Command recognizes Senior Civilian of the Quarter

U.S. Joint Forces Command recently recognized a strategy and project manager with one of the command's top civilian honors.

(SUFFOLK, Va., Oct. 13, 2009) -- U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) recently recognized a strategy and project manager from its Joint Capability Development Directorate's (J8) Capability Transition Division (J86) as its Senior Civilian Employee of the Third Quarter 2009.

The recipient of the award, Christopher Boggs, develops transition strategies for USJFCOM-developed material technologies and USJFCOM-sponsored joint capability technology demonstrations (JCTD).

Boggs said his most rewarding USJFCOM experience came when he served from August 2006 to January 2007 as a requirements officer on the first USJFCOM forward support element team in Iraq.

"One would think that my Army background and J8 work would have prepared me for requirements analysis in support of the joint warfighter in theater," Boggs said. "Only after being on the ground for a couple of weeks did I understand how complex transforming needs and shortfalls into solutions and capabilities could be.

"I was very proud to help deliver some quick-turn solutions in some cases, but also shape the capability shortfall definitions in others to more likely deliver a usable solution," he continued. "That perspective stays in the back of my mind every day, whether a solution is a quick-turn capability or long-term concept."

Boggs recently worked as the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration's (CWID) host combatant command oversight plans officer.

"CWID was an excellent opportunity for me to bring together skill sets that I have learned throughout my career: communications and network planning, information assurance, systems engineering and requirements analysis," he said. "It really was a jack-of-all-trades moment, but CWID would not have been successful without the great support that we had from across the command, especially [the Joint Systems Integration Center] JSIC."

Bob Hartling, J86's branch chief for material transition, said Boggs improved the quality of CWID assessment from subjective to objective.

Hartling said Boggs "revamped the CWID trial selection and prioritization process, redefining the Trial Transition and Information Working Group and enhancing the technical interoperability assessment" to include sponsor-provided metrics.

"He is dedicated, hardworking, and thorough; devoted to doing a good job and doing it well, said Hartling. "That's the kind of people we want working in the civilian DoD system."

Boggs is pursuing an aggressive course schedule to achieve certification as a defense acquisition work force (level II) information technologist. He also serves on the Stewardship Commission at Norfolk's Church of the Ascension (Episcopal) and is currently on the Alumni Steering Committee for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, College of William & Mary Chapter.

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