Around EIS

PEO EIS CIO speaks at DOD industry day

By David Wood, PEO EIS Public Affairs

Mr. Bezwada provided an overview of the current threats to the network that have informed DoD's network priorities. Chief among these is to ensure complete operational awareness across the network to identify threats and provide cyber defenses. The Joint Regional Security Stacks that are currently being fielded help achieve this vision by replacing the thousands of individual installation firewalls with a handful of robust, standard security stacks.

Mr. Bezwada also discussed the Army's network modernization efforts to increase network capacity, enhance network security, utilize cloud-based enterprise service, standardize network operations, employ application security, and leverage big data analytics. He specifically emphasized how all the efforts rely on increasing capacity. "If we take bandwidth out of the picture, then innovation is unlimited," said Mr. Bezwada.

Addressing DoD's move towards the Joint Information Environment, Mr. Bezwada reminded the audience that the department has done this before. "We've been doing this for a decade in the Pentagon where 14 services and agencies work together on a common network," said Mr. Bezwada. "The joint environment only works if all the services and agencies come together to make things happen."

Mr. Bezwada also provided insight into the Army's data strategy concept which includes moving simple user data, like Office documents and PDFs to a commercial cloud services. Currently this type of data comprising about 80 percent of the Army's total storage.

The DoD-wide event also included presentations from Mr. David Cotton, DoD Deputy CIO for Information Enterprise, and Mr. Jessie Showers, DISA's Infrastructure Executive.

Posted July 31, 2015

PEO EIS Military Deputy, COL Darrell Bennis, retires

By Ellyn Kocher, PEO EIS Public Affairs

COL Darrell Bennis, Military Deputy for PEO EIS, retired from Active Duty in the U.S. Army Reserve July 10 in a ceremony held at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, after 27 years of service.

More than 30 close colleagues and friends gathered with Bennis’ family at the Fort Belvoir Officer’s Club to honor the colonel, who has been the military deputy for PEO EIS since July 2013.

In this role, Bennis led the important mission of liaison between the PEO’s military and civilian personnel, providing guidance for all military-specific policies and procedures, and connecting with our Soldiers to ensure their success at the next level.

“In all of his roles, Darrell has demonstrated tenacity and skill in getting the right equipment, services, and training for our Soldiers, and a lifetime commitment to the mission,” said Mr. Doug Wiltsie, PEO EIS. “He dedicated himself to the mission of preparing our next generation of leaders to meet evolving challenges head on and implement creative solutions to really hard problems.”

Bennis’ was a former assistant product manager for Transportation Information Systems, now part of the Product Director Automated Movement and Identification Solutions, and held leadership positions at PEO Combat Service, Combat Service Support (PEO CS CSS) and the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, or(TACOM LCMC, and was a Reserve Component proponency officer at the Army Acquisition Support Center before he attended the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

“From Rifle Platoon Leader and XO to Battalion Motor Officer, S4, and a company commander for an Infantry Company, it’s hard to find an assignment that Darrell hasn’t held,” said Wiltsie, demonstrating the diversity of experience that Bennis gained in his years of service, “and he has excelled in every one.”

COL Bennis retires as a decorated Army officer with numerous commendations and awards, including five Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, and three Army Achievement Medals, as well as certification as a Level III Program Management and Information Technology Army Acquisition Officer. During the ceremony, he was presented with the Legion of Merit award, a PEO star note with the framed Lone Soldier portrait, letters from Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and a U.S. flag flown over the Pentagon June 14 in honor of his service.

“COL Bennis’ wide breadth of previous experience prepared him to be an outstanding MILDEP here at EIS, and he will be missed,” concluded Wiltsie.

Thank you for your service, COL Bennis, and enjoy your retirement!

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Posted July 27, 2015

PEO EIS to Host Army Cloud Hosting Contract Vehicle Industry Day July 29

By Product Director, Enterprise Computing Communications Team

On July 29, the Product Director, Enterprise Computing (PD EC) will host an Army Cloud Hosting Contract Vehicle (CHCV) Industry Day at Fort Belvoir. Program presentations include the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer on Cloud Policy, Army CIO/G6 on Army Cloud Strategy, and PD EC’s overview of the CHCV approach.

“The CHCV Industry Day will be a great source of information to industry on Army’s strategy and approach to DOD cloud policy”, said Mr. Archie Mackie, product director for EC. “We’re excited to engage with industry through our RFI, which closed on July 16, and this Industry Day July 29. Through these exchanges, industry and government are better informed about Army’s cloud services requirements and industry’s ability to provide and support them.”

Requirements Army is seeking include applications and associated data for migration to the commercial cloud. To accomplish migration, the Army intends to award a multiple award task order contract (MATOC) or indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for cloud computing services. The number of applications, their readiness to migrate, and their end user populations will drive the magnitude of requirements, including data storage, transaction volume, and modernization needs. Cloud services adoption will grow substantially over the contract’s period of performance as the Army consolidates data centers and transfers eligible applications to the commercial cloud.

As the acquisition lead for the Army CHCV, PD EC is requesting information on commercial service delivery capabilities for providing Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud computing capabilities to Army applications.

For more details on the Army CHCV: https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=7e94a3e88a71cfb3f7106fd4d892449a&tab=core&_cview=0

Posted July 23, 2015

GFEBS-SA Change of Charter

By Pamella Gray, GFEBS public communications

LTC Matthew Schramm relinquished the charter for General Fund Enterprise Business System Sensitive Activities (GFEBS-SA) to LTC Timothy McGrew at a change of charter ceremony June 29, in Alexandria, Virginia, hosted by General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS) Project Manager COL William Russell.

At the ceremony, COL Russell commended LTC Schramm for his work and dedication during his tenure as product manager, GFEBS-SA, “Based on some tough lessons learned, some significant accomplishments, tremendous risk reduction and great work by [LTC Schramm] and his team, it really couldn’t have been done any better.”

Echoing COL Russell’s sentiments, LTC McGrew said, “We will continue with the tradition of excellence, improvement and teamwork as we move forward. Thank you for what you have done and providing me with a smooth transition.”

LTC Schramm was the first product manager for GFEBS-SA and faced the challenge of starting up a new sister program to GFEBS, the first Enterprise Resource Planning structure to fully deploy within the Department of the Army. Today, GFEBS and GFEBS-SA work together to provide sensitive activity communities tools to provide decision support information, analytical data and sustain warfighting capability.

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Posted July 23, 2015

Matthew Maier Assumes Product Director Role at Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care

By MC4 Strategic Communications Office

On July 7, Mr. Matthew Maier assumed the charter for the Army’s Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) Product Management Office during an assumption of charter ceremony at Fort Detrick, Maryland. Mr. Reginald Bagby, portfolio manager, Enterprise Management Systems, Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS), officiated the ceremony.

“It is a great honor and privilege to assume the charter for MC4,” Maier said. “I am humbled and uniquely proud to be selected to join the distinguished and experienced team at MC4 and look forward to working together to support the health and well-being of our Army soldiers.”

MC4 integrates and fields the Army capability to digitally capture medical treatment data in operational environments, enhancing continuity of care and enabling a comprehensive lifelong electronic medical record (EMR) for Service members. Through an ongoing commitment to MC4’s mission, Maier said, the organization provides tools that are of the “utmost importance” in supporting the warfighter.

PEO EIS’ Bagby recapped the important function MC4 systems serve, stating that “EMRs impact Soldier care and give them peace of mind,” and expressed his confidence in Maier’s ability to lead the organization through the coming years.

Maier was selected through the first-ever Product Director Centralized Selection Board earlier this year. As the first civilian to lead MC4, he was entrusted with the MC4 Charter in part due to his extensive acquisition experience.

Maier said that he looks forward to transitioning MC4 into the future, including focusing on internal communications and personnel needs; providing outstanding customer service; and positioning MC4 to play a key role in the next generation electronic medical record.

Posted July 16, 2015

PEO EIS Holds Annual Organization Day

By Ellyn Kocher, PEO EIS Public Affairs

The annual PEO EIS Organization Day was held Friday, June 26, at Fort Belvoir, bringing together colleagues and their families for a day of sport and camaraderie.

The morning was kicked off with the traditional sporting activities before the heat set in, followed by the volleyball competition, the Mr. and Ms. Universe fitness competition, the ever-popular dunk tank, and Army displays.

Among the younger set, the moon bounce was a huge draw, along with kids’ games that included water balloons, tug o’ war, and other activities. The traditional dunk tank was no disappointment this year, as teammates dunked PEO Mr. Doug Wiltsie 13 times, and COL Charlie Stein, Project Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems (DCATS) a whopping 26 times!

In its second year, the PEO EIS Mr. and Ms. Universe brought out some fierce competition. Congratulations to Patrecia Williams for the "Ms." Hanging Leg Raises, and to MAJ Jonathan Judy for the "Mr." Pull-ups, and congratulations to the Product Director Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems (WESS) team for winning the volleyball tournament!

The weather cooperated this year and turn out for the event was high. Many thanks to the Operations and Theater Support Directorate (OTSD) for all of their hard work in planning and executing this event for the enjoyment of PEO EIS employees and their families and friends.

Happy summer, and Army Strong!

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Posted July 15, 2015

PM AcqBusiness Welcomes New Product Manager

By Arlene Goyette, PM AcqBusiness Communications

LTC Keith G. Harley assumed responsibility as Product Manager (PdM) AcqBusiness on July 2 at a Change of Charter ceremony hosted by Mr. Douglas Wiltsie, Program Executive Officer Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS). The ceremony was held at the Metro Park Conference Center in Alexandria, Virginia, and was attended by LTC Harley’s parents, MSG (R) Rowland Harley and Mrs. Linda Harley, as well as his daughter, Ms. Evonna Marie Harley.

Already a member of the PEO EIS team, LTC Harley previously served as the Acting Deputy Product Manager and Project Lead Integrator for the PM Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. He assumes the charter from LTC (P) Delisa Hernandez who has led AcqBusiness since 2012.

In his remarks, Mr. Wiltsie acknowledged and highlighted the many successes that AcqBusiness achieved under the exemplary leadership of LTC Hernandez’s three-year tenure as PdM. As a result of her leadership and hard work Hernandez was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

Mr. Wiltsie then welcomed LTC Harley by praising his prior achievements, demonstrated leadership, and extensive acquisition background. He expressed his confidence in LTC Harley’s ability to propel AcqBusiness to new levels of success given his professional experience that included roles as a Department of the Army Systems Coordinator for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology) Force Projection Systems; Assistant Product Manager; Military Intelligence Officer; and several deployments.

“I am looking forward to leading this top-notch team of Army acquisition professionals—a “Team of Teams”—that will advance the acquisition, design, development and sustainment of the next generation of information technology (IT)-based solutions in support of the Army acquisition domain,” said LTC Harley.

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Posted July 14, 2015

Power Projection Enablers Changes Charter

By Russ Price, P2E Communications Team

On June 30, 2015, COL Mollie A. Pearson relinquished her command as the Product Manager (PdM) for Power Projection Enablers (P2E) to LTC Gregory S. Soulé. The host for the ceremony was Mr. Michael Padden, Project Manager (PM), Installation Information Infrastructure Communications and Capabilities (I3C2). The Change of Charter ceremony was conducted at the 9/11 Heroes Auditorium on Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

COL Pearson was the third PdM for P2E since its inception in April 2009. She took command of P2E on Friday July 13, 2012. During COL Pearson’s tenure, she was nominated for and won the esteemed 2015 Federal 100 Award, and she was selected as one of the top 25 Army Acquisition Officers for the 25th Anniversary of the Army Acquisition Corps. COL Pearson was also nominated for the 2014 Secretary of the Army’s Award for Product Manager of the Year. Upon leaving command, COL Pearson will be attending Army Senior Service College.

On June 30, P2E hosted a farewell luncheon for COL Pearson, with remarks from Mr. Douglas Wiltsie, Program Executive Officer Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS), and Mr. Padden. More than 90 of COL Pearson’s family and friends, P2E colleagues, industry partners, and PEO EIS colleagues celebrated her leadership at the Fort Belvoir Officer’s Club.

In his remarks, Mr. Wiltsie recognized COL Pearson’s superb leadership, her impact on P2E, and her many successes and accomplishments as an acquisition officer who took on increasing responsibilities in her tenure with the organization. Mr. Padden and Mr. Scott Ervin, Deputy P2E, offered heartfelt remarks and farewell gifts as well, many of which were meaningful reminders of the scope and reach of the P2E mission, which covers 16 time zones and nine countries. COL Pearson’s awards included the Meritorious Service Medal and the Signal Regiment’s Bronze Order of Mercury, in addition to the Soldier at Dawn portrait with the PEO EIS coin, several letters of commendation, and a flag that was flown in every P2E location.

COL Pearson closed the luncheon by graciously thanking her team for their hard work and support, and the event closed with a slideshow featuring COL Pearson’s family and colleagues, and many of the stakeholders supported by the P2E program.

LTC Soulé is a Level III Program Management and Level II Information System Certified Army Acquisition Officer with over 18 years of military service. He is a former Infantry officer, and has served in a variety of leadership roles to include a combat tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. In 2008, he transferred to the Acquisition Corps, and was assigned to Program Executive Office (PEO) Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors at Fort Belvoir. He served as Assistant Product Manager and Deputy Product Director for Machine Foreign Language Translation Systems, and was an Assistant Product Manager for Ground Soldier at PEO Soldier.

Thank you for your service and leadership, COL Pearson, and welcome, LTC Soule!

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Posted July 14, 2015

Joint Services Panel at IDGA Conference Focuses on Network Modernization

By Ellyn Kocher, PEO EIS Public Affairs

PEO EIS Mr. Douglas Wiltsie participated in a panel discussion at the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement (IDGA) Army Network Modernization Conference June 24, 2015, at the Sheraton in Reston, Va. The event brought together members of industry and government in panels and breakout sessions discussing solutions for modernizing the Army network.

The morning keynote panel was led by Mr. Gary Wang, Army Deputy CIO/G-6, and also included Mr. Peter Kim, Deputy Director, U.S. Air Force Cyberspace Operations, and Mr. Darren Sawyer, Senior Advisor for Navy Intelligence Enterprise IT, who discussed Joint solutions to modernizing the network and infrastructure. Discussion also included updates on Joint Regional Security Stacks (JRSS), and Defense Cyber Operations (DCO), web vulnerabilities and big data analytics. Approximately 75 attendees were present for the morning panel, which included an extended question and answer period. Topics from the Q&A included: how to remove redundancies, the value in consolidating data, and JRSS/MPLS transparency.

COL Charles Stein, Project Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems (DCATS), also briefed attendees of the conference in an afternoon session. COL Stein presented an overview of DCATS products and developing technologies with an emphasis on areas of future expansion such as configuration management for Earth Terminal Complexes (ETC) and Tech Control Facilities (TCF) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode/Synchronous Optical Networking (ATM/SONET) replacement.

More photos from the event can be found at FLICKR LINK

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Posted July 01, 2015

Army Human Resource Systems Welcomes New Product Director

By Parchell Patton, AHRS Communications Team

COL Darby McNulty, Project Manager, Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army, transferred the Product Director Army Human Resource Systems (AHRS) charter from Mr. Gregory D. Riley to Mr. Lee A. James III in a ceremony June 15, 2015.

Mr. James will oversee the delivery of cost-effective, standardized and interoperable human resources solutions for Soldiers, and will manage the development of the Commander’s Risk Reduction Dashboard, the latest addition to the AHRS portfolio.

Prior to his selection as PD AHRS, Mr. James served as the deputy project director for the Force Management System program from December 2014 to June 2015.

“I am motivated by the opportunity to serve a purpose greater than self,” remarked Mr. James at the ceremony. He explained his leadership philosophy of mission first, Soldiers and civilians always: “We must be team players and strive for win-win solutions, while we also set and enforce high standards and treat everyone fairly.”

Congratulations, Mr. James, and thank you for your service, Mr. Riley!

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Posted July 01, 2015