"The competition this year was tough. There are hundreds of excellent capability developers out there in the community of practice and we scrutinized the nominations of the best of the best to select the individual and team awardees." -- Lt. Gen. Michael Vane, Director, ARCIC
FORT MONROE, Va. (Dec. 2, 2008)-Lt. Gen. Michael Vane, Deputy Commanding General for Futures and Director of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command's Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC), presented the first Capability Developer and Team Developer Awards Dec. 2 at the Capability Developer Leader Seminar on Fort Monroe.
The Capability Developer of the Year Award was presented to Jackie Funk, leader for the Army Maneuver Support Command Center (MANSCEN). The Capability Developer Team of the Year was awarded to Janet Jennings, Jeremy Vigna, Eugene Cantrell and William Durham of the Aerial Layer Network Transport (ALNT) Capabilities Development Team.
Vane implemented these awards to promote and recognize innovation, improvement and maximized efficiency in capability development products. This program applies to the TRADOC and non-TRADOC concept and capability developments community of practice.
Concept and capability developers are responsible for identifying, assessing and documenting changes in doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel and facilities that produce force capabilities and attributes prescribed in force concepts. Their role has increased in support of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and in the development of the future modular force to combat global extremism in an environment of persistent conflict.
Nominees for the award demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovation, flexibility and overall excellence in accomplishing their concept and capabilities development duties. This summer, senior leaders in the community of practice nominated several talented and dedicated professionals for the award. Vane convened a review board comprised of several ARCIC senior leaders to consider and score the nominations, with Vane verifying the final selection.
Funk won the Capability Developer of the Year Award for his work as a team leader at MANSCEN and subject matter expert on light tactical wheeled vehicles. He was responsible for development aspects of several major programs, including his work on the Mine Resistant Ambush Protection (MRAP) vehicle program, which is critical for protecting Soldiers and ensuring successful transporting of materials in theater. Funk served as MANSCEN lead for the MRAP and was the MANSCEN Council of Colonels representative. He also provided support for MRAP-University, which resulted in significant changes in standard operating procedures and tactics, techniques and procedures.
The ALNT capabilities development team works under the U.S. Army Signal Center at Fort Gordon, Ga. The team's efforts have been critical to the identification and documentation of the aerial layer communications network capability gaps, concept of operation, architecture and potential solutions for joint forces in the ground domain. The team provided support to the Aerial Sensors and Relays Capabilities Based Assessments. As a result, their efforts led to the development of the ALNT Initial Capabilities Document, culminating its approval by the Joint Requirements Oversight Committee May 29.
Funk was provided a special act award in the amount of $1,000, and each member of the ALNT team was provided a special act award of $500.
Vane concluded the event by saying, "I applaud everyone's efforts, and I am looking forward to next year's competition."
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