Exclusive Interview with Brig. gen. Paul A. Ostrowski
Protecting the Soldier interview with brig. gen. Paul A. Ostrowski, U.S. Army PEO Soldier
Q: How would you describe the Army’s commitment to Soldier protection? Ostrowski: At PEO Soldier, we provide Soldiers with equipment that protects them in a variety of ways from a wide variety of threats. We protect Soldiers from a threat by making them more aware, lethal and survivable. We develop and field a variety of capabilities. They range from reliable and accurate small arms, to ballistic and environmental protection, to night vision optics, to situational awareness tools, and finally, to precision targeting devices. We design these capabilities to achieve battlefield overmatch when it comes to Soldier protection. They enable Soldiers to identify the threat, engage at a place and time of our choosing, and survive the fight. We always seek innovative technologies to develop and acquire new and better equipment to protect our Soldiers.
Brig. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, PEO Soldier, gives at briefing at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., Sept. 20, 2012. (U.S. Army photo by Erin Usawicz)
Q: How does PEO Soldier partner with Army researchers, industry and academia to develop solutions that will protect Soldiers? Ostrowski: PEO Soldier works very closely with the Research, Development and Engineering Command. We also work with the Defense Applied Research Projects Agency and academia on a regular and routine basis to further the development of capabilities that address operational gaps identified by our Centers of Excellence. These centers—including the Maneuver Center of Excellence, the Fires Center of Excellence, and the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence—draw from many data sources to identify the full range of doctrine, organization, training, leadership, materiel, personnel and facilities solutions to these given operational gaps. If the Army seeks a materiel solution, it is our mission to work closely with our inherent science and technology communities—as well as our industry partners—to develop, acquire, field and sustain capabilities to our Soldiers. September 2013 | army technology Magazine | 3