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PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. – The U.S. Army has established the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Agile Sustainment and Ammunition, PAE AS&A, at Picatinny Arsenal under the command of Maj. Gen. John T. Reim. The move is a key part of broader Continuous Transformation efforts intended to increase efficiency and accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities to the warfighter.
The new organization was activated at a ceremony held on January 20 at Picatinny Arsenal where several thousand team members from all involved organizations were introduced to the new command. The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, the Honorable Brent Ingraham, presided over the ceremony and spoke to the significance of the new organization as a key part of the Army’s Acquisition reform initiative.
Following the ceremony, Ingraham witnessed a live demonstration featuring the Purpose Built Attritable System and a TRV-150 drone dropping smoke and a M69 training grenade onto a target simulating a small group of enemy Soldiers with a vehicle. This showed off one of DEVCOM’s latest innovations, the Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit or Picatinny CLIK. These are just a few of the of lethal UAS and counter-UAS technologies being developed by U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center. The DEVCOM Armaments Center now serves as the Systems Center, a key enabler, of the PAE AS&A.
Subject matter experts from the PAE AS&A and DEVCOM Armaments Center then also briefed Ingraham on other lethal UAS, counter-UAS munitions, advanced artillery, next-gen energetics, expeditionary logistics and supply chain enabling systems that are the result of joint efforts of the two Picatinny based organizations.
“This marks a significant milestone in our journey to modernize Army Acquisition,” Ingraham said as he addressed the audience. “We are combining the capabilities of the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition with critical combat logistic capabilities from PEO Combat Support and Combat Support Services to ensure fully capability alignment under our new structure.”
“Today we turn the page to an exciting new chapter in Army Acquisition,” Ingraham continued. “Every role in the organization plays an invaluable part in this journey. Cross organization engagement and agility are essential in ensuring the success of this transition. The future of Army Acquisition is bright and PAE AS&A is poised to lead the way.”
Ingraham’s visit underscored the installation’s vital role the various commands at Picatinny Arsenal play in maintaining readiness — delivering the capabilities, expertise, and innovation that ensures our Warfighters and allies are equipped to succeed in any environment.
“As we embark on this journey, we align our actions with the strategic guidance provided by our leadership including the President of the United States, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army,” said Reim who followed Ingraham. “This initiative is not merely a restructuring of our acquisition processes. It is a fundamental rethinking of how we approach the delivery of capabilities to our Soldiers, our joint warfighters, and our international partners.”
Legacies of Excellence
The Army is fundamentally restructuring its acquisition process to prioritize speed and efficiency over traditional approaches. As part of this initiative, the Army is establishing six Portfolio Acquisition Executives with increased focus on capabilities over specific programs.
The transformation includes the integration of the former Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support, PEO CS&CSS, into the Capability Program Executive for Combat Logistics, CPE CL, led by Brig. Gen. Camilla White. PEO CS&CSS brings an unmatched history of logistics and sustainment support to the new CPE CL. It encompasses more than 200 programs spanning the Army’s transportation, ordnance, quartermaster, engineer, and training equipment portfolios.
As the CPE CL, it will continue to develop and deliver modernized tactical wheeled vehicles, engineering equipment, watercraft, power generation systems, and other force sustainment capabilities to Army, Joint, and global partners.
At the same time, the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition, JPEO A&A, will realign into the Capability Program Executive for Ammunition & Energetics, CPE A&E, led by Col. Jason Bohannon. JPEO A&A has consistently delivered innovative acquisition solutions to provide Joint Warfighters and allied partners with overmatch capabilities. The JPEO was comprised of four project offices covering Combat Ammunition Systems, Close Combat Systems, Maneuver Ammunition Systems and Joint Services.
As the CPE A&E, it retains responsibility for life-cycle acquisition management of all conventional ammunition, which includes integrating budgets, acquisition strategies, research and development and life-cycle management across all ammunition families.
CPE CL will be headquartered at Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, while CPE A&E will remain at Picatinny Arsenal. Unlike the previous Program Executive Offices, each PAE will have comprehensive responsibilities and accountability for managing the full spectrum of acquisition activities, including requirements development, technology maturation, product development, testing, contracting, fielding, sustainment, and international sales. This flattened acquisition system empowers PAEs to make timely, risk-based decisions and accelerates capability delivery to Warfighters through problem-focused requirements, smarter contracts, informed risks, and faster pivots.
“This restructure achieves unity of command by establishing and empowering PAE AS&A with the full authority to direct research and development, prototyping, testing, production, and sustainment,” said Reim. “By prioritizing outcomes over processes, this new construct empowers us to award contracts faster by cutting through bureaucracy. Overall, this approach unburdens the acquisition enterprise and allows us to deliver warfighting capabilities at speed and scale.”
Accelerating Ammunition Acquisitions
Under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Reim, PAE AS&A will oversee an entire capability area including all conventional ammunition requirements including direct and indirect fire ammunition, close combat systems, explosives, and pyrotechnics, in addition to logistics, fielding, and sustainment. PAE AS&A will have oversight of the organic munition production facilities.
Maj. Gen. Sean Davis will serve as the new Deputy Portfolio Acquisition Executive adding the sustainment capabilities of the Army’s Combined Arms Support Command, CASCOM to PAE AS&A. CASCOM trains and develops adaptive Sustainment professionals for the total force while integrating innovative Army and Joint Sustainment capabilities, concepts and doctrine to sustain large scale combat operations in a multi-domain operations environment. It is also a part of Transformation and Training Command and is located at Fort Lee, Virginia. PAE AS&A is committed to supporting the warfighter through an innovative approach to ammunition acquisition and sustainment that leverages existing authorities to deliver tangible benefits, including accelerated capability delivery, smarter contracts, and informed risk management.
In addition to the two new CPEs, PAE AS&A will oversee multiple acquisition enablers including senior contracting officials, a test and evaluation integrator, the Sustainment Future Capability Directorate and the system center lead overseeing coordination among Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Centers. The PAE AS&A System Center Lead is Chris J. Grassano, the firector of the DEVCOM Armaments Center. The new structure will enable holistic management of conventional ammunition development, production and sustainment under a single command resulting in increased efficiencies and accelerated delivery of lethality aligned with the emerging Army Warfighting Concept.
Looking Ahead
In conjunction with this reform, the Army is investing $1.1 billion per year to overhaul depots, arsenals, and ammunition plants that produce and sustain Army equipment. This commitment will not only modernize facilities but also strengthen the defense supply chain and create jobs.
For industry partners, these reforms will mean faster contracts, clearer points of entry, and fewer bureaucratic hurdles. Soldiers will benefit from receiving new capabilities, such as drones, long-range fires, and next-generation command and control systems, years faster than before.
By Michael Chambers and Eric Kowal
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CRO has developed a two-unit (2U) whole blood transport container designed to accept multiple Commercial Off-the-Shelf evaporative cooling engines. The system is intended to sustain up to 42 hours of low-titer O whole blood (LTOWB) cooling within transport temperature parameters (10°C), depending on configuration and operating conditions.
This solution reduces EM signature, provides indefinite non-powered cooling with appropriate consumable resupply, and addresses delayed MEDEVAC during LSCO.
Background
Contemporary large-scale combat indicates that the increased use of unmanned aircraft systems has expanded persistent ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) coverage and reduced freedom of maneuver across the battlespace. In LSCO (Large-Scale Combat Operations), units should expect extended disruption to communication, increased sustainment friction, and periods of constrained movement due to persistent aerial observation and strike risk.
These conditions intensify requirements for distributed small-unit operations and longer-duration self-sustainment. Contested airspace and massed fires increase the likelihood of delayed evacuation and degraded medical evacuation times. As evacuation timelines extend, casualty outcomes become increasingly dependent on Prolonged Field Care to include reliable cold-chain sustainment for blood products in austere conditions.
Commanders and medical planners should consider cold-chain solutions that reduce reliance on powered systems and provide resilient, low-complexity backup options consistent with DDIL (Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, and Limited) operating conditions.
Indefinite Cooling with Resupply
Commercially available evaporative cooling systems can provide a non-electric (“analog”) cooling method that reduces reliance on batteries and powered refrigeration in constrained environments. Chemical heat sources can drive phase-change and evaporation processes that transfer cooling to a cold plate without active electrical power, enabling extended cooling duration with appropriate consumable resupply.
Approach
Production
Production V1 Design
EM Signature Reduction
In a contested electromagnetic spectrum, electromagnetic signature management is an increasingly relevant survivability consideration. Common medical and support equipment can produce detectable electromagnetic (EM) emissions through electromagnetic interference and unintentional radiators, even when the equipment is not intended to transmit. Distributed small units should account for these emissions and, where practical, mitigate leakage and reduce reliance on powered systems, while recognizing that many battlefield sensor payloads remain primarily electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR).
Targeting Medical Personnel
Medical personnel have faced an elevated risk of engagement in contemporary conflicts, including documented allegations of targeting by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. When only medics carry distinctive medical loadouts, visible differentiation can increase exposure to observation and engagement. By selecting and distributing common carriage systems across the element, units can reduce target indicators that single out medical personnel, as multiple personnel will carry similar bags and mixed-use equipment. Preventing medic casualties preserves morale, maintains continuity of care, and sustains overall unit effectiveness.
For additional technical data, configuration options, or pricing, contact customer support: support@cromedical.com
CRO 2U Blood Transport Container (PN: CRO-2U-MC)
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FORT BENNING, Ga. — As small unmanned aircraft systems, sUAS, become a defining feature of the modern battlefield, the Maneuver Center of Excellence is ensuring every new Soldier has a high-tech edge.
One-Station Unit Training trainees are now undergoing a 10-hour sUAS familiarization course integrated into their formal program of instruction. Using Virtual Battle Space 4 software and the Virtual Drone Collective Trainer plug-in, Infantry and Armor trainees master flight mechanics before stepping onto a live flight line.
The 12-lane curriculum, modeled after the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Ranger Robotics Lethality Course, is designed to take a Soldier from basic “buttonology” — learning the controller interface — to advanced tactical reconnaissance and lethal kinetic strikes.
“The Army has always used simulation-based training to reduce noise, training costs, and wear and tear on equipment and resources,” said Jayson D. Karch, a training specialist with the Maneuver Center of Excellence Directorate of Training and Doctrine. “This enables Soldiers from across the Army to receive immersive, life-like, low-cost training on equipment they have minimal experience operating, without risk of damage to equipment, personnel, or resources.”
The move toward simulation-based training addresses the logistical challenge of training thousands of Soldiers annually. By using the Virtual Drone Collective Trainer software plug-in, developed by the Combined Arms Center-Training Innovation Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the Army can provide immersive training at scale.
“While live flight is an important and vital portion of certifying an sUAS operator, new operators use simulations to build basic skills without all the resources required for live flight,” said Rory O’Brien, an MCoE simulation specialist. “Given the number of Soldiers trained in Infantry and Armor OSUT, there aren’t enough resources to allow every Soldier to fly a live sUAS, so virtual simulations allow us to train the skills at scale using less resources.”
The training is divided into three distinct phases: flight training, basic tactical training and a culminating assessment. During the tactical phase, trainees use night vision, thermal, and infrared cameras to identify enemy personnel and vehicles before conducting simulated drone strikes.
The Army’s goal is not to turn every Soldier into a certified pilot, but to ensure every Soldier is familiar with a combat enabler they will encounter in future formations. The simulation also serves as a talent-scouting tool; trainees who demonstrate above-average proficiency are considered for the formal sUAS Operators Course following graduation.
The MCoE plans to publish these training lanes on the milGaming website, allowing units across the force to download and utilize the same scenarios for home-station training.
The integration of sUAS training into OSUT represents a fundamental shift in how the Army prepares for the modern, transparent battlefield. By prioritizing digital literacy and technological proficiency from day one, the MCoE is ensuring that the next generation of Infantry and Armor Soldiers is not just keeping pace with change but driving it. As these Soldiers transition to the operational force, they provide a ready, lethal, and tech-capable backbone for the multidomain formations of tomorrow.
View more photos of the virtual sUAS training.
By CPT Stephanie Snyder
Mystery Ranch will be exhibiting at next week’s Enforce Tac in Nürnberg, Germany at the Mehler stand. This will be my friend and MR International Sales Manager E-van’s first trip to Enforce Tac so stop by and catch up.
Sean Evangelista, known throughout the industry as “E-van”, is the new International Military Sales Manager for Mystery Ranch. He spent nearly 20 years in U.S. Navy Special Operations and later founded the apparel brand Thirty Seconds Out, which he successfully exited in 2024.
Before joining Mystery Ranch, Sean worked full-time as a mountain guide for four years, leading clients through mountaineering, backcountry skiing, ice climbing, rock climbing, alpine routes, and hut-to-hut treks. His guiding experience spans both Alaska and Colorado.
He began using Mystery Ranch packs during his time in Special Operations and continued relying on them throughout his guiding career — from expeditions to the summit of Denali to demanding backcountry ski and ice-climbing missions across Colorado. The packs became a constant in environments where reliability wasn’t optional.
Sean said, “I’ve used Mystery Ranch packs for years, long before working here was even on my radar, because they’re comfortable and they don’t fail you. That really matters when the terrain and the mission are high-consequence. With other brands, I’ve blown out stitching, bent aluminum frames, and torn more packs than I can count. That’s the last thing you want to deal with, especially on dangerous objectives. Mystery Ranch has never failed me.”
Sean will be at the EnforceTac tradeshow in Nuremberg, Germany, 23–25 February 2026, taking meetings at Mehler/Lindnerhof, Hall 7A, Booth 7A-333.
To schedule a meeting, he can be reached at:
Email: sean.evangelista@mysteryranch.com
Signal: mysteryranch.77
WhatsApp: Sean Evangelista
Fort Belvoir, Va
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. –?After three years of dedicated leadership, Colonel Jason Bohannon relinquished his charter as the Project Manager for Soldier Lethality (PM SL) during a ceremony on February 6, 2026.?The traditional military ceremony marked the formal transfer of responsibility for the organization, which is tasked with ensuring Soldiers have overmatch capabilities in individual and crew-served weapons.
Brigadier General Troy Denomy, Capability Program Executive Ground, presided over the event and presented Col. Bohannon with the Legion of Merit. The award recognized Bohannon’s diligent leadership and oversight of a portfolio critical to the nation’s warfighters. Bohannon’s superior initiative, outstanding leadership, and personal courage are a testament to both the organization and the U.S. Army.
Upon assuming command in August 2023, Bohannon stated his goal was to “field the most lethal small arms that ground forces have ever seen.”
His three years as Project Manager were marked by a steadfast commitment to that vision, overseeing the continuous improvement and fielding of systems that enhance both the survivability and lethality of the American Soldier.
Assisting in the ceremony was the Senior Enlisted Advisor for Project Manager Soldier Lethality, Master Sgt. Daniel Saucedo. The event was narrated by Maj. Jonathan DiBianca, and the invocation was provided by Lt. Col. Micah Rue, former Product Manager for Soldier Weapons.
Following the relinquishment, Mr. Dave Oatley, who recently served as the Deputy Project Manager for Soldier Lethality, assumed the duties as the Acting Project Manager.
The ceremony was attended by several distinguished guests, including Gen. David Hodne, Maj. Gen. Reim, Maj. Gen. Sean Davis, and Brig. Gen. Camilla White, whose presence underscored the significance of the Soldier Lethality mission.
By PEO Soldier, Army
DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. — A Soldier’s strength is built on more than courage and rigorous training — it’s also in the gear worn on their bodies, stowed in their rucksacks and carried into conflict.
Diligent equipment management has always been a cornerstone of readiness. As the nature of warfare rapidly evolves, the U.S. Army is launching a powerful tool that will transform how today’s forces prepare for tomorrow’s fight, delivering the accuracy, agility and speed needed to succeed on the modern battlefield.
The Soldier Equipping and Asset Management System, or SEAM, represents a groundbreaking new era of organizational clothing and individual equipment, OCIE, management.
“SEAM puts OCIE control right where it belongs — in your hands,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Kofie B. Primus of the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command. “From managing [central issue facility] appointments to tracking OCIE to stay mission-ready, SEAM gives you an intuitive, tech-powered way to own every step of your equipment journey.”
The next generation of OCIE management
Militaries worldwide have long struggled with a universal challenge: how to track millions of items — from uniforms and helmets to weapons — assigned to thousands of soldiers, across thousands of sites, in constant motion.
SEAM offers a next-generation logistics solution. The digital, cloud-based platform centralizes and streamlines OCIE management across echelons in real-time, tracking individual pieces of equipment all the way down to the user level.
As the Army pursues greater lethality and readiness, SEAM supports informed decision-making, curtails waste and enhances both convenience and clarity — with the warfighter squarely in the driver’s seat.
Soldiers will be able to easily order and monitor their gear through SEAM’s common access card-enabled online portal. The site is similar to many popular online shopping platforms, with the ability to search for items, view item details, add items to a shopping cart, submit orders and view order status.
It even has photos of each piece of OCIE, so Soldiers can visually confirm their inventory.
Records in SEAM will remain accurate and up-to-date as Soldiers move between units and assignments. Legacy and end-of-life items that the Army has determined have no economic value can be automatically removed, and duplicate items flagged.
The SEAM portal also has a mechanism that lets Soldiers schedule appointments at central issue facilities, or CIFs.
“SEAM brings OCIE management into the digital age, giving Soldiers the power to browse, schedule and equip with confidence and control,” Primus said.
SEAM was designed specifically to enhance Soldiers’ OCIE experience. But perhaps its most impactful feature is what it offers commanders and other decision-makers: real-time readiness insight.
The platform is being integrated with existing Army information technology systems and incorporates data from human resources, logistics, training and readiness domains, providing the first truly holistic view of the Army’s vast OCIE enterprise. Leaders and logisticians will be better able to forecast future needs based on force demands.
TACOM, as the central manager of the OCIE enterprise, is leading the SEAM initiative.
When SEAM rolls out across the Army on Feb. 17, it will be accessible anytime, anywhere, through government-approved devices — even cell phones.
Why is SEAM revolutionary?
SEAM is replacing Installation Support Module-Central Issue Facility, ISM-CIF, the Army’s primary legacy system for OCIE management.
In use for the better part of two decades, ISM-CIF lacks modern OCIE direct ordering and asset-fielding capabilities. Its reliance on local records and non-integrated databases can lead to lapses in accountability.
SEAM was designed to eliminate those gaps at every stage, from the day OCIE is issued through end-of-lifecycle turn-in.
Unit leaders will be able to instantly see whether every Soldier is properly equipped. Soldiers will notice a smoother process for signing and validating records.
Under SEAM, OCIE guesswork evaporates.
“Every time a Soldier is issued gear, turns in gear, or has a change to the clothing record, he or she will be notified to validate the record,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Allen Flagg, CIF accountable property officer, Massachusetts Army National Guard.
Flagg noted a greatly improved process for dealing with obsolete items.
“If there is a recalled item, such as if an eye pro has been removed from the [Authorized Protective Eyewear] list, SEAM will notify the Soldier that the item should be disposed of, and a new request put into SEAM for an updated eye pro,” he said.
SEAM has a host of other advantages. It will enable the proactive fielding of equipment, ensure resources are positioned efficiently and simplify access to information about shortages and trends.
Unlike ISM-CIF, SEAM doesn’t use technical language that can be difficult to understand, said Ross Pursifull, SEAM mission lead at TACOM’s Integrated Logistics Support Center. Pursifull’s integral role in building SEAM included business process reengineering, user interface design and cataloging more than 7,000 photos of OCIE.
“All the strange codes that I had to decipher on my old OCIE record are gone,” he said. “Now, it’s pictures and plain English.”
The Army is launching SEAM amid a sweeping, force-wide transformation that promotes the use of emerging technologies and data and analytics.
“As the Army moves more toward leveraging data to inform decisions, SEAM is the modern-day method to ensure Soldiers have the right equipment they need to perform their tactical missions,” said recently retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jimmy Sellers of U.S. Army Materiel Command.
Soldiers can learn more about SEAM by reading the knowledge articles on the site. Training is underway for online direct ordering managers,supply sergeants, CIF and regional logistics support center personnel.
ISM-CIF will sunset by the end of 2026.
Modernization, readiness drive SEAM’s creation
SEAM grew out of the realization that as the Army modernizes its equipment and weapons, it needed a cutting-edge OCIE system to match.
Army officials have aggressively pushed in recent years to update the equipping enterprise to better serve Soldiers and units. A 2023 executive order directed CIF reform and the implementation of OCIE online direct ordering.
That order was a catalyst behind SEAM’s creation, said Adam Charczenko, SEAM portfolio manager and TACOM CIO/G6.
Platform development began in mid-2024. TACOM worked with several partners on the complex, highly collaborative effort, said Robert Ignozzi, branch chief for OCIE, TACOM Integrated Logistics Support Center.
“We now have better asset visibility, an improved, modern ordering experience and a much more stable platform,” he said.
TACOM is a subordinate command of AMC. Its partners in the project included Headquarters Department of the Army G-4; Forces Command, now part of Western Hemisphere Command; Training and Doctrine Command, now T2COM; U.S. Army Europe and Africa; U.S. Army Pacific; Army National Guard; U.S. Army Reserves Command; U.S. Army Cadet Command; Army Sustainment Command, Program Executive Office Soldier; and the Office of the Chief Information Officer.
No group played a more important role in SEAM than Soldiers. Their critical insight and feedback literally shaped how the system looks and works.
“The goal here was to put the power in Soldiers’ hands,” Charczenko said.
In May 2025, Lt. Gen. Heidi J. Hoyle, then-deputy chief of staff, G-4, issued a memo announcing the initial implementation of SEAM as the Army’s new system of record for OCIE.
As SEAM expands in capability and reach, officials expect it will revolutionize tasks for warehouses, issuing facilities and elsewhere. The system is absorbing the capabilities of the Standard Management Asset Readiness Tool, Mobility Inventory Control and Accountability System, Automated Personal Clothing Request system and the systems for ordering heraldry and veterans’ medals.
“As we continue to implement enhancements and integrate new systems, SEAM will become an even better system for the mission,” Michael Santos, SEAM IT project manager, TACOM CIO/G6, said.
Looking ahead
SEAM isn’t just a software upgrade. It represents a foundational shift in how the Army supports and equips the entire fighting force.
By uniting all facets of OCIE management into one data-centric system, SEAM will enable warfighters to operate quickly and with greater precision. That directly translates to increased lethality and readiness — core priorities of U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
In a rapidly shifting global landscape, SEAM underscores the Army’s broader push toward a more modern, digitally focused sustainment system. It enhances readiness and operational effectiveness at speed and scale, promising a future where equipping is faster, easier and more dependable, from the strategic level all the way to the tactical edge.
By Ann Zaniewski and Tyeeshia West
