AMC commander praises "one of a kind" installation

By Ms. Megan Cotton (AMC)February 19, 2016

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1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Materiel Command's Commander Gen. Dennis L. Via and Brig. Gen. Jack Haley, commanding of the 593rd Sustainment Command, discuss the Army's transition to sustainment during a lunch with senior logisticians and signal leaders from around Joint Bas... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Army Materiel Command's Commander Gen. Dennis L. Via praised the work being done by Soldiers and civilians to maintain readiness in the Pacific theater during a visit Feb. 8.

While touring the Regional Logistics Readiness Center, Via complimented the new facility as a single production point, co-locating logistical hubs for the Communications-Electronics Command and the Tank-automotive and Armaments Command. He called the facility the premier LRC in the Army.

"This facility is done right and should be the model for what we do at all our major logistics hubs. When you talk about readiness and what we need to support our Soldiers, this fits the bill and addresses those needs," he said. "When Soldiers see the AMC patch, it means trust; they know you will resolve their issue and take care of them."

During the visit, Via had lunch with senior logisticians and signal leaders from around JBLM's commands. The group discussed the Army's transition to sustainment to Soldier-based maintenance and reducing the Army's reliance on contractors.

"In the near future we need to maintain readiness at all times because we don't know what the Army's next mission will be," Via said. "It requires processes and procedures within the units to ensure that you are diagnosing issues, ordering the right parts, and understanding the processes of maintaining equipment yourself, so your unit is ready no matter when or where you deploy."

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley's number one priority is readiness, and readiness is why AMC exists, Via said.

"We are getting back to basics of sustaining and maintaining equipment, but I have no doubt you can do it," he said. "You are the experts and I know we are heading down the right path."

Around JBLM, Via recognized employees for their hard work and years of service to the government.

"We travel a long way just to say thank you, but you deserve it for everything you've done," he said.

The visit to JBLM was the final leg of a Pacific Command tour for Via. He also visited South Korea and Hawaii to discuss AMC's support to the Pacific.