In January, Capt. Timothy G. Godwin assumed duties as executive officer, Army Contracting Command-Rock Island, Ill.
Godwin has been in the military for more than 10 years, but is relatively new to the acquisition field -- approximately one year -- and hopes that his time at ACC-RI will provide him with solid training, as well as provide him with the ability to share the lessons he has learned from the front line.
Godwin comes from a family with strong military ties: his father is a civilian who has worked at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation office at Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, S.C., for more than 20 years; his uncle is an Army corrections command sergeant major; and his grandfather was a military police officer.
"I wasn't really a 'military brat,' but I grew up right next to a military base and since my dad has always been at the MWR, all I did as a kid was go to the base pools and the base golf course and hang out," said Godwin.
The military was also a matchmaker of sorts: he met his wife, Jennifer, while her parents, enlisted Air Force members, were stationed at Shaw Air Force Base.
"We went to high school together, ended up going to college together and got married in college," said Godwin.
They now have two children, a 7-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. He said one of his favorite things to do is go to Disney World with his family, particularly before and after deployments.
Godwin said he has spent more than two years deployed in Iraq, and that his favorite assignment thus far was as an M119A2 Howitzer battery commander there.
"It was by far the most challenging assignment because I was responsible for 100 Soldiers -- training them, preparing them for combat and leading them in combat," said Godwin. "It probably wasn't my favorite assignment at the time, but looking back, it was by far the most fun, because I was in command of my own world."
The transition into the acquisition field has given Godwin a new appreciation for the logistics life cycle. When he was battery commander and would fire off rounds of ammunition or use a smoke grenade for a medevac (medical evacuation), the last thought on his mind was that someone from Rock Island Arsenal procured those items.
"When you're on the receiving end at the Soldier level, you just don't think about how all of that comes to be," said Godwin. "If you know both ends - how to use as an end-user and how it starts at the beginning -- you kind of get to know the whole in-between process of how the entire supply system works, since you know the bookends."
Godwin hopes he and the other military members stationed at ACC-RI can pair their perspectives with knowledge gained from the experienced ACC-RI workforce to help enhance the operational environment for Soldiers.
"Now that I really understand how requirements are created and, ultimately, how those requirements dictate what gets to the Soldiers, I know that improving feedback between the two would be the greatest thing," said Godwin.
I think that's what the Army is trying to do by bringing more military in from a combat-focused background to try and be that bridge in identifying the things that might seem inconsequential, but might have a big impact on the welfare of Soldiers on the line, he said.
After long days of learning and working at ACC-RI, Godwin said he likes to relax by playing video games and watching cooking and travel shows on TV. However, his main hobby is working out -- specifically the CrossFit program, which he has been doing for a few years.
"It is a strength-based program that also incorporates endurance and cardio," said Godwin. "Since I have to work out at least an hour a day anyway, I started doing it and really started liking it because it is like a sport where you are your own competitor. I know what my best is and I constantly try to beat my best, which keeps me from becoming complacent and keeps me challenged."
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