PEO Perspective: September 2019

Now that I’m officially the Deputy Program Executive Officer (no longer the Acting!), Ms. Smith agreed to let me take the wheel as the guest host for this month’s Perspective. It’s been a busy summer so far and I have a lot to share with you as we approach the finish line of another successful fiscal year.

AFCEA TECHNET AUGUSTA
The AFCEA TechNet Augusta conference in August is a tradition that I am always eager to support, and this year I was honored to represent our Army team as part of a series of consecutive PEO presentations that also featured Maj. Gen. David Bassett, PEO Command Control Communications-Tactical (C3T); Brig. Gen. Anthony Potts, PEO Soldier; and Brig. Gen. Robert Collins, PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (IEW&S).

PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES
As I briefed in Augusta, the Combat Service Support Automated Information System Interface (CAISI) and the Combat Service Support Very Small Aperture Terminal (CSS VSAT), part of the PEO EIS Project Manager Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems (DCATS), were developed to be user owned and operated in support of sustainment information systems. As part of an overarching Army transition to sustainment plan, CAISI VSAT will be subsumed by PEO C3T effective October 1.

At the same time, PEO EIS will gain MilTech from PEO C3T. Military Technical (MilTech) Solutions provides innovative collaboration and information sharing IT services and products that increase efficiency and operational performance. The project suite includes milSuite and Knowledge Management, communication tools that support the DoD workforce in their missions. We are excited to partner with our sister PEOs in the visionary transition to sustainment plan, which better aligns Army mission portfolios for increased efficiency and cost savings.

LEADERSHIP CHANGES
Back in July Ms. Smith announced the departure of Dan Joyce, our former Assistant PEO for Networks, Cyber and Services, to attend senior service college. At TechNet this year I announced the new APEO stepping into this role. John Howell comes to us from PEO Soldier, where he was the project director for Soldier Systems and Integration and the lead for Adaptive Squad Architecture. But John is no stranger to PEO EIS, having previously served in various product director roles within our organization, including Enterprise Email and Enterprise Content Collaboration & Messaging (EC2M).

It’s also my pleasure to announce that Mr. Matt Russell (You may remember him as Col. Matt Russell), will take the reins as PEO EIS Chief of Staff on September 3. Before serving in uniform as our CoS, Matt was also the former Project Manager General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS). He recently retired from active duty and is returning to our team as a government civilian. We're delighted to have his continued guidance and support in this crucial role, and Ms. Smith and I are both confident in these recent additions to our workforce.

LEADERSHIP PRIORITIES
As an organization and a leadership team, our focus remains on the four priorities that Ms. Smith established last year: 

• Talent Management: Right people, right place, right time.


• Stakeholder Management: Building and maintaining relationships.


• ERP Integration: Integrated and innovative ERPs.


• Network Integration: Network modernization, cyber security operations and enterprise solutions.

MEDIA COVERAGE
I had the chance to speak with Mark Pomerleau from Fifth Domain after the panel, as well. Mark also interviewed Joe Kobsar, Director of Applied Cyber Technologies, who is responsible for the Project Manager Defensive Cyber Operation’s (DCO) Forge innovation center at Fort Belvoir, and LTC Mike Lind, DCO’s Product Manager Cyber Protection Systems (CPS). The article, “The Army wants these new defensive cyber tools,” was published August 27 and features insights from the team.

EITaaS
Earlier this summer, we announced the intent to award up to three prototype Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements for the Army’s Enterprise Information Technology as a Service (EITaaS) pilot. This collaborative effort between PEO EIS, Army Cyber Command and the Army CIO/G6 asked that industry propose commercial IT service delivery options. The July notice was the culmination of a three-month process that began in April with a Sources Sought/Request for Information notice, which netted more than 40 responses from industry that influenced our acquisition strategy and helped us to shape the requirements. Final proposals were due August 16. Stay tuned to our website and social sites for a selection announcement late in this month! We’re excited to have led the procurement effort for this important Army pilot in close partnership with Army Cyber Command. This pilot has the potential to shape Army acquisition for years to come, and we are proud to play a part in this endeavor, partnering with industry experts in support of Army readiness and modernization.

As I mentioned in my briefing, if you’re coming in to sell your solution, it’s helpful to know where the program office and the PEO fit in with the Army’s plans. I encourage industry to do their homework, stay abreast of the Army senior leadership posture and priorities, and how you fit into that vision. We are serious about encouraging competition, innovation and speed of relevance.

Among other benefits, engaging with industry helps us to improve our Requests for Proposals – EITaaS is a great example of how that works. I met with dozens of vendors at TechNet and participated in key stakeholder meetings that will help us shape requirements and ask for what we need to support the Soldier. If we didn’t get a chance to meet up at TechNet, I encourage you to download the slides from my TechNet presentation or view the full video. Ms. Smith and I hope to see you at future events!

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OBSERVATIONS
This month, Ms. Smith will give the keynote speech at AFCEA Belvoir’s annual fiscal year kick-off luncheon on Sept. 26 at the Fort Belvoir Officer’s Club. We are also getting ready for our second annual All Saints Ball in October. All Saints is an evening of tradition and celebration recognizing workforce accomplishments and the history and contributions of each Army branch. Last year we had over 300 participants for the night of fun and heraldry and this year promises not to disappoint!

Finally, we are gearing up for the Army’s big show, the annual AUSA convention. Look for important announcements in the weeks to come on our Facebook, Twitterand LinkedIn pages.

The Army celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15 to recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans who have enriched our nation and our society. Hispanic Americans constitute almost 14 percent of the military, a number that is rapidly growing. The contributions of Soldiers, Civilians and contractors are invaluable to our mission, and we owe a debt of gratitude to these great Americans.

Each year, September 11th brings a somber reminder of why our national security is of the utmost importance. I am proud to be part of a team that supports the strongest fighting force in the world – our Army. On September 11th this year, I hope you will join me in remembering those lost, as well as those who in the aftermath felt a call to service and made the brave decision to defend and secure our nation. We are indebted to them all, and we will never forget. 

Connecting the Army. Working for Soldiers. 

Brendan Burke

Deputy Program Executive Officer
Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems