OFFICE OF THE ARMY CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

ARMY DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION
STRATEGY
 Headquarters,
Department of the Army
12 October 2021
Army Digital Transformation Strategy

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A:
Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited
THE JOURNEY TO ARMY WAYPOINT 2028

As the Army marches toward its goals of being a more ready, lethal, and
modern force by 2028, it faces unprecedented challenges in modernizing
its platforms and weapons systems, but also its business processes and
workforce to dominate adversaries on and off the battlefield in multi-
domain operations (MDO).
The Army Digital Transformation Strategy (ADTS), established by
the Office of the CIO, is the overarching framework that will set the
vision, establish lines of effort (LOE), and implement strategic digital
transformation initiatives prioritized and resourced as required to
achieve this end state. Each LOE and initiative must be outcome driven
to ensure that it is operationally effective in a resource constrained
future.
The Army must and will make bold investments in transformative
digital technologies, build the workforce into one with the training and
experience to execute the full range of Army missions in increasingly
complex technological environments, and put the right data in decision
makers’ hands quicker than ever before.
The Office of the CIO will lead these efforts for the Army in partnership
with Headquarters, Department of Army (HQDA), Army Commands,
Army Service Component Commands (ASCCs), Direct Report Units
(DRUs), the DoD CIO and Joint Staff, and Allied Nation Partners as
required.

Christine E. Wormuth
Secretary of the Army

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 1

STRATEGIC INTENT

The adoption of leading edge technologies by the workforce that is agile, adaptive, and tech-savvy. Digital
Army’s and the United States’ near-peer adversaries, transformation is an enabler for Army readiness and
combined with the rapid pace of change in technology, is reform and serves as a catalyst to revitalize and establish
creating new and complex challenges for how the Army the Army’s digital workforce of the future. The Army
operates and maintains overmatch across all domains must keep pace with the rapid change in technology,
– land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. As the Army adopt modern best practices, and avoid any delays from
responds to the growing need for digital technologies bureaucratic institutional processes. The Army must make
through Army modernization programs, the cybersecurity bold investments in transformative digital technologies,
attack surface area is growing exponentially, and the reform its institutional processes, and build its workforce
dynamic threat environment requires the Army to make into one with the training and experience to execute in
fundamental changes to address security in all phases increasingly complex operational environments with the
of the lifecycle to ensure the Army is poised for defensive technological innovation that places the right data in
and offensive cyber operations. The Army must adapt a decision makers’ hands quicker.
data-driven mindset and embrace digital transformation The Army must accomplish digital transformation in a
to successfully respond to the threat of great power fiscally constrained future. To accomplish this, reform
competition and win decisively in a Large Scale Combat efforts are needed to continually assess the Army’s digital
Operations through MDO. portfolio, explore opportunities for divestment of legacy
The Army Modernization Strategy identifies digital systems, re-engineer business processes, adopt greater
transformation as the means to modernize the Army automation, and find savings through consolidation and
to achieve Waypoint 2028 and Aimpoint 2035. Digital better buying power. The cost avoidance harvested from
transformation represents a shift in operations and culture such reform efforts can be re-allocated to modernize
that fundamentally changes how an organization delivers enduring legacy systems, data, and networks to achieve
value through the adoption of advanced technologies even greater cost savings in the future.
such as cloud, data and artificial intelligence (AI). Digital Army will improve on how it executes institutional
transformation is driven through innovation and new processes such as requirements development, acquisition,
business and operating models, powered by a digital Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
…investing in digital transformation and the modernization
of the Army’s underlying network and computer infrastructure
is essential to our success. Specifically, the cloud is the
foundation for this entire modernization effort. The
Army will develop cloud computing technologies, improve
data access and sharing environments, and streamline
software development tools and services. Together, these
technology investments will allow the Army to take advantage of
emerging machine learning and AI technologies to understand,
visualize, decide, and direct faster than our competitors. By
leveraging cloud open architecture, information can flow rapidly
between the enterprise and soldiers on the ground. This will
enable commanders to counter adversaries in the information
environment as effectively as they do in physical domains and
win in the cognitive space.
Source: Army Modernization Strategy, 2019

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 2

STRATEGIC INTENT

(PPBE), and talent management. Digital transformation

requires an outcomes-based, metrics-driven mindset to
measure activities and to continually seek efficiencies
and effectiveness. The ADTS will serve as the guiding
document to inform changes to these processes
which will enable the Army to more easily adopt digital
transformation and mission effectiveness. The Assistant
Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and
Technology) will continue to have oversight of acquisition,
logistics and technology matters of the Department of the
Army. In addition, as the Army Acquisition Executive, the
ASA(ALT) is responsible for the management and control
of the Army acquisition system.
Finally, digital transformation is aimed at developing an
organic digital workforce of the future that can continually
adapt and adopt new digital technologies, and is capable
of applying these technologies to mission needs. In order
to scale ongoing pilot efforts such as the Software Factory
(an Army organization that trains and enables soldiers to
produce modern software), the Army needs to change
how it recruits, trains, and retains its digital workforce
and reduce the gap between the organic and commercial
workforce. This requires partnerships with allied nations,
industry, and academia at scale as well as other tools to
enable the workforce to grow and develop leading edge
technologies.
The Office of the CIO is formalizing the ADTS to establish
the vision for how digital transformation can help achieve
the Waypoint 2028, indicate clear LOEs leading to this
objective, identify priorities for the Army to resource, and
outline an integrated master plan to synchronize and
better integrate all ongoing activities to achieve a digital-
age Army.
The scope of the ADTS covers all Title 10 mission areas
as outlined in Army Regulation 5-1 [Warfighter Mission
Area (WMA), the DoD portion of the Intelligence Mission
Area (DIMA), the Enterprise Information Environment
Mission Area (EIEMA), and the Business Mission Areas
(BMA)], all Army Commands, DRUs, and ASCCs; all
Army Components (the Regular Army, the Army National
Guard of the United States, and the Army Reserve); all
appropriation types; and both enterprise and tactical
requirements supported by both the military and civilian
workforce. The ADTS augments and aligns to other DoD
and Intelligence Community strategic guidance such
as USD(I&S), Director National Intelligence (DNI) and
Defense Business System strategies. ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 3
 STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT

The ADTS fully aligns with wider Army, and DoD modernization strategies, which share the vision of a more ready,
lethal, and modern force by 2028. While inputs were taken from an extensive list of documents, several key
strategies provided significant direction for the ADTS and influenced the objectives, LOEs, and overall priorities
outlined. ADTS objectives are organized to indicate their alignment with Army’s strategic pillars: modernization
and readiness, reform, people and partnerships.

KEY DOD STRATEGIES KEY ARMY STRATEGIES

DoD Digital Modernization Strategy Army Campaign Plan

DoD Capabilities Programming Guidance Army Modernization Strategy
Army Business Modernization Plan
Army Planning Guidance

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY

VISION MISSION
A digital Army of 2028 able to deliver Drive digital transformation, innovation and
overmatch through Joint Multi-Domain reform through strategy, policy, governance,
Operations (MDO) leveraging innovative oversight and rapid capabilities to establish
and transformative technologies. an operational MDO force.

OBJECTIVE 1: OBJECTIVE 3:
MODERNIZATION & PEOPLE &
READINESS PARTNERSHIPS

A digitally-enabled, data- A tech savvy, operationally

driven Army propelled by effective digital workforce
digital transformation partnered with a robust
OBJECTIVE 2: network of allies, industry,
REFORM
and academia

Optimized and
mission-aligned digital
investments providing
greater value to the Army
ADTS advances the Army
Modernization Strategy for Waypoint
2028 and Aimpoint 2035.
ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 4
MODERNIZATION & READINESS

OBJECTIVE 1:
A digitally-enabled, data-driven Army propelled by digital transformation

The Army’s current digital initiatives are siloed across mission areas, inhibiting the interoperability needed
to support MDO and Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2). The Army must prioritize resources
for digital modernization over current year operational readiness. In addition, the Army should divest from
unsustainable legacy systems while simultaneously investing in priority modernization efforts like cloud
computing. Similarly, the Army should aim to balance resourcing IT service delivery and cybersecurity across
the enterprise while also prioritizing modernization of the unified network. Between 2021 and 2028, the goal
is to converge current digital initiatives that support readiness and modernization into a single integrated plan,
enable these initiatives at the enterprise-level so they are available to the total Army from the tactical edge to the
enterprise, and establish standardized service delivery processes, methods and tools, all fully leveraging cloud
as an enabler. This effort will enable an Army that seamlessly shares data and information for timely insights
to Warfighter, Commands, and enterprise functions, in direct support of Army readiness and modernization.
The following LOEs will drive both readiness and modernization objectives through the rapid adoption and
implementation of digital technologies.

LOE 1.1: Accelerate cloud native adoption by unifying Army’s enterprise and tactical clouds

The Army will adopt a “cloud smart” approach that methodology, enhanced to include non-traditional,
supports the migration of enduring applications in but Army required security principles such as OPSEC
existing Army Enterprise Data Centers (AEDC) and indicator identification and data aggregation concerns, to
Installation Processing Nodes (IPN) to Army’s cloud shorten development lifecycles and build cybersecurity
(cArmy) to achieve cost savings, interoperability, and early in the design process. Army will adopt common
information sharing across applications. The Army cloud services to achieve standardization in cloud
will establish the cArmy hybrid global cloud that is architecture, security monitoring, and transparency
resilient, secure, and able to share computing and in cloud spending. The Army will prioritize use cases
storage resources seamlessly for enterprise and to support Project Convergence and MDO including
tactical applications. All applications, as appropriate and tactical cloud pilots, threat capability red teams, and
excluding any Operational Technology (OT) systems, prototyping efforts across the Army and as appropriate
modernized to the cloud will adopt a DevSecOps with coalition and allied nation partners.

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 5

MODERNIZATION & READINESS

LOE 1.2: Leverage data as a strategic asset to achieve interoperability and data for
decision making

The goal of this line of effort is to prioritize, mature, and Army enterprise data integration platform for DoD-level
scale ongoing data management efforts in order to decision making forums. Use cases to support Project
leverage data for decision making across all echelons. Convergence, JADC2, Army Prognostics and Predictive
An additional goal of this line of effort is to use the Maintenance, Mission Partner Environment (MPE), and
Enterprise Decision Analytics Framework/Enterprise Army modernization through the Common Operating
Architecture (EDAF/EA) to validate interoperability Environment (COE) will be prioritized. Mission Areas and
across modernization programs that will support MDO Commands will establish Data Stewards responsible for
through data standards and integrated operational, maintaining the quality of the data. The Army will unearth
system, data, security, and technical architecture. potential savings and cost avoidance opportunities in
HQDA governance will leverage real-time data from the current spending through net-new data analytics
authoritative systems and dashboard capabilities insights. The Army will establish standard accredited
through Army enterprise data integration platform for toolsets for AI, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and
Army Senior Leader (ASL) decision making. System Machine Learning (ML), as well as an enterprise data
owners that house authoritative data will establish lake in Army’s cloud for us by all mission areas. The
Application Programming Interfaces (API) for the curated Army will build an IT standards program that will assist
and validated data and register them in the Enterprise all mission areas with building capabilities according to
Data Service Catalog (EDSC), as appropriate, for approved IT standards.
consumption by other enterprise users including feeds to

LOE 1.3: Elevate Army’s cybersecurity posture by defining Zero Trust principles for both
IT and OT assets

As adversaries continue to achieve greater sophistication the ZT Architecture to ensure that any device connected
in their offensive cyber capabilities, the Army must be able to the network is accredited and patched appropriately
to protect its ever-increasing attack surface area of both through compliance policies, and continually monitored
traditional IT and non-traditional OT assets connected to establish a trusted network. To establish seamless
to the DoD Information Networks (DODIN) while still user access through a single credential, collaboration
adopting commercial technologies. To achieve this, the with allied nation partners, and to support financial
Army will implement Zero Trust (ZT) principles for IT and audit requirements through separation of duties, the
OT assets by completing a current state assessment of Army will implement a standardized enterprise Identity
ZT capabilities for all of its systems, rapidly addressing Credentialing and Access Management (ICAM) system
gaps in capabilities, implementing policies to integrate to meet both enterprise and tactical/disconnected
ZT into all aspects of Army processes including supply requirements , as well as mission-based Need-to-Know
chains, and continually evaluating and maturing ZT for all users. Finally, to proactively identify anomalous
across the Army. To enable Continuous Authority to behaviors on the network, the Army must invest in and
Operate, the Army will rearchitect its networks, systems, implement automated cybersecurity monitoring tools,
and data to better take advantage of ZT principles and automated red teaming tools, and big data analytics
development approaches such as DevSecOps. The using AI.
Army will fully implement Comply-to-Connect as part of

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 6

MODERNIZATION & READINESS

LOE 1.4: Converge and modernize Army’s IT infrastructure and networks

This line of effort will result in the Army removing barriers to Army will integrate the Integrated Tactical Network (ITN)
efficiently deliver data, applications, and services that are and Integrated Enterprise Network (IEN) and leverage
needed to achieve multi-theater, multi-domain operations commercial technologies for transport, including 5G
while at the same time establishing a predictable and networking and Software Defined Networking (SDN).
resourced lifecycle tech refresh model for the networks. Leveraging these commercial technologies will enable
Today the Army’s IT infrastructure and networks are not high-speed, highly-available connections to the cloud and
interoperable, not fully utilized, and require investments DODIN at lower costs. The Army will use ZT principles for
for tech refresh. In addition, because the organization the unified network and prioritize the network modernization
networks (ORGNet) across the Army have not been for Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET)
converged, the Army is unable to manage the network as and secret releasable (SECREL) transport. Through Data
a unified network through standardized monitoring and Center Optimization, the Army will consolidate its enterprise
Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) tools. The Army will and tactical compute and storage at its 12 AEDCs, 284 IPNs
converge its 42 separate organization networks, rationalize and other infrastructure to decrease current infrastructure
and consolidate the network management tools supporting by 50% in order to establish an integrated hybrid cloud
these networks, consolidate them into a single Active capacity to maximize commercial cloud services while
Directory, and optimize the unified network for MDO. The retaining capacity at AEDCs for resilience. In support of
unified network will come under the oversight of U.S. Army Installation Strategy (AIS), the Army will establish
Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) for DCO enabling key standard operating architectures, models, and tools for
enable the Army to see, monitor and secure all assets (IT IT and OT devices connected to the Installation Campus
and OT) connected to the network. Through the Unified Area Network (ICAN) consistent with the mission of the
Network Operations (UNO) modernization effort, the installation tenant.

LOE 1.5: Converge and modernize Enterprise Business Systems

The end state of Enterprise Business Systems (EBS) advantage of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software
modernization is a sustainment warfighting function that capabilities. The Army will also establish an open technical
is a competitive advantage, fostering dominance in MDO architecture and open Application Programming Interfaces
with enabling technology and business processes. The (APIs) for integration and interoperability in order to
Army’s EBS – which serve as the business operations minimize vendor lock in and retain flexibility to adopt newer
and management backbone for the Army – should aim to technologies in future. The Army will rationalize its Defense
provide the Warfighter with the most modern capabilities Business Systems (DBS) portfolio to eliminate legacy
available to execute sustainment or fiscal management applications that are no longer effective or duplicative of
operations, be interoperable with sustainment functions existing capabilities. Applications to be subsumed by the
resident in current and future Warfighting Mission Area modernized system must be placed in “break-fix” mode with
systems, and be compliant with the Global Force critical security patching only while the modernized system
Management Data Initiative. To improve tactical, strategic, is developed. The modernized cloud-native system will be
and audit readiness, the Army must modernize its EBS developed using DevSecOps methodology, and enhanced
through Enterprise Business Systems – Convergence to include non-traditional, but Army required security
(EBS-C) and enable auditability to maintain transparency, principles, to deliver incremental capability in deployable
traceability, and accountability. The Army will re-engineer its releases at least once every six months.
business processes to align with commercial best practices,
threat mitigation best practices, and, where feasible, take ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 7
MODERNIZATION & READINESS

LOE 1.6: Drive mission-centric IT service delivery by defining standardized IT services

Since delivery of IT services is executed in siloed and over time, divest from procuring government-
operations, the Army’s technical debt and costs increase furnished equipment (GFE) mobile devices and even
because different organizations and missions use laptops where feasible, in conjunction with expanded
variations of the same services, tools, and contracts to and robust Vendor Threat Mitigation programs across
support similar services. To remedy this, the Army must the Army. This will be accomplished by implementing
standardize its IT service delivery by developing a new Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to enable users to
modernized enterprise service catalog that offers service securely access their desktop images from anywhere
levels consistent with the mission of the installation or in the world remotely. The Army will also divest legacy
unit. Army Commands and units will not be allowed to unclassified Video Teleconferencing (VTC) and analog
acquire “above baseline” services either as reimbursable telephones with the enterprise implementation of a
or direct support. To support consistent and high quality voice modernization strategy in conjunction with Army
service delivery, the Army will implement tools such 365 collaboration capabilities. Legacy collaboration
as enterprise cloud-based IT Service Management capabilities such as MilSuite, Army Knowledge Online
(ITSM) that is accessible by all Commands, to enable (AKO) and Command level SharePoint instances will be
U.S. Amy Network Enterprise Technology Command divested to maximize the investment in Army 365. This
(NETCOM) to see, monitor and secure all assets on the will enable the Army to drive down technical debt and
unified network, and deliver end user support services maximize its resources to more cost effectively meet
integrated with IT Asset Management and IT Operations mission needs. The Army will also reassess and validate
Management. The Army will standardize offerings of services provided to Combatant Commands (COCOMs)
common open source analytics tools like Anaconda and as their Combatant Command Support Agency (CCSA)
R. Through ZT principles, the Army will provide greater to ensure standardization and interoperability.
support for Bring Your Own Approved Devices (BYOAD)

“
The Army must be manned, trained,
equipped, and modernized to be ready to
fight today, but also to meet the demands of
an uncertain and unpredictable future.”

­— Honorable Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 8

REFORM

OBJECTIVE 2:

Optimized and mission-aligned digital investments providing greater value to the Army

Operational excellence is an imperative for the Army in light of the tight fiscal reality in Program Objective
Memorandum (POM) 2023-2027 and beyond. With the evolution of technology, commercial organizations are
finding lower cost, more efficient, and innovative ways to run and invest in their enterprises. The Army seeks
to maintain pace with the evolving advancement of technologies, but this requires a re-evaluation of priorities,
resourcing, and investments. Current challenges include limited visibility into Army IT portfolios, inflexible and
waterfall IT acquisition processes, and ineffective IT investment accountability and oversight. These challenges
prevent the Army from ensuring its resources and spending are best aligned to save costs, improve operations,
and ultimately harvest these savings to modernize the Army through digital transformation.
The goal is to optimize the Army’s resources and enable confident investment decisions that are data-driven and
objective while at the same time ensuring direct alignment of these investments to Army priorities. With agile
institutional processes for acquisition, PPBE, and portfolio management, the Army can ensure better alignment
of digital resources to current and future digital requirements. The following LOEs will reform the enterprise and
drive the ability to optimize investments.

LOE 2.1: Optimize resource allocation and investment decisions by increasing

visibility into portfolios

The Army must maximize the value derived from its meet the requirements of reporting through the Principal
digital transformation investments, which begins with Cyber Advisor to Congress. The Army will also mature
transparency into all phases of the Army’s PPBE Army digital resourcing visibility piloted in FY21 to a
process from planning through execution. The Army’s construct that enables the Army to validate, rationalize,
PPBE process can be improved to gain better visibility and synchronize digital resource requirements, and
over $15 billion annual digital spend allowing for better prioritize digital investments to ensure that fully informed
understanding of how this portfolio integrates to provide resource decisions are being made. The Army will
best value to meet the Army’s priorities. To address this continue to aggressively divest legacy systems through
challenge, the Army must fundamentally reassess how rigorous prioritization of the digital portfolios in each
the digital budget is addressed in the PPBE process. mission area. The Army will explore if the current mission
The Army will scale the TBM methodology across area construct is optimal in the context of MDO and if
all portfolios and achieve granular insights into each changes are needed to enable greater synchronization
investment through the PPBE process. This includes and integration of the portfolios to breakdown silos
the coding of cyber capabilities in each investment to between mission area portfolios.

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 9

REFORM

LOE 2.2: : Increase Army’s purchasing power by consolidating enterprise digital requirements

The Army’s purchasing power is currently underutilized Hardware, Enterprise Software, and Solutions (CHESS)
because of the decentralized approach to procuring contracts to provide additional insights into spending and
IT software, hardware, and services. Industry data identify opportunities for category management, as well
shows significant cost savings through strategic as benchmark outcomes against industry standards.
sourcing efforts that the Army must fully implement. The Army will establish Enterprise License Agreements
The Army will achieve this by establishing a category (ELA) with strategic vendors to both achieve cost savings
management approach that is complemented by and reduce procurement manpower through a single
strategic sourcing. These initiatives will increase Army’s contract, as well as drive accountability for the use of
purchasing power, reducing costs and allowing the licenses by the Commands. The Army must aim to fully
Army to redirect savings to other mission priorities. determine the usage of procured software and whether
The Army will scale the category management efforts the Army is overpaying vendors for unused licenses.
established in FY21 to find additional opportunities for The Army will implement a Software Asset Management
consolidation of requirements across the Commands. (SAM) tool to inventory all software on Army enterprise
Category management will also be utilized to establish and tactical networks, achieve efficiencies through
standard levels of service for IT support. Granular data license distribution, and identify opportunities for new
on contract execution will be sourced through Computer ELAs based on usage patterns.

LOE 2.3: Drive audit readiness and remediation

The Army should achieve a clean Working Capital the greatest number of NFRs relate to this requirement.
Fund (WCF) and General Fund (GF) audit opinions. To Financial system owners will prioritize integration of their
accomplish that objective, the Army must remediate all systems to ICAM and establish the required policies
Notice of Findings and Recommendations (NFR) related and procedures to address both access controls and
to IT General Controls (ITGC) which represent a large segregation of duties. The Army will prioritize the
percentage of all unremediated NFRs to date. Currently, implementation of CAPs for Internal Use Software (IUS)
the Army leads the DoD services in progress made to by capturing the costs associated with development,
remediate the findings through Corrective Action Plans fielding and operation, and maintenance at granular
(CAPs). The Army must prioritize financial auditability levels in the acquisition process leveraging the TBM
requirements through ITGC in new capabilities such as framework. These efforts will increase business resiliency
EBS-C to ensure financial data is processed, stored, and technology security for the digital Army while at
and shared completely and accurately. The Army will the same time supporting Army’s goal of achieving a
implement the tools needed to address access control Congressionally-mandated clean audit opinion for the
and segregation of duties through an ICAM system since Department.

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 10

 REFORM

LOE 2.4: Increase IT investment accountability by establishing robust financial analytics and
governance

The Army must employ strong fiscal stewardship of integration of digital transformation efforts across
its IT and Cyber Activities budget to improve business the Army. The Army will fully leverage the ADOC as
outcomes and increase mission value. The Army will a governance forum to manage the digital equities
pursue full traceability and oversight of the execution in the PPBE process, including escalation of issues
of the digital resources by Commands by improving to the IT Oversight Council (ITOC) as needed for
data access and quality from contracting and acquisition decision making by Army Senior Leaders. The Army
systems. The IT Investment Accountability (ITIA) effort will continue to expand and scale the use of analytics
will increase the ability of the Army to see, assess, to identify potential risks and issues in execution of the
redirect, and control IT resources. The Army Digital digital investments. The Army will also reassess and
Oversight Council (ADOC) was established in FY21 establish new metrics and measures through the current
to help synchronization, to inform Army requirements IT Investment Accountability Reform to ensure that the
and resourcing prioritization, and to help technical digital investments are meeting mission outcomes.

“
In the face of determined adversaries and
accelerating technological advances, we must
transform today to meet tomorrow’s challenges.”
­—General James C. McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 11

PEOPLE & PARTNERSHIPS

OBJECTIVE 3:

A tech savvy, operationally effective digital workforce partnered with a robust

network of allies, industry, and academia
People drive success. The Army’s people and its relationships with allied partners are vital to achieving the
goal to dominate in MDO. In today’s digital transformation revolution, simply having the newest technology
is not sufficient – the Army needs the right digital skills to optimize, adapt, and fully apply the technology
through innovation. Similarly, simply having strong partner relationships is not enough – the Army needs proper
channels, networks, and systems in place to effectively collaborate and communicate. The Army workforce must
understand, develop, apply, and enable digital priorities as well as external opportunities to improve collaboration
with allies, academia, and industry.
The goal is to embrace the recognition that people drive Army’s success on and off the battlefield. Robust
recruiting and selection, training programs, digital career models, and partnerships with academia and industry
will build a digital ready, adaptive, and innovative workforce, with the full range of required digital skills. In addition,
sustained communications and interoperability with allied nations will ensure the Army optimizes its ability to
collaborate in all domains. The following LOEs will drive the Army’s ability to achieve its desired end state as a
digital workforce with a network of valuable partners.

LOE 3.1: Build and deploy an organic digital workforce with mission critical skillsets by establishing
partnerships with industry and academia

The Army workforce must acquire the necessary skillsets The Army will continue to develop and implement new
to effectively embrace and apply digital technology. concepts and prototypes for acquiring, developing,
The Army has initiated a number of pathfinders and certifying, and deploying critical skills in AI, data
initiatives to address how the Army will hire, retain, science, cyber, and emerging technology areas. The
train, and deploy the digital workforce of the future. Army will seek opportunities through its partnerships
The Army must scale and expand the scope of each with academia and industry for rotational programs that
pathfinder. The Army will establish a single integrated enable the Army workforce to gain skills from the partner
total Army approach to establish the digital workforce of organization, while also enabling partner organizations
the future through innovative talent models. The Army to rotate through the Army and coach the workforce.
will continue to expand and scale pioneering talent The Army will also better target its recruitment of top
management models like the Software Factory. In job talent from its partner organizations. These partnerships
postings for technical roles, the Army should include will enable the Army to develop a more fully capable
specific skills that applicants will need. The Army will also workforce that can execute its digital priorities. The Army
adopt modern techniques like code reviews to ensure will also explore and implement innovative employment
that candidates are properly qualified for their roles. The models for the total workforce, targeted recruitment, and
Army will implement new authorities available such as other talent management approaches to bringing top
the Cyber Excepted Service (CES) to hire and retain the talent into the Army.
best cyber talent on par with the commercial industry.

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 12

PEOPLE & PARTNERSHIPS

LOE 3.2: Identify and cultivate the skills needed by the Army of 2028 by fostering digital innovation
and continuous learning

The Army must identify and cultivate necessary skills by comprehensive Integrated Development Environment
fostering innovation and continuous learning in order for to ensure unit-developed solutions are consistent with
the workforce to keep pace with changing technology. The Army development, data, security, and other standards
Army must establish training for both civilians and military and are sustainable and expansible as necessary. As
beyond traditional IT and include how digital technologies the Army develops robust talent, it will carefully track
can be adopted, implemented, and adapted across the the skills its workforce has developed so it can match
Army thereby leading to heavy contractor reliance. The them to the best possible roles. New incentives, such as
Army must establish robust recruitment and selection, rewards and recognition programs, will be established to
training programs, development opportunities, new motivate the workforce to identify innovation opportunities
workforce models, and strategies to attract, develop, and and for excellence in service delivery. The Army will seek
retain top talent. These efforts will improve the agility new authorities to more fully employ the digital talent
and readiness of the digital workforce. The Army will across the active, reserve, and civilian components of the
continue to scale the Quantum Leap initiative to reskill workforce to support any project in the Army at the time
and upskill the digital workforce by assessing their skills of need. New collaboration platforms for crowdsourcing
and abilities and establishing career paths and associated will enable the remote workforce in concert with these
training for career progression. In order to retain the new authorities to execute digital projects across the
workforce, the Army will establish initiatives to provide Army based on their skillsets so they are not limited
hands-on digital experience to the workforce through to opportunities within their unit. The Army will utilize
hackathons, low code/no code programming, and Robotic communities of interest to connect its digital workforce
Process Automation (RPA). The Army will develop a and facilitate technical discussions

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PEOPLE & PARTNERSHIPS

LOE 3.3: Facilitate collaboration with allied partners by strengthening communication and
interoperability of data, software, and systems

The success of Joint All Domain Operations depends multiple classification levels and protected through a
on the Army’s ability to collaborate and coordinate robust ICAM system, with a robust, mission-based
with its allied nation partners. The Army needs to Need-to-Know requirement. The Army will also continue
continually improve communication and collaboration to support and work with international standards
with its allied partners, especially with the Five Eye bodies to establish joint interoperability standards and
partners and NATO allies. The Army can achieve this architecture for JADC2. The Army will reenergize its
by prioritizing the implementation of a modern cloud- partnerships with allied nations to leverage and share
based Mission Partner Environment (MPE). MPE will lessons learned on their digital transformation efforts.
provide the necessary integration, through modern The Army will continue to expand and scale tours of
virtual technologies, to enable the interoperability of duty for personnel from allied nations to the Army and
multinational operations and information sharing across vice-versa.

ARMY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY | 14

“
Going digital is a mindset, it’s culture
change… it’s about how we can
fundamentally change how we operate as
an Army through transformative digital
technologies, empowering our workforce,
and re-engineering our rigid institutional
processes to be more agile…”

­—Dr. Raj Iyer, CIO, U.S. Army

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@ArmyCIO
Army Chief Information Officer