ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- The Joint Munitions Command continuously improves its processes to deliver munitions readiness at the right place and right time.
The joint force is preparing for large scale combat across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. Under the Multi-Domain Operations concept, Army Materiel Command has reorganized and reshaped to ensure readiness of the Strategic Support Areas, where military might is generated, projected and sustained during the fight. These SSA initiatives create the ability for Army senior leaders to make risk-based decisions on positioning ammunition worldwide. Munitions readiness is achieved by balancing worldwide requirements with the industrial base, capacity and production to provide flexible munitions options.
"Providing the Joint Force with ready, reliable and lethal munitions to sustain global readiness involves implementing new business processes to become more efficient and effective in meeting stockage objectives requirements," said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Pennie Temmerman, military deputy, Munitions and Logistics Readiness Center, JMC.
As part of one new initiative to improve CONUS ammo positioning, AMC major subordinate commands now visit various FORSCOM divisions on a monthly basis to communicate the value AMC brings to the battlefield. JMC highlights how they enable munitions readiness for training and go-to-war requirements. JMC leaders emphasize the importance of identifying requirements and deliberate planning; the effectiveness of the Centralized Ammunition Management proactive distribution process; and the impacts of each unit properly forecasting their ammo requirements. Providing visibility of units' munitions forecasting and execution enables them to improve their forecasting, which will free up assets, enable cross-leveling and diminish mal-distribution. Additionally, the improvements reduce the amount of ammunition to be stored at installations and required for re-supply shipments.
Through research and direct interaction with ammo customers, JMC enables tactical to strategic readiness building partnerships and enabling dynamic munitions employment.
"Operational engagements promote discipline in munitions planning to inform requirements, reduce over-forecasting and encourage leveraging the Strategic Support Area in peacetime in order to train and strengthen munitions readiness," said Temmerman. "We must work collectively to identify all requirements so commanders can make the most informed decision on quantities and positioning in each theater."
As part of an additional ammunition logistics initiative, JMC supports a process to distribute ammunition from a depot or plant directly to a unit in a tactical environment. Normally, JMC ships ammo to installation Ammunition Supply Points (ASP); the ASP then issues that ammunition to the unit.
Exercising throughput distribution, the ammunition supply bypasses the ASP and is delivered to the Brigade's Ammunition Transfer and Holding Point (ATHP); thus, providing the unit's Ammunition Soldiers an opportunity to establish and train on the Standard Army Ammunition System, perform explosive safety site planning, receipt, account for and issue ammunition. Maximizing this opportunity to operationalize training further enhances unit level proficiency and skill to plan and occupy an expeditionary ATHP in an immature theater and execute large-scale combat operations. This ammunition distribution wholesale-to-tactical initiative increased the unit's munitions readiness and is open to all units with ASP/ATHP missions.
The primary mission of JMC is to provide the Joint Force with ready, reliable and lethal munitions at the speed of war to sustain global readiness. With new logistics processes to allocate and distribute munitions, JMC continues to excel at providing the Joint Force with the lethality needed to win in Multi-Domain Operations.
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