WARREN, Mich. (July 19, 2012) -- Secretary of the Army John McHugh visited the U.S. Army's Detroit Arsenal today to speak with senior leaders there and see firsthand how innovative technologies being developed there are prepping our nation for the future.
Maj. Gen. Michael J. Terry, commanding general of the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, or TACOM LCMC, began the day by leading a briefing about the organization that manages nearly 60 percent of the equipment in a brigade combat team. Terry and other TACOM leaders talked about the command's talented workforce and how they work every day to support our Soldiers.
During McHugh's visit, he toured facilities and met with leaders from across the TACOM LCMC. This included a visit to the Army's ground vehicle integration center -- the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, known as TARDEC.
"It's an amazing place with amazing people," McHugh stated after his tour of the installation. "These people come to work every day thinking about aspects of things that probably aren't readily apparent to most people, it's really breathtaking."
He talked about how the Detroit Arsenal workforce has been an important part of our military operations over the past ten years and then stated "they are already thinking about how they are going to do the things that are necessary to field the best, safest and most effective Soldier of tomorrow."
Among McHugh's priorities are ensuring a highly capable force within evolving budgetary constraints, funding reset and modernization and developing energy solutions. Work at the Detroit Arsenal aligns exactly with the challenges those priorities pose. If a Soldier eats, wears, drives, or shoots it, TACOM develops, provides, or sustains it.
"Whether it's adequate protective clothing, the right kind of vehicle, the right kind of firepower, the proper nutrition, those are the kinds of things that start here, are fielded here and are sustained here as well," McHugh commented. "This is a very important location for our men and women in uniform it's been a really great opportunity for me to see it firsthand."
As Secretary of the Army, McHugh has statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the U.S. Army, including manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and equipment acquisition, communications, and financial management.
When talking about his job as Secretary of the Army, McHugh said, "It's an honor I never expected and an opportunity that I never even dreamed about. There are good days and bad days, but really every day is a good day when you get to work with true heroes as I do."
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