PEO Perspective July 2019
The PEO EIS team is over 3,000 military, civilian and government contractors across 37 product offices and 71 acquisition programs. We are the Army’s software and network engineers, program managers, logisticians, IT specialists, and cyber security experts. We’re also one of the largest, most portfolio-diverse and busiest PEOs!
By now you have heard that Dr. Mark Esper has accepted the nomination as Secretary of Defense. Mr. Ryan McCarthy, the now Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Secretary of the Army, sent a message to the Army workforce this week outlining recent leadership changes and conveying the need to remain mission focused, stating that while there may be changes in leadership, our Army priorities remain the same: Readiness, Modernization and Reform.
We’re supporting Army modernization efforts in a BIG way:
Enterprise IT as a Service:
The Army network is our foundational weapons platform, and a Soldier’s ability to shoot, move and communicate is dependent on a reliable, unified network. We know that reliable, defensible next-generation Enterprise IT increases readiness and lethality. The Enterprise Information Technology as a Service (EITaaS) pilot has the promise of delivering a more reliable and robust network solution that will transform the entire Army to a cutting-edge workplace for skilled professionals. To that end, the Army, with ARCYBER as the lead, has instituted a pilot program to inform broader Enterprise IT transformation efforts across the Army with the goal of a swift, adaptable, accessible, reliable and well-defended network. PEO EIS is proud to lead the procurement effort and continue to build a modernized network infrastructure for global connectivity and critical cyber security. On June 28, the Army issued the final Statement of Work (SOW) for EITaaS on FedBizOps. Assistant PEO Dan Joyce has led the EITaaS effort for PEO EIS these past months; we say farewell and a heartfelt thank you to Dan this month as he departs for Senior Service College.
Army Leader Dashboard:
Chief of Staff General Mark A. Milley challenged PEO EIS to come up with a solution for accurate, reliable data management for Army senior leaders. The theme of the latest issue of Army AL&T Magazine is how the Army identifies, collects, manages and analyzes data throughout all Army programs’ life cycles -- from the foxhole to the Pentagon. In it, along with a feature of PEO EIS, is an interview with Lt. Col. (P) Rob Wolfe, who until this month led the Army Leader Dashboard as our Staff Initiatives Group director. Read how the Army Leader Dashboard will deliver a secure, web-based application that can be accessed from any approved device in AL&T’s summer issue. Rob also leaves us this summer to go to Senior Service College and Col. Harry Culclasure, former PM AESIP, will take over the SIG role for headquarters.
Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army (IPPS-A):
In testimony before Congress in May, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army General James C. McConville outlined the importance of the IPPS-A program: “The Army’s modernization efforts cannot be just about new equipment. They must include multi-domain operations concept at echelon, the six modernization priorities, and a 21st century talent management system. People are the Army’s greatest strength and our most important weapon system. People will be my number one priority.”
In the last 31 months, under the leadership of Col. Darby McNulty, IPPS-A executed over 392 critical engagements with stakeholders across Congress, Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of Army, as well as all three Army components. Fielding to the Army National Guard and the Limited User Test in Pennsylvania were an enormous success, resulting in early termination of data collection and approval to continue deployment to the remainder of the National Guard throughout 2019 and into early 2020.
Darby has served as project manager for IPPS-A since May 2014, extending twice as it was vital that we had that continuity and expertise at a critical time of inception and initial fielding. When complete, IPPS-A will serve approximately 1.1 million Soldiers worldwide by full deployment. Darby retires this summer after 29 years of service and we are really going to miss him. Col. Rob Williams took the helm in a change of charter ceremony last week; Rob has served as the Department of the Army system coordinator for the WIN-T program, the Army G-8 program analyst for the Army Aviation portfolio and he is the former Product Manager Logistics Modernization Program (LMP). I’m excited to have Rob back on board and I know he will do great things at IPPS-A!
Last month we said farewell to Project Director Enterprise Services Tom Neff. Tom is a trusted institution in the acquisition community, having served more than 20 years at PEO EIS leading and supporting critical programs to include Reserve Component Automation System (RCAS), Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Services (CHESS), General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS), and finally ES. He also served 20 years in the U.S. Army Reserve (now retired), and it was my honor to host his promotion ceremony to Lt. Col. this past year. My team prepared a video of Tom sharing lessons learned and mentoring guidance on our social media platforms; in it he imparts wisdom he has gained from former leaders and his years of experience.
Lee James returns to us in the PD ES role, having previously served as an assistant project manager for GFEBS and a deputy product manager for GFEBS-Sensitive Activities; a deputy project director for Force Management System (FMS); and most recently, as the product director for Army Human Resource Systems (AHRS), where his team delivered an incremental suicide risk reduction dashboard to the Army and also initiated the development of a modern Army recruiting and accessioning capability.
We will miss seeing Tom every day, but he’s not going far – we’ll all continue to benefit from his wisdom and experience as a transitions to a position with Defense Acquisition University. In June we also said farewell to Chief of Staff Col. Matt Russell, who retired in a ceremony at Fort Belvoir – fittingly on the Army’s Birthday -- after more than 32 years of service. Matt formerly served as PM GFEBS, and as his last mission for us at PEO EIS also served as our “Oldest” Soldier in our ceremony June 11 celebrating the Army’s 244th birthday.
This month, we will say farewell to Doug Haskin, product lead CHESS, who hands the reins to deputy product lead Wayne Sok as he also leaves us to attend Senior Service College. On the same day, Gus Burnside II will assume the charter for the Army Enterprise Staff Management System (AESMS). Both CHESS and AESMS are part of the ES portfolio, with the AESMS managing the Army's Task Management Tool (TMT), which will provide a seamless, fully electronic tasking and tracking capability critical to Army Secretariat and Army Staff operations.
To those leaders transitioning out of PEO EIS, I thank you for your unwavering commitment and dedication to PEO EIS and the Army – you will always be a part of the EIS family. To those coming on board, I am confident in your abilities to help shape the future of the organization with Soldiers always the focus.
Independence Day is right around the corner, marking time honored traditions and celebration. Whether you serve in uniform or work in support of our Armed Forces, I thank you for your service. Whatever your plans for the 4th, please join me in paying tribute to the men and women who sacrificed for the freedom we hold dear as we come together as a Nation to celebrate.
Have a safe and happy summer, and thank you for all that you do to support PEO EIS and the Soldier!
Chérie A. Smith
Program Executive Officer Enterprise Information Systems
Connecting the Army. Working for Soldiers.