HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Nathan Godwin, Army Materiel Command's Assistant Deputy G-3/4 for Current Operations, spoke to the nine newly-minted graduates of the supply chain management program during a ceremony at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Dec. 13.
The program, which began in January 2015, is part of a work-share initiative between AMC and UAH. It allows AMC enterprise employees the opportunity to take graduate courses in the College of Business at UAH, and return to work in the afternoon.
The partnership is something UAH officials said they wish to continue for the foreseeable future.
"We are very pleased to work with AMC. We believe this is a very important mission, providing theoretical as well as practical knowledge to our students. In fact, we learn just as much in the classroom as the students do. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge," Dr. Christine Curtis, UAH provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said during her opening remarks.
That experience and knowledge will translate into the Army civilian career programs of supply management, materiel maintenance management, transportation and distribution management, as well as ammunition management.
"Are we ever proud of you and what you've achieved. Do you know why people in combat are successful? Because of you. If AMC fails, our Army fails. The Soldiers would have no ammo, food, uniforms, protective gear or parts. Things would just grind to a halt," Godwin said to the graduates.
Much of the course focused on supply chain strategy, enterprise resources, planning systems and contract management. It took the students beyond the scope of traditional logistics and focused on the importance of developing critical thinking skills to better understand the entire process.
"What you've learned over the past few months is the academic side of thinking and planning. You're going to be the ones who'll apply what you've learned, not just today, but into an uncertain future. Tomorrow what you do reaches around the world. You're not just sending parts to American Soldiers forward, you're sending them to our partners and allies. We're especially proud to have you as part of our workforce," Godwin said.
The graduates were Andrea Benson, Donald Boudah, Eric Brown, Robert Cowley, James Drylie, Daniel Machado, Emilia Nguyen, James Silas and Michael Washington.
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