Brigadier General Edward M. Harrington assumed the position of director of the Defense Contract Management Agency in February 2001. As DCMA director, Harrington is the senior contract manager responsible for ensuring that Department of Defense acquisition programs, supplies and services are delivered on time, within cost and meet performance standards. This involves managing 325,000 prime contracts valued at $852 billion.

Harrington, a native of Marshfield, Mass., was drafted into the Army in 1970 as an enlisted infantryman prior to his selection for attendance at the Infantry Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga. He was commissioned a quartermaster officer in September 1971 and was assigned to Vietnam, first as a support platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry Division and later as the commander U.S. Army Traffic Management Center, 3rd Traffic Region, Vietnam. After Vietnam, he was assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, N.C., serving in a variety of company command and battalion staff officer assignments.

He next served as a logistics officer in the 39th Signal Battalion and the 5th Signal Command staff in Germany. Between 1980 and 1983, Harrington was assigned as an assistant professor of Military Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Mass. Following that assignment, Harrington was assigned to the United States Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., where he was the production manager for the M1A1 Abrams Tank. Harrington then served as the S-3 Logistics Operations officer for the 45th Support Group at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. His next assignment took him to Fort Lee, Va., where he served as a product manager for two tactical information systems.

In 1992, he attended the Senior Service College Fellowship Program at the University of Texas in Austin followed by an assignment to Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research, Development and Acquisition in Washington, D.C. From July 1994 until January 1997, he commanded the Defense Contract Management Command, Syracuse, New York. In 1997 he returned to the Assistant Secretary of the Army's office to serve as director of Contracting and, later, chief of staff. In 1998, he assumed command of the Defense Contract Management District East, Boston, Mass., until September 1999, when he returned to Warren Mich. as the Deputy for Systems Acquisition (DSA) at the United States Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command.

Harrington's awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with two oak leaf clusters), Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with eight oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal, the Army Staff Identification Badge and the Parachutist Badge.

Harrington graduated from Northeastern University, Boston in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He received a master's degree in contracting and acquisition management in 1984 from the Florida Institute of Technology.

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