November-December 2005 a PUBLICATION of the Some Photos Appearing in This Publication May Be Digitally Enhanced

November-December 2005 A PUBLICATION OF THE Some photos appearing in this publication may be digitally enhanced. Cover photograph by SPC Michael Lindell, USA Vol XXXIV, No.6, DAU 187 2 18 Gen. Benjamin S. The Simplicity Cycle Griffin,USA Maj. Dan Ward, USAF Defense AT&L Interview When it comes to If a soldier shoots it, system design, drives it, flies it, wears complexity (not it, or eats it, AMC complicatedness) is provides it. The com- essential, and simplic- manding general, U.S. ity (not simplisticness) Army Materiel Com- is vital. The Simplicity mand, explains his Cycle illustrates the priorities for getting dynamic interplay the right supplies to between simplicity and the right place at the complexity inherent in right time for the many endeavors. warfighters of all our military services. 10 22 Global Cooperation: The Dark and From Idea to Reality Dastardly Kenneth J. Krieg Program Manager In his address to Com- Michael G. Brown Def 2005, the nation’s A looking-glass world 23rd annual confer- in which the worst ence on international program management defense cooperation, practices are consid- the USD (AT&L) ered to be the best presents his basic offers real-world philosophy and the program managers principles he will some food for thought. follow to shape defense acquisition and business transfor- mation within DoD. 15 27 The Cultural Sources Lending a Helping of Acquisition Risk Hand Part II Owen Gadeken Christopher S. Roman Effective mentoring is Part I explored the first rewarding for both three of seven features sides of the equation. of acquisition culture The author gives that are implicated in pointers for being a program risk. In Part II, more effective mentor the author discusses whose protégés will the last four and eventually pass on stresses the need for a what they learned to keener cultural view- those who work with point of the system in and for them. which we work. D EFENSE A CQUISITION U NIVERSITY Published by the Letters to the Editor and other correspondence DEFENSE are welcome and may be mailed to the address ACQUISITION UNIVERSITY shown below or sent by e-mail to defenseatl@ Under Secretary of Defense dau.mil. Article preparation/submission vehicle for transmitting information on policies, (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics) guidelines are located on inside back cover of trends, events, and current thinking affecting Kenneth J. Krieg this issue or may be downloaded from our Web program management and defense acquisition, DAU President site at <http://www.dau.mil/pubs/damtoc.asp>. technology, and logistics. Statements of fact or Frank J. Anderson Jr. Inquiries concerning proposed articles can also opinion appearing in Defense AT&L are solely DAU Vice President be made by phone at (703) 805-3762 or DSN those of the authors and are not necessarily Dr. James McMichael 655-3762/3364. endorsed by the DoD, the OUSD(AT&L), or DAU. DAU Commandant Articles may be reprinted. When reprinting, Col. Mary Kringer, USAF Defense AT&L (ISSN 1547-5476), formerly please credit the author and Defense AT&L. Program Manager, is published bimonthly by the Director, DAU Operations Support Group The Privacy Act and Freedom of DAU Press and is free to all U.S. and foreign Col. Ronald J. Hayne, USA Information Act national subscribers. Periodical postage is paid at Director, DAU Visual Arts and Press the U.S. Postal Facility, Fort Belvoir, Va., and If you provide us your business address, you Eduard Boyd additional U.S. Postal Facilities. POSTMASTER: may become part of mailing lists we are Send address changes to: required to provide to other agencies who Defense AT&L Editorial Staff request the lists as public information. Editor-in-Chief _______________Collie Johnson DEFENSE AT&L DEFENSE ACQUISITION UNIVERSITY If you prefer not to be part of these lists, use Managing Editor ________________Judith Greig ATTN DAU PRESS STE 3 your home address. Please do not include your Contributing Editor __________Christina Cavoli 9820 BELVOIR ROAD rank, grade, service, or other personal identi- fiers. Chief, Layout and Design_____Paula Croisetiere FT BELVOIR VA 22060-5565 In accordance with U.S. Postal Service Editorial Assistant _____________Dustin Brown To subscribe by mail, fill out and mail the regulations, your request must contain your convenient postage-free mailer inside this issue original signature. Faxed signatures or e-mail or download our online mailer at <http://www. are not acceptable. Requests cannot be taken dau.mil/pubs/damtoc.asp>. Defense AT&L is a over the telephone. 32 Hive Mind and ALSO Groupthink Lt. Col. Harry J. “H-Man” Human Capital Digital Dashboard ______________24 Hewson, USMC Going with the flow, not making Key Insights for the Strategic Leader ____________38 waves—that may be the way to stay safe in the world of program management, but it’s DEPARTMENTS often not good for the program. Encouraging In the News ____________________________________42 rational dissent can be just what’s needed to Spotlight on DAU Learning Resources __________54 pull a project back on track to success. Career Development __________________________56 34 Success in Project Management Policy & Legislation ____________________________62 Wayne S. Turk Taking your job seriously and yourself Conferences, Workshops, & Symposia __________73 lightly isn’t contradic- tory. Humor is now acknowledged as a Acquisition & Logistics Excellence ______________76 serious business practice in high-stress fields of endeavor, AT&L Workforce—Key Leadership Changes______83 where it can defuse situations that threaten Surfing the Net ________________________________91 important projects. 1 Defense AT&L: November-December 2005 DEFENSE AT&L INTERVIEW Global Support to the Joint Warfighter The Right Supplies to the Right Place at the Right Time Gen. Benjamin S. Griffin, USA Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command en. Benjamin S. Griffin assumed the duties of DAU Professor Marcia Richard spoke with Griffin at AMC commanding general, U.S. Army Materiel Com- headquarters, Fort Belvoir, Va., in July on his priorities for mand, on Nov. 5, 2004. If a soldier shoots it, supporting the warfighter and how he is implementing drives it, flies it, wears it, or eats it, AMC pro- methods to create a lean organization that cuts through vides it. Every year, AMC overhauls and upgrades bureaucracy and focuses on the customer. Gthousands of pieces of Army equipment, produces and provides bombs and ammunition for all the military ser- Q vices, maintains the Army’s pre-positioned stocks on land Your organization is proud of the AMC technologies that and at sea, supports the acquisition of billions of dollars’ support soldiers and save their lives. Can you describe worth of end items and parts for more than 1,000 weapon some of the AMC programs that have proven most valu- systems, demilitarizes chemical munitions, and provides able to the warfighter? logistics assistance officers and representatives to combat units across the Army. Defense AT&L: November-December 2005 2 Photographs by SPC Michael Lindell, USA A next day. The boots are clean-off-and-wear. It’s a benefit The number one priority for AMC is support to the joint to the soldiers who can least afford to pay to have patches warfighter. This year is the second year of what we call sewn on uniforms and maintain the uniforms because the Top Ten Greatest Inventions Program, which recog- they put the patches on with Velcro®. It’s got pockets in nizes the 10 best inventions within the Army. This year, the right places, based on the needs of the soldier in the eight of those were from AMC and two came out of the field. It also replaces the woodland battle dress uniform medical community. All were tied to research and devel- and the desert camouflage uniform, so now we have one opment activity and the strong link that RDECOM [Re- uniform. search, Development & Engineering Command] has with TRADOC [Training & Doctrine Command] and our AMC At present, we’ve started fielding the ACU to units as they life cycle management commands. We are especially deploy. We get feedback, especially from our NCO corps, proud that the Top Ten were voted on by units in the field. and can make any modifications—stitching, reinforce- Their selections were [bullets added for clarity]: ment in certain places—and fix any problems very quickly, • Armor survivability kit for the HMMWV [high mobility get it back to the life cycle manager (TACOM), and they multipurpose wheeled vehicle or humvee] can get it into the production cycle. • Chitosan hemostatic dressing medical bandages that are designed to stop bleeding Q • New Army combat uniform Would you comment on what AMC is doing to develop and • Improvised explosive device countermeasure protec- maintain good communications and relationships with in- tion equipment [Measurement & Signal Intelligence] dustry? • Unattended transient acoustic MASINT sensor; • M107 Cal .50 long-range sniper rifle; A • Lightweight handheld mortar ballistic computer; AMC has a program where we meet with a group of se- • Upgraded Aviation Force Battle Command Brigade and nior executives from private industry. We’ve had three of Below/Blue Force Tracking; these meetings here at AMC headquarters. We spend a • Lightweight counter mortar RADAR day talking about AMC and what we are trying to do, and • Electronic information carrier. getting their feedback on how we can improve communications and interoperability with the private sector. We These innovations reflect our understanding of the needs have been able to make significant progress with these of the warfighters in the units and our ability to rapidly sessions—progress that helps AMC better support the find materiel solutions to meet those needs. That’s what warfighting units. we are most focused on: being able to meet warfighting needs as quickly as we can and cutting down the time it takes to get something fixed, and/or fielded, and in the Our staff and each of the major supporting commands hands of our customer, the warfighter.

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