PEO Perspective: October 2021

Following AFCEA TechNet in August, our attendance at “A”-list events continues this month with AUSA 2021 — the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting and exposition, taking place Oct. 11-13 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. While the in-person event has limited participation and some new guidelines this year for safety reasons, it promises to be a great opportunity for my deputy John Howell and me to meet with industry partners. We also look forward to attending Warriors Corner presentations on topics like “The Unified Network: Enabling Decision Dominance” and “Advanced Technologies (Cloud and Data) for Multi-Domain Operations/Joint All-Domain Command and Control/Cyber Panel.”

RECENT NEWS & EVENTS

Organizational Changes at PEO EIS

October kicks off with a couple of key organizational changes at PEO EIS. First, our Global Combat Support System – Army (GCSS-Army) product office has officially moved to our Defense Integrated Business Systems portfolio, where it joins other enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. GCSS-Army will complete its migration to the cloud in FY22 and is one of several Army ERPs destined for convergence with other enterprise business systems.

Additionally, our Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems project manager Col. Jay Shell welcomed Lt. Col. Xkoshan (Koshan) Arnold on Oct. 1 as the new product manager for Global Enterprise Network Modernization – Americas (GENM-A). GENM-A is the new name for the former Installation Information Infrastructure Modernization Program (I3MP) product office. It is responsible for modernizing the Army's information technology infrastructure and managing the Army’s continental U.S. installation campus area networks and command centers. GENM-A encompasses both the Enterprise IT as a Service program — overseen by deputy product manager Mike Van Buskirk — and the I3MP program managed by deputy product manager Charlie Cole.

Ongoing Army 365 Email Migration

Like the rest of the Army, PEO EIS is in the process of migrating from Defense Enterprise Email (DEE) to Army 365 Email. What this means is that EIS team members’ email addresses will end in @army.mil instead of @mail.mil. DEE will eventually go away completely, so we are asking our workforce to migrate and start using Army 365 Email as soon as possible. To that end, we encourage our industry partners and other stakeholders to start using our @army.mil addresses as well (Format: firstname.middleinitial.lastname.mil/civ/ctr@army.mil). Email migration represents the second phase of the Army’s three-phase approach to rolling out Army 365 for enhanced communications and interoperability.

UPCOMING EVENTS OF NOTE

AFCEA Belvoir Industry Days

This signature annual event is once again back at the Gaylord Convention Center at National Harbor, Maryland, Nov. 3-5, after a completely virtual event in 2020. I hope to see many of you there! As always, PEO EIS will have an active presence with a PEO keynote, two assistant program executive officer panels, several breakout sessions and booths on the exhibit floor. Stay tuned for more information on our website and social media channels in coming weeks!

October Observances:

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Part of a year-long cybersecurity awareness campaign, Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights cyber threats and incidents, their impact on Army missions, how the Army workforce should respond, and cutting-edge solutions. While PEO EIS’s Defensive Cyber Operations project office focuses on defending the Army’s cyber network, there is a lot that the general workforce can do to keep systems secure and data protected, both inside and outside of the office.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month: National Disability Employment Awareness Month provides the opportunity to educate the workforce about disability employment issues and to celebrate the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. This year's theme, "America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” reflects on the importance of the perspectives and contributions that differently abled Americans bring to our country and our Army. 

Continuation of National Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, this observance pays tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. Today, 16 percent of American’s Army is comprised of Hispanic American Soldiers, and they — as well as Hispanic Army civilians — continue a legacy of professionalism, selfless service and courage.

We will be recognizing all three of these important observances on our social media platforms this month.

Have a safe, enjoyable month ahead!

Ross R. Guckert, Program Executive Officer, PEO EIS

Connecting the Army. Working for Soldiers.