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Challenges tackled at the 2011 Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Senior Leader Forum

By LTC Rob ManningNovember 10, 2011

Challenges tackled at the 2011 Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Senior Leader Forum
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Under Secretary of the Army, HON Dr. Joseph W. Westphal, addresses senior acquisition, logistics and technology experts from throughout Department of Defense, during a senior leader training forum in Huntsville, Alabama. The forum was designed to ide... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Challenges tackled at the 2011 Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Senior Leader Forum
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Under Secretary of the Army, HON Dr. Joseph W. Westphal, addresses senior acquisition, logistics and technology experts, from throughout Department of Defense, during a senior leader training forum in Huntsville, Alabama. The forum was designed to id... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Challenges tackled at the 2011 Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Senior Leader Forum
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Under Secretary of the Army, HON Dr. Joseph W. Westphal, tours the Army Material Command new headquarters on Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. The headquarters is more than 440,000-square-feet and will eventually accommodate more than 1,300 workers. The bui... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Challenges tackled at the 2011 Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Senior Leader Forum
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Under Secretary of the Army, HON Dr. Joseph W. Westphal, tours Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Redstone Arsenal's 38,248 acres are bordered by Huntsville, Alabama, on the north and east with the Tennessee River forming Redstone's southern boundary. Redsto... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2011 -- The Under Secretary of the Army addressed 345 senior acquisition, logistics and technology experts from throughout Department of Defense during a senior leader training forum in Huntsville, Alabama. The forum was designed to identify issues and challenges that currently impact the Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (AL&T) community and focused on Army transformation, budget constraints, energy technology, contracting and industrial base reform.

The training forum included workshops, group discussions, sensing sessions and speeches from key leaders. Honorable Kendall (A-USD AT&L), Honorable Dr. Westphal (Under SecArmy), Ms. Shyu (A-ASA (ALT)), Gen. Chiarelli (VCSA) and Gen. Dunwoody (CG, AMC) were some of the senior leaders that addressed the conference participants.

Ms. Shyu and Gen. Dunwoody discussed the need for increased communication and information sharing within the AL&T community. Both stressed that 'bold ideas' are necessary to ensure that our Soldiers maintain the edge on the battlefield.

Honorable Dr. Westphal provided context for current issues facing the Army's acquisition, logistics and technology community and underscored the potential impact of budget cuts.

"When you're dealing with acquisition programs, you have to ask whether each

program, over the course of its life span, is the right investment given all the other things we must have," Westphal said. He reinforced his comments by discussing the status of possible force reductions, modernization and the need for a more efficient acquisition strategy.

The Under Secretary discussed the potential impact of budget cuts and the need to prioritize efforts to ensure that direct support for the Warfighter is paramount. "We are facing a perfect storm of threats with the global economic crisis, our national debt, and continuing threats to our homeland. We have to be calm, rational, and patient as we work through these challenges, because decisions are going to take time," he said.

Westphal's visit also included a tour of the new Army Material Command headquarters and the Redstone Arsenal installation.

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