ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- The Joint Munitions Command workforce paused from its mission to honor ten new members of the Ammunition Hall of Fame here, July 9.
Richard Janik and Albert Ehringer were inducted in a ceremony hosted by Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French, JMC commanding general, to recognize their contributions to the ammunition community. The eight additional inductees will be recognized at ceremonies at other installations later in July.
The Ammunition Hall of Fame was established in October 2011 to honor and memorialize former civilian and military personnel who made significant, lasting contributions to the U.S. Army ammunition mission. Their achievements are indicative of the excellence required to provide the highest quality ammunition to the service members who used the products they provided. A selection board of ten members reviewed 19 nominations to determine the ten 2014 inductees. Twenty-two individuals have been inducted to date.
"The challenge that we have each and every day is to provide the most reliable and lethal ammunitions to the joint forces and it's a mission that is critical to our military," said French.
"Today, we celebrate the contributions of two individuals," continued French. "Their service spans not only today, but all the way back to World War II. These honorees' contributions remind us that each generation builds on the dedication and achievements of those who served before them. They pursued excellence, and it is important to take this time to recognize their contributions."
Mr. Richard Janik was responsible for planning, budgeting and implementing command programs for industrial preparedness, production base support, capital investment and command and control of inactive installations.
During command mergers, Janik adjusted the organizations to meet critical demands by providing training for depot maintenance and increasing industrial readiness, in the face of lost institutional knowledge. He implemented Ammo Fast 21, the strategy used to downsize and reduce duplicate capabilities in the industrial base. He decreased the price of maintenance of inactive ammunition plants by millions of dollars. He also ensured the operational readiness of the industrial base to meet ammunition requirement demands.
"I'm very honored to receive this award," said Janik. "As I've always said, mission comes first. The people in the organization, they're the ones who execute what has to be done. I want to thank the people who supported me in my career."
Mr. Albert Ehringer's ammunition career began in 1941, and he rose through the ranks to Director of the Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command Ammunition Center and School by 1971. In this capacity, he provided the best training and facilities for ammunition instruction.
As Director of Special Missions during the Vietnam War, Ehringer focused instruction on new weapons and munitions of the Pentomic Era. He fostered positive relations at the international level, solved critical concerns for safety conditions, and was responsible for technical innovation. His expertise in ammunition maintenance and management improved logistics, safety, and automation processes over the course of three wars.
Ehringer was inducted posthumously with his three daughters; Patricia McKenna, Carolyn Kazako and Cindi Bertuli, and a granddaughter; Christie Rice, representing him during the ceremony.
"We're really pleased and honored to be here today, and to be able to accept this award on behalf of our dad," said McKenna. "He truly loved his job, and with my mom's support, he was able to dedicate his career to support and execute his portion of the Army mission. If he was here today, he would be extremely honored to accept this award himself. From the bottom of our heart, thank you for honoring him today, we really appreciate it."
Later this month, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) John C. Raaen, Jr.; Col. (Ret.) Kilbert Lockwood; Carmine Spinelli; Ralph Campoli; James Barton III; Victor Lindner and Leo Hillard will be honored at Picatinny Arsenal on July 17. William Melton will be honored at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant on July 22.
JMC produces small-, medium- and large-caliber ammunition items for the Department of Defense. JMC is the logistics integrator for life-cycle management of ammunition and provides a global presence of technical support to U.S. combat units wherever they are stationed or deployed.
Social Sharing