Press Release
☷APG senior leadership roundtable updates community members
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
May 05,2022
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( From left ) Maj . Gen . Robert Edmonson II , senior commander of APG and commanding general of the U . S . Army Communications - Electronics Command; James Amato , executive technical director for U . S . Army Test and Evaluation Command; Brig . Gen . David Trybula , deputy commanding general of U . S . Army Combat Capabilities Development Command; Nicole Kilgore , deputy joint program executive officer of Joint Program Executive Office Chemical , Biological , Radiological and Nuclear Defense; Col . Alisa Wilma , director of U . S . Army Public Health Center; and APG Garrison Commander Col . Johnny Casiano give community and installation updates during a State of APG roundtable discussion at the Myer Auditorium on April 26 . ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND , Md . - Senior leadership hosted a State of APG roundtable discussion and a workforce update for community members at the Myer Auditorium here , April 26 . Maj . Gen . Robert Edmonson II , senior commander of APG and commanding general of the U . S . Army Communications - Electronics Command , said APG has an “equal system of partnership” across all organizations . APG is the sixth biggest employer in the state of Maryland and the largest employer of Harford County , he said . “We have a very sizable workforce , ” Edmonson said . “We have to make sure we are bringing in the high - end talent to be a part of what the Army believes . ” Senior leaders from the six Centers of Excellence gave short updates on the latest developments , opportunities and the future as Team APG continues to support the warfighter . C5ISREdmonson said that Command , Control , Communications , Computers , Cyber , Intelligence , Surveillance and Reconnaissance is a one - of - a - kind national security asset providing barrier - shattering innovations forged in history , guiding the present and anticipating emerging threats . “We [C5ISR] are networking Army operations in support of national defense , ” Edmonson said . “What can we do tomorrow to be better than we are today ” According to Edmonson , a major part of C5ISR is sustainment . He said everything has a lifecycle . Equipment has to be ready “at a moment’s notice . ” “This is a professional Army that is adapting itself to tomorrow , ” he said . “We are moving in a direction to grow our purpose , our value and our mission . ” Edmonson said that Harford County , Maryland , and its surrounding areas are special and collaborative . APG has shown its value for years . “If there is a level of synergy both on and off base that allows us to have the workforce we need , we can continue to attract and retain the best talent known to this Army , ” Edmonson said . “We can’t do this alone . ” APG is postured for growth across all organizations , he said . ( From left ) Maj . Gen . Robert Edmonson II , senior commander of APG and commanding general of the U . S . Army Communications - Electronics Command; James Amato , executive technical director for U . S . Army Test and Evaluation Command; and Brig . Gen . David Trybula , deputy commanding general of U . S . Army Combat Capabilities Development Command speak about sustainment and life cycle of equipment during a State of APG roundtable discussion at the Myer Auditorium April 26 . Test and evaluationTesting and evaluating equipment falls to the U . S . Army Test and Evaluation Command . James Amato , executive technical director for ATEC , categorized test and evaluation into three “big buckets . ” They are: does everything do what it ' s supposed to do ; is the equipment going to work in the intended environment ; and when a unit receives the equipment , are they able to better accomplish their mission “It’s our job to take the information and feedback , analyze it and then turn it into something useful , ” Amato said . ATEC is responsible for communicating and conveying information to the warfighter so they know what to do , and to senior leaders so they know that ATEC is “doing what they’re supposed to do . ” Amato praised the work that goes on at the Aberdeen Test Center . He said ATC has been working to figure out how to modernize the Army for the future . “Thanks to the great work of the developmental command , we will have new tech in the next few years , ” Amato said . “Systems are continuously changing and we need academia , industry , etc . to gather the full story . ” Research and developmentBrig . Gen . David Trybula , deputy commanding general of U . S . Army Combat Capabilities Development Command , or DEVCOM , agreed with Amato that modernization is the main movement for the Army . He said that DEVCOM has direct support from ATEC . Trybula reminded Team APG that ‘combat’ is the first part of DEVCOM . “We exist to put capabilities in the hands of Soldiers , ” Trybula said . “We are an organization unlike any other . We are uniquely placed for partnerships . ” DEVCOM is the home to tens of thousands of Army professionals . Trybula said that DEVCOM develops “anything that isn’t medical or construction . ” The three main focuses of DEVCOM are innovation and transformation; the future of work; and Project Convergence . According to its website , Project Convergence is a campaign of learning that leverages a series of joint , multi - domain engagements to integrate artificial intelligence , robotics and autonomy to improve battlefield situational awareness , connect sensors with shooters and accelerate the decision - making timeline . “We are putting technology in the hands of warfighters to be ready for combat , ” Trybula said . “We are enabled to solve the Army’s toughest challenges . ” Chemical/biological defenseNicole Kilgore , deputy joint program executive officer for Chemical , Biological , Radiological and Nuclear Defense , emphasized that world events have driven the Army’s need to look at integration . JPEO - CBRND focuses on advanced development and procurement of physical brand equipment . According to Kilgore , in the wake of COVID - 19 , the Dept . of Defense has started reevaluating how it prepares for and responds to biological threats . “We need to modernize CBRND capabilities , ” Kilgore said . “We have to take advantage of technological advancements . ” The U . S . Army 20th CBRNE Command is a specialized unit to “respond to bio threats , ” and to “look for threats that may become an issue . ” Kilgore said that JPEO - CBRND is working to leverage lessons learned from the pandemic to codify streamlined processes and take advantage of technology advancements . In the future , Kilgore hopes for integration across all domains , functions , equipment and services . Public health sciencesBig changes are coming to the Army Public Health Center , said Col . Alisa Wilma , director of APHC . The command is transitioning to the Defense Health Agency . This will help better integrate APHC into the bigger picture of public health . Wilma also discussed the recent changes to Army Combat Fitness Testing . “The entry basic testing wasn’t reflective of combat , so changes had to be made , ” Wilma said . Wilma said the test needed to highlight the strengths that Soldiers need to survive on the battlefield , which contributed to the new six event combat fitness test . Amidst the COVID - 19 pandemic , Wilma said the Army also had to reevaluate how to train new Soldiers . Col . Alisa Wilma , director of Army Public Health Center , answers a question from the audience during a State of APG roundtable discussion at the Myer Auditorium April 26 . “The Army can’t stop , ” she said . “We can’t stop recruiting and training . We’re going to have to do it differently . ” Based on data gathered during the COVID - 19 pandemic , Wilma said that some changes being made are to better assess long - term injury rates . She also said that behavioral and mental health are “big issues . ” Studying the long - term effects of being a Soldier both physically and mentally are priorities for APHC . APHC is opening a new lab on APG South ( Edgewood ) , planned for early next Spring . Nine old buildings will be demolished to build a new lab with “state - of - the - art equipment , ” toxicology labs and more . “The amount of expertise that will be there is impressive , ” Wilma said . Garrison APG Garrison Commander Col . Johnny Casiano said his big focus for Garrison is infrastructure and community . “We are the people behind the people , ” Casiano said . “We are the organization that supports the others so they can accomplish their missions . ” Casiano spoke about the new APG Community Exchange , which is similar to the APG town halls hosted in the past . ACE will be “more in depth” and allow APG Garrison to communicate with Team APG and the community better . “It’s not just for commanders , but subordinates , ” Casiano said . “Not just Soldiers , but spouses . It’s for new folks and it’s for tenured folks . We need that social interaction . ” Casiano said that APG is in a “good place” right now but that it takes a lot to run a city . He said they won’t stop at short term solutions , but rather ensure there is proper infrastructure in place to thrive for years to come . APG recently moved to HPCON Alpha status , which means that 100% of the workforce can return to on - site work . However , there is still maximum workplace flexibility through Sept . 30 . Casiano said that with the move to HPCON Alpha , the base is likely to see an increase in foot traffic that hasn’t been present since the pandemic began . He said that APG Garrison is working on getting different options for dining across the installation . “Our team is motivated to find purpose , ” Casiano said . “It’s very rewarding . ” To view the entire roundtable discussion and questions , click here .
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