Commander
COL James Polak
COL James (Jim) Polak was born in Creighton, Nebraska and grew up in the rural farming community with one sister and four brothers. He graduated from Chadron State College with a bachelor's degree in Natural Science and Education.
Jim enlisted as an infantryman in July of 1998 and served as a rifleman in Fort Campbell, Kentucky with the 101st Airborne Division. He was later selected for Officer Candidate School and commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in Armor in August 2000. After the Armor Officer Basic Course, Jim served as a tank platoon leader at Camp Casey, Korea and a Stryker reconnaissance platoon leader and executive officer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington during the Army's first Stryker brigade transformation and deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
After attending the Armor Captain's Career Course, Jim and his family moved to Hawaii where he commanded two Stryker reconnaissance troops with 2nd Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment and deployed a second time to Iraq.
Jim was later selected and transitioned to the Army's Acquisition Corps. During his first acquisition tenure, he served multiple assistant product manager positions for the Ground Combat Vehicle and Stryker Brigade Combat Team program offices.
Jim served in additional broadening assignments as the Assistant Training and Doctrine Command Capability Manager Army Brigade Combat Team at Fort Benning (known as Fort Moore since 2023), Georgia as well as a service acquisition manager for the U.S. Transportation Command located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. He was a board-select product manager for both Project Manager Mounted Armored Vehicles Modernization and Stryker Future Operations. Jim has been board-selected for command of the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center.
Jim's military training and schooling includes Infantry Army Basic Training, Air Assault School, Airborne School, Ranger School, the Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Army Acquisition Basic Course and Intermediate Contracting Course, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the Army Command and General Staff College, and Army War College. His military awards are commensurate to his service of 25 years. Jim holds a master’s degree in Management and Program Management from Walsh College as well as a Masters of Strategic Studies from the Army War College.
BACKGROUND
Education:
Chadron State College Bachelor's degree in Natural Science and Education
Master of Arts in Procurement and Acquisition Management from Webster University.
Master of Strategic Studies from the Army War College
