TAMPA, Fla. Aca,!" The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command attended this yearAca,!a,,cs LandWarNet conference the first week of August at the Tampa Convention Center.
CECOM Commander, Maj. Gen. Randolph P. Strong, introduced the organizational members of the Army Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Enterprise, and discussed the role it plays in the ArmyAca,!a,,cs Materiel Enterprise. He defined each memberAca,!a,,cs missions and explained how each organization provides life-cycle management and support to current and future cyber capabilities.
Strong shared his top CECOM priorities, which include: overseas contingency operations; 2005 Base Realignment and Closure law implementation; and RESET activities.
CECOM demonstrated selected capabilities in the exhibit hall. In attendance were the Central Technical Support Facility; the U.S. Army Information Systems Engineering Command; the Logistics and Readiness Center; the Software Engineering Center; and Tobyhanna Army Depot.
Aca,!A"As demonstrated by their showcased technologies and capabilities, each of CECOMAca,!a,,cs organizations are aligned and work in concert to provide seamless C4ISR services and support,Aca,!A? said Strong.
Central Technical Support Facility (CTSF)
The CTSF, located at Fort Hood, Texas, offers system of systems integration, training, interoperability testing, and configuration management to the Army and C4I providers.
Aca,!A"At events like these, we want our customer base to know that we will help them achieve interoperability success by providing engineering support to integrate systems and by following through with interoperability testing, certification and fielding,Aca,!A? said Col. Steven Drake, CTSF director.
System of systems integration provides engineering support to program managers as they work to achieve success in interoperability testing conducted at the CTSF, said David McClung, CTSF technical director, who presented at one of the six C4ISR Materiel Enterprise track sessions at the conference.
CECOM is comprised of organizations that provide an integral support network by collaborating on projects and support capabilities.
Aca,!A"The CTSF ensures the software that SEC develops and software services are compatible to meet communications needs of the Army,Aca,!A? said Drake. Aca,!A"We [CECOM organizations] are constantly working together to provide C4ISR systems support.Aca,!A?
U.S. Army Information Systems Engineering Command (ISEC)
The ISEC, also in attendance, provides Aca,!Eoefee for serviceAca,!a,,c systems engineering support to the Army, Department of Defense and other government agencies, according to retired Lt. Col. Agustin Ortiz, ISEC integration engineer for the eastern continental U.S., and on-site system engineer for the Army Chief Information Officer/G-6.
Aca,!A"We are here to answer questions about our support capabilities and address on-the-spot issues or concerns about existing contracts our customers may have,Aca,!A? said Ortiz.
One of the ISECAca,!a,,cs largest projects is the information technology planning involved in the 2005 BRAC law implementation. The ISEC provides support for several projects, including new Army facilities for the Army Materiel Command; Defense Information Systems Agency; Army Training and Doctrine Command; and Army Forces Command.
Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD)
Tobyhanna Army Depot showcased their Mobility Air Reporting and Communications Shelter, or MARCS, program. The Depot designed, engineered and overhauled the shelter in 43 days, making a tight 45-day suspense for completion. The product was completed, transported and fielded in 120 days, from start to finish, in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force and contract support.
Aca,!A"This is just one example of TobyhannaAca,!a,,cs rapid prototyping capability,Aca,!A? said Rob Glowacki, Tobyhanna logistics management specialist. The Depot also collaborates with a variety of CECOM organizations, such as the Logistics and Readiness CenterAca,!a,,cs Communications Security Logistics Activity located at Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
Communications Security Logistics Activity (CSLA)
The CSLA is responsible for information and communications security for the Army, and hosts the multi-service Electronic Key Management Systems, among a wide variety of other areas of expertise. From the procurement stage to the end of its life-cycle, the CSLA manages the logistics process for security equipment, training and logistics activities.
As do the other four CECOM centers, Tobyhanna Army Depot provides support to and works with CECOM entities to provide support service to a multi-service and organizational customer base. During the creation of the MARCS program, Tobyhanna teamed up with the ISEC to ensure all rules and regulations were observed in the fabrication of the new equipment shelters, explained Glowacki.
The LRC also displayed their Commercial Off-The-Shelf radios and equipment to provide customers an updated status on the progress of the sustainment support needed to support the systems, said Ceciliana Cruz, LRC logistics management specialist. The LRC is working with Tobyhanna Army Depot to establish and define organic repair requirements; and supply parts for maintenance and repair to support sustainment for the radios, said Cruz.
Software Engineering Center
The SEC hosted the cyber-protection portion of the C4ISR Materiel Enterprise track sessions at the conference, and also showcased their Property Book Unit Supply Enhanced software system. The PBUSE provides Aca,!Eoereal-timeAca,!a,,c visibility and tracking of the ArmyAca,!a,,cs equipment assets. This system is the ArmyAca,!a,,cs first web-based, fully integrated combat support property accountability system, according to John Laudan, PBUSE project officer.
Aca,!A"It [PBUSE] tracks all of the ArmyAca,!a,,cs equipment, from items as small as screwdrivers to large vehicles and missiles,Aca,!A? said Kelly Duncan, SEC-Tactical Logistics Directorate representative.
Presently, the software system keeps track of more than 90 million items, valued at approximately $192 billion, Duncan said. With 35,804 users registered in the system, it provides the Army total asset visibility of equipment all over the world; tracks how long that equipment has been in service; records the value and depreciation of that equipment; and can track designated personnel responsible for any particular piece of equipment, according to Duncan. The SEC-Tactical Logistics Directorate is located at Fort Lee, Va., while SEC headquarters is located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
Rapid Response Office
The CECOM Rapid Response Project Office recently awarded its third generation contract, valued at $16.4 billion to span the next five years, said Helen Kimball, R2 business Development and Special Projects Office. The R2 Project Office provides flexible acquisition and technical expertise, capable of rapidly implementing solutions at the request of customer.
The R2 office enables the capability for the Army to respond quickly to immediate needs out in the field by streamlining the acquisition process, according to Kimball. For example, with the drawdown in Iraq on-going, the R2 Office has been fulfilling a need to recover Aca,!Eoeleft behind equipment.Aca,!a,,c This includes recovery of equipment ranging from aircraft maintenance tools to vehicles and also includes refurbishing of existing equipment, according to Kimball.
Customers that come to R2 can have their requirements on task order sometimes as short as 45 days, from start to finish, said Kimball. Contractors bidding on particular jobs must submit their proposals in seven days, compared to the typically longer timelines of 30 days or more.
For more information about CECOM and its organizations, visit http://cecom.army.mil.
Social Sharing