Garciga expected to be next US Army chief information officer

WASHINGTON — Leonel Garciga, most recently the top technology officer for U.S. Army intelligence, will be the service’s next civilian chief information officer, C4ISRNET and Army Times have learned.

Garciga is expected to take the post in mid-July. He will succeed Raj Iyer, who after nearly three years as CIO rejoined private industry, according to an internal announcement. The position has been vacant for months now.

An Army spokesperson on June 26 said Garciga “will spearhead the Army’s technological transformation efforts, ensuring the effective management and utilization of information systems across the organization.”

“Having led the Army Intelligence Community CIO for four years, Garciga has extensive experience in developing innovative solutions and driving digital advancements” that will “play a pivotal role in enhancing the Army’s capabilities in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving digital landscape,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Garciga did not immediately respond to a message on social media seeking comment.

RELATED

Raj Iyer says next Army CIO needs more oversight power

“What the Army has now recognized is the importance of the CIO, the importance of running Army IT like a business.”

By Colin Demarest and Davis Winkie

Garciga currently serves as the director for information management within the Army’s G-2 intelligence directorate, where he oversees the service’s implementation of revamped intelligence community information and data practices. He has held that position since early 2019.

His next gig will be a step up: As CIO, Garciga will oversee an information technology portfolio totaling billions of dollars, including hundreds of millions for cloud computing and adoption in fiscal 2023.

The Army, the military’s largest service, is pushing what it calls “digital transformation” — the phasing in of new technologies, connectivity and online techniques. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth has said achieving force-wide digital fluency is her No. 2 objective.

Before taking the tech reins in the G-2, Garciga spent more than seven years at the Defense Department’s improvised explosive device research arm. Garciga was also an enlisted Navy submariner and a graduate of the Naval Nuclear Power School.