Eagle BELVOIR
USO Mid-Summer Blast Pages A6 & 7
July 19, 2018
www.belvoireagleonline.com
Departing product managers reflect on teamwork as key to success By Debra A. Dawson PEO Soldier Reflecting on their tenure, two departing product managers within Project Manager Soldier Sensors and Lasers credit teamwork as the key to their organizations’ success. They relinquished their charters during two changes-of-charter ceremonies, June 22. Lt. Col. Michael P. Frank became Product Manager Soldier Precision Targeting Devices Feb. 20, 2015, while Lt. Col. Anthony E. Douglas became Product Manager Soldier Maneuver Sensors June 22, 2016. Both product management offices fall under Project Manager Soldier Sensors and Lasers at PEO Soldier. Frank said teamwork was the required, driving force. “In PdM SPTD, as in any product manager shop, you work as a team,” he said. “Cost, schedule, and performance are the metrics we are held to. Engineers making sure the system operates as the performance specification says it should, is as important as the cost folks keeping the finances aligned fiscally.” To illustrate, Frank brought up the Joint Effects Targeting System. “As we prepare JETS for the next decision, the test team is working closely with the performance team. They are making sure we have all tests that have an operational impact completed, while the other tests that may not be as operationally relevant can be completed at a later date.” Douglas credited his team’s focus on the Soldier for their teamwork. “As a product manager, I quickly recognized my organization was only one component of a much larger team, all focused on equipping the Soldier,” Douglas said. “Throughout my tenure, my team has worked with our many stakeholders who make up the team to include Requirements, Testing, Contracting Representatives as well as our vendors who actually manufacture our product.” “Without teamwork, PdM SMS would have failed, and the Soldier would be severely disadvantaged,” Douglas said, adding he’s proud of the teamwork that PdM SMS has demonstrated since he joined the team. The two lieutenant colonels reflected on the milestones their respective teams achieved.
Submitted photo
Lt. Col. Michael P. Frank, right, outgoing Product Manager Soldier Precision Targeting Devices, stands with Col. Christopher Schneider, Project Manager Soldier Sensors and Lasers, after receiving the Meritorious Service Medal. Lt. Col. Jamal Williams took over for Frank during a change-of-charter ceremony, June 22. “We have a joke that PdM SMS has seven Super Bowls every week,” Douglas said. “The team has a reputation for making the hard look easy, so it’s almost impossible to identify specific achievements for a team this well-rounded and cohesive,” he added. During the past month, Douglas has reflected on all the milestones and achievements the PdM SMS team has done. He said PdM SMS has 10 programs of record it manages. When he compared that to the team’s successes, it encompassed many domestic and international fieldings, successful testing events, record-fast processing of contracting actions, and exceeding Army goals for annual financial expenditures. “The organization has always impressed me with their ability to involve stakeholders early and often into the lifecycle of each program,” he said. Because of numerous milestones over the past 3.5 years, Frank said the most notable to him was the JETS contract award. “Not only did the team meet the very aggressive schedule … again, the team worked
very closely with our extended teammate from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Army Contracting Command (Maryland)—but the contract was awarded without protest,” Frank said. “This further helped to keep JETS on its aggressive schedule. JETS is paradigm-shifting technology the Army Fires community badly needs to enable rapid and precise target location.” “The entire team was involved in ensuring all documentation, test reports, et cetera, were completed in time to support this milestone,” he added. Frank and Douglas reflected on what amazed them from their teams. Frank offered one word. “In a word, everything,” he said. “Their dedication to the mission, the warfighter, and each other; their technical expertise and ability to explain the technology and its operational impact; the ease at which they partner with others to accomplish any mission; their
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Save the dates! All these events are open to everyone. ACS 53rd Birthday
National Night Out
Women’s Equality Day
Powder Puff football
July 27, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Bldg. 1263 Food, games, fun
Aug. 7 5-8 p.m., Pullen Field Food trucks or bring a picnic Sponsored by DES
Aug. 15, 11:30 a.m., Community Center Janice “The Griot” Greene Story teller and guest speaker 703-805-5390 or 2288
Register by Aug. 17 For Sept. 12 game Pullen Field Taneshia Gray, 571-231-7016