Col. Landis Maddox, the commander of the Joint Munitions Command, was jazzed up before his first ever enterprise-wide Town Hall address.
The trait isn’t new for Maddox. He stood in front of those in attendance for the gathering in-person at the JMC’s headquarters in Rock Island, Illinois, and virtually, and Maddox explained why that is.
“I get energy through people,” said Maddox, who assumed his duties at the JMC last May.
First on Maddox’s agenda during the Town Hall, which took place Wednesday, Jan. 18, was acknowledging that JMC’s people are its cornerstone.
“The impact that we have had on the Army and DoD has been phenomenal —unprecedented,” Maddox said. “I just got off the phone with Gen. (Edward) Daly, (the commanding general of the Army Materiel Command,) and we ended the conversation with this. He said, ‘I’m so proud of JMC, and what y’all have done and continue to do every day.’ I echo those same comments.”
When he first arrived at JMC, Maddox set out to visit each installation in the enterprise’s Organic Industrial Base (OIB). It took him six months to do so, and the trips gave Maddox a lot of perspective. He likes what the command is doing regarding readiness, but there are two areas Maddox wants to improve upon.
“I want us to get better in our modernization effort,” Maddox said.
He also stated, “We have to take care of our people. We need to be a people centric organization.
“You need to know how important you are to us as a team.”
Jay Carr, the executive director for ammunition and the deputy to the commander for JMC, has put forth a lot of effort into the enterprise’s human capital strategic plan.
“I truly want to focus on the people aspect of our priorities going forward,” he said. “It’s amazing what happens within JMC whether it’s in the headquarters or out at any one of the installations.
“Please keep the lines of communication open,” Carr added. “We can't solve issues that we don't know about.”
To view the Town Hall video, visit: https://www.milsuite.mil/video/watch/video/59911
JMC 2030 serves as Maddox’s vision for future
The central topic of the Town Hall was JMC 2030. It nests with the Army’s, and AMC’s missions, priorities, and objectives.
JMC 2030 is Maddox’s vision for the command moving forward. One of the main cornerstones of JMC 2030 — a futuristic and progressive approach to set munitions readiness on a strategic and sustainable path — is the use of data and analytics.
“We have to make sure we’re moving in the right direction at the same speed and vector,” Maddox said during the Town Hall. “I want to make sure whatever we do can stand the test of time.
“We can’t do it without you,” he interjected. “I’m excited about where we’re at and what we’re doing.”
JMC 2030 priorities include:
• becoming the premier organization in how the command recruits, develops, employs, and retains employees,
• operationalizing the OIB modernization effort to enable munitions readiness, and
• solidifying JMC as the recognized experts for logistics and munitions.
To learn more about JMC 2030, check out: https://tinyurl.com/2p932u4c
CSM leaving JMC in February for role with G-4
At the Town Hall, JMC employees also learned Command Sgt. Maj. Petra Casarez is changing responsibility in late February 2023. Casarez joined JMC in August 2021, and she will assume the duties as the CSM and deputy chief of staff at the Army’s G-4 headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“I’m so proud of her and what she stands for,” Maddox said of Casarez. “I could not ask for a better non-commissioned officer. I think she is the epitome of what we want in our CSMs.”
JMC will hold a place near and dear to Casarez’s heart.
“I have a true bittersweet feeling about leaving,” she said. “I am not quite ready to go.”
Holston receives safety award from AMC
Just over six minutes into his Town Hall remarks, Maddox commended the Holston Army Ammunition Plant (HSAAP), located in Kingsport, Tennessee.
HSAAP was recently presented with an AMC Excellence in Explosives Safety Award for exceptional achievement in the administration of the Safety and Occupational Health Program from Sept. 2020 to Oct. 2021.
“The command and the safety and occupational health team progressed beyond safety fundamentals by using innovative ways to protect against hazards, which is a testament to their overall commitment to the workplace,” states the citation, which is signed by Gen. Daly and Albert Delgado, AMC’s Command Sgt. Maj., on the award. “HSAAP’s commitment to excellence and dedication to safety reflect great credit upon themselves, the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command, the U.S Army Materiel Command and the Department of the Army.”
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