Mark Esper Offers Updates on Army Futures Command

Army Secretary Mark Esper told Federal News Network in an interview published Wednesday about the service’s current efforts and Army Futures Command.

“If you look at our budget you will see a dramatic shift in the budget we put forward just to make sure we were consistent with the National Defense Strategy,” Esper said. “Whether it’s how we man, organize, train or equip the force we are making big shifts. I like to say that the Army is in a renaissance right now.”

Esper, a 2019 Wash100 winner, discussed the service’s intellectual property policy, military housing and hiring of civilian personnel and offered updates on the new command when it comes to the acquisition of weapons systems in support of the Army’s six modernization priorities. He said Futures Command hasn’t yet reached full operational capability but is making progress driven by its cross functional teams.

“We finally have a command that is bringing together the entire modernization enterprise to provide our soldiers the equipment they need when they need it,” Esper noted. “We need to be good stewards of America’s hard-earned tax dollars, so we are doing that at cost and we are already seeing accomplishments by command leader Gen. John Murray and Futures Command on both fronts, and I’m very excited about the future and his ability to deliver capabilities on time, on cost with the performance parameters and requirements we need.”