By Megan Clark |
Dr. Eric Moore, deputy to the commanding general for U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, speaks about the Defense Civilian Training Corps internship program at a human resources forum held on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, Aug. 22. DCTC is a multidisciplinary Reserve Officers Training Corps type of scholarship program that allows organizations recruit top scholars from all acquisition disciplines and not just those in STEM fields. (Photo Credit: Chris Nwagbara, PEO IEW&S)
Members of the human resources acquisition community participate in a group activity about communication at an HR forum Aug. 22 on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. (Photo Credit: Chris Nwagbara, PEO IEW&S)
Members of the human resources acquisition community pose together for a group photo in celebration of their participation in an HR forum Aug. 22, on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. This is the first HR forum to be held since 2018. (Photo Credit: Sierra Merrill, PEO IEW&S)
Tammy Knox, Army Acquisition Workforce Civilian HR Servicing Center Director, left, and Corinne Matteson, Army Acquisition Workforce Civilian HR Servicing Center division chief, pose with their Certificates of Recognition for their participation in a Human Resources Forum held on Aberdeen Proving Ground Aug. 22 and 23. (Photo Credit: Sierra Merrill, PEO IEW&S)
Dr. Eric Moore, deputy to the commanding general of U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, center, receives a Certificate of Recognition award from Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors Human Capital Strategist Cheryl Litteral, right, and Valerie DeVries, human capital director for PEO Simulation, Training and Instrumentation. Dr. Moore spoke at a Human Resources Forum about the different internship program
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Program Executive Offices and Joint Program Executive Offices joined together Aug. 21 and 22, at APG for the first human resources forum since 2018. PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S) hosted alongside PEO Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T) and JPEO Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO CBRND) at APG-South in Edgewood, Maryland.
The forum covered dozens of topics including onboarding and orientation, internship programs and training updates. There were presentations from organizations outside of PEO and JPEO, including U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), U.S. Army Civilian Human Resources Agency (CHRA), U.S. Army Civilian Career Management Activity (ACCMA), U.S. Army Director of Acquisition Career Management Office (DACM), and U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC).
“We have a lot to talk about in two days,” Cheryl Litteral, PEO IEW&S human capital strategist, said about the forum. “It’s the first time we’ve been able to meet all together in so long.”
The last HR forum was hosted by U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center eight years ago. Litteral wanted to initiate starting the forums back up to discuss best practices and struggles that acquisition HR professionals can relate to.
“[The intent] is for this to be conversational and collaborative,” Litteral said. “We want to have open conversations, which is why the forum is structured the way it is. We want to share information rather than be briefed at.”
Nicole Kilgore, deputy JPEO CBRND, gave opening remarks to kick off the event.
“I look forward to the conversations we will have this week and hearing all of your ideas,” Kilgore said.
One of the biggest topics discussed was leadership development and training. Litteral believes that leadership training should begin as early as possible and that there should be a distinct pathway for competitive progression.
“We don’t want to wait until the day [someone] is promoted to give them the training they need,” Litteral said. “It needs to start from the ground up.”
Joe Couisineau, HR director from PEO C3T, said he really enjoyed participating in the forum.
“It was exciting to meet other HR professionals who share the same dedication for supporting the Army Acquisition workforce,” Couisineau said. “[It was great] learning about the best practices and challenges from our PEO partners.”
Other topics included career field coding, recruiting efforts and events, organizational overviews from the external organization presenters, President Lincoln’s communication style and resilience and all-around best practices for HR professionals.
HR participants from all over the acquisition field turned out both online and in person to learn and exchange information.
“This is something we needed for a long time,” Rachel Pulley, from the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Data, Engineering and Software, said. “I’m so glad to be here.”