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MCTSSA Personnel Help Strengthen Acquisition Workforce

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.—On a rather secluded and undeveloped piece of southern California coastline lies a succession of nondescript buildings that seem unremarkable to the naked eye. Yet, inside these structures, sophisticated laboratories are housed with highly skilled engineers and technical experts testing the very limits of battlefield communications, and they need to train their replacements.

Building the future acquisition workforce is an important initiative within the Department of the Navy, which is why Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity personnel provided technical demonstrations and briefings to approximately 80 Naval Acquisition Development Program entry-level employees from across the country Feb. 26, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.


Ric Gay (left), Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity satellite communications laboratory engineer, recently discussed satellite communications and operations with Naval Acquisition Development Program entry-level employees during a tour of the command Feb. 26, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

The NADP is a two- to three-year development program that recruits and trains future acquisition workforce members. New employees receive detailed training in contracting, finance, cost estimating, engineering, facilities engineering, IT, logistics, program management, and test and evaluation.

“NADP helps new employees in various career fields become future acquisition leaders for the Department of the Navy,” said Shelly Best, Naval Acquisition Career Center NADP career manager.

There are currently around 1,000 NADP participants across the continental United States, Hawaii and Guam.

“MCTSSA has been a beneficiary of this program for 15 years, and several of our co-workers are current or former NADP participants,” said David Yergensen, MCTSSA senior principal engineer.

During the most recent hiring season, NACC received 34,000 applicants. Among those, 15,000 were highly qualified for only 600 positions.

“It is our goal to introduce these new acquisition professionals to the Sailors and Marines at various activities and give them a chance to ‘see and touch’ some of the hardware used by the warfighter and acquired through their acquisition efforts,” said Ron Fevola, NACC career management division head.

Command customers heavily rely on NADP to assist with the replenishment and development of their future acquisition workforce members, said Fevola.

“Our goal is to hire the best of the best,” he said.

NADP is a great source for entry-level technical talent, said Yergensen.

“These are highly motivated and enthusiastic employees typically in their first professional position,” he said “Getting good employees into the government early increases the probability that they will stay with the government, even if they move on to other agencies.”

The one-day event at MCTSSA highlighted current technical objectives involved in supporting the command, control, computer and communications—or C4—systems used by expeditionary warfighters.

“I appreciate everyone’s patience and the knowledge they shared with not only me, but the whole NADP team,” said Christina Berenato, Naval Sea Systems Command NADP participant. “Exploring behind the scenes, and witnessing the hard work and dedication put into keeping our nation safe was extraordinary, truly a day I will never forget.”


U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Caleb Wu (left), Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity naval systems integration officer, speaks to Naval Acquisition Development Program entry-level employees during a tour of the command’s Landing Force Operations Center laboratory environment Feb. 26, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

Whether learning about combat operations centers, satellite communications, Networking On-the-Move, cybersecurity, networks, radars or amphibious vehicles, the participants saw a large breadth of systems and how they relate to warfighter support.

“MCTSSA is a great place to start a technical career in the Department of Defense,” said Yergensen. “We have a majority of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force C4 systems integrated into a realistic test environment.”

NADP employees at MCTSSA get to work with a variety of systems at multiple stages in the acquisition life cycle and perform hands-on experiments, trade studies, test and engineering assessments, installation, configuration and troubleshooting in a lab environment, said Yergensen.

“We also get them into field support to experience the operational environment firsthand,” he said. “Our NADP employees get to work closely with active-duty Marines, which helps them understand who and how the systems are used. This would be hard to find in any other C4 organization.”

Many of the NADP tour participants appreciated learning about the development of C4 equipment.

“It was interesting to see the advancement in technology benefitting COC operations and their forward-deployed elements as they maneuver through the battlespace,” said Jason Fraker, Naval Facilities Engineering Command NADP participant.

Berenato echoed similar sentiments.

“I learned about Networking On-the-Move,” she said. “It is reassuring to know the new technology no longer geographically tethers commanders to the COC.”

From viewing improvements in technology to getting a better understanding of the big picture as it relates to the acquisition workforce, participants walked away more prepared to support the warfighter.

“Any command could benefit from learning about both the research done at MCTSSA and the manner in which MCTSSA operates with precision,” said Brooke Didier, Naval Sea Systems Command NADP participant. “MCTSSA is a leading force for military research and development, and quite frankly, as an entity of the Marine Corps, MCTSSA runs like a well-oiled machine.”


Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity hosted 80 Naval Acquisition Development Program entry-level-employees during a tour of the command Feb. 26, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

Tucked away at this inconspicuous beachside facility, MCTSSA has over 40,000 square feet of engineering and lab spaces operated by Marines and technical experts with the sole purpose of making Marines more capable. The future acquisition workforce that bared witness was impressed.

“I appreciate all the hard work MCTSSA does to excel at their jobs and to showcase their spaces to the interns who will be assisting future missions,” said Yvette Tsui, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command NADP participant. “Thank you.”

MCTSSA, an elite, full-scale laboratory facility operated by the Marine Corps, is a subordinate command of Marine Corps Systems Command. MCTSSA provides test and evaluation, engineering and deployed technical support for Marine Corps and joint service command, control, computer, communications and intelligence systems throughout all acquisition life-cycle phases.

By Sky M. Laron, Public Affairs Officer, MCTSSA

MCTSSA Briefs Industry Leaders During Partnership Event

Friday, February 22nd, 2019

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.— Marines, engineers and technical experts from Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity hosted nearly 200 business leaders from across the country during an Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry Feb. 6, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.


Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity hosted nearly 200 business leaders during an Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry Feb. 6 aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. (Photo Illustration courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps)

The one-day event highlighted current technical objectives and associated challenges involved in supporting the command, control, communications and computers—or C4—systems used by expeditionary warfighters.

“The mutually beneficial partnership between private industry and the United States Marine Corps is our competitive advantage,” said Col. Robert Bailey, MCTSSA commanding officer. “Our talented business partners will be the ones creating the next generation of C4 systems, which must integrate seamlessly with the Marines operating at the tactical edge of the network.”

Specific areas discussed were, cybersecurity testing, wireless technology, advanced manufacturing, cloud computing, naval systems integration, automated testing, systems engineering, system and system of systems testing, data link analysis, tactical networking, and United States Marine Corps Operating Forces technical support.


Industry partners gathered with MCTSSA subject matter experts during an Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry Feb. 6 aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

“MCTSSA is doing some exceptional 21st century work for our Marine Corps,” said APBI participant and marketing director Greg Goodman. “This was a superb event.”

Other participants sought to gain knowledge of the technologies and processes that are important to the United States Marine Corps.

“MCTSSA and industry are trying to solve the same problems, there is a significant opportunity for cooperation if a business model can be worked out,” said James Valentine, a business development director.


Col. Robert Bailey (left), MCTSSA commanding officer, spoke with business leaders during an Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry Feb. 6 aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

Technical briefs were conducted at various locations throughout the MCTSSA compound and put the command’s subject experts in direct contact with their business counterparts.

“I’ve been able to learn more about command requirements and how Hewlett Packard Enterprise can assist,” said Ray McCrea, an account manager and APBI participant. “By starting that dialogue and meeting these contacts, I’ve accomplished my goal here today.”

Hearing directly from requirements officers was beneficial to many of the industry participants.

“Partnerships are vital in creating win-win relationships,” said APBI participant Wil Granados. “I am extremely supportive of these type of events and would like to see more in the future.”


Buck Connally (right), a MCTSSA subject matter expert, briefs industry leaders on joint interoperability of tactical command and control systems during an Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry Feb. 6 aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

MCTSSA leadership echoed similar sentiments.

“Cultivating and enhancing our relationship with industry will become even more essential as our nation faces new and evolving threats from a strategic and asymmetric adversary,” said Bailey. “We must make Marines more capable, enabling combatant commanders’ real-time command and control superiority and this industry event helps us strive to do just that.”

Business leaders taking part in the event equally expressed the importance of the day.

“These are valuable interchanges for industry,” said Valentine. “It ties industry into the Marine user through MCTSSA and will help steer our investment.”

MCTSSA, an elite, full-scale laboratory facility operated by the Marine Corps, is a subordinate command of Marine Corps Systems Command. MCTSSA provides test and evaluation, engineering, and deployed technical support for Marine Corps and joint service command, control, computer, communications and intelligence systems throughout all acquisition life-cycle phases.

Story and Photos By Sky M. Laron, Public Affairs Officer, MCTSSA

MCTSSA Marines Conduct Combat Skills Training

Sunday, January 28th, 2018

By Sky M. Laron, Public Affairs Officer,
Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.—U.S. Marines with Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity sharpened their combat skills at multiple training locations across Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Jan. 19.
“Every Marine is, first and foremost, a rifleman. All other conditions are secondary.” This adage from Gen. Alfred M. Gray, 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, has come to embody the fighting spirit of the Marine Corps.

“No matter what our occupational specialty is, we are all Marines—we are all warriors,” said Capt. Joshua Lum, MCTSSA Operating Forces Support Group operations officer and training event safety officer.

Lum, an infantry officer by trade, said the primary focus of this training was developing Marines’ mental and physical toughness, which was echoed by fellow event leaders.

“Every Marine at MCTSSA has a duty to the Marine to the left and the right of them, and the basic combat skills that we performed during our event will keep Marines in an always-ready mentality,” said Sgt. Megan Birge, MCTSSA Network Operations Center Telecommunications and Data Systems administrator and training exercise officer-in-charge. “This mentality will ensure Marines are constantly ready for the fight.”

Many of the Marines who fill the ranks at MCTSSA work on satellite antennas, radars, radios and computer systems enabling the technical support required by the operating forces. Yet, these skills are only part of what makes them effective in any battlespace.

Several dozen MCTSSA buddy teams negotiated through five stations that not only tested their physical and mental toughness, but required them to use land navigation, combat lifesaver, radio configuration and combat reporting, aquatic endurance and hand-to-hand combat tactics.

“Marines at MCTSSA are from technical backgrounds or non-combat backgrounds; we had participation from ranks of Private First Class all the way to the Sergeant Major and the XO,” said Birge. “It just goes to show that no matter the [military occupational specialty] or rank, training like this is important and needs to be done across all types of units in the Marine Corps.”
With all the technology and advancements at Marines’ disposal, it is also important to remember the basics, said Birge.

“Overall this was good training,” said Sgt. Spencer Trawick, MCTSSA Network Operations Center network administrator. “In combat, you are going to be doing much more than just your job.”
Trawick, who was raised in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana, added that he was used to hiking and land navigation because he did that type of thing growing up. It was getting his hands on the radios and refreshing his combat lifesaver skills that he found most beneficial, he said.

“Taking a break from the job and getting back to the baseline of what I signed up for was great,” said Trawick.

MCTSSA Marines trained on mountain tops and underwater, and traversed dry creek beds and ravines, putting their combat skills to the test. At the end of the day, these technical experts will go back to their laboratories, raydomes and office spaces to perform the vital task of supporting the operating forces, but their own warrior skills will be front of mind.

MCTSSA, the only elite full-scale laboratory facility operated by the Marine Corps, is a subordinate command of Marine Corps Systems Command. MCTSSA provides test and evaluation, engineering, and deployed technical support for Marine Corps and joint service command, control, computer, communications and intelligence systems throughout all acquisition life-cycle phases.

180119-M-RY346-1003

VIRIN: 180119-M-RY346-1003

Sgt. Spencer Trawick, MCTSSA Network Operations Center network administrator, treats a simulated sucking chest wound at the combat lifesaver station during combat skills training Jan. 19, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sky M. Laron)

180119-M-RY346-1002

VIRIN: 180119-M-RY346-1002

Maj. Clayton MacAloney, MCTSSA Transmissions Engineering branch head, performs aquatic-based physical training or “Pool PT” during combat skills training Jan. 19, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sky M. Laron)

180119-M-RY346-1004

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Staff Sgt. Wendel Matney (left), MCTSSA operations chief, lands a pugil stick strike while sparring during combat skills training Jan. 19, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sky M. Laron)

180119-M-RY346-1001

VIRIN: 180119-M-RY346-1001

Sgt. Tekiera Edwards (left), MCTSSA assistant warehouse chief, and Pfc. Anthony Chavez (right), MCTSSA inventory management specialist, negotiate the land navigation course at the School of Infantry–West during combat skills training Jan. 19, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sky M. Laron)