ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Illinois – Sharing memorable excerpts of her career – including 29 years of military service – with the Army Contracting Command-Rock Island workforce, Lynda Armer, ACC-RI executive director, focused on how she learned how to control her destiny and not allow anyone else to determine her fate.

Having joined the Army after being inspired to serve by watching the movie “Top Gun”, Armer detailed the various assignments and deployments that comprised her Army career, as well as the associated challenges, triumphs and lessons learned, during an executive interview event held at Heritage Hall, Jan. 8.

Her initial Army experience as a cadet at West Point solidified her perseverance-based outlook, and, she said, if given the chance, she would choose it as her career starting point again.

“West Point was a great experience for me and if I had to do it again, I would pick the same solution because it is where my leadership journey started and has led to everything that I’ve been able to do in my career,” said Armer. “I feel very fortunate to have ended up there.”

West Point – specifically the jerseys of the Black Knights athletes, which display “Army” where each individual’s last name typically appears – also instilled Army Values early in her career.

“Being a part of the Army team means you are playing for the Army and not for self,” said Armer. “This is one of the things that for me meant a lot and still means a lot. The Army is the biggest team that I have ever been a part of and fortunately for us, we have a strong Army – the strongest. We are a winning team.”

Throughout her career, she remained dedicated to getting as much training and experience as she could, as well as building resiliency into her mindset; enabling her to accept and learn from setbacks and failures and move onto the next challenge.

While on a deployment in the 1990s, Armer, a mother of two young children at that time, wanted to be home more and received a letter about various Army career field opportunities that prompted her to pursue – and ultimately be selected for – an assignment in the contracting career field.

While in contracting, she deployed several times and truly enjoyed the work she was able to do–finding inspiration in seeing first-hand the impact acquisition has on the Army.

“There’s nothing like seeing the impact you make every day – and this is what you guys do for the warfighter – seeing it in action and reaping the benefits of it myself because I was also living on the forward operating base with the other Soldiers,” said Armer.

In July 2019, Armer – a then-colonel – came to ACC-RI, assigned as the military deputy, where she served until her November 2022 military retirement. She subsequently assumed her current executive director duties. She said ACC-RI was, and continues to be, the busiest contracting office she has worked at with the most significant global impact.

“The Army doesn’t run without you guys – without the sustainment that you provide to the logistician, without the munitions that you provide so we can get our fire down range, or without the connectivity that we need to function today,” said Armer. “This organization was just a godsend for me to be able to be a part of and continue to be a part of.”

Armer was the first speaker in FY25 for ACC-RI’s Executive Interview Program, which launched in the summer of 2021 as an Army Contracting Command leadership development initiative. These events provide an avenue for leaders to share their journey and experiences in hopes of inspiring others to achieve their own potential.