PEO EIS - FCW.com

Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
2008 Guidebook and Contract Guide
TRANSITION TO THE FUTURE
Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
A Letter of Welcome
The U.S. Army Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) is pleased to
feature some of its programs in this special supplement. PEO EIS oversees more than 120 programs and
is responsible for executing approximately 40 percent of the Army’s information technology (IT) budget.
From integrated enterprise business systems to cutting edge infrastructure solutions, the core mission of
PEO EIS is to provide capabilities to our soldiers in the field quickly and cost effectively.
The Army is in the midst of a technological transformation and PEO EIS programs contribute significantly to this
effort. A portfolio of large-scale IT projects and programs is designed to enable common business processes and deliver next-generation capabilities for the Army. To accomplish this mission, the Army, government civilians and industry partners work
together to deliver projects on time and within budget, to manage change and develop strategies for handling technology transitions.
PEO EIS is well-known as a systems acquisition, development and integration center of excellence. Dedicated to
supporting the war fighter by delivering new and improved capabilities, PEO EIS touches nearly all soldiers and civilians,
thereby to success in the global war on terror.
Sincerely,
Gary L. Winkler
Program Executive Officer, Enterprise Information Systems
ARMY PEO EIS CONTRACT NEWS
T
he Army Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information
Systems (PEO EIS) is transitioning to the future in a
number of ways. One is a change in focus for the former
Army Small Computer Program, which is now Project Director,
Computing, Hardware and Enterprise Software Solutions (PD
CHESS). Another is a recent contract award for program management services. In March, the US Army Contracting AgencyITEC4 awarded five contracts toward the Program Management
Support Services II (PMSS2). This multiple-award ID/IQ will
have a ceiling value of more than $478 million over five years.
PEO EIS has three contracts in the works and recently
released two Requests for Information (RFIs), including:
1) Information Technology Services - Small Business
(ITS-SB), which will provide a vehicle for IT services not
otherwise defined in other ASCP (CHESS) contract vehicles.
Proposed ITS-SB task areas include Electronic Product
Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), Independent
Verification & Validation (IV&V), Internet Protocol Version
6 (IPv6), Information Assurance (IA), and warranty and
maintenance. Proposed contract terms include a two-year
base with three additional one-year options. A solicitation is
expected in late May, with awards planned for September.
2) Passive Radio Frequency Identification (pRFID) will
consist of multiple award, Indefinite-Delivery-Indefinite-Quantity
(IDIQ) contracts to provide Passive RFID Electronic Product Code
(EPC) Class 1, Gen 2, (and when available Class 2, Gen 2) hardware, software, documentation and incidental services. Incidental
services include training, warranty and maintenance services, and
technical engineering services (TES). Delivery, installation, documentation and services will be required at continental United States
(CONUS) and outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS) government locations. The contracts are expected to have a three-year
base period for ordering and an additional three-year maintenance
period. The anticipated award date for pRFID is May 2008.
3) Active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) will con-
sist of multiple award, IDIQ contracts providing interoperable
ISO/IEC 18000-7:2008 compliant active RFID (aRFID) hardware and software, as well as documentation and incidental
services, including training, warranty and maintenance, and
technical engineering services (TES). The aRFID contracts are
anticipated to have a three-year base period with two, one-year
options. The aRFID contracts are also expected to offer a maintenance period. The anticipated award date is Jan. 2009.
4) An Army Records Management System (RMS) RFI was
released to ITES2S vendors and the IT E-Mart in February, to
identify potentially qualified sources to provide COTS software,
subscription/software licenses, technical and implementation services to support an Army Records Management System (RMS).
The RMS would serve as a single, standard system to support the
collection, storage, retrieval, and preservation of official records.
5) An Area Processing Centers (APC) RFI was also posted
in February to conduct market research into leveraging industry
best practices and available technologies to accomplish three of
the Army’s primary enterprise IT goals: improving the delivery
of IT services; increasing information and network security; and
reducing IT costs. The Army is required to provide common IT
voice, video and data services to its user base of approximately
1.3 million users distributed across six regions (PACOM,
EUCOM, SOUTHCOM, NORTHCOM, CENTCOM, and
AFRICOM) on multiple networks, operating on four security
levels. Industry feedback is vitally important to this RFI, and
may assist in the development of future acquisition strategies.
The two RFIs were issued solely for information and planning
purposes. There is no solicitation nor was a timeline developed
for a potential contract award by press time. The RFIs should
not be considered an invitation for bid, request for quotation,
request for proposal or as an obligation of the government to
acquire any products or services. Any response will be treated
as information only. The government will review all information
submitted to determine next steps. t
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Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
PM DOD BIOMETRICS:
SUPPORTING TODAY’S WARFIGHTER
Developing Tomorrow’s Battlefield Biometric Capabilities
A
s the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) drives an
ever-increasing demand for effective identification
technology, biometric systems are being used to
deliver these capabilities to the battlefield.
Biometric data includes measurable physical or
behavioral characteristics used to uniquely identify an
individual, such as handwritten signatures, iris scans,
fingerprints, facial recognition, voice recognition, thermal
signatures and DNA samples. The value of biometric
systems lies in their ability to reliably and consistently
identify an individual – thereby denying
a terrorist or enemy the power of
anonymity.
To date, more than 16,000 individuals
have been placed on the Department of
Defense (DoD) Biometrics Watchlist
(a list of identities of interest to the
Department), including more than 1,800
high value targets; more than 1,600
insurgents have been placed on ‘security
hold’ – significant milestones in force
protection.
BAT in-field
Urgent warfighter needs gave rise to
a number of pilot programs, Advanced Concept Technology
Demonstrations (ACTDs) and Rapid Equipping Force (REF)
projects, which have proven their value in supporting the
Army’s ability to capture, transmit, store, share, retrieve,
exploit and display biometric and
related information from multiple targets.
The DoD collects, references and analyzes biometric data
for timely individual identification or verification in support
of mission goals such as force protection, intelligence,
logical/physical access control, identity management,
credentialing and interdiction.
In order to strengthen and improve DoD biometric
capabilities and promote interoperability across biometric
systems, DoD selected the Army’s Project Manager DoD
Biometrics, under PEO EIS, to serve as the focal point for
developing materiel solutions for biometrics. PM DoD
Biometrics’ mission is dual: to support today’s warfighter
by improving and enhancing current biometric systems; and
to develop future enterprise biometric systems that will meet
emerging warfighter needs.
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Current Biometric Initiatives
PM DoD Biometrics currently supports several biometric
collection and processing systems, including the Biometrics
Automated Toolset (BAT), which is the most widely
proliferated system, deployed worldwide. As of February
2008, DoD personnel had enrolled more than one million
persons of interest using BAT systems. BAT is a multi-modal
system that collects and compares fingerprints, iris images
and facial photographs, along with biographic and contextual
information. BAT supports a wide range of tactical,
operational, and strategic military
operations, such as interrogations,
combatant/detainee enrollment and
management, local hire screening,
population management, checkpoint
maintenance and base access control.
The Biometric Identification System
for Access (BISA) is a force protection
initiative that collects multi-modal
(fingerprint, facial and iris) biometric
information and biographical
information to produce a smartcard
or PIN badge to control local and
third-country nationals, coalition forces and a limited number
of U.S. citizens accessing U.S.-controlled facilities in Iraq.
BISA is self-contained – it includes all biometric enrollment,
conversion and storage, transmission, badge production and
verification devices. When a BISA badge holder requests
entrance to a controlled facility, the individual is verified
through a match between a live scan of the person’s
fingerprint with the fingerprint stored on the smartcard.
Based in Fort Belvoir, Va., PM DoD Biometrics has
program staff in West Virginia and Ft. Huachuca, as well
as a forward organization in Iraq and a biometric cell in
Afghanistan to help support warfighters in deploying,
maintaining and operating these systems.
Battlefield experience with biometric systems has already
impelled one major system advance – the redesign and
upgrade of the prototype Automated Biometric Information
System (ABIS). This system is the authoritative DoD database
for biometric data collected from detainees, enemy combatants
and other persons of interest. Over a year ago, PM DoD
Biometrics awarded a contract for the development of the
Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
Next Generation ABIS (NGA).
The system is being built on a
high-performance blade server
computing platform, using a
service-oriented architecture to
enable ease of scalability and
continuity of operations
(COOP). The system will have
the flexibility to accommodate
future biometric capabilities,
including the storage and
analysis of new biometric
modalities, and multi-modal
biometric fusion (the ability to
analyze multiple biometric
modalities simultaneously).
The system was designed to
meet current and future
battlefield needs to process a
rapidly growing volume of
biometric records with
improved processing and transmission capacity, and will
also be able to accommodate future biometric capabilities
and technologies.
Future Directions in Biometrics
The Army is currently investigating a number of biometric
collection methods, including voice recognition, facial
recognition and palm prints as well as other devices for
possible inclusion in the DoD Biometrics program.
According to Colonel Ted Jennings, Project Manager for
DoD Biometrics, collection devices must be flexible enough
to support varying communications methods and protocols
and able to support multiple biometric modes, biographic
information and contextual information. The collection
systems will provide near-real-time matching to include
matching against current watch lists, as well as submitting
Biometric Service Requests for matching from theater and
authoritative biometric sources. The near-real-time matching
capability assists the joint warfighter in deciding to retain,
capture or release an individual.
Other biometric measures under consideration include
handwriting, gait (walking characteristics) and even vein
pattern recognition. “Biometric modalities of all kinds are
being investigated to serve the needs of joint warfighters
and improve effective identification on the battlefield,”
Jennings explained.
“However,” he continued, “these biometric modalities are
being developed by organizations all over the world, for a
wide range of uses, even outside the military’s jurisdiction.”
For example, iris scanning technology is already being
used for everything from voter identification, to enhancing
Iris Scan
identification of images captured on security cameras, and
even for counting the number of eyes that scan billboard
advertisements.
In the coming year, the PM DoD Biometrics office will
continue working to enhance the NGA as well as the tactical
collection devices. The key, according to Col. Jennings, is
staying in sync with the warfighter’s needs. “We’re continuing to respond to current requirements, as well as work with
the warfighter community on emerging requirements to
help guide our actions moving forward,” said Jennings. For
example, “protecting the biometric and related information
used for identification purposes will likely be one of our
biggest challenges in the future,” he explained.
PM DoD Biometrics will continue to investigate new
biometric technologies that could likely aid the DoD’s
identification processes. Said Jennings, “Part of our job
will continue to be looking ahead, trying to forecast what the
DoD is likely to need, even years from now.”
Developing Enterprise Biometric Capabilities
The DoD’s Biometrics vision is to provide responsive,
accurate and secure biometrics to any location at any time,
protecting the nation through identity dominance. PM DoD
Biometrics is focused on developing enterprise biometric
capabilities that will be interoperable with DoD and other
government systems, and encompass new biometric
technologies. Key features include:
• Multi-modal storage and matching (fingerprint, palm,
iris, face, etc.)
Biometrics continued on page s13
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Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
A CLOSER LOOK AT ARMY’S
GLOBAL COMBAT SUPPORT SYSTEM
Bringing automated logistics closer to reality
T
he Global Combat Support System - Army (GCSSthe current tactical legacy STAMIS with one common logisArmy) combines Army tactical logistics systems with
tics solution driven by a single ‘enterprise-wide’ database.
commercial off the shelf (COTS) Enterprise Resource
The STAMIS will include Standard Army Maintenance
Planning (ERP) software in an Army-led effort to integrate
Systems (SAMS), Standard Army Retail Supply Systems
logistics information and bring various independent supply
(SARSS), Property Book and Unit Supply Enhanced
chain systems technically together.
(PBUSE) and the Unit Level Logistics Systems (ULLS).
Several government regulatory oversight organizations
Over the years, the Army has transformed from a
have mandated the use of commercial ERP solutions, along
division-centric force to a modular brigade-based force,
with the adoption of service-oriented architectures (SOA) to
via Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN). In the new envihelp government ‘reuse’ comronment, logistics automation
mercially available services,
is an operational necessity.
Building the Single Army Logistics Enterprise Many logistics systems currather than building new ones
The Single Army Logistics Enterprise (SALE) is establishing rently in place were created up
from scratch.
its foundation on three primary components, each of
As part of the Army’s strateto 30 years ago by an array of
which will use commercial, web-based ERP software.
gic vision of a Single Army
Army organizations. In many
Components include:
Logistics Enterprise (SALE),
cases, the technology is older
• Modernized battlefield logistics - Global Combat
GCSS-Army is the primary
than the operators now using it.
Support Systems-Army (GCSS-Army);
tactical enabler and combat
The Program Executive
• Modernized national logistics - Logistics
multiplier to achieve the
Office Enterprise Information
Modernization Program (LMP); and
Logistics combat
Systems (PEO EIS) brought
• Enterprise data hub - Product Lifecycle
Support/Combat Service
Army logistics programs
Management Plus (PLM+).
Support (CS/CSS) transformatogether under one umbrella
tion vision. GCSS-Army will
in 2006 to enhance integration
provide the warfighter with a seamless flow of timely, accuand coordination. Once fully implemented, logistics
rate, accessible, actionable and secure information not readily automation will allow the Army to transition from
available today that gives combat forces a decisive edge.
numerous, independent IT systems to a seamless,
GCSS-Army will modernize automated logistics by impleintegrated web-based environment.
menting best business practices to streamline supply operaVia GCSS-Army, commanders and logisticians will be able
tions, maintenance operations, property accountability and
to access, in near real-time, actionable logistics information
logistics management and integrate procedures. GCSS-Army from a common database that will be relied upon to be
will enable the concepts associated with the Modular Army,
complete, accurate and up-to-date. “Once implemented,
including distribution-based logistics, two-level maintenance
GCSS-Army will enable commanders to know what
activities, Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) and other
equipment is ready, what is being transported, and what’s in
dynamic capabilities considered crucial to transforming Army need of maintenance. That way, when a battle plan calls for
logistics.
40 tanks to be deployed in a specific region, commanders
Existing Army Logistics Standard Army Management
will be able to see that 36 are ready to roll, and can make
Information Systems (STAMIS) focuses mainly on vertical
situational adjustments as needed. This real-time capability
information flows within a stovepiped infrastructure. There
will aid Army field operations and will allow logistics to
is no single system capable of retrieving all information from keep pace with mission goals,” said Col. Wilson.
these multiple data storage sites to anticipate force projection
Since December 2007, an operational assessment has been
support requirements, or identify the location of available
under way at the Army National Training Center. “GCSSassets. Colonel Jeffrey Wilson, Project Manager, GCSSArmy Segment 1 is up and running. Users can see it, touch it,
Army, explains that when fielded, GCSS-Army will replace
and one of the biggest measures of success so far is that the
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Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
Aligning Vision with Leadership
Several organizations are committed to implementing the
Army’s logistics enterprise vision, including:
• Army Materiel Command (AMC) and Combined Arms
Support Command (CASCOM), which define SALE
requirements and training;
• The Deputy for Army Logistics Enterprise Integration
(DALEI) allows for the functional integration and synchronization of business processes, schedules, development and implementation of end-to-end architectures;
• The Army G4 is the logistics portfolio manager;
• PEO EIS is the materiel developer of the SALE,
creating solutions that meet mission requirements
and deliver the programs in accordance with
DoD 5000.
Warrant Officer Danny Keaster, one of the early users of GCSS-Army,
unloads bins at the National Training Center.
new system has caused no interruption to the operations of
the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment (11th ACR) currently
supported,” said LTC Cary Ferguson, assistant project manger
for GCSS-Army.
Segment 1 of GCSS-Army provides the 11th ACR and its
higher level materiel managers with all tiers of tactical supply
functionality. Segment 1 also introduces new functions,
including the ability to analyze and adjust each supply item’s
‘fill rate’ by individual material numbers (NIINs), the capability to manage excess stock and the addition of automated
tools that enable more efficient and proactive management of
daily Army warehouse activities.
“The first segment of GCSS-Army has a more modern
look, taken from commercial environments, which makes it
easier for younger soldiers to absorb,” LTC Ferguson
explained. “It has taken time and effort to bridge some of the
terminology and process differences along the way,” he
explained, “but it has been important to put Army logisticians
on the same lexicon as commercial logisticians, to enable
easier training.”
Other related systems, such as maintenance, which ‘feed’
into the supply system are still in the planning stage of
implementation. To date, the 11th ACR soldiers using
GCSS-Army have given the system a resounding thumbs-up.
Soldiers love that many routine activities, such as daily
close-outs and backups, are no longer necessary. Specialist
Tara Jaime, stock control clerk, 11 ACR, reported that while
daily shut down and backup operations previously took nearly
two hours to complete, those same operations are now
automated and completed in the background, saving time
and enabling her to focus on more important tasks. “We can
now look into open transactions to respond to requests before
there are any issues,” she explained. “GCSS-Army enables us
to be more proactive, able to research supply as needed to
respond far more quickly than before,” she added.
Soldiers also appreciate having access to improved warehouse management functionality, including bin-to-bin moves,
warehouse activity monitor and the stock look-up capabilities. The system is also proving to be less difficult to operate
than many feared.
In segment two, due to start its operational assessment in
2009, the Army will replace older maintenance and property
accounting systems and combine with the GCSS supply system on a single platform, using a single, unified database.
Officials stressed the Army won’t be customizing SAP’s ERP
software in its implementation. The operational assessments
allow GCSS-Army staff to exercise the pieces before putting
GCSS-Army, continued on page s8
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Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
GCSS-Army, continued from page s7
Upgrading Logistics at the National Level
The Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) is a
comprehensive business solution that leverages
industry technology and integration methods to realize
logistics and financial improvements throughout the
Army’s supply chain. LMP is a new way of doing
logistics business for the Army. It’s replacing 30-year-old
legacy systems with fully integrated, technologically
superior functions that allow the Army to support the
warfighter more quickly and cost effectively. When
fully deployed and operational, LMP will support all
aspects of the Army’s national level logistics
Currently, LMP is deployed to over 4,000 users in 14
locations. Upon full deployment, LMP will be deployed
worldwide in more than 1,000 locations with
approximately 17,000 users. LMP is an important
component of the Army’s full scale logistics
transformation effort, the Single Army Logistics
Enterprise (SALE).
the enterprise software environment out in the field for all
Army users. The intention is to assess a small portion of
functionality, learn from it and refine it until the full solution
is ready for an Army-wide fielding. “It’s critical to reduce
risks associated with implementing each segment of the
GCSS-Army solution, since this new platform will directly
impact every unit’s ability to view its readiness posture,”
said Col. Wilson.
Industry observers maintain that the public sector
enterprise of the future will live entirely on the Web, as
government organizations of all kinds learn to worry less
about protecting jobs and/or aging processes and gain
confidence in the reliability and accessibility of web-enabled
solutions. “Instead of doing things the Army way, we’re
working to get the Army to use COTS software and webbased technologies to help modernize processes and deliver
a whole new approach to logistics for the warfighter,” said
Col. Wilson.
Supported by its fully integrated logistics database,
near real-time visibility and ready access to actionable
information, the GCSS-Army solution is expected to help
drive a transformation in Army logistic processes. t
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Specialist Omar DeLeon uses a hand held terminal to process a receipt.
Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
PENTAGON RENOVATION
ACCELERATES WITH IP ADVANCES
T
he Pentagon renovation program, especially the
$1.3 billion Information Technology (IT) portion,
is keeping pace with the ever-accelerating rate of
technological change, bringing new hardware, software and
telecommunications components to the refurbished site and
delivering unparalleled capabilities to Pentagon tenants.
Driving the technological transformation is a team made up
of commercial IT suppliers, the Department of Defense and
Army. The Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information
Systems (PEO EIS) Information Technology Systems (ITS)
Project Office also continues to apply forward-thinking
solutions in the renovation effort.
Under the leadership of ITS Director Hari Bezwada, the
Pentagon’s 25,000 tenants are being equipped with IT assets
designed to optimize cost and performance, while taking into
account the limited space available and ongoing construction
schedule. Highlights of the team’s efforts include:
• Opening the Pentagon Cable Information Network
(PCIN) facility;
• Implementing Voice over Secure IP (VoSIP) capabilities;
• Completing a full wedge of tenant moves in one year.
The PCIN facility was developed to collect and distribute
satellite and over-the-air digital video content to users at the
Pentagon, as well as laying the groundwork for IP-based
video distribution. As with all other aspects of IT
modernization at the Pentagon, the new technology
infrastructure will transform tenants’ use of technology,
delivering easy access to information with unprecedented
speed and flexibility.
The VoSIP capabilities implemented at the Pentagon
are delivered over a Defense Red Switch Network (DRSN)compatible, IP-based system. The capabilities enable secure,
joint-interoperable voice communications from the tactical
community to the Pentagon. Along with the implementation
of standard VoIP systems throughout the Pentagon, these
efforts underscore the ongoing convergence of voice, data
and video services on IP-based networks.
Moving one-fifth of the Pentagon in one year
is a remarkable achievement. The 2007 moves
included the most senior Office of the Secretary
of Defense tenants in the Pentagon, including the
Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, the
Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, the Secretary of the Air Force and the
Air Force Chief of Staff. All voice, data network
and audio-visual/briefing display systems were
completed on schedule and within budget.
The ITS Project Office’s implementation of
performance-based incentive awards and effective
governance models has set new benchmarks
for quality and customer satisfaction. Using
integrated product teams (IPTs) and other
innovative business practices with industry
partners have been key to the program’s success.
Since the original Pentagon’s construction in
1943, through the renovation efforts that began
in the mid-1990s, technological implementations
at the site were completed in piecemeal fashion. Individual
military services and various agencies installed solutions to
meet each organization’s specific needs. Today’s Pentagon
renovation effort is addressing inconsistencies as it deploys
integrated and streamlined solutions that leverage hardware,
software and telecommunications advances.
The ITS Project Office recognizes the efforts of industry
partners who contribute greatly to the success of this ongoing
project. The combined efforts of the team have helped to
transform the Pentagon’s technological infrastructure, which
has a direct bearing on tenants’ ability to meet national
security objectives. t
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Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
MC4 LEVERAGES TECHNOLOGY TO
IMPROVE PATIENT CARE
Treating a soldier in the field using MC4 technologies
B
y arming medics, doctors and nurses with laptops
and handheld devices, patient recording software
and medical logistics capabilities, Medical
Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) is
paving the way for improved patient care in the combat
zone via access to medical information and user-driven
‘best practices’ on the battlefield.
To date, MC4 has fielded more than 22,000 systems and
trained more than 24,000 deployed healthcare professionals
throughout Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Qatar, Europe and
South Korea, leading to the capture of more than 4.5 million
electronic health records on the battlefield. Globally, the
MC4 system is used to digitally capture medical records in
the combat zone, and aid combat commanders by providing a
full picture of medical assets and situations.
MC4 was created to integrate, field and support a medical
information management system for Army tactical medical
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forces, creating a comprehensive, lifelong electronic
medical record for service members, and enhancing medical
situational awareness for operational commanders.
Headquartered at Fort Detrick, Md., MC4 is under the
oversight of Army PEO EIS at Fort Belvoir, Va.
Expansion efforts in the last year will impact soldiers
for years to come. “By using MC4, electronic patient records
are captured in the central DoD clinical data repository
facilitating access for all healthcare providers,” said Major
General Charles Green, Deputy Surgeon General, U.S.
Air Force.
“This includes any follow-on care at a VA facility, resulting
in better healthcare for our wounded warriors,” he continued.
“Commanders are assured their service men and women are
provided documented, consistent, high quality care anywhere
they are treated.”
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By providing MC4 to the Air Force, medical personnel
working in joint medical environments can exploit
already-established training and in-theater support. This
successful endeavor has secured the implementation of
MC4 in 12 more Air Force facilities in Southwest Asia
(SWA) in 2008.
MC4’s use in 2007 also spread throughout Europe,
reaching Italy and Romania-based Army units, as well as
providing the 8th Army with systems in South Korea.
Also in 2007, MC4 led two upgrade efforts to provide
users with an improved inpatient medical recording system
and a new medical logistics management application.
The improved inpatient system allows deployed medical
providers to send inpatient healthcare information to a
central data repository in the U.S., where it can be viewed
from anywhere in the world. The upgrade closed a gap in the
medical recording process where previously only outpatient
medical records were transferable.
MC4 also fielded the new MEDLOG system to help
medical logisticians manage and maintain their supplies on
the battlefront to provide improved usability, security and a
more centralized approach to ordering medical supplies.
As a result, MC4 has inspired an operational transformation,
by providing in-person operational guidance to units to help
them learn how to use the system to their advantage. The
formation of MC4 Best Business Practices has helped Task
Forces 61 and 146 stationed in Iraq, where they implemented
MC4 Best Business Practices and prepared standard operating
procedures for incoming units. This effort created a new
standard for all units documenting patient care using MC4,
and improved the quality of data recorded, resulting in
improved healthcare for patients in that region. t
Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
EBEM ENHANCES
NET CENTRIC WARFARE
T
he Enhanced Bandwidth Efficient Modem (EBEM)
for military satellite communications (SATCOM)
rollout is currently underway, with more than 2,300
EBEMs to be fielded by the end of 2008 under a joint
Army-Navy program to replace legacy modems.
EBEM makes better use of SATCOM resources, in terms
of power and bandwidth, and its advanced capabilities will
enable Net Centric warfare, according to project leader
Johnny Ng with Defense Communications and Army
Transmission Systems (DCATS), Satellite Communications
Systems (PD SCS). “EBEM is [Defense Satellite
Communications System] DSCS-certified, which means
a lot to users. It gives them confidence that the modem is
interoperable with existing military satellite equipment and
won’t degrade the overall system performance,” Ng said.
PM DCATS is fielding a strategic version of the EBEM
for Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS),
DoD teleport and Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)
system sites, and a tactical version for Navy shore-based
sites and ships.
EBEM will increase performance, transmitting at rates
up to 155 Mbps, as compared to 20 Mbps rate for the
OM-73 modem it’s replacing. Also, the EBEM’s price tag
is significantly lower than the price for an OM-73.
But what really sets EBEM apart, according to Ng, is
EBEM’s advanced modulation and coding capabilities, which
enables the modem to optimize satellite bandwidth resources.
Soldiers in SOUTHCOM Joint Ops Intel
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This capability “will allow users to squeeze more data into
the same bandwidth, more traffic into each trunk,” said Ng.
“EBEM is more advanced and more reliable (with a mean
time between failure of at least 30,000 hours) than other
Soldiers using CSS VSAT
modems,” said Jay Hicks, chief of PM DCATS’ technical
management division. “It makes better use of SATCOM
resources, in terms of power and bandwidth, and its advanced
capabilities will allow Net Centric warfare.”
One advanced feature of EBEM, Information Throughput
Adaptation (ITA), allows EBEM to mitigate atmospheric
interference by automatically adjusting
modulation and code rates, to preserve
transmission power. “If there is rain or
atmospheric interference, the EBEM is
smart enough to step down coding and
add more check bits, and if that doesn’t
improve performance, it will step down
the modulation to achieve desired
performance,” Ng explained.
Also in the works, Ng added, is an
enhancement called the Ethernet Service
Expansion Module (ESEM), which plugs
into the EBEM’s rear expansion module
slot to provide an Ethernet interface to
routers and support IP quality of service.
This will enhance Net Centric warfare,
allowing the modem to open and close
trunks without dropping packets and bits
Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
and support Ethernet-based networks such as
IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4), IPv6
(Internet Protocol Version 6), Multi-Protocol
Label Switching (MPLS) and non-IP data flows.
Officials expect the ESEM to be incorporated into
production models of EBEM by September.
EBEM also has its own National Security
Agency (NSA)-approved internal encryption
capability, and complies with Federal Information
Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 Level 2
certification for secure encryption.
The tactical version of EBEM differs from the
strategic version in that it can withstand shock and
vibration, thanks to stiffeners added to the box, and
also includes an antenna handover switching
feature. The tactical version is currently being used
by the Navy, for both shore-based and ship-based
applications, “but it could be used by the Army or
Marines in Humvees on the battlefield and in other
tactical applications,” said Ng. t
A soldier troubleshoots Matrix Switch
Biometrics continued from page s5
• Service-oriented architecture
• Management portal
• Watchlist capability
• Formalized 24x7 help desk
• Enterprise latent examination approach
• Continuity of operations (COOP)
• Interoperability with FBI and DHS systems
• Integration with the National Ground Intelligence Center
(NGIC) Biometric Intelligence Repository (BIR)
PM DoD Biometrics’ system-of-systems approach uses a
mix of existing capabilities and new systems to achieve
identity dominance, identity management and identity
protection. The enterprise system will support core
functional areas of the DoD Biometrics Process, including
Collect, Match/Store, Reference/Analyze, Share and Act.
These functions provide the ability to establish a
biometric-based identity to meet DoD mission needs in
operations and daily processes.
The DoD’s biometrics enterprise system-of-systems will
likely be capable of multi-modal storage and matching of a
variety of human characteristics from fingerprints, to palm
prints, iris scans and even facial features. The system will
use a service-oriented architecture to provide end-to-end
To date, more than 16,000 individuals have
been placed on the Department of Defense
Biometrics Watchlist (a list of identities of
interest to the Department), including more
than 1,800 high value targets; more than 1,600
insurgents have been placed on ‘security hold’
– significant milestones in force protection.
feedback and integration with external links to other systems.
It will also enhance interoperability with external biometric
collection and intelligence systems, including the FBI’s
Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System
(IAFIS) and the Department of Homeland Security’s
Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT). t
s13
Custom Supplement to Federal Computer Week
NEW COMMAND CENTER
SUPPORTS AFRICAN CONTINENT
A
year ago, President Bush
directed the U.S. military to
establish a new combatant
command (COCOM), in Africa
to promote U.S. national
security objectives by
working with African
nations and regional
organizations to
strengthen the region’s
stability.
Recognizing the
strategic and economic
importance of Africa, the
U.S. Africa Command
(AFRICOM) will focus on
building the capacity of the U.S.’s
African partners to reduce conflict,
improve security, defeat terrorists and support
crisis response. AFRICOM’s area of responsibility (AOR)
will include all African nations except Egypt, plus the
islands surrounding Africa – an area including about 35
percent of the world’s land mass and 25 percent of its
population.
AOR was previously divided among three combatant
commands, including the U.S. European Command
(EUCOM), the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and
the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) – a division that
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told the Senate Armed
Services Committee was, “an outdated arrangement left
over from the Cold War.”
Rear Adm. Robert Moeller, head of the AFRICOM
transition team, said AFRICOM will establish full operational
capability (FOC) at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany by
October, 2008. Assisting the AFRICOM transition team in
capturing its requirements for command center information
systems at Kelley Barracks is the Theater Systems Integration
Office-Europe (TSIO-E), part of the Project Manager,
Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems’
(PM DCATS) Command Center Upgrades/Special Projects
Office (CCU/SPO).
TSIO-E is working with the AFRICOM transition team
to help them through the steps toward achieving their own
s14
command center information system capability. TSIO-E is
helping AFRICOM staffers define and structure requirements
for both the near-term, as well as future growth opportunities.
Much of the requirements analysis, including mission
refinement and extrapolation of sub-elements, is being
completed by TSIO-E. t