Behind the Frontlines: Enabling the Warfighter

If we project ourselves into the future and see that sustainment costs ultimately become operationally or fiscally unaffordable, will acquisition leaders still defend the decision to accelerate programs while accepting reduced analytical rigor? Or will the Army discover that it merely shifted risk from the present into the future where the consequences became harder, more expensive and potentially...

In the Army, leadership is fundamentally defined by ‘influence’. This distinction is the lifeblood of our organization, separating management and administration from the dynamic process of leading Soldiers through conflict and peace.

Faces of the Force profile on Ebonie F. McClintock-Bennett, Army Contracting Command Mission Installation Contracting Command Office of Small Business Programs procurement analyst.

Over 30 Army acquisition career development leaders met at a combination virtual and in-person conference at the United States Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) on June 3.

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENT RONALD J. RICHARDSON JR. The Army stands at a pivotal moment, one defined not by incremental change but by deliberate transformation. At the center of this evolution is a concept often discussed but not always fully understood: workforce optimization. This initiative, tied directly to broader acquisition transformation, is reshaping how the Army A...

Somewhere in the Pentagon, an Army senior leader recently made a program decision informed by live data, instead of slide decks. That moment reflects a broader transformation: as more information moves into digital models, decisions that once required weeks of staffing are now being made in hours. This pattern is becoming more common, but it is not yet the norm.

The Army has signed a new policy that fundamentally transforms the materiel release process, replacing decades of administrative friction with a risk-informed, enabling framework that delivers capabilities to Soldiers faster, without compromising the safety, suitability and supportability standards that protect the force.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement (DASA(P)) convened its DASA(P) Advisory Board on April 22-23, 2026, for a pivotal two-day summit at the Pentagon. The summit focused on accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) integration and workforce transformation across Army contracting.

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...

The Army is wasting no time implementing artificial intelligence (AI) into its enterprise structures. In recent months, the United States Army Communications-Electronics Command Army Software and Innovation Center (CECOM ASIC) has aggressively incorporated AI capabilities into its Enterprise Help Desk (EHD) that services the Army’s critical Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems—massive softwa...

The Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) is committed to doing better. As the Army moves at speed toward continuous transformation, ATEC is fundamentally changing how we support decisions to deploy new capabilities that defeat emerging threats. The linear, sequential model—contractor testing followed by independent government developmental testing, followed by an independent government operatio...

As the Army reshapes its acquisition enterprise to move faster and remain relevant in an increasingly contested operational environment, the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program stands as a clear example of how Capability Program Executive–Ground (CPE Ground) is accepting and managing risk rather than avoiding it. Executed under accelerated acquisition pathways and fielded while testing and...

Faces of the Force: Meet Aaron Robertson-Majewski, a pricing team chief at Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal, who is making a significant impact on our national security. In the latest #FacesoftheForce profile, learn how Aaron leads his team of dedicated price/cost analysts to ensure the Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) receives the best value for critical supplies and serv...

Meet Sgt. 1st Class China A. Mathews! When tasked with an assignment full of unknowns, she doesn’t just charge ahead. Her secret to success? Always asking "Why?" This commitment to understanding the full picture has defined her remarkable career. From serving as a petroleum supply specialist to now providing critical contracting support for over 5,000 Soldiers, her journey is a powerful example of...

Leadership Insight: Improving Public Sector Inefficiencies with Private Sector Solutions. After a distinguished 38-year career in the U.S. Army, retired Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood made the transition from active duty to the private sector. His military journey began as an infantry private, then progressed through his Army career as an aviator, who served in both conventional forces and special operati...

Faces of the Force: Sgt. 1st Class China A. Mathews, 918th Contracting Battalion, Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Carson, Colorado, Detachment Sergeant

Charles Harris, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center, Capability Program Executive Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense General Engineer, Contract Specialist.

As the Army Acquisition Executive (AAE), I view the PIT as a proving ground for how the Army can rapidly inject promising technology into the hands of our warfighters, iterate with vendors and scale across the Army through our six Portfolio Acquisition Executives.

The Army is embracing low-code solutions to rapidly develop and deploy applications with minimal hand-coding, resulting in faster time-to-production, lower costs and greater agility in responding to changing mission requirements. This shift streamlines processes, enhances operational efficiency and improves decision-making capabilities. Low-code solutions are a modern approach to software developm...

The Army’s Launched Effects (LE) program is accelerating a new era of battlefield reach and responsiveness by pairing cutting-edge uncrewed technology with acquisition approaches designed for speed. Built to deliver decisive effects from standoff distances, these systems are rapidly moving from concept to operational use—demonstrating that smarter acquisition can be just as transformative as the t...

The Army’s acquisition reform is beginning to show tangible results, as early actions taken under the new portfolio acquisition executive (PAE) construct translate strategic intent into measurable progress. Within the first 60 days of the Army’s implementation of the new PAE approach, several portfolios are already demonstrating how empowered teams can move quickly to reduce friction, streamline l...

Modernization is no longer defined by how quickly an idea is conceived, but by how rapidly and effectively it is delivered to Soldiers in operational environments. As mission demands evolve and technology advances at an unprecedented speed, the Army must bridge the gap between innovation and impact. The Pathway for Innovation and Technology (PIT) Office was established to do exactly that—serving a...