Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment

#ICYMI: Last week, ASD(EI&E) Brendan Owens, joined the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) for a virtual fireside chat to discuss DoD’s quality-of-life initiatives for our military force and their families. A number of new efforts were announced by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III in September, and focus on improving housing, expanding childcare access, supporting spouse employment, and easing the challenges of frequent relocations. During the discussion, Owens shared how the Department’s Resilient Healthy Defense Communities Strategy will enhance our military installations and support our Warfighters and their families. 📽️ Watch the full chat below!    #TakeCareOfOurPeople #SustainTheForce

Last week, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Dr. Vic Ramdass, represented the United States Department of Defense at the second public meeting of the Minority Business Enterprises Advisory Council.    This collaborative event, supported by the Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), brought together leaders from government and industry to advance opportunities for minority-owned businesses in the defense industrial base, with an emphasis on cross-cutting strategies to enhance Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) support across federal programs. In alignment with these goals, OSBP will explore hosting a dedicated MBE Industry Day to foster valuable connections and matchmaking opportunities for minority business enterprises and key defense stakeholders. Fostering an inclusive, diverse industrial base is a top priority for DoD. By supporting Minority Business Enterprises, we strengthen innovation, build a more resilient defense supply chain, and open doors for minority-owned businesses.    Learn more about the DoD Office of Small Business Programs at: https://lnkd.in/emwcvbn   #ExpandTheBase #MinorityBusiness | U.S. Department of Commerce | Minority Business Development Agency - U.S. Department of Commerce

Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), as a result of a partnership with the United States Department of Defense and other federal and state agencies, Tribes, the private sector, and private landowners, celebrated 50 years of collaborative conservation that the allowed the red-cockaded woodpecker to be downlisted from endangered to threatened status.   The red-cockaded woodpecker had been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for more than 50 years, since the Act’s passage in 1973. This species relies on mature longleaf pine forests as its habitat, which has largely dwindled across the nation. However, large swathes of longleaf pine forests are still intact on military lands, especially in the southeastern United States.   DoD has invested over $250 million to date in the restoration and protection of red-cockaded woodpecker populations. Due to implementing a comprehensive approach to species management, protection and rehabilitation, thousands of acres of longleaf pine have been protected both on and around military bases, and many of the land use restrictions have been lifted on DoD installations. These critical efforts have benefitted both the military mission and the red-cockaded woodpecker.    Major awards have lauded these efforts: 🏆 Eglin Air Force Base was named the 2024 USFWS Military Conservation Partner of the Year due in large part to red-cockaded woodpecker conservation efforts: https://lnkd.in/exMwFMTm   🏆 Dr. Jeff Walters, whose research was made possible by Department funding, received a 2024 Golden Goose award for his pioneering work with military red-cockaded woodpecker populations: https://lnkd.in/ekq_pYVr   For more detailed information on DoD’s efforts to protect threatened, endangered, and at-risk species, visit DoD’s Natural Resources webpage here: https://lnkd.in/e2cpFbG5 

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, recently sat down with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to discuss the recently released National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan (NDIS-IP) and its six implementation initiatives. Watch the full discussion below! ⬇️ Learn more about the #NDIS-IP at: https://lnkd.in/dUp-pDem #ExpandTheBase #DefenseIndustry

Join Our Team!   OUSD(A&S) is looking for a Budget Analyst to join our Business Operations team. As the senior budget advisor to the Director for Budget, you’ll play a critical role in managing resources through the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution process. This position serves to ensure organizational requirements are met while providing in-depth financial analysis.   💼 Learn more and apply on USAJobs: https://lnkd.in/egKbjWSR   #hiring

As October comes to a close, let’s take a look back at some of the month’s key updates across A&S:   The United States Department of Defense released the unclassified National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan (NDIS-IP), outlining strategic actions to strengthen and modernize the defense industrial base:   https://lnkd.in/eEAZZGQa   The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation released the FY23 Defense Spending by State report, which provides a deep-dive into how defense investments support local economies nationwide:  https://lnkd.in/eDWB6Qxw   The 2024 Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards honored exceptional achievements in weapon systems and equipment maintenance: https://lnkd.in/eKQ6ujbX   USD (A&S) William LaPlante chaired the inaugural meeting of the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR): https://lnkd.in/ecAUp7nA

📢 Attention Defense Suppliers: Share your feedback with DLA!   The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) invites suppliers with contracts spanning from August 2022 to July 2024 to complete the 2024 Supplier Survey, open now through January. Intending to measure suppliers’ experience doing business with DLA, responses will help strengthen our defense supply chain and align industry capabilities with warfighter needs. As DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly said, "Close communications with industry is critical. We use this tool to determine what we’re doing well and what we could be doing better."   🔗 Learn more and share your feedback with DLA: https://lnkd.in/gUP7FE4b   #SustainTheForce #DefenseLogistics

#ICYMI: Last week, the Joint Program Executive Office Armaments & Ammunition celebrated the opening of a new 155mm ammunition production facility in Perry, Florida! This facility will play a critical role in the Department's goal of producing 100,000 complete 155mm artillery rounds per month.   As part of $4.8B being invested by the US Army into munitions production capabilities, the facility joins three other new 155mm production facilities that have opened this year in Mesquite, Texas; Ingersoll, Canada; and Marion, Illinois.   #ExpandTheBase #SucceedThroughTeamwork | ASA(ALT)

Today, the United States Department of Defense published the unclassified National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan (NDIS-IP) detailing actions that DoD is currently taking, and will continue to take, to modernize the defense industrial base: https://lnkd.in/e85fU9Jt “Publishing the NDIS was a significant accomplishment as we work to strengthen the size and resilience of our industrial base,” Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante said, “But we’ve always said that it was only the first step—implementation is what really matters. While we still have a lot of work ahead of us, this implementation plan is showing that we remain focused on putting words into tangible actions.”      The NDIS-IP includes six cross-cutting initiatives that will enable the Department to achieve a more resilient defense industrial ecosystem and buy-down risks. The plan demonstrates activities the U.S. Government, private industry, and international allies and partners are undertaking, emphasizing that this effort cannot be a DoD-only initiative.   "The vision outlined in the NDIS will require alignment of resources and we will not achieve the NDIS vision alone,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale. “Implementing these actions will require coordinated efforts across the DoD, collaboration and partnership with interagency, industry, and international stakeholders, and support and cooperation from our champions in Congress.” Read the full NDIS-IP here: https://lnkd.in/dUp-pDem   #NDIS #ExpandTheBase #SucceedThroughTeamwork

Last week, ASD(IBP) Laura Taylor-Kale joined Senator Susan Collins for the opening of Global Secure Shipping (GSS)’s new manufacturing facility in Old Town, Maine. Backed by Defense Production Act (DPA)Title III funding, this facility will manufacture Secure Hybrid Composite Intramodal Containers (SHCICs).   “The opening of this new manufacturing facility and expansion of the Secure Hybrid Composite Intramodal Container program are true examples of the National Defense Industrial Strategy in action,” Dr. Taylor-Kale said during the event. “Not only have they solved a critical national need, but they also have developed a sustainable and cost-saving solution. It demonstrates what can be achieved through intentional investment and focused engagement from government and industry.”   The SHCIC is the only ISO-certified shipping container of its kind, capable of worldwide tracking, intrusion detection on all six sides, and real-time alerts to the shipper and authorities. At total production capacity, the new GSS facility will create more than 80 skilled manufacturing jobs in Maine.   DoD remains committed to expanding domestic manufacturing capacity, emerging technologies, and other vital defense capabilities outlined within the National Defense Industrial Strategy.   #SucceedThroughTeamwork #ExpandTheBase #SustainTheForce