Acquisition Insight Day Provides Training for Logisticians
By Eric Cramer
More than 200 logisticians attended the Defense Acquisition University/Rock Island Arsenals Acquisition Day of Insight, May 6, in the iWireless Center in Moline, Ill.
The seminar was an opportunity for logisticians to train, but also provided the venue for a letter of agreement between DAU and Quad City area colleges, bringing more training opportunities to the Rock Island Arsenal community.
The theme of the seminar was "The Changing Face of Acquisition Logistics: Providing Warfighter Solutions in an Era of Persistent Conflict."
A key portion of the day was a panel discussion featuring representatives from the major tenant organizations at Rock Island Arsenal. Speaking in the panel portion of the training were: Jerry Jackson, head of TACOM-Lifecycle Management Command, Rock Island Arsenal; Col. Craig Cotter, commander, RIA-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center; D. Scott Welker, deputy to the commander, Army Sustainment Command; James Loehrl, executive director of Rock Island Contracting Center; Brig. Gen. Larry Wyche, commander, Joint Munitions Command; Kraig Rauch, U.S. Army Research and development Engineering Center; and Hung Pham, Edgewood Biological and Chemical Center.
While outlining the contributions of their various commands, the speakers all stressed the importance of acquisition logistics in support of the warfighter.
"It is because of experts like you, in the acquisitions field that allows us to provide the capability we provide," Wyche said. "Your support in the acquisition business is absolutely critical."
Wyche said in 2002 JMC managed 38 munitions types, and some of them were in "red status."
"In 2002, we were not doing good," he said. "Today we have 44 families of ammunition that are all in green status."
The change from 2002 to present was also emphasized by Loehrl who said that his operation at Rock Island Arsenal had grown from having 180 people in 2002, to having more than 340 today, and a total of 400 counting those at other duty stations.
Cotter said that he doesn't operate at the level of Loehrl's world-wide responsibilities. "They use the 'b-word' - billions," Cotter said. "I only use the 'm-word' - millions."
He said acquisitions operators must remember that the Army has a government-owned organic base. "I have a 400 million operation with 1,900 people who make things, and your tax dollars are invested in them," Cotter said. "When you are challenged with a requirement, consider the government-owned organic base - all you have to do is MIPR me money, and I can make stuff for you."
TACOM-RIA Chief Jackson echoed Cotter.
"I have a success story," Jackson said. "We had a procurement contract for mortar firing pins. It's just a metal piece, you screw it into the bottom of the mortar, drop rounds down on it and they go downrange and go boom," he said.
"We accepted some that were just a little bit too short," Jackson said. "I was in my office on Saturday and got into an e-mail chat room with Col. Cotter. The conversation was sort of, 'Sir, can you make mortar firing pins.' 'Roger.' 'Do it and we'll sort out the details on Monday.' Thirty days later I shipped 1,000 mortar firing pins to the field."
Pham and Rauch described their programs at Rock Island Arsenal.
The Insight Day continued with breakout sessions throughout the afternoon on topics as diverse as, The Role of the Life Cycle Logistician; Service Acquisition Workshop; Performance Based Life Cycle Product Support; DAU Products and Services; Source Selection; Life Cycle Logistics; Senior Service College Fellowship Program; and How Logistics Impacts DAW across the world from a TACOM-LCMC perspective.
Social Sharing