HERNDON, Va. –
The Systems Command and the Geographic & Systems Support Command officially launched during a stand-up ceremony at Defense Contract Management Agency’s All Commanders & Deputies Conference at the Westin Washington Dulles Airport Hotel in Herndon, Virginia, Sept. 18. A disestablishment ceremony of the region commands was held earlier that day.
The establishment video is available for viewing.
The regional disestablishment ceremony is also available for viewing.
The overarching units, which became operational Oct. 6, replaced the Central, Eastern and Western Region Commands. The regions made up 60% of the DCMA workforce. The new commands are a result of DCMA Vision, which is the agency’s restructuring plan to better align its mission and structure to support its customers and America’s warfighters.
“Today we’re recognizing the contributions our East, Central and West Regions have made to the agency over the last 16 years,” said Sonya Ebright, acting DCMA director, during the disestablishment ceremony of the regions. “But more importantly, we’re here to celebrate the people of the regions, and the teams and friendships that were formed during the regions’ impressive run. We’ve had this structure in place for roughly 16 years, with continuous mission success and measurable return on investment. It was a model that worked at our inception and carried us through most of our history. You don’t alter something like that without good reason, and a great deal of planning. And when you do, it’s a big deal. That’s why we’re here today.”
New command structure necessary
Ebright said the new command structure is necessary for the agency to better serve the national defense team.
“Threats have changed, our defense priorities have changed, manufacturing and technology have changed,” Ebright noted. “Artificial Intelligence, automation, and unmanned systems were in their infancy when DCMA began. They’re mature now and moving at a pace we couldn’t have imagined years ago.
“Our saving grace is that even though our structure is changing, our people remain,” she continued. “Our team of trusted professionals are the heart of what made the regions great. The people drove region success, and the dedication of region staffs and subordinate offices is what made the regions the core of DCMA. We get to take these professionals and move them to another structure, where I have no doubt, they will excel.”
The Geographic & Systems Support Command is led by Juanita Christensen, who is also the executive director of the Technical Directorate at DCMA headquarters at Fort Lee, Virginia. Her deputy is Dave Devlin, who previously served as the Western Region deputy director. The GSS command has approximately 3,400 employees who manage more than 143,400 contracts with a contract value of $1.3 trillion dollars.
Nine contract management offices will fall under the DCMA Geographic & Systems Support Command: Great Lakes; Ohio River Valley; Mid-Atlantic; Mountain Pacific; Northeast; South; Southeast; Southern California; and Great Plains.
Employees in the new GSS command provide oversight on numerous items and platforms, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, Integrated Battle Command System, Ground-based Midcourse Defense System, MK-53 Decoy Launching System, and various parts for the V-22 Osprey.
The Systems Command is led by Jorge Bennett, who also serves as the executive director of the Cost and Pricing Command. His deputy is Dan Durant, who is the previous deputy director of the Technical Directorate at DCMA headquarters. The command has approximately 3,500 employees who manage more than 59,000 contracts with a contract value of $1.956 trillion dollars.
Eleven CMOs will fall under the Systems Command: Fixed Wing, Vertical Lift, Aircraft Integrated Maintenance Operations, Aircraft Propulsion Operations, NASA Product Operations, Conventional Munitions, Missiles, Radars and Sensors, Space Enterprise, Naval Special Emphasis Operations, and Land Systems.
Systems Command team members provide oversight on numerous items and platforms, including H-60 helicopters in the Black Hawk family, including the Seahawk, Pave Hawk, Jayhawk, and White Hawk; CH-53K King Stallion; and VH-92 Patriot platforms. In addition, personnel in the various contracting support offices also provide acquisition oversight and insight of the V-22 Osprey, P-8A Poseidon, KC-46A Pegasus, F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, T-7A Red Hawk, C-130 Hercules, and the F-35 Lightning II.
The regions were led by Navy Capt. Nicola Gathright, the Eastern Region commander who retired Sept. 18; Army Col. Kenneth Darnall, the former Central Region commander; and Air Force Col. Shea Kennebrae, the former Western Region commander.
There was a friendly rivalry among the regions, whose personnel worked well together, and some agency personnel have worked in more than one region during their DCMA career. The regions were known as “East is the beast,” “West is the best,” and “The Central Region is the heart of the agency.”
Ebright emphasized the organizational workforce’s key role in 25 years of unwavering warfighter support. The agency celebrated its 25th anniversary March 27.
“I hope you all understand that we’re retiring the regions not to do away with something. It’s to open new doors that will make DCMA more effective in its mission, and keep us an engaging, rewarding place to work and grow a career. Our contribution to the nation hinges on our professional workforce. We are nothing without our people,” she added.
Agency pivots in right direction
During the establishment ceremony, Christensen praised previous agency directors, retired Army Lt. Gen. David Bassett and Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Greg Masiello, who is now the program executive officer for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office. She also highlighted the contributions of current acting director, Sonya Ebright, for making sure the agency pivots in the right direction to support its customers by enhancing its acquisition insight and oversight mission. She also thanked the region commanders and CMO commanders for executing the agency mission.
“As we move forward in DCMA under the new command structure and in operationalizing our agency, there will be many challenges, but I know that GSS has exceptional commanders who will continue, through their professionalism and passion, to meet and exceed the mission,” said Christensen. “We are now at an initial operational capability with the path ahead of us to mature and standardize our processes, refine our structures, understand the overall ecosystem required for success, and to fully integrate with the new operational centers.
“I look forward to leading the Geographic & Systems Support Command and sharing leadership responsibilities with Mr. Bennett as he steps into the seat as the executive director for the Systems Command. We, as an agency, will be successful, and DCMA will meet its assignment in providing lethality to the warfighter. Let’s get to work,” added Christensen.
Bennett, who previously served as the Central Region deputy director and acting Central Region director years ago, said now is the time for change.
“It’s been a long road to get here,” said Bennett. “We’re just now beginning the hard work. We must refine to meet the needs of our customers. We have new missions for the agency that are not just contract administration. The Systems Command, in partnership with GSS, is going to succeed because our structure and procedures will allow us to become even more agile.”
One of the agency’s new mission requirements will be to manage the Department of War’s Blue List Program, which is used to vet certain unmanned aerial systems, most commonly known as drones.
Bennett said his leadership principles are integrity, courage to do what is right, and competence. He encouraged his team to focus on the same.
“Let’s embrace the challenge,” he said. “Let’s continue to deliver on the promise of our founding documents and move forward.”
In addition to the new commands, there will be three operational centers: Operational Learning Center led by Amy Jenison; Operational Analytics & Integration Center led by Tim Keenan; and the Operational Business Center led by Julie White. Most of the region staff from the Mission Support Operations teams have been reassigned to one of the centers.
Tying up loose ends in the regions
There were multiple events held during the last year across the regions and DCMA headquarters to work through the details of standing up the new commands.
Over the next several months, there are still items, such as records’ management, that will need to be transitioned to the new commands. Individuals who were previously with the regions will help wrap up the work within those organizations. For example, Darnall held a Capstone summit for Central Region headquarters staff Sept. 23-24 in Arlington Heights, Illinois, to discuss making the transition to the new commands easier for the region workforce. He emphasized to the team to stay mission focused as they moved on to their new positions, and he praised the employees for their resiliency and adaptability.
“We’re value added to the Department of War,” said Darnall. “You’re the brain trust of the agency at the region level. The brain power here is amazing. There isn’t a weakest link.”
Darnall, who served in all three regions, will retire from the Army next spring.
"The regions rose together to make sure the agency excelled,” he said. “Over the past 13 years, I have been a part of the greater DCMA community. I’ve learned that leadership isn’t just about leading, but it’s about creating opportunities for people to succeed. Our mission is to serve people. Thank you for allowing me to serve with you.”
Cal Bailey, the former Central Region deputy director, added during the summit, “We’re ending a heck of a run. We hired people who were professionally excellent. We can’t just walk off the stage. We have to bundle up a deliverable. We will pass along a record of what you have amassed over the last 16 years. We need to celebrate our region’s accomplishments.”