On Jan. 26, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command hosted Lt. Gen. Paul A. Ostrowski, Army Acquisition Corps military deputy/director, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), for an Acquisition Roadshow presentation in the Fort Detrick auditorium.

Recent congressional legislation inspired this roadshow event, with new expectations being placed on the Army to change the way it operates when it comes to acquisitions. With an overall goal of improving the acquisition process, encouraging program flexibility and providing more responsibility to military services, this fresh legislation is intended to increase the Army's ability to provide timely capabilities to its Soldiers, while also remaining fiscally responsible.

"We're going to change the way that you do business," said Ostrowski. "We need to be smarter in the way that we're doing business, and I know that we can be."

This new legislation has provided the Army the opportunity to reshape and improve its acquisition enterprise's agility, synchronization and responsiveness; renewing commitment to providing Soldiers the best capabilities to fight and win today and in the future. These new authorities, given to the Army by Congress, have inspired immediate implementation of necessary acquisition streamlining and culture change initiatives aimed at improving the ways the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Acquisition, Logistics and Technology program executive officers and project managers do business.

According to Ostrowski, current Army acquisition culture is too ingrained in following processes that do not deliver results, and it is time to focus on the products, not the process.

"Please, let's get out and change the culture of the Army. Let's get out and change the culture of acquisitions," said Ostrowski.

Ostrowski followed up his presentation with a question and answer session with the audience, providing acquisition professionals an opportunity to share best practices and engage in conversation about how to improve current Army acquisition processes.

Before concluding, Ostrowski expressed his deepest appreciation for staff in attendance, leaving them with the quote: Never judge one's self worth, the overall accomplishment of the mission, based solely on your proximity to the final objective.

"What does that really mean?" asked Ostrowski. "[It means that] none of us in this room today are in Afghanistan; none of us are in Syria/Iraq; and none of us are standing on the front lines in North Korea; but the tools and capabilities that you all provide our Soldiers over time have made them the most situationally aware, the most able, and the most force protected Army that has ever walked the face of this Earth, and you should be very proud of what it is that you've done."

Following the roadshow portion of the day's event, Ostrowski met with USAMRMC and Fort Detrick Commanding General Maj. Gen. Barbara R. Holcomb and other members of command leadership and walked through product lane demonstrations given by USAMRMC subject matter experts. The presentations highlighted product initiatives currently impacting Army operations and addressing capability gaps.

For more information, visit the Acquisition Streamline and Culture Initiative website: https://spcs3.kc.army.mil/asaalt/portal/ASCI/SitePages/Home.aspx