Written by: CIO/G-6
5/10/2012 12:32 PM 

In an era of tighter budgets and a very active threat environment, the Army must produce a force that is smaller, yet more capable. According to the 2012 Army Posture Statement, the Network is the core of that smaller, capable Army; it must empower a CONUS-based Army that projects expeditionary Forces with little or no notice. The LandWarNet remains the Army’s top investment priority.

Through more than 10 years of sustained combat, the Army made significant improvements to expeditionary communications capabilities to support our Soldiers in the fight. However, the largest portion of the LandWarNet was not adequately modernized; this negatively impacts home-station operations, homeland defense, interagency communications, training, staging, deployment, and redeployment.

We are now focusing our LandWarNet modernization efforts end-to-end, including both the tactical edge and the enterprise infrastructure on Posts, Camps and Stations. To achieve this, we are addressing several major challenges: increasing the security of our information, improving overall operational effectiveness, and gaining efficiencies.

First and foremost, improving Cybersecurity and Network Operations (NetOps) is absolutely necessary to successfully operate in a single, secure, standards-based network environment. Non-standard network management tools, multiple access points, vulnerable perimeter defenses, and inconsistent architectures (many of which were deployed quickly to support war efforts), make it difficult to prevent, identify, isolate, and eliminate security risks. As cyber threats increase exponentially, the ability to secure the LandWarNet is not only the Army’s top concern, but also a top concern for the Department of Defense and the President.

Second, meeting the Army’s operational needs is a continuing challenge, both on the tactical edge and on Posts, Camps and Stations. To be operationally effective, the LandWarNet must provide trusted access, assured connectivity, interoperability, and collaboration with all required mission partners. Soldiers and leaders expect the Network to be available wherever they are conducting the daily business of the Army, training, preparing for deployment, en route, or deployed.

The Army is becoming more efficient through advanced technology and improved IT governance. The President mandated all US Government Agencies to achieve efficiencies and optimize return on investments. For our networked Army, this mandate drives the need for enterprise systems and solutions, seamless data access, and a robust, secure network infrastructure to support every facet of Army, Joint, and Multinational operations.

To meet these challenges, four major efforts are underway:

• Joint Information Environment (JIE), through which we are aligning with our DoD counterparts to develop a single, secure, standards-based end state architecture;


• IT Management Reform (ITMR), a comprehensive proposal to modernize the network and realize efficiencies, with the goal of achieving $1.5B in annual savings beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, without compromising effectiveness or security;


• Network Capabilities Portfolio Review (CPR), institutionalizing an end-to-end management approach for network capabilities and IT services; and


• IT Workforce Rebalancing & Redesign, developing effectively organized and better trained and certified personnel to operate and defend LandWarNet.

I want to express my gratitude to the entire team of Army Soldiers, Civilians, Contractors, and mission partners who are aggressively building this agile, responsive, affordable, and sustainable LandWarNet.

Army Strong!

LTG Susan Lawrence
Army Chief Information Officer /G-6

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