A General Stares Down a Monster

LTG Susan Lawrence
Army CIO/G-6

Interesting article in the Army Times about Army network modernization.  I say interesting because it reports that Lieutenant General Susan Lawrence, the Army's CIO/G-6, has "grand plans" and wants to make "wholesale changes in the service's network."   Army Times staff writer Michael Hoffman describes Lawrence as "tired of her service languishing in old technology and handcuffed by an acquisitions system that leaves the Army way behind the commercial sector."

In the "money" paragraph, Hoffman quotes Lawrence giving a heads-up to industry.  Speaking of the current network, she challenges--

“Get us something else fast. It is cumbersome. It is hard to use. We have to protect our identity and make sure our information is secure but we have to do it a little bit better than we have today. Those were designed in 2002. It’s time we move on to new technology and I think you guys got it so you’re gonna see something from me very shortly,” Lawrence said at the Association of the U.S. Army breakfast July 14 in Arlington, Va."

Once more speaking of the still loosely federated network "enterprise," she said--

“We can’t have an enterprise with 50 quarterbacks and 50 playbooks on the battlefield." 

Well, great.  A lot of us are in favor of what she's talking about.  We really want to see this happen.  But here's why I thought the article was really interesting.  In order for Lt. Gen. Lawrence to get what she wants, she's going to have to tame this monster--

The Department of Defense's Integrated Acquisition,
Technology, and Logistics Life Cycle Management System

Good luck, General!