ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- Senior leaders from the U.S. Army Materiel Command, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology and the Joint Munitions & Lethality Life Cycle Management Command met to strengthen the partnership between acquisition and the materiel enterprise at a Joint Acquisition Sustainment Review, here, July 8.
The Joint Acquisition Sustainment Review is a forum designed to further develop the partnership between the Assistant Secretary of the Army's Acquisition, Logistics and Technology community and the Army Materiel Command.
The materiel enterprise is one of the Army's four core enterprises and is responsible for materiel management from concept to combat. It brings together the organizations involved in providing materiel solutions for Soldiers and incorporates all the materiel life-cycle functions to include research, development, acquisition, testing, distribution, supply, maintenance, industrial-base operations and disposal.
Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French, JM&L LCMC and JMC Commander, hosted the event and provided opening comments. French was recognized for her "tremendous leadership" of the organization "in a very challenging time," noted Gen. Dennis L. Via, AMC commanding general, as French prepares to leave as the current commander.
The goal of the JASR is to create more efficient processes by working together collaboratively. It promotes building relationships, trust and transparency.
The Hon. Heidi Shyu, ASA (ALT) and Gen. Dennis L. Via, AMC, co-chaired the JM&L LCMC JASR. Through their collaboration, Shyu and Via provided strategic direction and guidance to all attendees.
Shyu emphasized the importance of the relationship between ASA (ALT) and AMC. Under the current fiscal environment, the two organizations are dependent upon each other for success and have to mutually increase collaboration and streamline operations. Working together to face challenges will provide a stronger U.S. Army.
"Gen. Via and I are committed to working these issues collaboratively," Shyu said.
Via echoed Shyu's comments. With the Army's current budget uncertainty, both leaders stressed the need to align functions, roles, authorities and responsibilities to create interdependent organizations.
"The JASR helps with transparency and building trust," said Via. "As a community, we need to make decisions in the best interest of the Army."
These decisions will enable the Army to be successful in its missions around the world and support the troops in 2025 and beyond.
JASR topics of discussion included the characteristics of the JM&L LCMC; the Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition resource allocations; the management and execution of demilitarization, divestiture; and, workforce governance and the auditability pilot.
Following the JASR, an AMC town hall was held July 9 at the Rock Island Arsenal's Heritage Hall. Via and Shyu provided all AMC and ASA (AL&T) employees an opportunity to receive updated information about each organization's future.
"In the Army, we need to position ourselves to remain dominant and incrementally modernize our weapon systems capabilities to enhance our lethality, mobility and survivability," Shyu commented.
"This is a complex time in our world," said Via. "It's impressive to see our mission supported worldwide. Due to the proliferation of technology, the gap of our lead is closing. We need to help our Army be postured to face future challenges.
After the town hall opening comments, a question and answer session closed the town hall.
From its headquarters here, JMC operates a nationwide network of conventional ammunition manufacturing plants and storage depots, and provides on-site ammunition experts to U.S. combat units wherever they are stationed or deployed. JMC's customers are U.S. forces of all military services, other U.S. Government agencies, and allied nations. 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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