As JMC stood up its new command structure, it was faced with the critical task of rapidly increasing munitions production and supplying the Joint Warfighter in theater with munitions. To ensure munitions readiness and safety in the field, JMC civilians, Logistics Assistance Representatives, and Quality Assurance Specialists Ammunition Surveillance answered the call for deployments to theater throughout the duration of the War.

Over the past 20 years, JMC honors our headquarters and installation workforce. From the longest serving civilian down to the new intern learning the business, we have continued to meet the demands for ammunition, while transforming for the future.

While maintaining the standard for readiness, JMC proudly recalls the progress it has made to prepare the industrial base for future requirements. The command strives to build upon its foundation to strengthen infrastructure, processes, people, and technology.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. The Joint Munitions Command is celebrating 20 years of providing the Joint Forces with ready, reliable, and lethal munitions to our Nation. JMC’s lineage began in World War II in 1941, when decentralization of the Ordnance Corps procurement and administration led to the creation of field offices and management centers to manage commodities. After decades of reform in the organizational structure and management of ammunition the Joint Munitions Command was formed in 2002.

During JMC’s transitional period, JMC engaged in the immediate supply of munitions after the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks on September 11, 2001. Within a couple of hours, JMC shipped bombs which were received within 11 hours. These actions set the stage for rapid fulfillment of requirements as the U.S. entered Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom to combat terrorism.

By 2005, JMC became a Major Subordinate Command and gained its own designated unit insignia and flag to symbolize the importance of its heritage with the Ordnance Corps. In 2006, JMC joined forces with the Program Executive Office for Ammunition and the Armament Research and Development Center to form the Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command. The partnership strengthened the link between acquisition, research and development and ammunition management.

JMC continued to work expeditiously through many wartime challenges.  Because JMC encountered stockpile shortages for items that were critical to combat operations, second source or urgent buys filled critical shortages for specific ammunition requirements in theater. Millions of dollars were invested to modernize to expand capabilities. One of the more critical projects reestablished a link production line for belted ammunition and increased small caliber ammunition production capacity to 1.2 billion rounds.

Under the leadership of Brig. Gen. James Rogers, JMC embraced the organizational culture of continuous process improvement, training the workforce as Lean Six Sigma green belts and master black belts to garner savings and efficiencies across the enterprise.  Advancements in JMC’s Centralized Ammunition Management program, to better support training and strategically position munitions, were essential to supporting mobilizations for the War. JMC also invested in the Industrial Base Assessment Tool to automate the Ammunition Production Base Plan to facilitate industrial base preparedness planning in acquisitions.

In 2006, JMC successfully managed an urgent issue with the supply and re-supply of aircraft countermeasure flares in Southwest Asia. The JMC/Army Sustainment Command flare team, in conjunction with Program Manager Close Combat Systems counterparts, won the prestigious David Packard Award for Acquisition Excellence for supplying critical aircraft countermeasure flares to theater, eliminating the need for airlift shipments.

In support of munitions advancements, the JMC and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant were critical to the development, production, and fielding of the Excalibur precision-guided artillery projectile. The Raytheon Missile Systems and BAE Systems Bofors' Excalibur team delivered the first production Excalibur global positioning system-guided 155 mm artillery round to the Army in 2006, paving the way for additional precision-guided munitions.

The JMC and all subordinates were awarded the Army Superior Unit Award in 2007 for achievements in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. JMC also honored the Army’s longest serving federal service civilian, Mr. Louis Dellamonica, when he retired after 65 years of employment at the Hawthorne Army Depot.

As JMC produced munitions at the speed of war, the need for modernization continued. For example, Radford Army Ammunition Plant planned multi-year modernization projects for a gas-fired steam plant and replacement of the Nitric Acid Concentrator/Sulfuric Acid Concentrator.  At Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, the small caliber production modernization project improved capacity and capabilities to produce enhanced performance rounds. At other installations, energy conservation projects were undertaken to test wind, solar and geothermal energy sources.

In 2010, Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, expressed concerns with the quality of work environment during a site visit. Upon his guidance, JMC tackled over 200 infrastructure modernization projects and initiatives for sustainment and restoration of facilities and equipment across the industrial base to improve working conditions.

In the same year, JMC supported humanitarian efforts after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck in Haiti. The command worked quickly to provide nonlethal, illumination, riot, and crowd control munitions within four days of the first requisition.

Logistics Modernization Program deployment also began in 2010, to transform logistics operations in six core processes: order fulfillment, demand and supply planning, procurement, asset management, material management, and financial management. The program replaced the Commodity Command Standard System at the headquarters, and Standard Depot System at the plants, and was an intensive endeavor across the enterprise to advance logistics management systems.

In 2011, JMC supplied theater requirements for Operation Odyssey Dawn.  Within 24 hours of its start, JMC supported the urgent request for air-to-ground missiles and aircraft countermeasure flares in support of Navy operations in Libya. JMC received its third Army Superior Unit Award in 2012, for munitions support to operations throughout the 2011-2012 timeframe.

By 2013, JMC had supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with 331,000 short tons of ammunition. The readiness of ammunition improved significantly as measured by the Munitions Readiness Report with all ammunition groups rated in acceptable readiness statuses. Operation Ammunition Clean Sweep 2013 was an important initiative to provide an explosive-safe environment and ensured reliable munitions were available to U.S. personnel operating in the Combined Joint Operation Area - Afghanistan. The JMC also supported drawdown of ammunition and personnel in Afghanistan.

Over several years, JMC expanded upon an Integrated Logistics Strategy by including non-Supply Depot Operations at its logistics depots as a measure to meet the changing nature of War. The result was the Enterprise-Integrated Logistics Strategy, which provided additional analysis, framework, and guiding principles for management of all functions and workload throughout the installation network.

JMC reorganized on several occasions to meet the demand of evolving business processes.  Shape the Fight initiatives focused on war planning to enhance perspective on requirements and drive greater readiness, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Former Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Heidi Hoyle stated, “As we reshaped the workforce, it was essential to understand the task and purpose of each individual as the underlying processes of our mission evolved.”

It also became increasingly important to operationalize the command, to be in sync with the Army Materiel Command and Army.  JMC also optimized and eliminated redundancy in the industrial base, to steward resources and gain efficiencies.

In 2019, JMC and the installations remained flexible through telework and alternative work scheduling to protect the workforce and provide munitions throughout the             COVID-19 pandemic. Installations like Pine Bluff Arsenal produced Personal Protective Equipment such as face masks and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant produced hand sanitizer while supplies were in the greatest demand.

While focusing on the health and safety of the command, Brig. Gen. Gavin Gardner focused on modernization by analyzing core competencies to review redundancy, gaps, and excess, to give prioritization for what sites garnered attention in the next 15 years.

Gardner recognized the challenges ahead and said “as new weapons systems and new munitions requirements are required; the modernization of specific facilities will come online and flow into the existing modernization strategy.”

In 2021, JMC urgently executed support the Presidential Directives in support of the Afghanistan troop, partner, and refugee withdrawal operations.  Former Deputy to the Commander, Mrs. JoEtta Fisher, considered the challenges in meeting expected delivery dates, however, she was proud that the workforce met the challenge.

“They were unsure JMC could meet the deployment timeframes, and frankly, we beat all the established timelines,” Fisher said.

Later in the year, JMC supplied munitions to EUCOM with the same urgency in support of Ukraine and continues to meet or exceed delivery timelines in support of the directives.

In 2022, JMC accomplishes the same mission it embarked on to supply conventional munitions, that began long ago, but now with a smaller footprint of 13 active installations. JMC attributes that success to its people and their dedication to serve in the best interest of the Warfighter.

The JMC’s Commander, Col. Landis Maddox, leads JMC to the future stating that “JMC 2030 is my progressive futuristic approach to setting munitions readiness on a strategic sustainable path to integrate innovative workplace practices with modern technology to increase productivity and effectiveness, holistically operationalizing the modernization plan. JMC is fully committed to setting munitions readiness on a sustainable strategic path.”

As it modernizes and strategizes for the next decade, JMC has many achievements to be proud of in the past 20 years.