PEO Perspective: June 2024

Happy Army Birthday month! 

As always, late spring and summer are busy times of transition here at PEO EIS and throughout the Army, and we mark a few changes of note in the months ahead: 

LEADERSHIP CHANGES 

A warm welcome (back) to Deputy PEO Col. (P) RJ Mikesh, who officially took the helm May 15. Most recently, RJ led the Integrated Personnel and Pay System - Army (IPPS-A) through deployment to 1.2 million Soldiers, successfully rolled out three software releases, transitioned the portfolio to Agile and stood up the Operational Medicine Information Systems - Army (OMIS-A).  

RJ previously served as executive officer to the deputy undersecretary of the Army. Prior to that, he led the IT component of Operation Warp Speed (OWS), the White House’s national program to accelerate the development, manufacture and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics during the pandemic. He has also held various leadership roles throughout PEO EIS, including as assistant PEO, project manager for the former AESIP program, and more.   

It’s great to have you back on board, RJ, and I’m looking forward to doing great things together with this team! 

My thanks again to Reg Shuford who stepped into the critical role of acting deputy, representing PEO EIS at many meetings, events and conferences over the past year.  

ARMY TRAINING INFORMATION SYSTEM (ATIS)  

Moving to our Army Data and Analytics Platforms (ARDAP) portfolio, last month the Army Training Information System (ATIS) product office in Newport News, Virginia held a relinquishment of charter ceremony for product manager Tim Hale, who departed for a position with the Defense Contract Management Agency in Orlando. His deputy, Christie Murphy, is serving as the acting product manager.  

Many thanks to Tim for his years of service in various leadership roles within PEO EIS – DCMA is lucky to have him on board! My sincere thanks to Christie for stepping into the leadership role at ATIS – one of our most critical programs. 

AESIP HUB  

Formerly part of ARDAP's Army Data Platform product office, AESIP Hub improves Army information readiness and data agility by providing timely and data-relevant information to fully enable fact-based and resource-informed decision-making by Soldiers. 

Last month, AESIP Hub moved from within ADP to Enterprise Business Systems - Convergence (EBS-C), and I’m proud to announce that my former executive officer Marcus Collins has been selected to lead the organization. Marcus has been an invaluable member of the executive team, managing busy calendars and logistics for me and former PEO Ross Guckert and being a critical enabler in implementing Agile. His level-headed approach and acquisition acumen will be an asset to the portfolio. 

It was a great pleasure to recognize Marcus in our quarterly PEO offsite last week – I’m excited to see where he takes the AESIP Hub organization. 

Change is constant, but our commitment to excellence never waivers. Thank you to all of the program leads, deputies and employees for ensuring delivery of capability without missing a beat. 

AIE INDUSTRY DAY

Accessions Information Environment (AIE) Industry Day, slated for June 20 on Teams, is your chance to learn about a commercial off-the-shelf solution for modernizing the Army accessions enterprise. 

AIE Industry Day will cover AIE’s requirements, draft request for proposals, contract scope and evaluation factors. Register here.

OBSERVANCES 

Army Birthday 

This year, our nation celebrates the 249th birthday of the United States Army.  

June 14, 1775, is the birthdate of an Army older than the nation it serves, authorized for formation by the Second Continental Congress a full year before the Declaration of Independence. 

The theme this year is “Honoring the Past, Defending the Future,” with a focus on how we continue our proud tradition of global excellence through delivery of capability to our Soldiers.  

This year, PEO EIS will hold a small Army birthday cake-cutting at PEO EIS headquarters, which you can watch on the Army’s actual birthday, June 14! As is the tradition, I will be joined by our oldest and youngest Soldiers, signifying continuity of service. Any guesses on who they might be? 

Today we salute the men and women who have chosen to serve their nation, and we thank the families who support them. The Army’s legacy has been built on our history and displayed in the dedication, courage and heroism of the American Soldier.  

You can visit www.army.mil/1775 to learn more about the establishment of our Army,  

D-Day 

The events of June 6, 1944 – D-Day -- liberated France and very likely turned the course of World War II, allowing for an Allied victory. This year we commemorate the 80th anniversary of this historic event.  

At the time, the D-Day invasion was the largest naval, air and land operation in history, with nearly 58,000 troops. By August of that year, all of northern France had been liberated, and the Allies declared victory in the spring of 1945.   

The commemoration of D-Day is deeply personal for many of our workforce members who had family that served during World War II — some of whom were on the beaches of Normandy or overhead on that infamous day 80 years ago. Many serve today because of those heroes of the Greatest Generation.  

Please look to our social media pages this month as we share #DDAY80 posts and remember the brave Americans and Allies who fought and secured peace for future generations.  

Juneteenth: Freedom Day 

Juneteenth is known alternatively as Jubilee Day and Emancipation Day, referring to President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which went into effect Jan. 1, 1863.  

It was another two and a half years later, on June 19, 1865, that Gen. Gordon Granger and his Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and any enslaved people were freed by executive order. The name Juneteenth is a portmanteau of the words June and nineteenth, and it became an important day to rejoice more than 150 years before it became a national holiday.  

Via legislation enacted in 1979, every U.S. state and the District of Columbia formally recognized Juneteenth, and it became a federal holiday in 2021. 

Juneteenth represents victory over the shameful institution of slavery and a fulfillment of America’s promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for Black Americans.  

Our diversity is our strength, and our strength is in our unity.  

Pride Month 

In June, the Army recognizes LGBTQ+ service members and civilians for their service to the Army and the nation. Pride Month is a nationally recognized observance celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, its advocates and allies by promoting community, unity and pride.  

The selfless and dedicated service of LGBTQ+ Army Soldiers and Civilians makes our military stronger and the nation safer. Thank you to all who serve.  

IN CLOSING 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that June is also National Safety Month. Many preventable injuries and deaths occur during the summer months, and I encourage you and your loved ones to be mindful and to prepare as you make your travel and outdoor plans for the summer.  

 You matter, your family matters, and your safety is paramount!  

 Happy Juneteenth, Happy Pride, and Happy Army Birthday!  

Bill Hepworth, Program Executive Officer, PEO EIS  

 Every Soldier, Every Day.