Organic Industrial Base key to Army strategic readiness

By Megan GullyJuly 9, 2021

Army Materiel Command’s top leader Gen. Ed Daly chairs the Organic Industrial Base Commander’s Summit July 7 and 8 at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
Army Materiel Command’s top leader Gen. Ed Daly chairs the Organic Industrial Base Commander’s Summit July 7 and 8 at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. (Photo Credit: Megan Gully) VIEW ORIGINAL

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — As the Army continues to modernize and prepare for large scale combat operations in a multi-domain environment, the Army senior sustainer said that the decisions being made today will set the stage for the Organic Industrial Base’s ability to support strategic readiness both now and in the future.

That was the message Army Materiel Command’s top leader Gen. Ed Daly had for those attending the OIB Commander’s Summit July 7 and 8.

The Army's OIB, consisting of 26 depots, arsenals and ammunition plants, manufactures and resets Army equipment, generating readiness and operational capability throughout Army formations. Daly emphasized the importance of the OIB in maintaining readiness today, building surge capacity and modernizing to enable the future force.

“Our depots, arsenals and ammunitions plants are the most important element of Army strategic readiness across the sustainment warfighting function,” said Daly. “As Army leaders look at strategic readiness, what comes front and center is the OIB.”

Daly hosted the OIB commanders and other AMC leadership to hold candid discussion about processes and policies to examine how to set the conditions for the OIB’s modernization.

“Now is the time to examine the OIB in terms of policy, execution and workload to ensure we are modernizing to achieve the right effects to take us through the next 40 years,” said Daly. “History tells us that we need the OIB, and it’s time to go all in on asserting your relevance to strategic readiness.”

Earlier this year, AMC leaders unveiled a 15-year OIB modernization strategy with a four-phase approach to identify, evaluate, analyze and develop a plan to incorporate emerging technologies into the OIB. At the guidance session in March, Daly told the leaders of the Life Cycle Management Commands and OIB commanders to assess and execute the inclusion of new, 21st century technology that can improve conditions, efficiencies and effectiveness across facilities.

During the OIB Commander’s Summit, Daly further challenged the leaders to look at their modernization plans and ensure they are intrinsically linked to the Army’s 31 plus 4 critical modernization capabilities.

“We need to highlight and communicate the equipment and capabilities necessary to support the Army’s modernization efforts and keep the OIB relevant for 40 more years,” said Daly. “History shows us that the Army will win when there is logistics success, and your organizations are exponentially important in the logistics community in achieving overmatch and dominance.”

AMC’s Executive Deputy to the Commanding General Lisha Adams highlighted that while these are challenging times for the OIB, the Army chose the best of the best to lead its industrial base through these essential modernization efforts.

“You are being pulled in many directions and asked to become experts in a process you might not have had experience with prior to this assignment, but if it was easy to do your job, then we would have chosen someone else to do it,” said Adams.