Army & ACC: partnership extended for Army Software Factory | Article

AUSTIN, TX –The U.S. Army signed a 10-year Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) with the Austin Community College District (ACC) on January 12. This collaboration is designed to accelerate the Army’s continuous transformation by bolstering the Army Software Factory (ASWF), empowering Soldiers with the cutting-edge skills needed to deliver readiness at the speed of relevance.

ASWF is a Transformation and Training Command (T2COM) unit that enables Soldiers to reach global mission outcomes through software operations. Soldiers apply for a position at the ASWF. While there, the Soldiers’ tech talent is developed and expanded to build proficiency and mastery in commercial technologies and processes. This results in an upskilled technical force that enables the Army to be better prepared for software-centric and dynamic contested environments.

Col. Vito Errico, ASWF director and founder explained the growth and success of not only the ASWF, but the partnership with ACC.

Errico paraphrased American author and cultural anthropologist Margaret Meade saying, “Never underestimate the power of selfless and committed people to change the world. We’ve progressed to a program that is one of the most in demand programs across the Department of War,” Errico said, “with a repeatable, scalable operating model for academia, with industry and of course here within the Army.”

ASWF connects actual operational requirements with educational training. Soldiers participate in live missions as they acquire skills in software development, platform engineering, and product design, enabling them to develop operational tools for the Army while enhancing their technical expertise in high-demand areas.

Sgt. 1st Class Neethi Grose, a San Jose, California native, has been a software engineer at the ASWF since 2023. Grose said she has always been interested in computers and solving technical problems but came to ASWF with little technical experience. Prior to the ASWF, she was a field artillery fire finder radar operator.

“At the ASWF I’ve worked on developing applications that work with fires and targeting,” Grose explained. “I was called upon to contribute some of my expertise to that, and it was a cool experience because I was solving problems that I myself had experienced.”

1st Lt. Johnathan P. Riemerspeters, software engineer and Grand Forks, North Dakota native, came to ASWF to try to make a difference with the Army’s information systems.

“This is a unit were someone of any rank can come, learn the skills they need to make change and actually work towards that change themselves,” Riemerspeters said. “Going forward I’m really excited to see how the ASWF develops and how it scales over time. Because of my time here, I recently transitioned from air defense to the newest functional area software applications. I’m thrilled to be part of a career field that’s just standing up.”

This proclamation not only heralds a new era of partnership between the Army and ACC but also underscores the importance of leveraging educational resources to enhance military readiness and effectiveness in the modern operational landscape.

The IGSA was signed by Mr. David Dentino, Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of the Army for installations, housing and partnerships, Lt. Gen. Miles Brown, Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command, and Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, Chancellor, Austin Community College District to illustrate how essential community partnerships are in building the Army of tomorrow.

Dentino stated, “when you talk about the pace of transformation that Secretary Driscoll wants to see, that is in full view here at the Software Factory,” Dentino said, “The Soldiers here in this room are carrying that banner for transformation. And through this partnership with ACC, the Soldiers are ‘doing the doing’ and the partnership gives them the tools they need.”