ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- The U. S. Army Joint Munitions Command recently partnered with the U.S. Army Reserve 639th Transportation Company and the U.S. Army Reserve 850th Transportation Company, who are part of the 346th Transportation Battalion, in an exercise called Nationwide Move 2015, to move approximately 2,500 short tons of munitions from Blue Grass Army Depot to Anniston Munitions Center, during mid-July.
Nationwide Move 2015 units reported to the U.S. Army Reserve 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, based in Des Moines, Iowa, which served as the command and control unit. The exercise provided Reserve forces with transportation and logistics operations training, while also providing support to the JMC ammunition enterprise.
"This was a great operation and excellent teamwork by the 103rd ESC, Blue Grass Army Depot and 'Team Anniston'," said Lt. Col. Shayne Moore, Anniston Munitions Center commander. "It provided real-world training for the Reserve Soldiers while simultaneously fulfilling a JMC ammunition storage requirement."
Nationwide Move 2015 planning was led by JMC's supply planning directorate, with support and coordination from the demand planning and materiel management operations directorates, and employees from Blue Grass Army Depot and Anniston Munitions Center. During the nine plus months of planning, the 103rd ESC and JMC staffs worked in coordination to approve the delivery schedule, and obtain the Department of Transportation permits to ensure each ammunition container was properly and securely delivered to the munitions center.
"This was a huge exercise for the U.S. Army Reserve and JMC to coordinate the convoy delivery schedules of ammunition to the Anniston Munitions Center," said JoEtta Fisher, director, Joint Munitions Command, supply planning directorate. "The Nationwide Move 2015 exercise allowed us to realign our storage capacity, to better serve the Department of Defense."
The logistics operation to deliver 175 20-foot containers involved approximately 97 Soldiers of the 850th Transportation Company, Lyon, Mississippi, and 88 Soldiers of the 639th Transportation Company, Bedford, Virginia. Eighty-four trucks were used to simultaneously move the ammunition and empty containers between Richmond, Kentucky, and Anniston, Alabama, as part of the each unit's annual training. The ammunition logistics operation included convoy operations to and from each depot; shipping; receiving; and maintaining inventory records for the ammunition; and quality-assurance inspections and maintenance tasks.
"The U.S. Army Reserve received excellent real-world training in convoy operations and transporting ammunition," said Col. Ruth Aponte, Support Operations Officer, 103rd ESC. Aponte believes this was a "win-win situation" for the U.S. Army.
During the exercise, Soldiers performed preventive maintenance on M1075 Palletized Loading System vehicles, and practiced newly-acquired over-the-road driving skills, which also contributed to each unit's readiness. In addition, each Soldier completed ammunition safety and transportation courses in preparation for the exercise.
"Overall the mission was a good training experience for all the Soldiers," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Carpentieri, 103rd ESC Action Officer. "Everyone had the opportunity to see where their piece of the puzzle fit into the big picture. No one's job was insignificant. There were some long days, a lot of thinking outside the box, and making it happen for the mission. This was truly a test of one's Army Values. But, no matter what was thrown at the transportation companies, their attitude was always upbeat and positive."
JMC produces small-, medium-, and large-caliber ammunition items for the Department of Defense. It 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. JMC's logistics operation is unique to the Department of Defense and its industrial base is an important asset in support of the Warfighter. The primary mission of JMC is to manage the production, storage, issue, and demilitarization of conventional ammunition for all U.S. Military Services.
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