For more than four decades, the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Software Engineering Center has been a cornerstone of the Army’s technological advantage. Now marking a new era of service, the center has embarked on an exciting new chapter, adopting a new name that reflects its ongoing mission and future direction?the Army Software & Innovation Center. Building on its support?center origins, CECOM ASIC now plays a central role in giving American Soldiers a decisive edge on the digital battlefield.

The Early Days: A Foundation in a Hardware World

Throughout its history, the Army’s software offices demonstrated the ability to adapt and evolve in a constantly changing environment. The SEC’s story began in 1983 with the establishment of the Software Development and Support Center at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, created to centralize software management for the Army’s Battlefield Automated Systems. In these early years, the world ran on hardware. Software, while important, was not yet the pivotal force it is today.

The center’s creation was driven by the need to support massive, hardware-based programs that required extensive, coordinated software engineering. Early large-scale initiatives highlighted growing software demands, particularly the Tactical Fire system for automating truck-based artillery fire and the Joint Tactical Communications program for digitizing tri-service communications. These were followed by programs like?Mobile Subscriber Equipment, a multi-billion-dollar initiative that underscored the critical need for a dedicated organization to manage the complex software lifecycle.

“In the 1990s, software did not drive systems the way it does today,” Jennifer Swanson, who began her career as an SEC intern in 1992 and later served as its Director from 2017 to 2022, said. “It was a hardware-focused environment where development cycles stretched for years. Now, the only way to evolve on the battlefield is through software that can be updated daily, if needed. That is a very different need.”

Despite this, the center, under various names, quickly proved its value. It played a key role in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, earning the prestigious Association of Old Crows award for its electronic warfare support. In 1991, it became the first Army Materiel Command group to earn a Capability Maturity Model Level 3 certification, a significant achievement that underscored its advanced software capabilities at the time.

A Shifting Battlefield: Dominance Through Digital Agility

A major shift in 1996 consolidated Army software operations under CECOM SEC, boosting efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The SEC became a microcosm of CECOM from a software perspective, handling everything from research and development to project management and logistics. “They were responsible for full life-cycle efforts … they did it all, for every system, from a software perspective,” Ed Thomas, former Director from 2000-2007, said. “The SEC was such a unique organization … a rare combination of engineering, development, and operational capabilities, with the ability to go forward. Not many organizations have that lifecycle capability.” Thomas said. This comprehensive role was vital as the SEC led Y2K readiness efforts to ensure the uninterrupted operation of critical Army systems.

In 2008, the SEC relocated its headquarters to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The move shifted its mission from Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, due to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The SEC provided life-cycle software products and services for a broad range of Army and Joint systems, including avionics, communications, logistics, and intelligence. The center’s work ensures warfighters have the advanced tools needed to succeed in any environment.

“The organization is not stagnant; it actively moves to where the Army is going,” Stephen Kovacs, former SEC Acting Director from 2007 to 2008, said. This ethos guided the SEC through decades of rapid modernization.

Key accomplishments during this era include:

Revolutionized Aircraft and Ground Protection: During the Gulf War, the SEC’s Army Reprogramming Analysis Team completely revamped the process for updating aircraft software that protects against surface-to-air threats. This overhaul reduced the reprogramming turnaround time from several weeks to 24-48 hours, providing a lifesaving, rapid-response capability. This process was later applied to ground-based systems, such as the Counter Remote-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare?Duke system. 

Delivered Critical Infrared Countermeasures: When Army helicopters were attacked by shoulder-fired missiles in Iraq, the SEC delivered critical software updates to enable infrared countermeasures. These software systems enabled aircraft to automatically deploy evasive countermeasures, directly protecting aircrews in combat. 

Received Commendation for Y2K Efforts: The SEC’s work on over 165 battlespace systems was so successful that it earned a Letter of Commendation from the Army Chief Information Officer/G6, Lt. Gen. William Campbell. 

Pioneered Acquisition Efficiency: In the early 2000s, the center developed a new acquisition strategy by consolidating over 50 individual software support contracts into two large omnibus contracts called Software Support and Engineering Support. This innovative approach eliminated duplication, reduced contract management overhead, and improved overall support for soldiers. 

Logistics Modernization Program:?The center was integral to the initial deployment of LMP, a massive undertaking to modernize the Army’s supply chain. Based on its foundational success and deep expertise, the SEC was then tasked with establishing the Army Shared Services Center, a new organization designed to provide permanent, dedicated software support for the LMP system and its users. 

Intelligence & Electronic Warfare Support: During Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the SEC executed a mission-critical software overhaul of the Guardrail intelligence software. The system was originally designed for a conventional battlefield and to look across a defined front line from friendly territory. To meet the demands of asymmetric warfare, the center’s engineers re-architected the software, enabling the platform to conduct 360-degree surveillance. This fundamental transformation allowed Guardrail to continue its vital intelligence-gathering mission in a new operational environment without traditional battle lines. 

Received the Army Superior Unit Award: The SEC earned the prestigious Army Superior Unit Award for its performance of providing software sustainment and technical support to the Army during the 2007 calendar year. 

Centralized and Enhanced Field Support: The SEC fused all its forward-deployed personnel—including field support engineers, help desks, and call centers—into a single organization with a direct reporting line to its headquarters. This restructuring significantly improved operational performance and efficiency, leading to the transfer of the Digital System Engineer mission from Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical’s Technical Support Facility to the SEC. 

The Modern Era: Forging the Army’s Tech Company

By the 2010s, the strategic importance of software in military operations had become paramount. The ability to update systems on the fly was essential for battlefield evolution, and cybersecurity had never been more critical. The organization’s focus shifted to modernization to meet these new demands.

Field Support & Continuous Delivery:?The SEC placed Software Readiness Officers with every active Army division and corps. These officers provided on-the-ground technical support. They ensured that software delivered through the modern repository is effective and user-friendly in real-world conditions. 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: The center developed and deployed AI Flow, a secure, Army-owned generative AI platform. It automates and accelerates tasks for users across the Army. Work that once took days or weeks can now be accomplished in minutes. 

Joint Service Collaboration: The center’s Army Reprogramming Analysis Team started a working group with the Navy and Air Force. This group shares threat analysis software, reduces redundant work, and enables faster responses to new and evolving enemy capabilities. 

Cybersecurity and Zero Trust Architecture:?The SEC took a leading role in policy development for the Army’s Zero Trust cybersecurity framework, a crucial initiative to protect the service’s data and networks from advanced cyber threats by adhering to a “never trust, always verify” principle. 

Army Food Management Information System: The SEC modernized the Army’s web-based food service platform, which oversees operations for more than 800 dining facilities globally. The center developed custom Application Programming Interfaces to connect the legacy system to modern platforms, successfully enabling advanced data analytics, automated supply ordering, and convenient CAC meal purchases. 

This evolution was put to the ultimate test by global events. When Russia first invaded Ukraine, the organization’s agility and readiness were paramount. The SEC deployed a team to Germany to operationalize all Joint Battle Command Platform systems, ensuring full mission support capability.

The Heart of the Mission: People, Culture, and Leadership

Throughout its history, the SEC’s greatest asset has been its people. The organization has long been recognized for a culture that fosters growth and builds leaders from within.

“It is a family-type organization where everyone tries to look out for each other,” Kovacs said, adding that a guiding principle was always, “You can do no wrong by doing the right thing.”

This environment was crucial for talent development. The Software Engineering Intern Program has been a cornerstone for decades, bringing in new engineers and providing them with hands-on experience and advanced education.

“I am grateful I had the opportunity to grow as a leader at a place like SEC,” Swanson said. “It allowed me to learn. We all make mistakes, but I never felt a mistake was something I was going to get punished for. That helps you become a more confident leader.”

This practice of “leaders building leaders” created a foundation of trust and empowerment that remains central to the organization’s success, a success recognized with the prestigious Army Superior Unit Award.

The Future is Now

Today, as CECOM ASIC, the organization is the Army’s premier tech hub. Software has never been more important to the Army and CECOM ASIC is its tech company. There are many skilled professionals at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge solutions in AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics.

“We are incredibly proud of our history, because those decades of experience serve as the launchpad for what comes next,”?Garrett Shoemaker, Director of CECOM ASIC, said.?”Software is the foundation of the modern battlefield, and CECOM ASIC is drawing on that legacy to lead this future transformation for the Army as a whole. We are paving the way forward, ensuring our Soldiers have the agile, innovative digital capabilities they need to dominate tomorrow’s fight.”

From its origins as a small support directorate to its current role as a center of innovation, CECOM ASIC’s 40-year journey is a story of evolution. Its unwavering dedication to the mission and its ability to adapt and lead in a constantly changing technological landscape will continue to shape the future of warfare.

By SCOTT HOCHENBERG

FORT BLISS, Texas — When it comes to defending the vast Pacific Ocean, the Army is usually going to take a back seat to the Navy, at least until the fight hits land. But in an effort to increase its advantage in the Joint fight in the Pacific, the Army has created the 7th Infantry Division Multi-Domain Command-Pacific.

Two exercises in June, Pacific Fury and Valiant Shield, in the U.S. Pacific Command area of operations has allowed the U.S. Army Futures and Concepts Command and two assessment teams from the U.S. Army Joint Modernization Command to look at the 7ID MDC-PAC and joint integration and capability improvements as they relate to the defense of Guam and other island chains in the Pacific.

The Army established 7ID MDC-PAC as a two-star operational headquarters out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and reached full operational capacity in mid-June. It merges the 7th Infantry Division and the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force to synchronize space, cyber, electronic warfare and precision fires efforts across the Indo-Pacific. The new formation brings capabilities, sensors and effects that will help the joint fight in the Pacific, according to Maj. Caleb Bloom, assessment planner in JMC’s Operations Group A.

“In the Pacific, the Army is never going to be the main effort until we hit mainland on potential conflict,” Bloom said. “However, there are things the Army can do to support the joint fight, and the MDC-PAC brings a lot of sensors and effects that will allow success at an operational strategic level. The formation is really aimed at how the Army can support the Joint fight by providing kinetic and non-kinetic effects and sensors.”

The criticality of 7ID MDC-PAC’s mission and its contributions to the joint force is what drove JMC to send a robust team to JBLM to assess developing concepts and capabilities as part of Pacific Fury, said Col. Joseph Mukes, chief of JMC’s Operations Group A.

“Our partnership with 7ID MDC-PAC here in Pacific Fury and in future exercises will afford the Army a great opportunity to learn from an elite formation as they progress,” Mukes said. “We expect to glean new and innovative ways the Army will contribute to the Joint Force as they provide protection and stability to the Pacific. We also look forward to our partnership with MDC-Europe, where we also expect to learn great deal under a very different operational and strategic problem set.”

One of the benefits JMC experimentation experts bring to exercises like Pacific Fury and Valiant Shield is the ability to give units and commands an external view of their capabilities and progress, shared Maj. Kyle Shea, lead planner for JMC’s participation in Valiant Shield. JMC assessors bring the knowledge of how other units are operating and taking advantage of new capabilities, so they can provide some real comparisons beyond, “Yeah, that works well.”

“The main thing we bring that the participating units don’t have is the assessors, the subject matter experts, who can give them an external look,” Shea said. “It’s easy for units to say, ‘We participated, check the block; We did the thing.’ To get an outside perspective to look at you and say, ‘You know what, here are your strengths; But, also, here’s where we see some opportunity for improvements.’ Yes, this capability works really well, but we see other capabilities and other exercises constantly, so how does it measure up against those others? We can give the outside perspective that the units may have a tougher time seeing. We’re just looking at it from a little different perspective.”

For Valiant Shield, JMC will have teams in Guam, Hawaii and JBLM. Lt. Col. Zachary Quintana, the assessments team lead for JMC’s Operations Group A, said the teams will be looking for progress in how the joint team defends the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility.

“We’ll be looking for improvement in the integration of the Joint kill web; the best sensor, best shooter methodology, in a defense of Guam scenario,” Quintana said. “We are looking at the Air Force, Navy, Army, how we all work together to address the same problem: closing any sensor-to-shooter gaps that USARPAC and USPACOM are trying to address in their [area of responsibility].”

Participating in exercises in the Pacific offers the chance to work naturally with our joint and coalition partners, Shea said.

“This has the advantage of being an USPACOM-driven exercise, so participation of our joint and coalition partners is inherently already there,” Shea said. “We’re not pulling people to the table to participate, they’re already there, so it makes for easier opportunities to see our Army capabilities integrated into the joint force and into that joint kill web.”

Shea noted that Project Convergence Capstone 5 started this chain of persistent experimentation that will continue through Pacific Fury and Valiant Shield and into Project Convergence-Capstone 6 in July in California.

“We gained a lot of insight into Joint integration in the defense of the Pacific during Capstone 5, and this will be a continuation of that progress,” Shea said. “What does it look like as they introduce new capabilities and continue to refine their processes? What’s awesome about it is it’s a Joint capability. They have the Aegis Combat System integrated from the Navy. The Air Force is involved because the defensive counter-air fight is part of that.

“Seeing that progress is both a material improvement, where they’re introducing new capabilities, but also a system improvement in how they integrate them, how the systems interact and overlap,” Shea said. “They all have semi-proprietary systems for how they target and what radar capabilities can be used with what effectors, so getting them to work more seamlessly together and be integrated in a continuous layered defense system is what they’re working toward. You can see that improvement happening in real time as we assess them year over year.”

As the teams return from Pacific Fury and Valiant Shield, FCC will turn its focus to PC-C6, using the insights gathered to feed into the broader framework of persistent experimentation. In that way, both experimentation and readiness work hand-in-hand to improve today’s Army as well as the future force.

By Jonathan Koester