singly operate in environments where information is available on demand and digital tools are integrated into daily work. The ways people access knowledge, solve problems, and develop expertise are also evolving alongside technology. As a result, workforce expectations are shifting from simply receiving more training toward learning experiences that are timely, relevant, personalized, and in- tegrated with day-to-day job perfor- mance. Just as Blockbuster struggled to meet changing customer expecta - tions, institutions must respond to how the workforce expects learning and development to occur. The future of acquisition educa- tion and training will not be defined by courses, episodic instruction, or in- stitutionally sequenced progression pathways. It will be defined by contin - uous adaptation, support embedded in the workplace, personalized devel- opment, workflow-integrated learn - ing, and AI-enabled systems capable of evolving alongside the workforce. The strengths of the current model should not be discarded. But neither
can institutions afford to wait until a new model is fully mature before ex - ploring its potential. The organization that shapes the future is the one will- ing to recognize emerging possibili- ties early, experiment thoughtfully, and be open to change. The opportu- nity is not to adjust to the next model of acquisition education after it takes hold; it is to help shape it while it is emerging. CARROLL is an instructional designer sup- porting the Defense Systems Management College (DSMC) of the Warfighting Acquisi- tion University at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She has over 30 years’ experience supporting a variety of curriculum design and develop- ment efforts for the Department of War, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the CIA. She has a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction and a B.S. in Education from George Mason University. LAMARTIN is a professor of Acquisition Man- agement, executive coach, and futurist at the DSMC and an adjunct professor at George- town University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. Following a full career as a DoW acqui- sition professional, he served as an execu- tive in industry. He has a DPA and an M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland.
The authors can be contacted at Donna.Carroll.ctr@waru.edu and Glenn.Lamartin@waru.edu .
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors alone and not the Department of War. Reproduction or reposting of articles from Defense Acquisition magazine should credit the authors and the magazine.
Related Resources
– WSA 010 Agile Product Owner (Online Workshop) – SWE 0099 Setting Up an Agile Project (Online Course) – SWE 2031 What Agile Means for the Defense Acquisition Workforce (Online Course)
JULY – AUGUST 2026 | DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE 17
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