ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. - Joint Munitions Command, the U.S. Army entity responsible for providing all conventional ammunition to American warfighters, is rethinking how it manages contracts for its ammunition plants.
JMC’s 17 subordinate commands include government-owned, contractor-operated facilities in addition to installations owned and operated by the government.
“We’re reassessing how we manage contracts for our GOCO facilities,” said Chris Martin, the JMC division chief for GOCO policy integration. “We’re taking steps to focus on the installation more holistically rather than just on the explosive assets the facility can produce.”
This overhaul is part of the Army’s greatest transformation in 40 years and will ensure the Organic Industrial Base continues to support warfighters and is ready to execute Large-Scale Combat Operations. The JMC enterprise is part of the OIB, which manufactures, repairs and retains munitions.
JMC’s new GOCO contracts will increase cost-reporting oversight and be more tailor-made to the circumstances of specific locations.
“The new contracts will ensure we have increased access to the fine details of the expenses incurred by contractors, as well as their abilities to provide munitions,” Martin said. “A good analogy is what whenever a company bids on running a GOCO facility, they will not just have to bake us a cake, but show us the recipe too.”
Allowing for the agreements to be site-specific is essential to cost reduction.
“Our GOCO sites are located across the country,” said JMC Director of Facilities Readiness Corey Hotle. “Depending on factors such as local energy costs or specific state regulations for each facility, we can write contracts to focus efforts and monetary resources where they’ll be most effective. It’s how we can get the best bang for our buck.”
Responsibly using taxpayer money isn’t the only goal to this initiative, however. Implementing these kinds of reforms are key to maintaining a competitive advantage over near-peer adversaries, such as China.
“The U.S. Army’s goal is overmatch,” said Hotle. “We never want to send our Soldiers into a fair fight. That starts by getting quality ammunition to them faster, more effectively and at a lower cost.”
JMC and its 17 subordinate arsenals, depots and ammunition plants produce, store, distribute and demilitarize all conventional munitions for the U.S. Department of Defense. The enterprise is accountable for $59 billion of munitions and missiles.
Social Sharing