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U.S Army Data and Cloud Migration

Friday, June 26, 2020

What is it?

The Army Data and Cloud Migration Initiatives are two key components required to transition the Army from the Industrial Age to the Information Age. Access to data in a secure cloud hosting environment is essential to the success of each of the Army’s priorities (People First, Readiness, Modernization and Reform). In the Era of Great Power Competition, speed will be essential. The ability to orient, decide and act faster than peer adversaries in Multi Domain Operations (MDO) and Joint All Domain Operations (JADO) environments will rely heavily on trusted data.

What are the current and past efforts of the Army?

The Army is taking proactive steps as an institution to leverage data as a strategic asset. The intent of this effort is to increase the speed of data informed decision-making, while delivering cloud enabled next generation capabilities in a fundamentally different way.

The Army’s Data and Cloud Migration Initiatives take the enterprise from a hardware and technology-based IT infrastructure to a data-centric organization aligning sensors, shooters, and decision-makers to the same information.

In 2019, the Army established the Enterprise Cloud Management Office (ECMO), a centralized resource to establish Army’s cloud environment, to synchronize and integrate cloud efforts across Army. In 2020, the ECMO is setting conditions for a global, cloud-hosting environment, making data available for all authorized users when they need it and where they need it. Included among the ECMO’s FY20 priorities:

  • Publish the 2020 Army Cloud Plan, per the HQDA EXORD 009-20, NLT July 15, 2020.
  • Consolidate existing cloud contracts and environments by establishing an Army Cloud master account for all cloud service providers and assisting system owners with migration to the Army Cloud.
  • Incentivize and accelerate Army-wide cloud migrations by delivering centrally provided and resourced enterprise cloud common services.
  • Publish and enforce an Army Cloud Adoption Policy that enhances the value of all Army data within existing and new acquisitions regardless of where they reside.
  • Provide access to a centralized source for purchasing general purpose compute and storage services by-way-of Enterprise Cloud Service Provider contracts.
  • Conduct application and data optimization and execute migrations across the Army.

What continued efforts does the Army have planned?

The Army is building a cloud environment that will provide seamless access to data, advanced analytic tools, and modern software development processes that accelerate deployment timelines. The cloud environment will allow:

  • Rapid access to secure and reliable data to accelerate data-driven decision making.
  • Establish software development as a core competency to improve modernization efforts.
  • Deliver a classified cloud environment by FY21.

Why is this important to the Army?

The Army’s ability to compete and win below the level of armed conflict relies heavily on its ability to make data-informed decisions at the speed of operational relevance. Data and Cloud migration is also a critical step toward optimizing interoperability within the Mission partner Environment.

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Events

June 2020

June 1- Nov 30: Hurricane Season | Visit U.S. Army Humanitarian Relief

June 6: D-Day

June 14: Army Birthday | Visit The U.S. Army, America’s First National Insitution

July 2020

July 4: Independence Day | Visit The U.S. Army: America’s First National Institution

Focus Quote for the Day

The Army cannot maximize its modernization strategy without the cloud, which is the backbone for artificial intelligence. Data and cloud modernization will increase readiness and lethality of the warfighter to support the Army's core mission: fight and win wars.

-Ryan D. McCarthy, secretary of the Army