Munitions Logistics Critical to Warfighter Lethality

By Dianna Roendeldt (JMC)September 5, 2019

Munitions Logistics Critical to Warfighter Lethality
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. - The Joint Munitions Command's, Munitions Logistics Directorate, Distribution Division, ensures the right amount of ammunition is at the right place at the right time to support Combatant Commander's deployment schedules and training requirements.

JMC provides munitions to Warfighters at 85 Army active, reserve and National Guard installations. Additionally, they ship ammunition to support Air Force, Navy and U.S. Marine Corps requirements to 177 different locations within the United States.

In 2002, JMC implemented the Centralized Ammunition Management process. CAM is a customer service focused practice that begins and ends with the Warfighter. It assesses continental United States training, test, ammunition (combat, sustainment, operational) loads, new equipment training and mobilization requirements against Ammunition Supply Point stocks on hand to determine the correct distribution at Army posts, camps, and stations. Distribution sites include requirements for National Guard, Army Sustainment Command and Forces Command.

The CAM process ensures JMC "provides the Joint Force with ready, reliable and lethal munitions at the speed of war," said Dave Banian, director, Munitions Logistics Directorate.

As part of ammunition planning, units forecast their training requirements using the Standards in Training Commission process coordinated through the Army Commands, then passed to Headquarters, Department of the Army, G3 for validation. The Army Commands sub-authorize to units who forecast their requirements in Total Ammunition Management Information System.

This process, along with established CAM regions that align with the transportation network, allows JMC to integrate wholesale and retail ammunition management and consolidate ammunition loads. CAM's logistic supply chain management principles work regardless of who owns the sites for shipment.

CAM executes this mission via a monthly supply control study assessing forecasted requirements against stock on hand to determine the appropriate resupply rate. The supply is managed at the aggregate ASP level rather than unit level to gain efficiencies, since units rarely consume all ammunition supplied. Supply packages are consolidated to build full commercial truck loads in an effort to reduce costs and create efficient ammo movements.

The Munitions Logistics Directorate's ability to effectively accomplish this critical readiness function ensures Warfighter's munition readiness is maintained worldwide in support of Multi-Domain operations.

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