AMC and ASA(ALT) leaders visit Detroit Arsenal

By Don Jarosz, TACOM LCMC Public AffairsFebruary 7, 2014

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DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. -- Top leaders from the U.S. Army Materiel Command and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology visited the Detroit Arsenal this week to talk with the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command workforce and ground combat systems leadership.

Hon. Heidi Shyu, ASA (ALT), and Gen. Dennis L. Via, AMC commanding general, held a town hall for the arsenal workforce and then co-chaired the second Joint Acquisition Sustainment Review during their visit. The JASRs are designed to create a better partnership and increased synchronization between ASA(ALT) and AMC organizations.

During the town hall Shyu told the Detroit Arsenal workforce, "You guys really are the heart and soul of the ground combat systems, and it?'s so critical to get everybody within the community working together." Via added that, "We've been enormously impressed with the great work that occurs at this location and all the efforts that have gone into making our platforms safe for our men and women who are forward deployed."

Shyu and Via fielded a variety of questions from the town hall audience during their visit that touched on a range of current Army workforce issues. "While we might not be procuring as many systems as we have in the past decade, we will divest, reset and sustain the systems we are going to keep for the future based on the department priorities, and spiral in new technology," Via stated when addressing a question about what the road ahead looks like.

In ending her remarks to the town hall audience, Shyu stated "We have a committed mutual interest and that is when we leave our jobs we have left it in a better state then when we came in. That is our mutual commitment to you."

On the following day of their visit, TACOM LCMC Commanding General Maj. Gen. Michael Terry hosted the second JASR. In addition to Shyu and Via, many other leaders from AMC and related PEOs attended the review, brought up ground combat systems concerns and issues, and ways to bridge the gap and work closer together.

The intent of the JASR is to build a strong and durable working relationship with ASA(ALT) and the PEO organizations to ensure that reductions are developed in concert with PEO requirements as the Army and AMC right size the workforce.

"It''s just incredibly valuable for the leadership of AMC and ASA(ALT) to literally be here to answer the questions that you have, to address the concerns that you have, to hear your voice," Shyu stated. "That is the most important thing on our agenda."

"That is why we are here today for the Joint Acquisition and Sustainment Review," Via added. "We are addressing this as a materiel enterprise. So that as we're looking at our future and determining what our end strength should be and what our force structure should be, we want to make sure it meets the requirements of the PEOs and PMs."

In summing up his thoughts on the JASR to the Detroit Arsenal workforce earlier, Via said, "These JASRs, from my standpoint, are one of the best things we've come up with in the materiel enterprise in probably ten years."