FORT RILEY, Kan. — Nov. 29, 2023 — In a trip to Anniston Army Depot (ANAD), Alabama, and Fort Riley, Kansas, Brig. Gen. Michael Lalor, commanding general of U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, talked about his biggest priorities. Speaking at the first-ever TACOM town hall from the grounds of ANAD, Lalor said his goal was to help TACOM accomplish its mission “smarter, faster, better connected and with greater innovation. Because at the end of the day, we’re the Army’s logistics. We make sure our warfighters have what they need to be ready for the next fight.”
Lalor’s visit to ANAD saw him note that Army readiness is a priority for Army leaders around the world, especially in the wake of recent conflicts. “What we have to ensure that the Army has combat-ready formations that are ready to defend the country at any time,” said Lalor. “TACOM’s responsible for maintaining many of the ground combat systems and much of the equipment that the Army needs to accomplish that mission.”
As part of its mission, TACOM manages part of the Army’s organic industrial base, which includes facilities like ANAD. The Army’s OIB provides equipment and systems needed for the Army’s formations to function at peak readiness. It produces essential goods like mortar and cannon tubes used on platforms like the Abrams tank, which ANAD helps sustain.
Lalor pointed out that continuing to meet that objective requires TACOM to take advantage of new opportunities to more efficiently provide logistics and sustainment support to forward- and rear-deployed formations:
“Things are changing in the world around us. Both the public and private sectors are generating innovative changes in industrial processes every day, in both their facilities and their people. It’s my focus to change the way we operate [in order] to help bring in some of that innovation and to help our people stay competitive throughout their careers.”
Following his time at ANAD, Lalor visited the sustainment facilities of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division in Fort Riley. 1st Inf. Div. is a combined arms infantry division and the Army’s oldest continuously serving division. The division is just one of the frontline organizations that TACOM supports, due in part to the ground combat systems that make up parts of its formations.
As part of his visit, Lalor toured the division’s Service and Recovery Shop and spoke with members of the 101st Support Battalion Supply Support Activity Turn-In Section. Speaking with Soldiers from 1st Inf. Div.'s sustainment operations, Lalor said, offered an inside glimpse into how Army readiness looks from the eyes of frontline Soldiers.
“Seeing these operations firsthand is great because it gives us an honest idea of what life is like for the Soldiers working to sustain their formations,” said Lalor. “It also helps us see what resources we can push out to help reduce backlogs and logistics issues so that your formations have what they need to operate at the level you need.”
Through an Army Materiel Command 101 workshop, Lalor had the opportunity to speak directly to commanders of 1st Inf. Div.’s formations about the kind of help TACOM provides for their troops. Lalor and the TACOM team fielded questions throughout the presentation directly from division personnel about how Soldiers can better access trainings and help solve sustainment problems quickly and effectively.
“If there’s anything you should take away from this,” Lalor began, “it’s that we’re here to help you and your formations. TACOM has outreach programs that your teams can access right now to help resolve problems, from parts acquisition to hands-on repair processes. No matter what role you play within the Army or our logistics processes, TACOM can help you find solutions to get your formations ready for anything.”
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