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Security Assistance Enterprise tabletop serves results

By Kim CapehartNovember 25, 2024

Brig. Gen. Allen Pepper, Commanding General, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command, hosted Army Security Assistance Enterprise personnel Nov. 13-14 for a tabletop exercise. The exercise was designed to crosswalk current Foreign Military Sales...
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Allen Pepper, Commanding General, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command, hosted Army Security Assistance Enterprise personnel Nov. 13-14 for a tabletop exercise. The exercise was designed to crosswalk current Foreign Military Sales processes with the new Adaptive Case Management process established in July as part of the ASAE Reform Initiative. (Photo Credit: Kim Capehart) VIEW ORIGINAL
Brig. Gen. Allen Pepper, Commanding General, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command, hosted Army Security Assistance Enterprise personnel Nov. 13-14 for a tabletop exercise. The exercise was designed to crosswalk current Foreign Military Sales...
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Allen Pepper, Commanding General, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command, hosted Army Security Assistance Enterprise personnel Nov. 13-14 for a tabletop exercise. The exercise was designed to crosswalk current Foreign Military Sales processes with the new Adaptive Case Management process established in July as part of the ASAE Reform Initiative. (Photo Credit: Kim Capehart) VIEW ORIGINAL

The U.S. Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC) hosted a tabletop exercise for Army Security Assistance Enterprise (ASAE) personnel Nov. 13-14 at Huntsville, Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal.

During the event, USASAC Commander Brig. Gen. Allen Pepper, committed himself and the command to collaborate with Army stakeholders as they execute changes to the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process that were driven by the Secretary of the Army’s ASAE Reform in April.

The tabletop exercise cross-walked current FMS processes with the new Adaptive Case Management (ACM) process established in July. Numerous ASAE stakeholders participated, including the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense, Exports and Cooperation (DASA (DE&C)); several Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology) (ASA (ALT)) Program Executive Offices (PEOs); all four Army Materiel Command (AMC) Life Cycle Management Command Security Assistance Management Directorates (SAMDs) and USASAC.

Pepper said the tabletop exercise helped identify potential gaps or friction points within the ACM process and identify critical issues prior to its launch next year.

The ACM process, which will be led by a Security Assistance Program Manager (SAPM)/Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR), streamlines staffing, accelerates capabilities delivery to allies and partners, and reduces duplicate processes. The SAPM/OPR is the FMS capability integrator and will serve as the singular, internal Army point of contact for the FMS program.

The exercise included discussions on each phase of the FMS Life Cycle, which is made up of Pre-Letter of Request, Case Development, Case Execution and Case Closure. Each phase is comprised of multiple functions and sub-functions, and participants were encouraged to share their knowledge and experiences to help the group identify specific areas that may change with the incorporation of a SAPM/OPR.

“The hope is for the team to point out potential snags in the new process, and by doing that now, we’ll be able to resolve them before they happen,” said Elizabeth Preston, security assistance policy specialist at USASAC and facilitator for the tabletop exercise. Preston further explained that ultimately, the goal is to set the ASAE team up for success.

The team did not disappoint, according to Preston. All stakeholders voiced how the ACM process could affect their functions, and the cross-talk between stakeholders proved valuable not just in identifying potential challenges, but also in fostering relationships within the ASAE. Those relationships are what Preston believes to be the key to success.

“Working together as one team, along with open communication and transparency, is vital to effective execution of the ACM process,” Preston explained.