US Army wows at North American International Auto Show

By Rae Higgins, U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command Public AffairsJanuary 20, 2016

US Army wows at North American International Auto Show
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Gwen Bingham, right, commanding general, U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, and Lisha H. Adams, U.S. Army Materiel Command executive deputy to the commanding general, lead Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder through the U.S. Army's North ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
US Army wows at North American International Auto Show
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
US Army wows at North American International Auto Show
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DETROIT (Jan. 14, 2016) -- Chevy. Lincoln. Dodge. Benz. Maserati. U.S. Army?

The North American International Auto Show is the home of world-premiere glitzy, dramatic vehicle introductions. It is the perfect venue for the U.S. Army to capitalize on the natural synergies with the commercial automotive industry occurring at the Cobo Center here over the next two weeks.

The Army's arm for Soldier equipment and ground systems (including automotive systems,) the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, or LCMC, is headquartered on the historic Detroit Arsenal in nearby Warren, in the heart of southeast Michigan, the automotive capital of the world. The Army began partnering with the automotive industry in 1940 to construct the arsenal and manufacture more than 25,000 tanks during World War II.

The only active-duty Army installation in the tri-state area (Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana), the Detroit Arsenal is home to Headquarters, TACOM LCMC, the Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, the Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support, the Program Executive Office for Ground Combat Systems, and the U.S. Army Garrison-Detroit Arsenal.

"The military automotive industry in southeast Michigan mirrors the commercial automotive industry here in that the majority of our intellectual base is located in this area," said Maj. Gen. Gwen Bingham, TACOM LCMC commanding general. "In 1942, TACOM's predecessor, the Army Tank-Automotive Center, operated out of the Guardian Building in downtown Detroit, and today, our mission and focus remain constant - our Soldiers."

The Army maintains the same research and development, manufacturing assurance and supply chain management (logistics) expertise as the commercial automotive industry.

That's why Lisha H. Adams, executive deputy to the commanding general of the Army Materiel Command, visited the show floor Jan. 12 to check out the Army exhibit and meet with representatives of Fiat Chrysler America, General Motors and Ford Motor Company. Adams is the senior-most civilian within the Army Materiel Command.

She and TACOM LCMC senior leaders also led Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder through the Army exhibit featuring a Stryker, a chemical-biological protective shelter integrated onto a medium tactical vehicle; an Humvee outfitted with the Common Remotely Operated Weapon System; a Bridge Erection Boat and Common Bridge Transporter; and the Autonomous Mobility Applique System mounted onto a military tractor-trailer and its commercial counterpart, a Cummins Peterbilt Class 8 Semi-tractor atop a deployable military bridge.

The bridge represents the technological linkages between the commercial automotive industry and the Army's current and future ground vehicles.

The TACOM LCMC team is a global enterprise made up of more than 19,000 members; approximately 7,500 of whom are employed in Michigan. These military and civilian professionals play a major role in enabling and sustaining the Army's overall combat readiness.

The LCMC impacts Michigan's economy and thousands of companies statewide. In fiscal year 2015 alone, the enterprise executed $6.3 billion in contracts, $1.5 billion of which were awarded in Michigan. Moreover, the Detroit Arsenal supports 26,000 Michigan jobs and its employees wield $2.7 billion in personal spending power.

"The North American International Auto Show is an ideal venue to reinforce the Army's reputation as an automotive, technology, logistics and sustainment leader," Bingham said. "We not only play a critical role in enabling America's warfighting readiness, but we also contribute significantly to our home state of Michigan and its economic health.

"But make no mistake," she said, "we can't do what we do inside our gates without the full support and partnership of our community leaders and industry partners outside our gates. Participating in the North American International Auto Show in Detroit helps give us a platform to tell that very important story."

Related Links:

Army.mil: Human Interest News