The Hon. Douglas Bush, the U.S. Army Acquisition Executive, made the opening remarks on October 15th, 2024, for the 3rd inaugural class of the Army Acquisition Hall of Fame. He and the Hon. Gabe Camarillo, Under Secretary of the Army, presented the awards during the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Ms. Mary Cathy Dickens was the second of four awardees. Ms. Dickens was introduced for her award as a servant leader of 37 years in Army Acquisition. She served as the deputy to the Commanding General of the US Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, where she oversaw efforts that impacted 11,000 military and civilian employees and managed programs and contracts with values in the billions. Most importantly, she was well known as a trusted advisor to those she worked with.
Mrs. Dickens’ acceptance remarks began with the statement “I cannot tell you how much this honor actually means to me. It’s difficult to express.” She then acknowledged her family—both her son Jonathan who was with her and her family at home—and then her coworkers at COLSA for “allowing her to continue supporting the Army in my current role.”
Ms. Dickens began working as an Army civilian directly out of high school and was mentored throughout her career. She developed a passion for working with a selfless team who sacrificed their time and efforts for the sake of Army Warfighters. She stated that she accepted this award on behalf of all her fellow teammates at the Army in Acquisition Command who worked with her over her career.
Also in attendance at the ceremony held in Washington, D.C. was CEO of COLSA, Barry Gosnell; COLSA Counsel, Stan Soya; and VP of Uncrewed Systems at COLSA, James Kennedy.
Company-wide, dozens of COLSA team members viewed the ceremony either from their desk or together at Headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama.
A plaque for each of the 4 awardees of 2024 will be hung outside of the Hon. Douglas Bush’s office.
