FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
It's an honor to share a few thoughts with this community, a vital part of the Army’s and the nation's logistics enterprise. As the Army’s principal buying agent, the Army Contracting Command is focused on a singular, urgent mission: providing our warfighters with premier contracting support at the speed of war. To do this, we must relentlessly pursue efficiency, responsiveness and effectiveness, using every tool at our disposal.
We are at a pivotal moment. The traditional acquisition process, with its slow, sequential steps, is no longer viable in a world where technology and threats evolve at lightning speed. Our adversaries operate with a speed unencumbered by bureaucracy, and we must do the same. This cultural shift requires a commitment to a continuous transformation that is both agile and data driven. This change will be guided by three core principles:
- First, embracing the top-down mandates from our senior leaders and Congress.
- Second, operationalizing these mandates for readiness with every tool at our disposal.
- Third, empowering our acquisition professionals to be strategic partners to commanders from the very beginning.
Embracing the top-down mandate
Our push for transformation starts at the highest levels. The Secretary of War has been clear in saying software-defined warfare is not a future construct, but the reality we find ourselves operating in today.
This requires a fundamental shift from a hardware-centric to a software-centric acquisition approach. This same urgency is echoed in congressional action through the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery Act and the Fostering Reform and Government Efficiency in Defense Act, which aim to cut through red tape, accelerate requirements, and strengthen our defense industrial base. The War Department and our legislative partners are working together on a comprehensive rewrite of the Federal Acquisition Regulation to make it simpler and more mission focused.
These high-level mandates must be translated into operational reality, and ACC is leading that charge by providing best practices and shaping the new regulatory environment.
Operationalizing transformation for readiness
At ACC, we are turning these mandates into action. We are aggressively leveraging tools like Other Transaction Authorities, which provide us with the flexibility to move at the speed of the commercial market. The valuable lessons we learned during the COVID-19 response fundamentally changed how we approach certain acquisitions. In fiscal year 2024 alone, ACC awarded over 1,893 actions using OTAs, amounting to nearly $6 billion. This is not just a number; it represents a more agile, iterative approach that gets critical technologies to our warfighters much faster by enabling the use of prototypes and rapid fielding, allowing us to engage with non-traditional defense companies.
ACC is also leading a critical initiative to bring efficiency to unmanned aerial systems acquisition and sustainment. We are tackling "contracting fratricide" when different units independently purchase drones by establishing a common operating picture for all Army UAS. This is directly in line with the Secretary of War’s guidance to understand the true capabilities of contractors and build a complete picture of UAS assets. This effort, coupled with our innovative UAS marketplace and our focus on performance and scalability, ensures we can equip our forces with the best technology at the speed of war.
One of the key ways we are also operationalizing change is by championing a concept that is gaining significant bipartisan momentum: the right to repair. This initiative, formalized in legislation like the Warrior Right to Repair Act of 2025, seeks to ensure that our service members have the tools, parts and manuals they need to fix their own equipment. The Secretary of War has also directed the Army to identify and propose contract modifications for "right to repair" provisions and to include them in all new contracts. This is a critical step in providing better holistic support to the warfighter, as it saves taxpayer money, increases readiness by reducing reliance on civilian contractors for simple fixes, and builds self-sufficiency in a contested environment.
This transformation is driven by a deep understanding of what's at stake. Our data-driven operations model and tools like Project Fast Track, which uses AI to slash proposal review times from weeks to hours. They are not just about saving time; they are about giving our customers better financial management and getting capabilities into the hands of soldiers faster. These advancements are part of a broader effort to modernize the entire sustainment enterprise, leveraging tools to move from reactive to predictive logistics.
The acquisition professional as a strategic partner
However, technology and innovative authorities alone aren't the entire solution. The most significant gains in efficiency come from the very beginning of the acquisition lifecycle. This is where acquisition professionals play a pivotal role. The clarity and precision of a requirement are the foundations of a successful contract. A vague or overly prescriptive requirement can lead to unnecessary delays and cost overruns. We must transition from a culture of simply processing paperwork to one of proactive, strategic partnership with our commanders.
So, what can we do to help? Here are a few methods for coaching commanders on developing clear, effective requirements:
- Embrace a "statement of objectives" over a "statement of work." Coach commanders to define the desired outcome rather than dictating the exact process. This approach allows industry to propose innovative solutions and leverage their expertise, which is vital for fostering a dynamic and effective partnership.
- Conduct early, robust market research together. Instead of waiting for a formal requirement to be finalized, partner with commanders to conduct market research up front. Use resources like ACC's strategic contracts portal to see what's available and what's working. This collaborative effort provides a realistic view of the market and helps shape a requirement that's both clear and achievable.
- Establish clear, performance-based metrics. Help commanders define what success looks like in measurable terms. By focusing on metrics that demonstrate performance and effectiveness, we can build in accountability and ensure that the final product or service truly meets the military services’ needs. It's also crucial to remember that sustainment and long-term support typically represent over 70% of a system’s total lifecycle cost. Therefore, these metrics must always consider long-term sustainment and affordability, ensuring we are not just buying a product, but a complete, supportable solution for the warfighter.
Our collective mission is guided by three principles. We are embracing top-down mandates by operationalizing our leaders' vision for a more agile and lethal force. We are operationalizing transformation for readiness by leveraging technology and innovative authorities like OTAs and the right to repair. And we are empowering our acquisition professionals to be strategic partners, guiding commanders to build clear requirements from the start.
The complex challenges of modern logistics and sustainment require a team effort. The work we do at ACC and the Defense Logistics Agency is intertwined and essential to the Army's success. It’s a collective mission that requires every dedicated professional—from the contracting officer to the logistics specialist—to support one another. By working together and embracing this new, agile approach, we will ensure our warfighters get the absolute best support, exactly when it's needed.
The sun never sets on our mission, and we are committed to winning every day.