PEO Perspective: March 2023

Happy Spring! It’s right around the corner, and we are expecting a busy season. Let’s get right to the updates:

FMS-ACES ASSUMPTION OF CHARTER

Ms. Kelly Rutherford assumed the charter for the newly established Product Lead Foreign Military Sales - Army Case Execution System (FMS-ACES) in a ceremony held Feb. 27.

Kelly will be responsible for overseeing this new product office within the PM Defense Information Business Systems (DIBS) portfolio. FMS-ACES’ mission is modernizing the legacy case implementation, execution and closure system (CISIL), and consolidating functionality included in several ancillary applications used to improve and enhance CISIL processes and user interfaces. 

Kelly’s leadership trajectory is impressive. She first served with the General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS), Accessions Information Environment (AIE) and AESIP Hub program offices, eventually leading to a detail with Integrated Personal and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A), assisting Increment II with future capabilities while the IPPS-A team prepared for full Army implementation of Release 3.

I am confident in Kelly’s ability to lead this new iteration of FMS – incorporating the mission of modernizing CISIL – into a new era of global support to the Soldier.

E-ICAM ASSUMPTION OF CHARTER

On Feb. 28, Mr. Kyle Tucker assumed the charter for Product Lead Enterprise – Identity, Credential and Access Management (E-ICAM).

Kyle began overseeing the newly established office in January 2023, though the charter became official on the last day of February. 

Kyle is nearly legendary around PEO EIS as an exemplary acquisition and technology teammate, having previously served as the assistant product lead for Applied Cyber Technologies (ACT) within EIS’ Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) portfolio, as well as serving as assistant product manager for Cyber Platforms and Systems at DCO. During his time at DCO, Tucker held a developmental assignment with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology’s Chief Technology Office (ASAALT CTO), serving as a senior fellow and leading a team that evaluated data analytics-gathering efforts at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. Kyle has also deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

Back in January 2022, Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-6 Lt. Gen. John Morrison named E-ICAM as one of two priorities for setting unified network operations (UNO) in support of multi-domain operations.  Lt. Gen. Morrison said that ICAM is “foundational to zero trust,” as it enables the Army to determine who is on the network and who has access to which data.

The E-ICAM office is establishing a global, scalable, robust capability leveraging a single set of authoritative identity data used to grant access to Army IT resources at the point of need, regardless of location.

Kyle is an outstanding choice to lead this critical program in setting the foundation for the Zero Trust Architecture Framework. Congratulations, Kyle!

DAU DBS WEBINAR

On March 2, Keith Baylor, product lead for ArmyIgnitED, participated in a virtual Defense Business Systems (DBS) Webinar hosted by the Defense Acquisition University (DAU).

We were honored to be a part of this new series at DAU, bringing together Defense Business Systems (DBS) subject matter experts with our acquisition community to discuss best practices, lessons learned and more. 

ArmyIgnitED, a tuition assistance portal replacing the GoArmyEd platform, is now part of PM DIBS in the PEO EIS portfolio. ArmyIgnitED is a financial management that supports Soldier tuition and credentialing assistance, Scholarship Cadets and eligible Department of the Army Civilians’ and Fellows’ professional development. 

In August 2022, we rolled out an upgraded version of the ArmyIgnitED portal to provide Soldiers, education counselors and academic institutions with a smoother and more reliable experience for processing Army Tuition Assistance Requests, and in early 2023, we completed phase two of the project, enabling Cadets to request Reserve Officers’ Training Corps scholarship funding and Soldiers to apply for funding for credentialing assistance.

Phase three of the project, which will allow Army Civilians to request professional development funds, is expected this year.

Our Soldiers, Cadets and Civilians deserve a reliable system that allows them to continue their education, and the Army is committed to getting this right.  Keith’s participation in this important event helps to explain the important mission we have embarked upon to assist Soldiers in their continuing education journeys.

LMR/BECS RENAMING CEREMONY

Also on March 2, Col. Jay Shell, project manager for PM Integrated Enterprise Network (IEN), hosted a ceremony at Fort Belvoir renaming the Land Mobile Radio product office.

The new Product Lead Base Emergency Communications System (BECS), still led by product lead EJ Wasikowski, will take on a global communications mission, supporting Soldier readiness by providing pre-deployment, non-tactical base emergency communications worldwide.

I am confident that EJ and the team will continue to deliver first-rate emergency management / critical communications capabilities in support of installation public safety organizations and functions, including first responder, force protection and other installation management activities worldwide.

Thanks for your continued great service, EJ!

EBS-C RELINQUISHMENT OF CHARTER

Last month, I shared with you that Mr. Lee James III would take on the solo role of Assistant Program Executive Officer (APEO) for our portfolio. This month, with news that Mr. Preston Hayward, product lead for Enterprise Business Systems – Convergence, will be taking a new role with the Navy, I asked Lee to step in. He will be serving as the Acting Project Manager and a direct report to me to help establish the project management office (PMO) until the centrally selected project manager assumes the charter next year.

The EBS-C PMO is charged with the development and deployment of the Army's modernized/converged enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. In conjunction with the Army’s broader EBS – Multi-Functional Capabilities Team (EBS-MFCT), the EBS-C PMO will deliver the first deployment of the Army’s ERP modernization effort by 2027. By integrating several major ERP systems in the cloud, the Army aims to transform its business processes, simplify Soldiers’ day-to-day business and sustainment-related activities, drive readiness through faster and more accurate battlefield decision-making, and enable dominance during multi-domain operations and large-scale combat operations.

Thank you to Preston, who has led the organization through much of the creation of the acquisition strategy and will be honored in a Relinquishment of Charter Ceremony March 31. Lee has a proven record of success and is an accomplished leader. I have great confidence in his ability to lead this high-priority portfolio. Congrats to Lee!

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

March is Women's History Month. Women Soldiers, Army Civilians, Veterans and family members are critical members of our Army team, representing 19% of troops and serving in all Army career fields. We know from history and experience that the contributions and achievements of women make our Army stronger.

This month, we will be featuring some of PEO EIS’ excellent women leaders on our social media platforms. If you aren’t already following us — and I hope you are! — please look for these spotlights on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages, as well as our newly launched Instagram page.

MEDAL OF HONOR AND VIETNAM VETERANS DAY

The Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest award for military valor in action. This month, we will as a nation recognize the recipients who have distinguished themselves through bravery, courage and sacrifice.

On National Vietnam War Veterans Day, the Army honors all United States Veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces from Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975, regardless of location. This year marks the sixth anniversary of the Vietnam War Veterans Day. The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act was established in 2017, designating March 29 as a day to honor and thank Vietnam Veterans.

Thank you sincerely to all who have served and helped to preserve our union.

CONGRATULATIONS, COL MARK TAYLOR!

Project Manager Defensive Cyber Operations Col. Mark Taylor is a 2023 FED 100 WINNER!

Col. Taylor was selected from hundreds of nominees for a spot on the coveted list selected each year by FCW.

Congratulations to all of the nominees and thank you for your great service to the U.S. Army! 

Mark — proud to serve this mission with you!

AUSA GLOBAL FORCE SYMPOSIUM

I will be attending the annual AUSA Global Force Symposium and Exposition (GFS&E) this year, along with representatives from PM IPPS-A. The symposium takes place March 28-30 in Huntsville, Alabama, and the theme is: Designing and Sustaining the Army of 2040. I hope to see you there!

Thank you for all you do to support PEO EIS, the Army and Soldiers.

Ross R. Guckert, Program Executive Officer, PEO EIS

Connecting the Army. Working for Soldiers.