WARREN, Mich. (Sept. 10, 2015) -- In an first-ever initiative of its kind, seven members of the 16-member Michigan Congressional Delegation visited the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) Sept. 2 on its tour of Michigan's military installations.
TACOM LCMC is located here at the Detroit Arsenal, which is the only active-duty Army installation in the tri-state area (Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.)
The bipartisan delegation included U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, U.S. Reps. Sander Levin, Fred Upton, Candice Miller, Dan Benishek, Bill Huizenga and Debbie Dingell, as well as members of each legislator's staff. Additionally, several members of the Army-Southeast Michigan Advisory Council joined the delegation.
"It's important for everyone, from members of Congress to residents across the state, to understand how our partners … provide thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in procurement for Michigan businesses while playing a central role in protecting our military in the field," said Tammy Carnrike, chief operating officer, Detroit Regional Chamber, and member of the Advisory Council. The council was formed last year and currently includes 12 members. It serves as a community champion for the TACOM LCMC by increasing support for the Army's efforts.
Stabenow is the force behind the unprecedented tour. Michigan's senior senator was elected in 2000 and is the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, as well as a member of the Energy, Finance and Budget Committees.
"Our delegation continues to work together on areas where we all have common interests, like supporting Michigan's military installations and missions vital to our nation's security," said Stabenow. "This bipartisan tour gave members a unique opportunity to say 'thank you' to the outstanding men and women who serve us in defense of our country while learning about Michigan's impressive defense assets.
"We also recommitted ourselves to continue partnering to protect our current missions and identify new opportunities that will create jobs," the senator emphasized.
The visitors arrived via CH-47 Chinook helicopters by way of Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Maj. Gen. Gwen Bingham, TACOM LCMC commanding general, along with her LCMC executive teammates, welcomed the guests and provided an overview of the LCMC during a working lunch.
A global enterprise with 19,000 acquisition, logistics, contracting and technology professionals, the LCMC's mission is to develop, acquire, equip and sustain the world's most capable military ground and support systems. Approximately 7,500 are employed here.
Bingham explained the TACOM LCMC team focuses on Soldier and ground systems for the Army as well as the Joint forces. The delegation spent the day learning about TACOM's relevance to the Army, the Department of Defense, the state of Michigan and the nation.
"This team of teams researches, develops, manages, fields and sustains the vast majority of the equipment our Warfighters use," Bingham said. "In fact, we are responsible for 65 percent of the equipment in an Army Brigade Combat Team.
"If a Soldier eats it, wears it, shoots it or drives it, TACOM LCMC provides or sustains it," she emphasized.
Indeed, the magnitude of the installation's importance spans five continents, encompasses approximately 500 acquisition programs valued at roughly $30 billion, and includes 3,200 product lines with 38,000 military equipment components.
Citing the Stryker Double-V Hull (DVH) program as just one example of how the team works together to support the Warfighter, the legislators learned about each element's respective roles in developing, producing, fielding and sustaining Stryker DVHs, and how Congress, the Defense Department, HQDA and industry support the effort.
The members of Congress then boarded Strykers for a trip across post. "Riding across the arsenal in a Stryker Double V-Hull platform not only gave each visitor the true feel of one of the Army's combat platforms, but it served as a key illustrator of the 'Team of Teams' working relationship we have here at the Detroit Arsenal," said Brig. Gen. David Bassett, program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems.
"It is a solid example of the successful coordination and cooperation between industry and defense that resulted in the rapid design, test, procurement and fielding of a much improved Stryker vehicle that has saved numerous Soldiers lives," he explained. "That kind of team approach will, no doubt, continue to be essential as the Army relies on our ability to maintain dominance and overmatch on the unpredictable battlefields of today and the future."
The visitors dismounted the vehicles to check out research and development capabilities organic to the installation. They learned about work underway on autonomous vehicles, power and energy, and Soldier survivability.
"TARDEC's engineers and scientists take great pride in bringing the most advanced, responsive and innovative capabilities to the Warfighter," said Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center Director Dr. Paul Rogers. "We were honored to share those efforts with Michigan's Congressional Delegation to show them the impact our associates and collaborative partners make here in the state and to the Army."
Taking Strykers again across post to a high bay area, the members and their staffers met with subject matter experts manning equipment displays ranging from small arms and Soldier protective gear to combat and tactical vehicles.
There, the visitors also learned more about important acquisition efforts aimed at providing Soldiers significantly enhanced capability. Scott J. Davis, program executive officer for Combat Support and Combat Service Support, briefed the contingent on some of the systems in his portfolio. "Today represents a wonderful opportunity for the Army Acquisition Corps to showcase how their talents and teammates shape critical capabilities for America's Soldiers and value for America's taxpayers," he said.
"It was a privilege for them to meet our hardworking teammates and to see the future-focused systems we are actively moving into Soldiers' hands, like our new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle," Davis added.
The visitors concluded their visit with a media engagement. The media opportunity was designed for the members of Congress to share what they learned about the organization's importance to national security.
(Editor's note: PEO CS&CSS, PEO GCS, U.S. Army Garrison -- Detroit Arsenal and TARDEC Public Affairs contributed to this report.)
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