Bruce D. Jette

Bruce Donald Jette
Born Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.
Education
Occupation United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology
Spouse(s) Cathy Jette
Children 3

Bruce Donald Jette is a U.S. Army officer, MIT graduate and entrepreneur who currently serves as the United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology.

Early life and education

During his high school years, Jette joined the Boy Scouts of America.[1] Jette graduated from the United States Military Academy West Point (class of 1976)[2] with a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering. He earned an Master of Science in Materials Science from MIT. His master thesis was titled "Feasibility of electrodeposition of yttrium and barium" and was published in 1991.[3] He also earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Solid-state physics[4] from the MIT.[5]

Career

After graduating from West Point, Jette served as field officer commanding armor and cavalry companies and held staff assignment at higher levels. He spent 2 ½ years of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq[2] and also served in Kuwait.[1]

Between 1998-2001, he was assigned to the so-called Land Warrior program. As program manager, the then-Colonel Jette, phased out the running contract which was over budget and not working and hired new contractors,[6] turning the project around.[7] He reported that the Army had accomplished significant improvements and costs reductions by using off-the-shelf-technology.[8][9]

Jette also participated in meetings of the so-called Strategic Planning Board.[10] and served as Science Advisor to the Army’s Chief of Staff.[1]

Jette served as Director of the U.S. Army Equipping Force between 2001 and 2005.[7] He established and eventually led the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF). In May 2002, together with a small team he invented the so-called "packbots"[11] as a solution for searching enemy caves and hideouts in 28 days, which were successfully deployed in caves in Afghanistan.[2] Half of the units about 40 members were forward deployed, many of them in Iraq. The unit was tasked with finding answers to threats such as IED's, snipers or mortars.[12] REF did manage to find suitable IED jammers,[4] and satisfied more than 50 requests from various Army units.[7] In addition to their defense capabilities, packbots were used to map enemy areas.[13] REF's budget grew to $220 million in the first two years of its existence.[14]

Leaving the military after 28 years of service in 2005,[15][10] Jette founded Synovision Solutions LLC.[16] The company anvised military systems managers and worked with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the U.S. Army, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.[13] He remained a member of the Board on Army Science and Technology.[17] Jette was an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies.[5]

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology

Jette was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, on the recommendation of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, on 5 October 2017 and confirmed by Senate Voice Vote on 20 December of that year.[18][19] On 7 March 2018, Jette first testified before the United States House Committee on Armed Services.[20]

On 12 March 2018, Jette was officially sworn in as ASA (ALT). In this function, he is the senior executive for acquisitions and procurements of the Army and also its senior official for the area of research and development. He also advises the Secretary of the Army on science.[1] In addition, Jette is responsible for all logistic matters in the Army.[15]

In April 2018, he published an article in the Army AL&T Magazine, in which he urged a fundamental cultural change in the Army's acquisition organization more closely aligned with the soldiers as strategic thought and material solutions providers.[21]

Private background

Jette and his wife Cathy have two sons and one daughter, all of which are active or former members of the Army.[2]

Awards

He has received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (3), the Bronze Star or the Meritorious Service Medal (3).[22]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "West Point Grad News". West Point Association of Graduates. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Dr. Bruce D. Jette Nomination Hearing for Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logi stics, and Technology" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  3. ↑ "Feasibility of electrodeposition of yttrium and barium". DSpace. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 "'There was a two-year learning curve . . . and a lot of people died in those two years'". The Washington Post. 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Bruce Jette Biographical Information". Georgetown University. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  6. ↑ "Foot-Soldier Modernization Effort Regaining Credibility". National Defense Industrial Association. 1 May 2001. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 "Rapid-Fielding Team Tasked To Transform Army Acquisition". National Defense Industrial Association. 1 February 2004. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  8. ↑ "'Land Warrior' to change Army future" (PDF). APG News. 30 September 1999. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "The Army Wants a Tank It Can Roll Out of a Plane". The Daily Beast. 29 October 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Many Missteps Tied to Delay in Armor for Troops in Iraq". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  11. ↑ "Making Robots, With Dreams of Henry Ford". The New York Times. 26 December 2002. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  12. ↑ "Future of Army's 'Rapid Equipping Force' Still Uncertain". National Defense Industrial Association. 1 August 2004. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  13. 1 2 Kester, John (6 October 2017). "Trump Nominates Robotics Promoter for Army Procurement Position". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  14. ↑ "Department of the Army Historical Summary" (PDF). United States Army Center of Military History. 2003. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  15. 1 2 "Army officially welcomes new senior acquisition official". United States Army. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  16. ↑ DuBois, Raymond F. (February 2017). Science, Technology, and U.S. National Security Strategy. Washington, D.C.: Center for Strategic and International Studies.
  17. ↑ Effects of the Deletion of Chemical Agent Washout on Operations at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
  18. ↑ "Ryan's latest plan to avert a shutdown roils defense hawks". Politico. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  19. ↑ "PN1080 - Bruce D. Jette - Department of Defense". Congress.gov. 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  20. ↑ "The Honorable Bruce D. Jette Assistant Secretary of the Army" (PDF). United States House of Representatives. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  21. ↑ "From the Army Acquisition Executive: Dr. Bruce D. Jette". United States Army. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  22. ↑ "The Honorable Dr. Bruce D. Jette" (PDF). United States Army. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
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