GREENSBORO, N.C. –
Defense Contract Management Agency Southeast quality assurance team members have ensured soldiers get the safe and reliable Infantry Squad Vehicles they need to perform their mission since 2021.
A QA team accepted 173 A1 variants of the vehicle March 31 at GM Defense LLC in Concord, N.C. Those ISVs are going to various military bases around the country.
DCMA has delivered approximately 1,000 ISVs during the last five years to the Army. The vehicles allow infantry brigade combat teams to motorize quicker and move across different terrains.
“The DCMA Southeast team has cultivated a highly effective working relationship with the ISV program office,” said Ronald Williams, a lead quality assurance specialist at DCMA Southeast who is based in Greensboro, North Carolina. “This collaboration is key to ensuring that all new vehicles meet contractual standards and that any issues or warfighter feedback are promptly addressed.”
Williams leads the QA team of five who oversee various aspects of the ISV platform and did the recent evaluation and acceptance. The QASs and other personnel make sure the vehicles are made to the Army’s contract specifications through a current $90 million contract. The QASs evaluate and accept the vehicles at GM Defense because Greensboro is the place of performance for the contract. But the prime DCMA office responsible for contract oversight is DCMA Land Systems in Michigan because the contract is awarded to General Motors Headquarters, which is based in Detroit, Michigan.
According to Jason Mattice, a DCMA Southeast QAS who oversees all aspects of ISV vehicle acceptance, the prices can range from $156,000 to $400,000 per vehicle depending on configuration. The ISV is a nine-passenger light utility vehicle that can be loaded on a variety of aircraft. The vehicle is based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 truck. The ISV uses 90 percent commercial off-the-shelf parts.
During peak production, the Greensboro team is augmented with QASs from Charlotte, N.C.
“The vehicles can be utilized and transported on most cargo aircraft used by the military such as the C-17 Globemaster III,” said Williams. “They can be carried externally under a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, fit inside a CH-47 Chinook, and are capable of low-velocity air drops from both the C-17 and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The customization of these vehicles can range from a standard rescue vehicle to a fully equipped combat vehicle.”
In addition, the Greensboro team oversees the vehicle delivery for similar ISVs to Canada through a $34 million contract for Canada’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicles program. The Canadian Army recently began receiving its own fleet of ISVs to equip its force as part of its commitment in Latvia. DCMA Southeast personnel have inspected approximately 135 Canadian vehicles in support of Foreign Military Sales contracts.
Williams said it was important to work with Canada and other United States’ allies. Personnel from DCMA Southeast work regularly with other agency employees from DCMA Land Systems, DCMA International, and the agency’s FMS office to make sure the Canadian Department of National Defence get the vehicles they requested delivered on time and with all contractual requirements met.
“Working side by side with our FMS partners reflects true unity and teamwork because we leverage all available resources to support a common goal, which is to ensure that warfighters can successfully accomplish their mission. In this instance, these ISVs will reinforce the Forward Land Forces Brigade in Latvia as part of Canada’s NATO support,” said Williams.
Overall, DCMA Southeast QASs provide critical support to the ISV in multiple ways, including providing customer mandate verifications, directing customer feedback for research and development, and overseeing various surveillance activities. These individuals typically make monthly visits for government source inspections. They also work with other industry counterparts from Charolotte, N.C.
In addition to operational use by soldiers who are deployed or participating in various military exercises, ISVs can be used during U.S. homeland emergencies. For example, the ISV was used after Hurricane Helene in October 2024. The Army deployed dozens of ISVs to western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee to support the North Carolina National Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“This deployment served as a critical real-world test of the vehicle’s unique capabilities outside of a combat zone,” said Williams. “These vehicles have been used in a variety of ways not only for search and rescue, but also for disaster relief efforts and combat mission efforts due to the vehicle’s versatile capabilities.”
DCMA Southeast is a part of the agency’s Geographic & Systems Support Command. The new GSS command stood up in October 2025 and is led by Dr. Juanita Christensen, executive director, and her deputy, Dave Devlin. The GSS command has approximately 3,400 employees who manage more than 143,400 contracts with a contract value of $1.3 trillion dollars.
DCMA Southeast is led by Michael Receniello, director, and Jeremy Holmes, deputy director.
Williams said his team is committed to supporting the nation’s warfighters. They enjoy working with the Army and helping soldiers receive the vehicles they need for mission success.
“We have heard nothing but positive feedback from our customer,” he added. “I want to commend our DCMA Southeast team and other agency personnel for their selfless commitment, which directly contributes to mission success by equipping our warfighters for their tasks.”
For more information about the vehicle, watch the Army’s informative video .