Today, I want to share some cool facts about the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center.
It is imperative that the United States Army works with civilian businesses to acquire needed resources such as weaponry, tools, clothing, food and much more.
There are Army personnel at every level who have the responsibility of acquisition. But, are they acquiring quality materials? Are they paying competitive prices? The process of acquisition in the U.S. Army can be complicated. I know I have heard horror stories of $800 spent for 1 bolt, or similar situations.
Whether these stories were factual or not, I do not know. But, I do know that there is an organization within the Army that is trying to keep those types of mistakes from happening. We are going to take a closer look at that organization in today’s post.
Cool Facts About the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center
Listed below are some good to know facts about the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center. They are listed in no particular order.
1: Subordination
The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center is a subordinate of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)). ASA (ALT) has many various components with the USAASC being one. The Assistant Secretary of the Army is a Presidential appointed position. It is currently held by Heidi Shyu who was appointed by President Obama in 2011.
2: Headquarters
The headquarters for the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center is at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
3: Primary Mission
The primary mission of the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center is to help the Army Acquisition workforce develop and grow in their careers. They do so via many training programs and courses.
4: Established
The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center was established in the format now used on October 1st, 2002.
5: Direct Reporting Unit
It wasn’t until October 16th of 2006 that the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center became a direct reporting unit of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)).
6: Primary Functions
The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center has 3 primary functions. They are:
Provide support for career development to the Army Acquisition workforce and the Army Acquisition Corps. This includes both civilian and military acquisition leaders.
Provide service and support to Army executive offices in regards to acquisition information management, human resources and resource management including budgets and manpower.
Advising the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology on acquisition issues.
7: DACM
Within the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center offices is the Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM). The DACM is responsible for providing professional development for the Army Acquisition workforce. The DACM establishes procedures for training, education and development of Army Acquisition workforce members.
8: DAU
A key tool that the DACM uses is the DAU. DAU stands for Defense Acquisition University. DAU is a university with the United States Department of Defense that specializes in acquisition, logistics and technology. DAU accepts students from military, Federal civilian staff workers and Federal contractors. DAU is also located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
9: USAASC Leadership Team
The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center is led by:
Director – Craig Spisak since June of 2005.
Deputy Director – Colonel Lee MacGregor since July of 2014.
10: USAASC Divisions
The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center has multiple divisions. They include:
Human Capital Initiatives
Proponency and Leader Development
Workforce Support
Army Acquisition Center of Excellence
USAASC G-1
USAASC G-2,3,4,5,6
USAASC G-8
11: Acquisition Awards
Every year, the USAASC hands out awards covering many areas of acquisition. Some of the awards being handed out for 2016 are:
Acquisition Support Professional of the Year
Product Management/Product Director Office Team of the Year (05 Level)
Project Management/Product Director Office Team of the Year (06 Level)
Science and Technology Professional of the Year
Business Operations Professional of the Year
Logistician of the Year
and more…
The deadline for nominations is August 17th, 2016 for the 2016 awards.
12: Army Acquisition Publications
The USAASC puts out several publications that are great for learning acquisition and logistics. You may want to read some of these:
- Army AL&T News
- Army AL&T Magazine
- DACM Newsletter
2014 Civilian PM Handbook
Even civilians can learn a lot from these publications. Just click the links to see how to get yours.
Final Thoughts
Acquisition is an important process in any business structure. It is a wise move to learn everything you can about acquisition no matter where you are in your career. Acquisition can be useful both in the Army and in any after Army career you may choose.
What are your thoughts? Just leave any comments or questions in the comment area below. We would love to hear from any of you that have been with the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center. Thank you.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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