JMC Transforms Together for the Future through Commanders’ Forum

By Hayley Smith, JMC Public and Congressional AffairsNovember 17, 2021

Brig. Gen. Gavin Gardner, commanding general of U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command, addresses the leaders of the ammunition Organic Industrial Base at JMC’s Commanders Forum Oct. 26. The conference focused on how JMC, the entity responsible for providing all conventional munitions for the U.S. military, and its 17 subordinate commands that make up the ammunition OIB, are transforming together to increase readiness for the warfighter and modernize for the 21st century-environment.
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Gavin Gardner, commanding general of U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command, addresses the leaders of the ammunition Organic Industrial Base at JMC’s Commanders Forum Oct. 26. The conference focused on how JMC, the entity responsible for providing all conventional munitions for the U.S. military, and its 17 subordinate commands that make up the ammunition OIB, are transforming together to increase readiness for the warfighter and modernize for the 21st century-environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Hayley Smith, Joint Munitions Command. ) VIEW ORIGINAL
Col. Santee Vasquez and Col. Michael Hammond, the commanders of Crane Army Ammunition Activity and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, respectively, listen as Brig. Gen. Gavin Gardner, commanding general of U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command, addresses the leaders of the ammunition Organic Industrial Base at JMC’s Commanders Forum Oct. 26. The conference focused on how JMC, the entity responsible for providing all conventional munitions for the U.S. military, and its 17 subordinate commands that make up the ammunition OIB, are transforming together to increase readiness for the warfighter and modernize for the 21st century-environment.
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Santee Vasquez and Col. Michael Hammond, the commanders of Crane Army Ammunition Activity and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, respectively, listen as Brig. Gen. Gavin Gardner, commanding general of U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command, addresses the leaders of the ammunition Organic Industrial Base at JMC’s Commanders Forum Oct. 26. The conference focused on how JMC, the entity responsible for providing all conventional munitions for the U.S. military, and its 17 subordinate commands that make up the ammunition OIB, are transforming together to increase readiness for the warfighter and modernize for the 21st century-environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Hayley Smith, Joint Munitions Command.) VIEW ORIGINAL

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command senior leaders and JMC Organic Industrial Base commanders met for a three-day workshop on 26-28 Oct 21 to discuss how the Command would transform to meet the future needs of the Warfighter. The meeting focused on how JMC, the entity responsible for providing all conventional munitions for the U.S. military, and its 17 subordinate commands that make up the ammunition OIB, are transforming together to increase readiness for the warfighter and modernize for the 21st century-environment.

Brig. Gen. Gavin Gardner, JMC’s commanding general, pointed to remarks made by Gen. Ed Daly, the Army’s senior sustainer and head of U.S. Army Materiel Command at a recent meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army as he addressed the assembled commanders.

“Gen. Daly quoted Eisenhower at AUSA when he said, ‘You will not find it difficult to prove that battles, campaigns and even wars have been won or lost primarily because of logistics,’” said Gardner of the importance of JMC’s mission.

The focus of the forum was the Army’s priorities of people, readiness and modernization.

The JMC enterprise’s ability to provide $59 billion of munitions and missiles to warfighters depends on the dedication and skill of its predominantly civilian workforce. Army Civilians comprise almost a quarter of the greater Army team, but for AMC, JMC’s four-star higher headquarters, that number skyrockets to 95 percent.

Since people is a priority, “the Army is in a war for talent,” Gardner said. “Thirty-two percent of JMC’s workforce is retirement-eligible.”

Commanders discussed ways to recruit and retain talent to keep the industrial base warm, as well as training employees to operate new and modernized equipment.

When discussing readiness, a critical component is ensuring that we have workload to keep a warm base at all times. To do that, JMC is changing some of its business methods.

JMC recently stood up a business development team to seek partnerships with government and private organizations. Commanders discussed how the new team will seek out projects to further hone the workforce’s key skills while providing lower costs, equipment access, secure ISO-certified facilities and experienced employees to the potential customer.

“Business development keeps our arsenal relevant,” Col. Patrick Daulton, commander of Pine Bluff Arsenal out of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, said of the program.

During the forum, Gardner stressed to the commanders that the Army is changing and that the enterprise must change with it.

The forum was also an opportunity for JMC leadership to discuss the current OIB 15-year modernization strategy. This strategy plans for the future warfighter and the equipment and processes that will be necessary to meet their needs in the coming years. Developing this strategy requires all members of the JMC team to look into the future and assess what equipment and workforce skills will be needed to make sure that America’s warfighter has the right ammo to train, fight, and win on the future battlefield.

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.