilities Office Director of Operations Maj. Gen. Walter E. Piatt RECALIBRATING REQUIREMENTS; ARCIC is looking to thaw the glacial pace of acquisition and speed capabilities to the warfighter A Rare FIND; Industry and ARCIC collaborate with FIND Vehicular Visions; Collaborating to tackle combat vehicle modernization A New Way of Thinking; Innovating to close the landmine capability gap Rethinking the Analysis; JPEO-CBD advances the art of analyzing the alternatives Just caall; Got a question? Upgraded lessons learned portal might have your answers Lesson Up; Writing up a lesson learned for the ALLP is easy Unintended Benefits; USASAC’s FMS efforts around the world have far-reaching impacts Meeting in the Middle; An operations research analyst brings new perspective to Army’s tactical network CHESS has another move; Government saves when sellers become bidders Aystemizing COTS IT; Initiative seeks to move commercial off-the-shelf systems into standard Army supply system LOGISTICS FACES OF THE FORCE: Product Manager Installation Information Infrastructure Modernization Program; A team of team leaders enabling information dominance LIFESAVING LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT; Central management of combat support hospitals’ equipment keeps advanced medical care at the ready SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACES OF THE FORCE: Mr. James “Jay” Clark; Excellence by design A NEW DIMENSION OF ACQUISITION; Using 3-D printing to meet Soldiers’ needs quickly and inexpensively MAGNIFYING OPEN SOURCE ADVANTAGES; ARL finds benefits outweigh risks with first open source software release REUSE, REFINE, RESOLVE; JTNC lessons learned in providing software-defined radio products to enable strategic acquisition HACKING for DEFENSE; Turning college students loose on national security problems Technically Speaking: ROBOTS DEVELOPING MUSCLE MEMORY; ARL uses sensors to help robots learn responses more quickly CONTRACTING FACES OF THE FORCE: MR. ANTHONY C. DUNAWAY; The challenges and rewards of OCONUS work Speed Contracting; Burn down the firewall: DIUx finds a way to work at the ‘speed of business’ Contract Optimization Pays Big Dividends; ECC-A and CCAS revamp service contracts for savings, efficiency CRITICAL THINKING SPEED AND URGENCY IN SILICON VALLEY; Tech innovators don’t want DOD’s money they want DOD’s problems DEPLOYING THE LEAN STARTUP METHOD; A disciplined approach to problem solving leads to success in Silicon Valley and beyond COMMENTARY Rule no. 1; Kill the program, not the customer Dreaming of a Strategy; Harry P. Hallock on the priorities and potential for streamlining defense acquisition Been there, Done that; Retiring PM reflects on programs that are too big to fail—and too big to succeed Big ‘A’ ACQUISITION Land force dominance requires a comprehensive acquisition process WORKFORCE FACES OF THE FORCE: Ms. Lindsey Miller; Be a sponge, and listen to your grandmother Swapping Intel; Strengthening ties with the intelligence community Where’s that program listed? Revamped website helps career development Hard Work Pays Off; Honoring 2016 contributors to acquisition excellence RECOGNIZING ARMY ACQUISITION ACHIEVEMENT; Army groups and individuals rewarded for their contributions to U.S. warfighters On the Move THEN & NOW SETTING A PACER FOR ACQUISITION; Tracing the origins of the integrated product team  less

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The award-winning EIS Communicator is the official monthly newsletter of U.S. Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS). Topics... read more

The award-winning EIS Communicator is the official monthly newsletter of U.S. Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS). Topics include Army, DOD, and stakeholder news, as well as acquisition, industry engagement and human interest news from the 36 programs in the EIS portfolio.   less

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From our country’s earliest days, dissatisfaction with the defense acquisition system has been a recurring theme. Commission after commission and study... read more

From our country’s earliest days, dissatisfaction with the defense acquisition system has been a recurring theme. Commission after commission and study after study found the same problems: burdensome regulations, cost overruns, slipping schedules, poor management or performance and a lack of incentives for success. The solutions? Professionalize the workforce. Buy commercial. Increase competition. Centralize. Decentralize. Reorganize. And yet the problems persist. Now, however, there’s a growing groundswell for real acquisition reform—the theme of the October-December 2016 issue of Army AL&T magazine. Read about: Acquisition ‘reform’ is on the table again, as it has been at least once in each decade since the end of World War II. But this time there’s reason to believe that the current reforms aren’t merely reactive but deliberate and forward-looking—and, just maybe, effective. See “GROUNDHOG DAY ALL OVER AGAIN.” Building on lessons from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and taking a page from an Air Force playbook, the Army is creating a new office to address new threats. Get the scoop about the new Army Rapid Capabilities Office from its leadership in “SEIZING THE ADVANTAGE.” Vendors share prototypes for weapon sights in a new mix-and-match approach to building interoperability into integrated Soldier systems for the best overall performance at the best overall price. Read “COMPETITION MEETS COLLABORATION.” William J. Perry, secretary of defense during the Clinton administration, discusses acquisition reform, program managers and his worries about a nuclear catastrophe in “AT THE NUCLEAR BRINK.” With all due respect, defense leaders, you don’t know jack: A former program manager offers his idea for effective acquisition reform—giving milestone decision authority to PEOs. Read “BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.” The president and CEO of Bell Helicopter draws on the company’s decades of defense experience to provide insights for the way ahead. Read “IMPROVING ACQUISITION: AN INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE.” The Human Capital Strategic Plan: What does it mean for you? Find out in “A READY ACQUISITION WORKFORCE.”   less

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From machines to medicine, software to field support, almost everything the Army does involves industry. The smallest tech startup and the biggest defense... read more

From machines to medicine, software to field support, almost everything the Army does involves industry. The smallest tech startup and the biggest defense contractor are equally important contributors to the goal of honing the Army’s edge. While maintaining a collaborative relationship with these industry players is always important, it grows ever more critical as defense budgets shrink. IN THIS ISSUE: With its decisive military overmatch a thing of the past, the United States seeks to marshal all possible resources to drive innovation and provide the latest capabilities. Army AL&T’s editors found that the picture of collaboration that emerges is far from complete, in “MAKING INNOVATION HAPPEN.” Big data analytics is a big thing in the world of high technology, and it’s especially important in cyber. A government off-the-shelf, open-source platform, part of a pilot program involving the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Enterprise Information Systems and U.S. Army Cyber Command, could lower costs and lead the way ahead. See “OPEN SOURCE BIG DATA.” From opening up export markets for U.S. armament manufacturers to finding ways to keep industrial base partners in business, a range of articles explores how PEO Ammunition keeps looking for new ways to work with industry. “While we constantly strive to develop breakthrough technologies in our labs and research, development and engineering centers, we also encourage the development of innovative solutions from industry partners, including small business firms,” the Honorable Katrina McFarland, acting assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and the Army acquisition executive, writes in “HIGH STAKES, HIGH REWARD.” The PEO for Command, Control and Communications – Tactical keeps up with rapid technological changes by taking a competitive approach to buying the latest commercial products to get the best to Soldiers faster, in “NETWORK MARKETPLACE: OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND GROWING.” An Army acquisition officer thought his advancement plans were derailed when he received orders to attend the resident course at U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Instead, the course was life-altering. See “AN ADVOCATE FOR INNOVATION.” Learn how the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency finds efficiencies in medical materiel procurement, fielding and sustainment to reduce the logistical footprint and optimize readiness with limited resources in “INTEGRATING ARMY MEDICINE.” Craig A. Spisak, director of the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center, explains how Soldiers training with industry helps Army acquisition work better in “SHRINKING THE DIVIDE,” while an Army officer tells of learning firsthand where Amazon’s corporate values and those of the military merge and diverge, in “ONE ‘PECULIAR’ FELLOWSHIP.”   less