Pace award honors standouts at Army headquarters

By Alexandra Hemmerly-BrownMay 26, 2010

Pace award honors standouts at Army headquarters
Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal, presents Lt. Col. James H. Boozell, the senior logistics planner, Strategy Synchronization division for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, with the 2009 Pace Award, May 25. Winners of this aw... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, May 25, 2010) Aca,!"- Two Army headquarters innovators were honored for their contribution and service in 2009 at the Pentagon, Tuesday; one wrote a national strategic vision for the Afghan army, and the other saved the Army up to a possible $100 million in contracts.

Lt. Col. James H. Boozell, the senior logistics planner, Strategy Synchronization division for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, and Michael L. Bucceroni, a branch chief for acquisition support at the U.S. Army Information Technology Agency, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, were this yearAca,!a,,cs recipients.

Awarded every year since 1962, one Army officer, ranked lieutenant colonel and below, and one civilian employee, ranked GS-14 and below, assigned in a staff position at the Department of the Army headquarters, are chosen based on their performance and completion of significant assignments. Winners must demonstrate noteworthy improvements in an Army service area such as financial savings, or technological and military development.

Aca,!A"The awardees here today were both selected based on their incredible performance in these areas. Both of these gentlemen made significant contributions this last year,Aca,!A? said Joseph W. Westphal, under secretary of the Army, who hosted the ceremony.

Aca,!A"You both have my personal thanks and professional gratitude for all that you have done to improve the Army, and all that you will do in the future.Aca,!A?

Bucceroni was awarded for coordinating the realignment of 22 contracts to achieve substantial economic efficiency, and in particular the granting of three information technology contracts which saved more than $22 million in the first year of the contract, with an anticipated $78 million more.

Aca,!A"HeAca,!a,,cs a leader and an innovator and we are fortunate to have him on our team,Aca,!A? Westphal said of Bucceroni.

Boozell was awarded for his work in logistics and writing a national strategic vision while in Afghanistan. He said the Afghan minister of defense asked for help in crafting a transformational goal for the future of the Afghan National Army, and Boozell rose to the task.

Aca,!A"IAca,!a,,cm very honored, and I want to do more to help other nations to get on their feet and make a difference,Aca,!A? he said of the award. Aca,!A"I would love to do more stability and peace-keeping missions.Aca,!A?

The 10-page document, now required learning for Afghan officers, was written to change the mindset of Afghan soldiers.

Boozell said the Afghan minister of defense wanted Afghan soldiers to think of the army as more of a family than a job, and to do away with an Aca,!A"Insha'Allah,Aca,!A? or Aca,!A"God-willingAca,!A? attitude when tasks got too hard.

He said he used an Afghan proverb in order to motivate Afghan officers to push through challenging assignments: Aca,!A"There is a path to the top of every mountain.Aca,!A? He said using cultural references in order to covey this transformational approach was key. The minister of defense also wanted help with instilling a code of ethics similar to that used in the U.S. Army, along with logistics guidance.

Aca,!A"It was quite a challenge to roll both the strategic vision and the ethical component into their [Afghan] terminology and their cultural relationships into something they could understand,Aca,!A? Boozell said.

He said the strategic vision equates being a logistics officer to being the provider for a family Aca,!"- Aca,!A"would you deny clothing and shoes to your family' In this same way you are providing these things to your soldiers,Aca,!A? reads the document.

Boozell said this approach worked, and it was what the Minister of Defense was looking for. And while there are still institutional problems such as funding in the Afghan army, Boozell said the strategic vision is a step toward transformation.

Aca,!A"In peacekeeping operations you have to step outside your reality and put yourself in their reality,Aca,!A? Boozell said.

Boozell also helped write the stability operations manual for the Army.

The Pace award is named after former secretary of the Army Frank Pace Jr.