ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. - Robert Wild, Logistics Integration Directorate, was presented with a check for $500 by Brig. Gen. Larry Wyche on March 9 for saving the Joint Munitions Command $12,514,986.
Wild completed a Just Do It Lean Six Sigma project that focused on unserviceable Condition Code E Army-owned ammunition, which required only limited expense or effort to restore to a serviceable condition.
"Ammunition is inventoried and inspected on a regular basis, but there has been little funding available to support small projects with the potential to upgrade CC-E ammunition to a serviceable condition for Army use in training and current operations," said Wild.
Wild identified 200 ammunition items with current Army requirements.
"After that a large number of people at Joint Munitions Command headquarters and installations worked together to take a one-page concept paper and turn it into a successful JDI project. Inventory managers refined my original list and added several items," said Wild.
The Integrated Logistics Strategy team then identified $484,214 in funding to support the project.
"Installation representatives then took the challenge to accept funding for half-a-work-year each to locally implement the project. Eight JMC installations each developed local strategies within the general JMC headquarters guidance. Through a combination of special inspections, segregation projects, administrative reviews and maintenance lines, the eight installations upgraded $12,999,219 of unserviceable CC-E ammunition to serviceable condition for Army use," said Wild.
Examples of improving munitions include 100 percent inspection of claymore mines for exposed explosive; running 800,000 .50 caliber cartridges over a maintenance line; and segregation of 5,000 mixed handheld signals into seven serviceable lots.
Installation Quality Assurance personnel inspected CC-E ammunition with minor damage to outer packs and upgraded several lots to serviceable condition codes for priority of issue to support current CONUS training requirements.
"This project is a great life cycle management command success. The LCMC spent $500,000 in Operations and maintenance Army money to save $13 million in procurement army funding, since it avoids buying new items. It shows the power of the LCMC when both the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology and Army Materiel Command communities work together," said Walt Songaila, LSS Program Office.
"One thing I've learned from LSS is that a when a project's first run returns positive results with wide variation, there is opportunity for additional improvement. The next step to improving this process is to provide JDI results to Jim Rohler's CC-E mining Black Belt project, but that's another LSS success story," said Wild.
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