PEO Perspective: April 2020

COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
During this challenging time, we are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our Soldiers, family members, retirees, civilians and contractors, both at home and abroad.

Coronavirus has changed our lives and the way that we operate, impacting people all across our communities and around the world. I believe we are all responsible for protecting each other. It's about more than just me, and more than just you. It's about our families, our neighbors, our friends, and the vulnerable members of our society.

Protecting the force includes mitigating the spread of the virus and ensuring personnel have the most up-to-date information on appropriate measures to prevent potential spread of COVID-19.

But we can’t stop our mission.

At PEO EIS, we are encouraging maximum use of telework to ensure the health and welfare of our personnel.The Army is working diligently to advance the capability and capacity of our network posture to support the rise in demand, as Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy said in a statement to C4ISRNET on March 25: “In this unprecedented time for our nation, DoD networks remain fully capable of supporting the mission-critical duties necessary to execute our missions.”

We are extensively cleaning our facilities, workspaces and common areas according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, and working closely with the Fort Belvoir garrison commander on evolving changes at the installation. These Health Protection Level updates can be found on the Fort Belvoir Facebook page, and we also share them frequently on the PEO EIS Facebook page – if you aren’t yet a follower, now is a very good time to connect with us and get the latest updates on not just COVID-19, but how we’re managing to bring you uninterrupted access to virtual events, industry days and information to continue our mission.

Here are some highlights of how PEO EIS is supporting Army COVID-19 relief efforts:

ARMY VANTAGE
Army Vantage is an enterprise data analytics platform that connects to and draws relevant data from new and legacy systems in any form, at any scale, enabling leaders to make data-driven decisions and affect real change. It organizes and integrates data for near-real time visibility to make it accessible and understandable to Army leaders and designated users.

The Army Vantage team is working to rapidly develop a data analytics platform prototype for the Army's COVID-19 response, which uses existing Army and DOD data (personnel, units, installations, property, etc.) in combination with CDC and other public data related to the pandemic, to allow Army leaders to envision, mitigate and prepare for potential impacts.

With Army Vantage, leaders and designated users are able to assess, understand and improve Army readiness and decision-making. This investment is driven by the need for data to be visible, accessible, understandable, trusted, interoperable, and secure. I am extremely proud of the vital role of Army Vantage during this global pandemic, providing critical data to make informed decisions.

INTEGRATED PERSONNEL AND PAY SYSTEM INC II – ARMY (IPPS-A INC II)
The IPPS-A team is employing various virtual technologies to conduct long-term and day-to-day business to secure fielding, sustainment, and operations. Live training webinars continue this month, while fielding group 10, the final group, is scheduled to go live next week and bring to fruition Release 2, representing countless hours of hard work, dedication, and relentless commitment to excellence.

THE MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR COMBAT CASUALTY CARE (MC4)
On March 23, MC4 was on hand at 121 Field Hospital (FH) S6 to establish various medical communications and conduct training at the FH Isolation (ISO) Center. The training that the staff received provided capability to remotely access the hospital records directly. For establishing a network 121 FH S6 coordinated with 65th MED BDE S6, 1SIG, and 8th Army.  This deployment at the ISO Center enables the clinical staff to digitally document and update patient care, showcasing the capabilities of MC4 systems in real world health protection operations that will continue indefinitely.

DEFENSIVE CYBER OPERATIONS
Over the past few weeks, there has been an increasing number of malicious activities tied to COVID-19, but our Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) team, in coordination with our partners at Army CIO/G-6 and Army Cyber Command, remain fully operational and ready to defend the network. From announcement to action, our DCO team never went offline, with mission critical personnel behind the cyber force up and running at their designated locations, and responding at the speed of relevance to ensure uninterrupted cyber defense.

LAND MOBILE RADIO
Our Project Lead Land Mobile Radio (LMR) is working closely with Army Materiel Command (AMC) and Army CIO/G-6 to develop a requirements request for implementation of 600 subscriber units to augment and support DoD first responders and essential emergency medical services personnel in the fight against COVID-19. First responders rely on LMR systems to maintain communications with CONUS and OCONUS installation safety and management personnel, including Military Police, fire departments and emergency medical services personnel.

WORKFORCE RECOGNITION
COVID-19 is a quickly evolving situation requiring agile solutions. Col. Donald Burton, project manager for General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS), recently found a creative way to honor three retiring civilians. Using video teleconferencing and a telephone audio bridge, the team was able to connect colleagues to witness the presentation of Meritorious Civilian Service Medals to three retiring teammates. Mark McSorley, Tin Nguyen and John Spruill collectively logged more than 80 years of combined federal service. I am honored to have been a part of their virtual ceremonies, and I thank them for their flexibility and for their service to our nation.

CONGRESSIONAL UPDATE
The Army’s fiscal year 2021 Budget supports the National Defense Strategy (NDS) requirements and provides detailed strategic guidance for the U.S. Defense Department. The NDS outlines the force needed to win future wars, with an emphasis on six top priorities to keep the Army ready to deploy, fight and win. Among these priorities is the network, which the last few weeks have proven must be fast, dependable, and protected.

This month, PEO EIS continues to provide annual budget overview updates to Authorizer and Appropriator professional staff members. These briefings are being conducted virtually in light of the currently pandemic, ensuring the safety of all participants.

On March 26,the Senate passed H.R. 748, providing nearly $2 trillion to individuals, businesses, and states, among others, in response to the coronavirus pandemic under the Senate-passed version of H.R. 748. The measure, negotiated between the Senate and administration, includes among other items, loans to companies and state and local governments, and relief payments to individual taxpayers. It also provides $342 billion in emergency supplemental funding, including $100 billion for hospitals.

CYBER TALKS
DCO hosted a 100% virtual Webex Cyber Talk on March 30 for government personnel, contractors, SOSSEC Consortium members and all interested industry vendors. This is the second successful DCO Cyber Talk hosted at the Forge in recent months. To make sure you’re a part of the next event, bookmark our Events page and follow us on Facebook for information about future events like these.

INDUSTRY COMMITMENT
On March 20, just days after emergent guidance regarding COVID-19 and the need for social distancing, PEO EIS pivoted to host a 100% virtual Global Force Information Management (GFIM) Industry Day, with five speakers and more than 600 registered industry members safely and virtually connected.

The GFIM is designed to capture all relevant data associated with Army formations throughout the Army enterprise, allocation of resources, and readiness to meet emerging threats. Industry is vital to the GFIM program because they provide insight into how industry manages large organizational processes and their associated systems.

These extraordinary challenges require equally extraordinary solutions, and we are committed to offering valuable, virtual content and events.

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS
The annual AFCEA Belvoir Industry Days, scheduled for April 29 - May 1, has unfortunately been postponed. AFCEA Belvoir, which sponsors the event, will continue to monitor ongoing events and the possibility of rescheduling the event at a later date. We stand ready to support this important event when the time comes that we can all be together again.

APRIL OBSERVATIONS
It’s important in times of uncertainty to hold on to traditions, ceremony and observations. April is Month of the Military Child, a month I have always been proud to be a part of as a military kid myself.

On April 5, we pay special tribute to our Gold Star Spouses, whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation.

Now more than ever, it seems appropriate to highlight the family members of those who serve. Our military families are the backbone of every Soldier’s success, and our commitment is to them as well as to every Soldier.

Thank you for your continued support to PEO EIS and the Army. Support each other, look out for your families and communities, and be safe.

Connecting the Army. Working for Soldiers.

Chérie Smith,
Program Executive Officer