Around EIS

GCSS-Army Continues Fielding by Launching International Efforts

By Lee Eustace, Logistics Division, GCSS-Army

The Wave 1 fielding effort of the Product Manager, Global Combat Support System-Army (GCSS-Army) enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution continues to make progress, despite challenges as a result of sequestration and the government shutdown.

Recently, a group comprised of chiefs of installation (COIs), trainers and system engineers (SEs), visited several U.S. Army locations in Germany and Italy to prepare for the upcoming fielding. For this European fielding, the GCSS-Army team will face a new set of challenges ranging from time zone and language differences to coordinating international travel, complying with host nation regulations and navigating labor force cultural differences.

To initiate this fielding, the training team has already conducted three sessions of the Advance Lead User Training (ALUT) at 23 different U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) units, 18 in Germany and five in Italy. The COIs and SEs also conducted a series of site visits, technical briefings and leadership briefings aimed at preparing the units for a successful implementation of GCSS-Army. These efforts are just the beginning of the overall fielding of GCSS-Army overseas. Worldwide fielding efforts continue until its completion in fiscal year 2017, when the GCSS-Army system will be in use by an estimated 160,000 users.

As of the end of November, GCSS-Army has fielded the Wave 1 solution to 11 Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) units, 19 Army National Guard units, three Army Reserve Command units and nine Army Sustainment Command Directorates of Logistics. So far, GCSS-Army has completed 13 percent of Wave 1, with an overall customer satisfaction rating of 80 percent. For more information on GCSS-Army, please visit our website: www.gcss.army.mil

Posted January 29, 2014

U.S. Navy Leverages PD AHRS’ DOD Solution for Range Scheduling and Data Collection

By Mark Gruber, Small Arms Range (SAR) Manager, Navy Installations Command Training and Readiness/N3AT

For the fourth consecutive fiscal year, Commander Naval Installation Command (CNIC) is leveraging the use of an application developed by the U.S. Army to facilitate scheduling and data collection on live fire training ranges. Range Facility Management Support System (RFMSS), which is managed by the Product Director Army Human Resource Systems (PD AHRS), PEO EIS, is a proven scheduling and data collection application developed and funded by the Army since 1999. The U.S. Marine Corps and the National Guard also use RFMSS for their range scheduling and data collection needs. In addition to saving time and effort scheduling the ranges, the usage data facilitates informed resourced-based decision making.

The Navy pays the Army via an Inter-service Support Agreement for RFMSS use at a cost much lower than what the Navy would have to pay were it to develop its own system. “In order to operate in the most cost effective manner possible, the services need to leverage automated systems that can provide common solutions. The Navy required an application to track facility usage, expenditure of ammunition, and automate the scheduling/data collection process. We looked DoD-wide and found an application (RFMSS) already existed” said Mark Gruber, CNIC Small Arms Range Program Manager. Gruber continued: “By the Navy leveraging RFMSS, we follow in the footsteps of the Army, the Marine Corps, and the National Guard. RFMSS is truly a Joint DOD-wide solution. The Army program office provides all technical development, contracting administration, information assurance and authority to operate, and the other services use the application at a dramatically reduced cost, eliminating the need to develop our own application. It’s a cost-effective, win-win across the services.”

Dr. Leslie Sofocleous, PD AHRS, whose office is the acquisition manager for RFMSS, explained: “RFMSS was developed by the Army and is offered to other services at considerable savings. We believe that when you have an already developed product that can be leveraged at low cost by the other services, it is only the right thing to offer that product to the other services. Joint DOD-wide solutions provide economies of scale and save taxpayer dollars.” Jerry Griffin, training range coordinator at the Naval Weapons Station (NWS), Yorktown, Va., depends on RFMSS to schedule, deconflict and safely manage the ranges at his installation. “We use RFMSS extensively for our 25 training ranges and training areas. It is a robust and capable system that we rely on to keep accurate situational awareness of what training is taking place at NWS Yorktown.”

Heather Lawrence, training range manager at Joint Expeditionary Base-Little Creek, Fort Story, Norfolk, Va., had similar comments: “We rely on RFMSS for scheduling, data collection and keeping our leadership informed of the training taking place on our installation’s 157 varied training areas. Many of these training areas support high risk training due to the live fire aspects inherent in weapons qualifications and explosives handling. We also support scheduling of helicopter and parachute training operations.” LT Chris Zink, regional range manager at Commander Navy Region Southwest, finds another benefit of RFMSS: use RFMSS to schedule and collect data on live-fire ranges enabling anti-terrorism force protection qualifications. We then use the data make informed manpower and resourcing decisions.”

In addition to CNIC-funded ranges, RFMSS is available to the rest of the Navy at no charge. Navy Special Warfare Group One, Commander, Naval Air Forces, Coronado, Ca., and Naval Education and Training Command, headquartered in Pensacola, Fla., currently use RFMSS to schedule/collect data at certain facilities. With CNIC recently funding Navy RFMSS for fiscal year 2014, and the Military Operations Area in place until fiscal year 2016, RFMSS is the go-to system for all Navy range scheduling and data collection needs.

Posted January 23, 2014

Operation DDTC

By By 2LT Chelsea R. Frazier, Joint Network Node Platoon Leader, Charlie Company “Cobras”

FOB Airborne Welcomes DDTC

In August 2013, the JNN12 Signal Team, from Charlie Company 4-3 STB, enjoyed the opening day for the Deployed Digital Training Campus (DDTC) - serving as the Education Center on FOB Airborne, Afghanistan. What exactly is a DDTC? The DDTC is a mobile, networked system of 20 workstations, servers, and supplementary equipment which connects to the web via satellite. The system, managed and deployed by PEO EIS’ Product Director Distributed Learning System (DLS), provides training resources for deployed Soldiers around the globe to continue their education without interruption. Designed to Army requirements to be expeditionary and self-contained, DDTC systems are able to operate within any geographic region to include those areas where telecommunication infrastructures do not exist.

The DDTC provides access to online training to include delivery of web-based courses; courses delivered by Video Tele-Training, Voice over IP (VoIP), collaborative training tools, and access to Army Learning Management System (ALMS), Virtual BattleSpace 2 (gaming) and Army eLearning courses.

The DDTC is modular in design and consists of 21 notebook computers, local and wide-area network equipment, and a SATCOM Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT).

The DDTC system employed by the JNN12 Signal Team was completely set up and ready to go in less than two hours. The system was strategically emplaced in a suitable room in the Mayor Cell – an easily accessible central building on FOB Airborne.

What Does it Provide?

The DDTC provides dedicated education capabilities to conduct career training such as structured self-development (SSD) level I-IV; reach back capabilities to Army proponent schools, and wide-area and local-area access to collaboration applications. Also, the DDTC system provides Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2) – a fully interactive system providing high definition training. Soldiers learn to anticipate and respond to tactical situations by practicing existing and developing tactics, techniques and procedures using the VBS2 trainer. The DDTC system provides all of these resources to over 1,400 Soldiers located on FOB Airborne.

The DDTC is operated primarily by Specialist Nicholas Hayes, (Signal Company Operator). Our Education Center provides a quiet working environment with 13 notebook computers to conduct educational related tasks from the hours of 1300-2300, seven days a week. Specialist Hayes works closely with the lead DDTC help desk representatives located at the Enterprise Management Center in Fort Eustis, Virginia to ensure all problems are resolved in a timely manner, and that all users are aware of how to use and access all DDTC features.

“I would love to use this system back at Fort Stewart, Ga.,” said SPC Hayes. “Having a designated area just for our [brigade], with multiple computer access is very ideal for Soldiers to conduct Sergeant’s Time Training, and other Army/educational related requirements.”

While the majority of the Soldiers on FOB Airborne requested to use the Education Center to complete SSD level I; a few senior NCOs were interested in completing higher lever SSDs. After a typical duty day, Soldiers have plenty of time to take advantage of the Education Center to complete educational related tasks and assignments.

“While deployed I made a personal goal to complete SSD level III,” said SSG DeWayne Bell, signal foreman for the 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry. “Thankfully, having the education center allows me to complete all of my educational goals.”

Major Components

The DDTC system uses training management application software such as the Saba Learning program to maintain training and education records in accordance with the Army Learning Management System (ALMS)

FOB Airborne Education Center

To name a few, the DDTC system provides access to the following distributed learning courses:

• Correspondence courses
• Advanced leader courses
• Mandatory Training
• Army Learning Management System (ALMS) Courses
• Army Training Requirements and Resource Systems (ATRRS) Courses
• Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Courses
• Reimer Digital Library (RDL) Army Training and Education Network Courses

During this nine-month deployment Commanders aim to maximize Soldiers comprehensive training while in a high-tempo and demanding environment. The intent is to provide Soldiers the opportunity to enroll in college courses, and structured self-development courses in order to gain promotion points and enhance their careers. Investing in a Soldier’s education produces long-term opportunities whether they may choose to stay in the military or not. Yes, we are heavily dedicated to ensuring our Soldiers are proficient in their warrior tasks and drills; however, developing our Soldiers academically and professionally is an essential part of our mission here in Afghanistan.

Posted January 22, 2014

MC4: Reflecting on a Year of Partner Collaboration

By MC4 Strategic Communications

By equipping deployed medical units with automated resources, Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) ensures that Service members have a secure, accessible, lifelong electronic medical record (EMR), resulting in easier access to medical benefits, peace of mind, and better informed health care providers.

Successfully achieving this mission requires continuous and diligent focus on meeting charter requirements while facing increasing budget pressures. This work cannot be done alone. MC4 invited key external stakeholders to a December 2012 strategy planning meeting and shared their ideas on positioning the organization for future success. In 2013, this feedback was carefully studied, resulting in the revision of the program’s mission statement, the development of new program priorities and revamped strategic communications efforts. Stakeholder feedback also drove strategic design enhancements and content updates to MC4’s website, multiple social media accounts and other external communication materials. As a result, MC4 noticed noteworthy increases in external stakeholder and partner engagement about shared topics of interest.

Another example of MC4’s focus on stakeholder collaboration is the program’s partnership with the Deployment & Readiness Systems (D&RS) Program Management Office of the Defense Health Clinical Systems (DHCS), formerly Defense Health Information Management System (DHIMS). Throughout 2013, MC4 and DHCS partnered to test and prepare for the next major release of the Army’s lifelong EMR system, EMR 2.2.0.0. This ongoing partnership is critical because DHCS provides many of the software applications used on the MC4 system. The release is scheduled to be fielded to customers worldwide in early 2014 and includes multiple system enhancements that make it easier and safer for customers to document patient care.

MC4 also collaborated with customers to develop a behavioral health documentation method that would benefit providers and researchers who consistently track telehealth encounters. The Behavioral Health (BH) Standard Note and the Telebehavioral Health Originating Site template are two user friendly tools enabling MC4 users to effectively track telebehavioral health encounters, simplifying the process of tracking mineable data.

Looking forward, MC4 is committed to continuously serving Soldiers and supporting the mission now and well into the future. To ensure long-term prominence, MC4 will incorporate new technologies and strive to improve customer relationships.

Posted January 22, 2014