ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – Leaders at U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command updated Gen. Ed Daly, Commander of U.S. Army Materiel Command and the service’s senior sustainer, on JMC’s latest efforts to increase munitions readiness for warfighters Oct. 27.
Brig. Gen. Gavin Gardner, JMC’s commanding general, highlighted the organization’s holistic approach to adapting the production, shipment, storage and demilitarization of $59 billion of conventional munitions to the 21st century.
“Modernization must be tied to output,” Gardner said of the changes happening at JMC headquarters as well as its 17 subordinate arsenals, depots and ammunition plants. “We need to modernize our processes going forward as the operational environment continues to change.”
JMC’s top priority is taking care of its people. The enterprise is overhauling how it recruits and retains the thousands of civilian team members across the nation who ensure U.S. troops have quality munitions wherever and whenever needed.
“Currently, 32% of the workforce is retirement-eligible,” Peggy Holvoet, the chief human resources specialist at JMC, said. “We also have a 70-day time-to-hire period for new personnel. We have reduced our time to hire by 40 days over the last couple years.”
Talent management is a major topic across the Army as well as the U.S. Department of Defense.
“We are going to change the whole process,” Daly said, referring to how the Army hires people. “Every day over 30 days we lose leverage in the fight for talent. And I truly believe it is a fight for talent.”
Another focus involves getting munitions to the point of need faster and more efficiently. JMC recently tested the Centralized Ammunition Management Quarterly Resupply Model, an innovative method to better deliver munitions to more than 80 Army Ammunition Supply Points in the Continental United States.
The CAM QRM resupplies ASPs every three months based on usage patterns as opposed to monthly deliveries of amounts requested by each unit. The old method resulted in excess rounds of ammunition delivered, leading to increased transportation costs and extra labor hours spent receiving, inspecting and storing the rounds.
The trial resulted in a 37% reduction in the number of trucks used and a 22% reduction of short tons of ammunition stored at ASPs.
“Transportation costs went up 30 percent last year, but we were able to use cost savings through this program to make up the difference,” said Dave Banian, JMC’s director of munitions logistics.
Daly emphasized the importance of the QRM project.
“By moving to quarterly resupply, you are reducing the effects of supply chain vulnerability in trucking,” Daly said. “This is huge. If we are going to approach the 21st century differently in how we operate we have to challenge the status quo in everything we do. We have to fundamentally change how we do business.”
At the end of the update, Daly communicated his guidance for the way ahead.
“I really appreciate the fantastic work done by everyone at JMC,” Daly said. “You are driving change. You’re thinking not just at a tactical but at a strategic perspective. You’re leaning in and thinking deep. Keep driving- you have the intent. Run with it.”
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.
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