Gen. Gustave F. Perna, the commanding general of U.S. Army Materiel Command, makes a point to visit his subordinate unit headquarters once every quarter to receive operational updates and to interact, face-to-face, with his subordinate commanders and their staffs. Perna travelled to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois Feb. 25 to meet with Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command's (SDDC) commanding general, Maj. Gen. Stephen E. Farmen and his team of Surface Warriors.
Farmen started with an update on SDDC's progress with AMC's internal, four-stage "Shape the Fight" workforce realignment initiative. The program, which involves reorganizing certain staff functions to better synchronize, integrate and deliver readiness, aims to align the workforce with the right functions and work.
According to Perna, "Our collective goal must be to have 100 percent of the people doing 100 percent of the right work across our enterprise."
SDDC's Shape the Fight efforts were on track with AMC's initiative, resulting in Perna approving SDDC to move forward from stage 2 to stage 3 in its headquarters realignment.
Farmen then transitioned to the command's operational readiness update, highlighting SDDC's high operational tempo, which included successful completion of 24 brigade combat team moves, six combat training center rotation moves and 10 ammunition shipment moves since December.
"Our job is to bridge the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise (JDDE) to the Materiel Enterprise," said Farmen, "and by doing so, SDDC is enabling AMC's ability to build and sustain readiness."
Farmen explained that SDDC accomplishes this by ensuring the command's priorities are nested within and support AMC's priorities.
"SDDC is using its eight 'readiness levers' to feed into AMC's strategic support areas," Farmen told Perna, referring to the readiness capabilities the command uses to evaluate operational effectiveness, comprehensive readiness, capacity and risk.
Perna concurred, "Your effort to operationalize your mission to achieve greater output against your eight readiness levers is starting to pay off."
"Comprehensive readiness is about seeing yourself and not having single points of failure," Perna continued. "You are truly operationalizing efforts."
Perna took time during his visit to recognize Navy Capt. John Duenas, SDDC's director of Operations, for his work as the SDDC G3 and said he wanted to ensure Duenas, who will soon depart the command for a new assignment, knew his efforts were fully appreciated.
He also presented AMC commander's coins to six high-performing Surface Warriors from throughout the SDDC headquarters for their outstanding efforts.
In addition to those he recognized, Perna said that he really appreciated the efforts of everyone within SDDC.
"The SDDC team has been doing a great job. Well done."
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