welcome - peo stri

InsIde

The Honorable Bruce D. Jette, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology) and Army Acquisition Executive, officiated a June 21 ceremony that transferred leadership of the Program Executive Office, Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) located in Orlando, Fla.

Brig. Gen. Michael E. Sloane became the new leader in the ceremony hosted at Hagerty High School

in Oviedo, Florida, a small town northeast of Orlando. Immediately following the change of charter, Brig. Gen. William E. Cole, the outgoing Program Executive Officer (PEO), was retired from the Army after 31 years of service.

“Good sound leadership skills, sound business judgement, good communications skills, integrity and technical expertise are all characteristics of both of these men,” Jette said of Sloane and Cole during his comments. “I am looking forward to working with Mike to take PEO STRI to new levels. Our objective is to always do better.”

Jette also thanked Cole for the exceptional job he did in leading PEO STRI during his two-year assignment and for his service to the country.

“PEO STRI is one of the most challenging PEO positions because you have to care about every piece of equipment fielded,” he told the audience. “You don’t just field them to our Soldiers and say ‘here you go;’ you have to maintain those training devices to a 90 percent operational level for all training devices and the PEO STRI team did exactly that.”

After accepting the charter for PEO STRI, the incoming leader emphasized the importance of putting Soldiers front and center of everything the PEO STRI team does in the workplace.

“Every single thing we do is about Soldiers. If you are not talking to NCOs and Soldiers you are wrong. I will ask that every time you come to see me,” he told the workforce. “They must be at the forefront of every capability we build and we must listen and incorporate their input in order to deliver what the Soldiers need to fight and win.

“I will always ask Soldiers what capabilities they need and what they think of the capabilities we provide. I will always include Soldier feedback as

In a world where pretty much everyone today has equal access to technology, innovation is important, but it is not about speed of discovery, it is about speed of delivery to the field."~ Michael D. Griffin,

Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, discussing the importance of increasing the speed of technology innovation.

IN THIS ISSUE

A P R I L - A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

A Message from the PEO… Page 2

PEO STRI Welcomes New Senior Enlisted Advisor… Page 3

Workforce Enjoys Annual Organization Day & Family Picnic… Page 5

STRI Employees Receive Career Service Awards… Pages 11

Brig. Gen. Michael E. Sloane Assumes Leadership of Program Executive Office, Simulation, Training and Instrumentation

By Rick Gregory, PEO STRI Strategic Communications Support Staff

VOLUME XVIII ISSUE III

WORTHREPEATING

U.S. Army photo

Brig. Gen. Michael E. Sloane addresses the audience after being presented the charter to be the new leader of PEO STRI.

continued on page 10

"NO MATTER WHAT YOUR POSITION IS AT PEO STRI, I EXPECT EACH OF YOU TO

SERVE AS A LEADER."Brig. Gen. Michael E. Sloane

InsIde sTRI APRIL - AUGUST 20182

A M E S S A G E F R O M T H E

PROGRAM EXECUTIVE OFFICERTo the PEO STRI Workforce,

I would like to thank all of you for the gracious and warm welcome you provided me from the very first day I arrived at PEO STRI.

Your individual expertise in your specific roles, obvious pride in what you do to accomplish our critical mission, and sincere desire to provide our Soldiers with the very best training devices and systems available is clearly apparent.

As I said during the Change of Charter ceremony, every single thing we do is about Soldiers. They must be at the forefront of every capability we build and we must listen and incorporate their input into the design in order to deliver what the Soldiers need to fight and win.

You have already demonstrated that you embrace those guidelines and truly bring to life the words of the PEO STRI motto, “We work for our Soldiers. It’s the best job we’ve ever had.”

As Secretary of Defense James Mattis wrote in a recent message, and I cannot emphasis the importance of this point enough, “We must demonstrate respect for all Service members, build trust, and remove the cancer of sexual misconduct from our ranks."

This encompasses embracing and celebrating the diversity of our workforce that reflects the public we serve. The Department of Defense Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion points out that a diverse workforce includes the range of backgrounds, skill sets, and personal attributes that are necessary to enhancing military performance.

As we move forward together, I encourage all of you to remain laser-focused on innovation and modernization of new and existing training devices and systems. As famed ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.” Let’s all take a leadership role in taking a shot at innovation and modernization by sharing fresh ideas on how to steadily improve upon our already superb accomplishments. As Dr. Jette said at the ceremony, “Our objective is always to do better!”

I look forward to serving with you as we work together, respect each other and operate at the speed of trust to provide our warfighters with the most advanced STRI systems possible.

Very respectfully,

Brig. Gen. Michael E. Sloane

BG MICHAEL E. SLOANE

I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO

REMAIN LASER-FOCUSED ON

INNOVATION AND MODERNIZATION.”

— Brig. Gen. Michael E. Sloane

InsIde sTRI APRIL - AUGUST 2018 3

PEO STRI officially welcomed our new senior enlisted advisor, Sgt. Maj. Franklin Velez, in an Assumption of Responsibility ceremony hosted by Brig. Gen. William E. Cole, PEO STRI’s Program Executive Officer, in Partnership III on May 29, 2018.

The PEO lauded the impressive experience the new senior enlisted advisor brings to the job after more than 28 years of service that has culminated in his attaining the highest rank possible in the enlisted ranks.

“Since enlisting as a private in the Infantry, Sgt. Maj. Velez has taken on nearly any assignment available that would test his mettle and put him front and center where the action is, whether in peacetime or with a country at war,” Cole said.

“Without a doubt, his proven warfighter experience over these past 28 years will have an immeasurable impact on PEO STRI fielding the very best training and simulation products available to our Soldiers,” he added.

That warfighter experience includes deployments to the Middle East for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm; Haiti, Kosovo; Iraq for Operations Iraqi Freedom and Inherent Resolve; and Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Sergeant Major brings warfighter knowledge he gained from Army schools he completed, including Airborne, Ranger, Air Assault, Pathfinder, Jungle Operations, Sniper, Jumpmaster and Mountain Warfare Schools.

After thanking his new leader for the remarks, he thanked his wife Sandra and children Antonio, Alexa and Adryana for their ongoing, loving support. He was quick to point out to the attendees that he is honored to take on his new responsibilities because he can use them to support his number one concern as a Sergeant Major – taking care of the troops.

“I believe in our motto at PEO STRI - ‘We work for our Soldiers. It’s the best job we’ve ever had,” Velez said. “Everything that we do here, at the end of the day there’s a trooper involved in it.

“That training device that Soldier is holding in his or her hand came from you,” he told the PEO STRI workforce. “That’s important to me. I’m glad I am here because I can help with that process. It’s about those kids out there on the battlefield. It’s all about them,” he stressed.

PEO STRI Welcomes New Senior Enlisted Advisor, Sgt. Maj. Franklin Velez

By Rick Gregory, PEO STRI Strategic Communications Support Staff

U.S. Army photo

Sgt. Maj. Franklin Velez addresses the audience during his Assumption of Responsibility ceremony.

U.S. Army photo

Brig. Gen. William Cole, Program Executive Officer, passes the ceremonial sword to Sgt. Maj. Franklin Velez during the Assumption of Responsibility ceremony.


PEO STRI, ACC-Orlando Celebrate Women’s History Month

Secretary of the Army, Chief of Staff Army Issue Vision Statement

By Kenneth Richmond, PEO STRI EEO Manager

In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Office and Women’s Special Emphasis Program Manager hosted a “Women Moving Forward: Celebrating Success through Mentorship” symposium on March 29, 2018.

The event was held in Partnership III in room 321 and attended by military and civilian personnel from the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation and Army Contracting Command-Orlando. The purpose of the symposium was to increase awareness and understanding of the benefits of mentorship in our personal and professional lives.

The event kicked off with the PEO STRI Women’s Special Emphasis Program Manager, Ms. Christina Manol, providing opening remarks as she reemphasized the primary purpose of why we celebrate Women’s History Month. Next, the Program Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. William Cole, shared with the audience the significant role women played and continue to play in the workforce.

This year’s guest speaker was PEO STRI’s personnel resources manager (G-1), Ms. Lisa Taylor. She shared her poignant story about how mentorship had a positive impact on her military and civilian careers.

During her speech, Taylor emphasized the need for effective mentorship. “Three things that a mentor is responsible for is to direct your path, correct the path you’re on, and perfect the path you’re on,” she said.

During the second half of the symposium, a group of resident experts serving as panelists actively engaged the audience with their expertise and personal experiences. The five member panel consisted of Taylor, Ms. Aida Maida (NAWCTSD Orlando), Ms. Christina Manol (PEO STRI), Ms. Christina Bell (PEO STRI), and Ms. Jennifer Kimzey (ACC-Orlando).

The Women Moving Forward video can be viewed on the PEO STRI I: drive under the “Common” folder and then selecting the “Special Emphasis Program” folder.

The U.S. Army Vision Statement is the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff's guidance for building a lethal army to meet the nation's needs over the next ten years.

WHAT HAS THE ARMY DONE / IS DOING?The future Army Vision:

• Man - Grow the Active Army above 500,000 Soldiers with associated growth in the Army Reserve and National Guard.

• Organize - Ensure war-fighting formations have sufficient infantry, armor, engineer, artillery and air defense assets. Units from brigade through corps must also have the ability to conduct sustained ground and air Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance; Electronic Warfare; and cyber operations to shape the battlefield across all domains. Aviation, additional combat support and robust logistical support must be readily available to units.

• Train - Focus on high-intensity conflict, with emphasis on operating in dense urban terrain, electronically degraded environs and under constant surveillance.

• Equip - Reform the current acquisition system and unify the modernization enterprise under a single command. The intent will be to focus on delivering the weapons, combat vehicles, sustainment systems and equipment when Soldiers need it.

• Lead - Develop smart, thoughtful and innovative leaders of character. Leaders who are comfortable with complexity and are capable of operating from the tactical to strategic level.

WHAT CONTINUED EFFORTS DOES THE ARMY HAVE PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE?

The Army will continue its effort through the employment of modern manned and unmanned ground combat vehicles, aircraft, sustainment systems and weapons. These coupled with robust combined arms formations and tactics based on a modern warfighting doctrine and centered on exceptional leaders and Soldiers of unmatched lethality.

To provide overmatch in future wars, the Army must adapt and evolve as the world changes. The Army will prepare by increasing capacity, training, improving and correcting critical gaps. This will result in a far more lethal force that is ready now and prepared for the future.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO THE ARMY?The Army of 2028 will be ready to deploy, fight and

win decisively, against any adversary, in a joint, multi-domain, high-intensity conflict. Army will maintain its ability to conduct irregular warfare while simultaneously deterring adversaries anytime, anywhere.

U.S. Army photo

Brig. Gen. William E. Cole, PEO STRI Program Executive Officer, speaks to the audience at the Women’s History Month Celebration. The panel included (left to right) Ms. Aida Maida (NAWCTSD Orlando), Ms. Christina Manol (PEO STRI), Ms. Lisa Taylor (PEO STRI), Ms. Jennifer Kimzey (ACC-Orlando) and Ms. Christina Bell (PEO STRI).

Provided by Office of the Secretary of the Army


PEO STRI, ACC-Orlando Hold Annual Organization and Family Picnic Day

PEO STRI and ACC-Orlando enjoyed a relaxing day of friendly competition, food and fun with their coworkers and family members during the annual Organization and Family Day Picnic held on April 13, 2018.

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Col. Marcus Varnadore, PM TRADE, tips the softball during the softball tournament.

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Competitors enjoy a challenging game of volleyball.

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Members of PM ITTS proudly pose with the Organization Day trophy.

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Fran Fierko (left), ACC-Orlando, and Scott Pulford, PM TRADE, ensure the employees have plenty of freshly grilled hamburgers ready at chowtime.

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Competitors keep their eyes on the airborne eggs during the egg toss competition.

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Employees opt for a quieter, and cooler, game of dominoes.

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Players reach for the rebound during the basketball competition.


PEO STRI Change of Charter and Retirement Ceremony

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The Honorable Bruce Jette, Army Acquisition Executive, presents the Certificate of Retirement to Brig. Gen. William E. Cole.

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The Honorable Bruce Jette, Army Acquisition Executive, presents the certificate for the Outstanding Civilian Service award to Mrs. Midge Cole as her husband, Brig. Gen. William E. Cole looks on.

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Family members of Brig. Gen. William E. Cole (left front) and Brig. Gen. Michael E. Sloane (right front) applaud Cole at the end of his retirement speech.

June 21, 2018


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(Left to right) The Honorable Bruce Jette, Army Acquisition Executive, Brig. Gen. William E. Cole and Brig. Gen. Michael E. Sloane arrive on stage for the beginning of the ceremony.

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Mrs. Debbie Sloane, wife of the incoming PEO, is escorted to her seat by Maj. Joe Olson at the beginning of the ceremony.

U.S. Army photo

The Honorable Bruce Jette, Army Acquisition Executive, addresses the audience.

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The Honorable Bruce Jette (left), Army Acquisition Executive presents the flag to Brig. Gen. William E. Cole during Cole’s retirement ceremony.

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Brig. Gen. Michael E. Sloane (center) and his wife, Debbie, greet attendees after the ceremony.


Joint Project Manager for Medical Modeling and Simulation Hosts Defense Health Agency Spring Huddle

By JPM MMS Staff

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) Component Acquisition Executive (CAE) (J-4) conducted its Spring 2018 Leader Huddle, hosted by PEO STRI’s Joint Project Manager for Medical Modeling and Simulation (JPM MMS) April 24 - 27, 2018.

Brig. Gen. William E. Cole, PEO STRI’s Program Executive Officer, welcomed the group, explaining the significant role JPM MMS plays in ensuring Warfighters throughout the Department of Defense have the best medical simulation training devices and systems available.

“The JPM MMS team provides a significant opportunity to share resources, standardize medical simulation capabilities and, most importantly, improve the quality of medical care from point of injury where casualties occur to hospital care in our military and veteran health care facilities,” he told the attendees.

The DHA J-4 Leader Huddle is a semiannual meeting of senior J-4 leaders to discuss and plan the next six months. The huddle included acquisition and procurement professionals from across the Military Health System (MHS), to include representatives from DHA, Army, Air Force, and Navy.

The focus of the spring huddle was to discuss how to prepare for the MHS Transition, as stipulated by the National Defense Authorization Act

2017. The MHS Reform Management Group designated DHA as the singular acquisition and contracting authority for products and services supporting the delivery of health care at all military treatment facilities (MTFs).

Huddle attendees brought their experience and expertise to the table to discuss, in detail, plans of action to link direct care with purchased care from an acquisition and procurement perspective.

To start, DHA will begin developing Interagency Support Agreements to establish MHS policies for contracting support to MTFs and charter an enterprise-wide acquisition Project Management Office (PMO), in addition to leveraging the existing JPM MMS

program office to help standardize and aggregate purchased services and hospital-based simulation requirements.

In the coming months, the DHA J-4 and its military department counterparts will continue working closely together to ensure quality and efficient contracting support for both readiness and healthcare delivery requirements beginning October 1, 2018.

U.S. Army photo

Attendees to the Defense Health Agency Spring Huddle take time to pose for a photo.

THE FOCUS OF THE SPRING HUDDLE WAS TO DISCUSS HOW TO

PREPARE FOR THE MHS TRANSITION.


User-Friendly Combat Care Medical App Gets Positive Feedback from Soldiers

By David Vergun, Army News Service

Basic casualty care is a critical skill every Soldier must learn to survive and help others survive on the battlefield.

How to effectively teach the basics of combat care is always a topic of discussion, said Col. Dan Irizarry, a medical doctor who serves as clinical advisor to the Defense Health Agency's Joint Project Manager for Medical Modeling and Simulation and the Army's Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI).

Unit first responder Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) training is extremely variable across the Army and Department of

Defense, even though it is based on the same material created by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care.

Teaching methods for that coursework includes lectures, textbooks and hands-on training. Nevertheless, dated methods like lectures and textbooks are not the medium of choice for many millennials, who make up the bulk of today's Army and who are more conversant with apps, Irizarry said.

“Most units, pressed for training time, shorten and modify TC3 presentations to meet unit manpower and time constraints when delivering a TC3 course,” Irizarry

said. “This introduces training inconsistency across the formation which can impact training effectiveness and ultimately readiness.”

In response to this problem, PEO STRI recently prototyped a user-friendly medical app called the Tactical Combat Casualty Care All Combatant Cognitive Trainer, or TC3 ACCT. The new app provides a consistent, but personalized presentation of TC3 material to each learner on any mobile device.

Recent testing of the app was conducted by Soldiers from U.S. Army Alaska at Fort Wainwright. Hands-on skills validation training supplemented the app.

U.S. Army photo by Spc. Victor PerezVargas

The Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation recently prototyped a user-friendly medical app called the Tactical Combat Casualty Care All Combatant Cognitive Trainer, or TC3 ACCT. The new app provides a consistent, but personalized presentation of TC3 material to each learner on any mobile device.


Inside STRI is an authorized publication for military and civilian members of the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation, Orlando, Fla. 32826. Inside STRI is published under the authority of AR 360-1 and applies the Associated Press Stylebook industry standard. Contents of Inside STRI are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army, or PEO STRI. Editorial material for publication should be submitted to PEO STRI Public Affairs Office, 12211 Science Drive, Orlando, Fla. 32826. The PAO reserves the right to edit all material submitted for publication. For more information about PEO STRI or to view Inside STRI online, visit our website at www.peostri.army.mil

EDITOR: PEO STRI Strategic Communications Support Staff DESIGN: MSB Analytics, Inc.

[[email protected]]

BRIG. GEN. MICHAEL E. SLOANE ASSUMES LEADERSHIP OF PROGRAM EXECUTIVE OFFICE, SIMULATION, TRAINING AND INSTRUMENTATION continued from page 1

USER-FRIENDLY COMBAT CARE MEDICAL APP GETS POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM SOLDIERS continued from page 9

touchpoints in all of our capabilities and systems,” he continued. “No matter what your position is at PEO STRI, I expect each of you to serve as a leader. We will work together, respect each other and operate at the speed of trust.”

Following the retirement portion of the ceremony, Cole thanked the PEO STRI workforce for helping make his last assignment in uniform his best.

“The PEO STRI workforce has been tremendous in their dedication to supply our Army with the best training simulations and devices in the world,” he said. “PEO STRI has been a wonderful place to work. It has been an honor to work with you as we lived up to our motto ‘We work for our Soldiers – It’s the best job we’ve ever had.’ After 31 great years in the Army, this has indeed been the best job I have ever had.”

Cole, who previously worked with Sloane at PEO Soldier, had high praise for his replacement.

“Mike, I am thrilled to turn the organization over to you. You are a tremendously talented officer, you lead by example and I have seen you accomplish some incredible feats when you were given a broad mission. I know you will serve your subordinates and place their welfare above your own.”

POSITIVE FEEDBACK“Feedback from early TC3 ACCT testing by

Army units has been very positive and the app was well-received by Soldiers and leadership alike,” Irizarry said.

Soldiers using the app had at least equal knowledge-base development in less time, an average of 5.3 hours, as compared to a group who used a lecture-based training approach that took an average of 12 hours, he said.

Also, 96 percent of Soldiers using the app said it was easy to learn using the app and 92 percent reported that the app was technically easy to use, he said.

Irizarry said one reason this app is an improvement over the traditional lecture-based training method is because it uses adaptive learning technology. Adaptive learning technology customizes curriculum to meet a learner's unique needs using computer algorithms and provides students and instructors continuous feedback on how well the material is mastered.

Additionally, the app, which contains videos as well as photos, makes it possible for Soldiers to more effectively train anytime, anywhere, reducing time spent in brick-and-mortar facility training, he said, and making training much more convenient.

User testing was conducted in areas with limited Internet connectivity in Alaska, suggesting remote use is feasible, though content is definitely delivered

better with Internet connectivity, he added.

“TC3 ACCT helps Soldiers sustain knowledge over time by using proven learning principles that reintroduce information to the learner at the time when knowledge starts to fade, as opposed to an annual training requirement,” he said. This increases long-term memory of

the information, which increases readiness.

The Army is presently considering ways to improve training using adaptive learning technologies. This early user assessment suggests, based on cost, feedback and user performance metrics, that this might be a wise investment and could be a viable means to help deliver and track DOD required training.

All TC3 ACCT materials are derived from the All Service Member TCCC course published by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care and the Defense Health Agency Deployed Medicine Website, Irizarry said.

Prototype funding for TC3 ACCT was obtained by PEO STRI through an Other Transaction Authority contract. With an OTA contract, funding can become available in weeks rather than the years it might normally take going through the traditional acquisition process, he said.

As this is a prototype undergoing evaluation, access to the app is currently restricted to those who possess a software license.

"EARLY TC3 ACCT TESTING BY ARMY UNITS HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE."

Col. Dan Irizarry


PEO STRI Employees Honored For Career Service Milestone

KENNETH MYER20 YEARS

DAVID VOOR30 YEARS

JEFFREY BROWNING35 YEARS

JOSE LUIS MERCADO 35 YEARS

RICHARD JODOIN, JR.35 YEARS

JAMES Keirstead40 YEARS

STEPHEN MOORE20 YEARS

DARIN STEVENS20 YEARS

LOUIS HAMILTON25 YEARS

MIGDALIA VELEZ30 YEARS

During the May 10 Town Hall, Brig. Gen. William E. Cole, Program Executive Officer, presented Career Service Certificates to employees who have reached the 20 years or higher career mark.

*Not pictured – David Smith (25 years) and Michael Hammond (35 years)


STRI IN FOCUS

U.S. Army photo

Mr. Henri Goodheim and Ms. Sonja Marchesono hold Certificates of Appreciation given to them following their address to the workforce during the Days of Remembrance event held on April 12, 2018 and sponsored by PM TRADE. Both shared with the audience their vivid memories of the horror, helplessness and heartbreak they suffered at the hands of the Nazi regime.

U.S. Army photo

Brig. Gen. William E. Cole (left), Program Executive Officer, presents a Certificate of Retirement to Col. Bill Canaley during his retirement ceremony held on June 12, 2018. U.S. Army photo

Lt. Col. Craig Fournier, who has been selected for promotion to colonel, speaks to the audience following his assuming the charter for Field Operations during a Change of Charter Ceremony held on June 12, 2018.

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Newly promoted Maj. Joe Olson, Assistant Product Manager, Live Training Systems, addresses the audience after having his new rank pinned on in a promotion ceremony held on April 10, 2018.

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Col. Scott McLeod, Project Manager, Training Devices, presents the Meritorious Service Medal to Lt. Col. Kenneth Walters, Product Manager, Ground Combat Tactical Trainers, during his Relinquishment of Charter ceremony on May 9, 2018.

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Col. Rich Haggerty, PM ITTS, presents the charter for Product Manager, Special Operations Forces Training Systems to Ms. Christina Bell during a Change of Charter Ceremony held on June 19, 2018.

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Sgt. Maj. Franklin Velez, senior enlisted advisor, participates in a cake cutting ceremony with Michelle Hoang who served as the guest speaker during the 2018 Asian Pacific Islander Month event on May 30, 2018.

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Attendees of the Diversity Day Celebration held on April 12, 2018 line up to sample food from the Hispanic-American Booth.

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