DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. – Maj. Gen. Michael B. Lalor outlined during a May 22 town hall how the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command is evolving alongside the broader Army – with agility, efficiency and urgency.
“It’s about being more lethal and making sure we can get warfighting capabilities where we need them so Soldiers can fight and win,” he said.
At his final TACOM town hall as commanding general, Lalor spoke about successful programs, core priorities and how authorities intercepted a threat against the Detroit Arsenal.
The town hall was held roughly three weeks following the release of the Army Transformation Initiative. The multi-faceted effort aims to modernize the force while increasing lethality and efficiency.
“The Army Transformation Initiative was developed by the Army,” with input from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his team, Lalor said. “While it’s directed from the Office of the Secretary of Defense … the Army came up with some initiatives to transform itself based on the interim national security strategy and the president’s guidance.”
As it adapts to meet future needs, TACOM is strategically driving at three main lines of effort: delivering warfighting capabilities, optimizing force structure and eliminating waste and obsolete programs.
“At the end of the day, we’re a military organization, and we execute," Lalor said. "We’ll always execute to make sure we can deliver what we need to the Army.”
Top priorities around warfighting capabilities include rapidly fielding the M1E3 tank series, introducing long-range missiles and modernized unmanned aerial systems into formations, and developing future long-range assault aircraft. Efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into decision-making will be accelerated.
Leaders across the Army have been working to eliminate redundancies and increase synergy. Those initiatives include reducing general officer positions and merging Army Futures Command (AFC) and Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Outdated programs will be cancelled.
At TACOM, officials are looking to consolidate office space and combine Integrated Logistics Support Center directorates. They're also exploring how to creatively and efficiently challenge the status quo.
Lalor stressed that depot and arsenal modernization will continue.
“We’re well-blessed with resources,” he said. “We’ve just got to make sure we’re putting them in the right places.”
Lalor went on to say that TACOM met its most recent workforce reduction target by using the Deferred Resignation Program and other voluntary tools. Roughly 900 workspaces have opened at the Detroit Arsenal over the last three months.
He said if any further workforce reshaping is needed in the future, “We will do it smartly.”
Despite a fluid environment and future budget uncertainties, TACOM’s priorities remain the same: workforce, workload, production, innovation and connection.
“Our mission every day is: We deliver material readiness for the Army,” Lalor said, “and our vision is: we solve problems for the Army. It’s pretty simple.”
The commanding general also spoke about how TACOM leadership worked closely with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to intercept a planned May 13 attack at the Detroit Arsenal. The suspect was under constant surveillance from the summer of 2024 through his arrest, which Lalor said he authorized.
“This is a really good example of coordination between multiple federal agencies to get to the right resolution,” he said.
When asked during a question-and-answer session about why the arsenal’s Force Protection Condition (FPCON) level was not raised during the investigation, Lalor said an increase wasn’t warranted. He also said authorities wanted to avoid tipping off the suspect.
“It’s a fine, delicate balance in this world of making sure you protect, but then also making sure that you have the conditions set for his apprehension,” he said.
Lalor emphasized that protecting TACOM’s employees and mission is a top priority for leadership.
Additionally, the town hall celebrated TACOM good news stories such as breakthroughs in advanced manufacturing, the debut of the command Hall of Fame and the launch of the Soldier Equipping and Asset Management (SEAM) program. There were live cut-a-ways to employee award presentations across the command.
Lt. Col. Douglas Yates, TACOM chaplain, shared a message about leadership. He said effective teams are built around climates of trust, cohesion and respect.
“We’re all formal and informal leaders here, as we are serving alongside each other to make TACOM great,” he said.
Lalor’s final TACOM town hall was also Command Sgt. Maj. Kofie B. Primus’s first. Primus joined TACOM earlier this spring.
In his remarks to the workforce, Primus said TACOM is the backbone of Army readiness.
“There is no second place in combat,” he said. “Our Army is transitioning very, very fast. The side that does not transition with urgency and speed will lose.
“As an organization, we have an inherent responsibility to make sure our Soldiers are ready to win the next conflict.”
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