U.S. Army’s Biometrics Office Gets a New Leader

Forrest Church has stepped down from his role as head of the Product Manager (PdM) Biometrics office, and Lt. Col. Paul Janker has now assumed the position. Church had led the office since May 2023, overseeing significant projects such as the DoD Automated Biometrics Identification System (DoD ABIS) migration to the cloud and the development of the Next Generation Biometric Collection Capability (NXGBCC), scheduled for fielding in 2025.

Church expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve in this capacity, noting the rarity of civilians leading a product management office within the Army. He thanked his team for their support in accomplishing the PdM Biometrics mission, which involves designing, developing, acquiring, deploying, and sustaining enterprise biometric and forensic solutions to support U.S. Army operations.

“PM Biometrics is one of those very unique Army acquisition jobs where you get to support biometric technology in every single geographic combatant command, every single day,” Church commented.

Lt. Col. Paul Janker, who takes over the role, has a background in biometrics technology, having used similar systems during his deployment in Iraq. Before officially assuming his new role, Janker met with the PdM Biometrics team to familiarize himself with the office’s operations. Janker has served in various leadership roles within the Army, including positions in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as roles related to the Army’s Acquisition Corps.

Initially established under the Army CIO/G-6, the PdM Biometrics office has transitioned through various organizational structures, including the Biometrics Task Force, Biometrics Identity Management Agency (BIMA), and the Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency (DFBA). These changes reflect the growing importance of biometrics in military operations and the Army’s efforts to centralize and enhance its capabilities in this field.

Currently, PdM Biometrics operates within the Project Manager, Terrestrial Sensors (PM TS), under the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S). Its primary role is to support combat operations and Army transformation.

Source: U.S. Army

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August 27, 2024 – by the FindBiometrics Editorial Team