ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Program Executive Offices and Joint Program Executive Offices joined together Aug. 21 and 22, at APG for the first human resources forum since 2018. PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S) hosted alongside PEO Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T) and JPEO Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO CBRND) at APG-South in Edgewood, Maryland.
The forum covered dozens of topics including onboarding and orientation, internship programs and training updates. There were presentations from organizations outside of PEO and JPEO, including U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), U.S. Army Civilian Human Resources Agency (CHRA), U.S. Army Civilian Career Management Activity (ACCMA), U.S. Army Director of Acquisition Career Management Office (DACM), and U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC).
“We have a lot to talk about in two days,” Cheryl Litteral, PEO IEW&S human capital strategist, said about the forum. “It’s the first time we’ve been able to meet all together in so long.”
The last HR forum was hosted by U.S. Army Sustainment Command eight years ago. Litteral wanted to initiate starting the forums back up to discuss best practices and struggles that acquisition HR professionals can relate to.
“[The intent] is for this to be conversational and collaborative,” Litteral said. “We want to have open conversations, which is why the forum is structured the way it is. We want to share information rather than be briefed at.”
Nicole Kilgore, deputy JPEO CBRND, gave opening remarks to kick off the event.
“I look forward to the conversations we will have this week and hearing all of your ideas,” Kilgore said.
One of the biggest topics discussed was leadership development and training. Litteral believes that leadership training should begin as early as possible and that there should be a distinct pathway for competitive progression.
“We don’t want to wait until the day [someone] is promoted to give them the training they need,” Litteral said. “It needs to start from the ground up.”
Joe Couisineau, HR director from PEO C3T, said he really enjoyed participating in the forum.
“It was exciting to meet other HR professionals who share the same dedication for supporting the Army Acquisition workforce,” Couisineau said. “[It was great] learning about the best practices and challenges from our PEO partners.”
Other topics included career field coding, recruiting efforts and events, organizational overviews from the external organization presenters, President Lincoln’s communication style and resilience and all-around best practices for HR professionals.
HR participants from all over the acquisition field turned out both online and in person to learn and exchange information.
“This is something we needed for a long time,” Rachel Pulley, from the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Data, Engineering and Software, said. “I’m so glad to be here.”
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