ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- The Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command and Joint Munitions Command held their change of command ceremony here, June 20, at Memorial Park.
Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix replaced Maj. Gen. Steven E. Farmen, who relinquished command of JM&L LCMC and JMC after 11 months as the senior leader.
The Joint Munitions & Lethality Life Cycle Management Command is co-located at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, and the Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. The JM&L LCMC aligns three organizations to execute the Army's munitions and lethality mission: the Program Executive Office for Ammunition; the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center and the Joint Munitions Command. Dix will serve as the leader and commander for both organizations.
Gen. Dennis L. Via, Commanding General, Army Materiel Command, served as the officiating officer. He spoke of Farmen's significant accomplishments, while also welcoming Dix and his Family to JMC and back to the Quad Cities' area. Dix previously served at the Rock Island Arsenal with the Army Sustainment Command from 2010 to 2012 as Chief of Staff.
"JMC will continue to be in good hands as we transition command today," said Via. "While the ceremony you just observed represents a change of responsibility between two outstanding general officers, it also represents the deep traditions of our military and reaffirms the authority and responsibility invested by our Army and the Nation, in the commander."
Farmen mentioned that Dix and his Family were previously stationed here, so he is aware of special relationship between the military community and the Quad Cities. "You have a fantastic team to work with and I know you will take it to new heights."
"What an incredible privilege it has been for me to lead such a dynamic and diverse team of professionals," said Farmen during his remarks. "Rich, I've got to tell you, the JMC staff you are inheriting is the best I've worked with in my 30 years of service."
Dix arrives in Rock Island after serving as the Commander of the Defense Logistics Agency since May 2014. He is a 2009 graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. He also received a Master of Arts in Procurement and Acquisition Management from Webster University.
"The greatest pleasure and the greatest gift that one can have is the opportunity to command and lead troops and 'Team Dix' takes that very seriously," said Dix during his closing remarks. "We appreciate this opportunity. We have truly returned home. JMC, we'll give you everything that we've got. Let's go to work."
Joint Munitions Command produces small-, medium- and large-caliber ammunition items for the Department of Defense. The primary mission of JMC is to manage the production, storage, issue, and demilitarization of conventional ammunition for all U.S. Military Services. JMC is the sustainment and logistics integrator for life-cycle management of ammunition and provides a global presence of technical support to U.S. combat units wherever they are stationed or deployed.
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