ACC-RI contracting team receives DoW honor

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – Twelve members of Army Contracting Command-Rock Island Arsenal’s Cyber & Cloud Information Technology Directorate, Branch A, were recently named the FY25 recipients of the Department of War's Creativity in Contracting for a Non-Major Defense Acquisition Program Team Award.
The employees assigned to this branch – which was known locally as “TGA” until a center-wide realignment in spring 2026 – were:
· Mark Martinez, branch chief
· Lt. Col. Michael Imdieke, contracting officer
· Joseph Artioli, contracting officer
· Adam Geneva, contracting officer
· Bobbi Shannon, contract specialist
· Brenda Wheeler, contract specialist
· Christine Malone, contract specialist
· Dora Smith, contract specialist
· Ericka Hird, contract specialist
· Jordan Myers, contract specialist
· Nathaniel Gillette, contract specialist
· Kristin Comer, director, Cyber & Cloud IT Directorate

This award highlights the branch’s exceptional ability to challenge traditional acquisition paradigms and utilize innovative procurement approaches to meet strategic defense goals. Branch TGA’s consistent acceleration in the fielding of emerging technologies directly increases warfighter lethality and operational readiness in contested environments.
Martinez said the empowerment from leadership at both ACC-RI and Headquarters ACC allowed the team to take calculated risks to execute rapid prototyping acquisitions successfully. The branch built a high-performing and highly collaborative team with a shared willingness to embrace flexible contracting techniques.
“I’m extremely proud of our branch winning the DoW Creativity in Contracting award,” said Martinez. “What continues to motivate us every day is seeing our work make an immediate impact—watching our rapid prototype actions transition swiftly from concept to active combat use. It builds a profound sense of pride across the team, and we are deeply honored to be recognized for the dedication we put into supporting the mission every single day.”
Geneva agreed that it is an honor to be recognized as a team and said he is very proud of every teammate.
“I have witnessed all individuals dedicate themselves to support a multitude of very important efforts to support the warfighter needs,” said Geneva. “As the team continues to grow and develop, the hard work and dedication is unwavering.”
A premier example of Branch TGA’s transformative impact is the Sandhills Project, executed in support of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 20th Engineering Brigade. Tasked with advancing national security objectives in Ukraine through unmanned aerial systems, the team established a $120 million agreement in 57 days.
Their efforts enabled the rapid development and delivery of a networked, unmanned-capable breaching system prototype within six months. Unprecedented in its speed, the project saw operational evaluation in live combat conditions in under 15 months, providing critical performance data that influenced future tactics and synchronized multi-domain effects.
Beyond the Sandhills Project, Branch TGA has continually demonstrated its commitment to high-speed mission delivery. Their work on the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System for the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW (R&E)) resulted in a concept-to-operational-display timeline of just eight months. Similarly, the Long-Range One-Way Attack platform was aggressively contracted in a mere 11 days after receiving the customer’s challenge. These rapid turnarounds guarantee that warfighters receive cutting-edge offensive and defensive capabilities in record time.
These outcomes are made possible by the branch’s creative application of procurement authorities, specifically utilizing procurement authorities, such as 10 U.S.C. §4023 and §4022, to expedite agreements and prototype delivery.
Furthermore, the team spearheaded the creation of the GoColosseum Marketplace. This innovative, secure ecosystem leverages artificial intelligence to streamline evaluations and compress procurement timelines to under 60 days. TGA also executed agreements enabling the established Joint Innovation Outpost at Fort Bragg to connect operational needs directly with industry and academic partners.
Overall, branch members are appreciative to be selected by the DoW for this prestigious award, and are thankful to the OUSW R&E for their confidence in the contracting support the branch provides, and their willingness to work with the branch on opportunities that have major impact on the warfighter.
“The pace we maintain is demanding, but knowing our efforts directly accelerate getting critical capabilities to the field drives us,” said Hird. “Every day, we are challenged to think differently and find faster ways to streamline the acquisition process to get new technology in the hands of warfighters at the speed of relevance. Ultimately, the most rewarding part of this experience is hearing directly from our customers what a difference that acquisition speed has made for their program's success.”