AUSA ANNUAL ISSUE The Publication of Record for the Military Logistics Community
Special Pull-out supplement
U.S. Army Materiel Command
Readiness Deliverer Gen. Dennis L. Via Commander U.S. Army Materiel Command
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October 2014 Volume 8, Issue 9
Excusive Interview with Maj. Gen. Clark William LeMasters Jr. G3/4/5/7 U.S. Army Materiel Command
Redstone Arsenal O Depot Maintenance Shelters & Shelter Support O Enhancing Operational Readiness
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MILITARY LOGISTICS FORUM
October 2014 Volume 8, Issue 9
Features
Cover / Q&A
U.S. Army Materiel Command Special Pull-Out Supplement
Special Section
10
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH:
Redstone Arsenal
Maj. Gen. Clark William LeMasters Jr.
1
“Redstone is a technological hub for our Army…we are going to be deployed to places where we’re not going to have the home court advantage, and to get our soldiers an advantage over any enemy they face, technology is going to be a big part of it.” By Col. William L. Marks II
G3/4/5/7 U.S. Army Materiel Command
7
How to do Business with Army Materiel Command
10
ACC Deploys Contracting Team
General Dennis L. Via
614th Contingency Contracting Team deployment in support of combat operations is a first. By Daniel P. Elkins
14
15
Tactical Sustainment and GCSS-Army
Expeditionary Shelters
The Global Combat Support System-Army (GCSS-Army) is the Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems’ tactical logistics Enterprise Resource Planning system now in fielding. By Vernon “Lee” Eustace III
The U.S. military wants to acquire expeditionary shelters that are not only durable, lightweight and energy-efficient, but also hardened structures that can help warfighters operate FOBs for at least six months. By William Murray
Departments
Commander U.S. Army Materiel Command
28
31
A look at Army Sustainment Command’s facility investment strategy and the way ahead for its 74 installations consisting of more than 4,000 buildings and structures worldwide. By Andrew L. Appleget
The Army depot system is designed to maximize the Army’s own capabilities and partner with industry to gain synergies from the business world. Military Logistics Forum recently reached out to several of the U.S. Army’s depots to see what they see as their competitive advantages and how their work delivers results for the warfighter.
Facility Investment Strategy
Organic Work
Industry Interview
2 Editor’s Perspective 4 Log ops 8 people 20 Supply Chain 38 White paper forum 39 Resource Center
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Greg Schmidt Sector Vice President and General Manager Technical Services Sector’s Mission Solutions and Readiness Division Northrop Grumman
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EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Military Logistics Forum Volume 8, Issue 9 • October 2014
Publication of Record for the Military Logistics Community Editorial Editor-In-Chief
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The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps are pinning a great deal of future airpower capability on the F-35 Lightning II. Without a doubt, the platform is technologically advanced, lethal and survivable. The services and the contractors are also touting the supportability and sustainability of the aircraft over its entire life cycle. With this has come a high price tag in the very expensive neighborhood of about $1 trillion, making the F-35 the most expensive weapon system we have. A seemingly acceptable metric is that 70 percent of a system’s life cycle costs are found in the operations and support, as opposed to the actual Jeff McKaughan acquisition sticker price. Editor Performance-based logistics systems will be the centerpiece of future support and will be used to “determine options for pursuing the most value-driven performance-based agreements with the support provider,” according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. Several planning documents used by DoD to support an overall sustainment strategy are leading to the Future Support Construct, which is expected by March 2015. However, a recent GAO report has questioned whether the DoD’s current strategy path is affordable. According to their analysis, the F-35’s operations and support costs will run almost $20 billion per year, more than $9 billion ahead of the costs for the F-15C/D, F-16/C/D, AV-8B and F-18A-D combined. Cost increases are a tolerated—if not accepted—fact of acquisition life. On a program of the scope of the F-35, it surprises no one that the program costs today are higher than projected earlier in the program’s life. However, the DoD’s projections need to be reconciled against the services’ actual operating and projected budgets. Whether the sustainment costs are accurate is one thing, but accuracy is of diminished importance if the services cannot afford those costs when it comes time to pay the bill. The same GAO report suggested that the F-35 Joint Program Office “better document assumptions related to intermediate-level maintenance costs and revise assumptions related to fuel burn rates, part replacement and depot-maintenance induction” for all future operations and support cost estimates. Those cost adjustments will become even more necessary as aircraft accrue more and more flight hours and flow into a routine of maintenance that mirrors operational aircraft—especially for items within the intermediate-level maintenance processes. Challenges aside, the F-35 will become the aircraft everyone wants it to be—let’s just hope we can sustain enough of them.
Duane Ebanks duanee@kmimediagroup.com Circulation
Barbara Gill barbg@kmimediagroup.com Denise Woods denisew@kmimediagroup.com Data Specialist
Raymer Villanueva raymerv@kmimediagroup.com
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SPECIAL SECTION: MANNED-UNMANNED TEAMING
UAS Leader Col. Tim Baxter
SPECIAL PULL-OUT SUPPLEMENT USTRANSCOM
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GAIL JORGENSON Acquisition Director USTRANSCOM
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Freedom to Think Forward The military and Intelligence Community need the highest operational availability and the lowest life cycle cost. Leidos delivers effective logistics solutions when they are needed, wherever they are needed.
Evolving logistics through forward thinking. Visit us at AUSA booth #851 leidos.com/logistics
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LOG OPS
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Sentinel Radar Life Cycle Contractor Support Project Manager, Cruise Missile Defense Systems is seeking information for Sentinel radar life cycle contractor support (LCCS). This requirement is to acquire depot maintenance, scheduled overhaul, unscheduled overhaul, contingency operations, vendor repair, transportation, line replaceable unit procurement, depot work loading, travel, software/firmware sustainment for test program sets and technical data package sustainment for repair and test procedures to implement the Sentinel LCCS in the form of supply support, depot-level line repairable maintenance, updates to interactive electronic technical manuals and contractor-fielded engineer technical assistance required to maintain a 90 percent readiness rate.
Pilot Program Offers Army Logisticians Glimpse into DLA’s Roles, Missions The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) hosted two Army logisticians for the month of August as part of a pilot program that rotates interns through four 30-day assignments at key logistics organizations and locations in the government. The Strategic Logistician Internship Program is sponsored by the Army’s Human Resources Command and the Combined Arms Support Command at Fort Lee,
Va. Assignment locations include DLA; the Army Force Management School at Fort Belvoir, Va.; the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army for Logistics at the Pentagon; and the Army Materiel Command headquarters at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. The main goal is to allow participants to shadow senior leaders and personnel at each site to gain exposure to each agency’s missions, functions and roles
in logistics, said Army Lt. Col. Courtney Abraham, deputy Army national account manager in DLA Logistics Operations. “From DLA’s perspective, we want to expose them to the strategic-level activities that we’re doing,” he said. “Out in the Army, many don’t understand who DLA is, what DLA can do for them and how to interact with our agency. This opportunity lends a great advantage to the personnel
selected for the program as well as for their parent command during their utilization assignment. So although it is a short 30-day window, there are numerous takeaways that they can use out in the field to become a positive asset for the organization.” DLA plans to host two more interns in October as part of a second wave of participants in the pilot program. By Amanda Neumann
Insect Infestation Study of Military Ration Packaging Natick Soldier System Center requires an insect infestation study of military ration packaging of food pouches, meal bags and shipping containers for military rations to support a demonstration/validation program for the U.S. Army. A study is needed to perform insect infestation experiments for new primary and secondary ration-packaging candidates. These trials will evaluate solid fiberboard and coated fiberboard sheets and containers along with ration film pouches used for ready-to-eat meal packaging. This contract will support the Zero Footprint Camp Ration Reconfiguration project to reduce solid waste for the military. In line with Natick’s requirement, Army Contracting CommandAberdeen Proving Ground, Natick Contracting Division has issued a notification that it intends to award a sole source contract to Moses Biologic LLC to perform the study.
4 | MLF 8.9
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I WILL ALWAYS PLACE THE MISSION FIRST. I WILL NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT. I WILL NEVER QUIT. I WILL NEVER LEAVE A FALLEN COMRADE.
BRINGING MORE POWER TO THEIR MISSION.
Army troops in the fight for freedom deserve the best support we can offer. The Army’s Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) will make sure they get it, specifying new combat performance, capability and efficiency standards for Black Hawk and Apache helicopters. ATEC’s HPW3000 engine will provide increased power, enhanced dependability, rapid start capability, increased payload, and improved high/hot performance. With greater range. Burning less fuel. Saving billions of dollars. Learn more about the ITEP engine program and the HPW3000 Engine at ATECPower.net.
LOG OPS
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Support for Navy’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Leidos, a national security, health and engineering solutions company, has been awarded a prime contract by the Naval Medical Logistics Command (NMLC) to provide services in support of the Naval Health Research Center’s (NHRC) Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP). The single-award costplus fixed-fee contract has a oneyear base period of performance, four one-year options and a total contract value of approximately $14 million if the options are exercised. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif. NHRC, as part of the DoD’s program to reduce HIV/AIDS in allied nations’ uniformed services, identifies and supports organizations with novel approaches to developing laboratory and clinical HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs. DHAPP provides day-today direction of the DoD effort. Under the contract, Leidos will provide services in support of
HIV/AIDS prevention programs, including assisting in the establishment of HIV/AIDS-specific policies for foreign military personnel, assisting in the adaption of prevention programs, training military personnel in selected foreign militaries to implement, maintain and evaluate HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and clinical management programs, and assisting in the integration of U.S. government programs and those managed by allies and the United Nations. “Despite the advancements in treatments over the last several years, HIV/AIDS is still a public health crisis in many regions in the world,” said Steve Comber, group president of Leidos Health. “We are proud to support NHRC, the Department of Defense and other allied nations in their efforts to develop education and prevention programs to mitigate the HIV epidemic and prevent the AIDS virus from spreading further.”
DLA Visits Manufacturing Partner As part of his ongoing effort to partner with industry leaders, Defense Logistics Agency Director Vice Admiral Mark Harnitchek and his senior staff visited Quabaug Corporation, the U.S. manufacturing partner of Vibram USA. As director, Harnitchek oversees the acquisition and supply of commodities, clothing, textiles and other equipment for the Department of Defense. Vibram is a provider of high-performance soles for outdoor, recreational, work and fashion footwear. In addition, Vibram is the only U.S. manufacturer providing high-performance soling products to all branches of the U.S. military. During his visit, Harnitchek was provided an overview of the spectrum of products manufactured in North Brookfield, Mass., including soling for combat boots, military dress shoes, jungle boots, and the new domestically manufactured athletic training shoes. Joined by Quabaug Corporation CEO Kevin Donahue and Vibram USA Vice President Bill Ells, Harnitchek toured the manufacturing plant and company development laboratories to see the advanced manufacturing processes used by Vibram to build their world-class products. “We appreciate Vice Admiral Harnitchek’s interest in learning more about the products manufactured in North Brookfield that directly support our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines,” said Ellis. “Every man and woman who serves our nation in the military wears a Vibram sole, and we are pleased to reaffirm our commitment to the armed services, especially on today’s solemn anniversary. On behalf of our employees, I thank Vice Admiral Harnitchek for DLA’s support of our domestic manufacturing.”
F-35 Autonomic Logistics Information System Lockheed Martin delivered the next evolution of the F-35 Lightning II’s information technology backbone called the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS). Following validation at test sites, the software will be installed at all F-35 locations and deployed for military operations beginning in 2015.
6 | MLF 8.9
Military services manage their F-35 fleets through logistics and operational data analysis provided by ALIS. As the F-35 fleet management tool, ALIS integrates preventative maintenance, flight scheduling and the mission planning system. Pilots plan and debrief missions and maintenance professionals sustain the F-35 using ALIS. During flight test operations, the military will confirm new ALIS capabilities, including high-speed data download for increased aircraft availability. The release also provides each nation flying the F-35 with advanced reporting features for fleet management and trend analysis. “The men and women who will take the F-35 into operations are charting a new course for fighter aircraft, from tactics
development to fleet sustainment,” said Mary Ann Horter, vice president of F-35 sustainment support at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training. “ALIS provides them with a complete picture of the fleet’s status so that they are equipped with the information needed to make proactive decisions and keep the jets flying.” The F-35 is the first tactical aviation system to have sustainment tools engineered in concert with the aircraft for efficiency and cost-effectiveness. ALIS is currently operating at nine locations supporting more than 12,000 sorties to date. Compared to previous aircraft, a higher fidelity of information about the F-35 fleet is tracked within ALIS to reduce operations and maintenance costs and increase aircraft availability. Following the U.S. Marine Corps’ planned July 2015 initial operating capability, the U.S. Air Force and Navy are planning initial operations in 2016 and 2018, respectively.
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PEOPLE
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Transformation, Office of the Under Secretary of the Army, Washington, D.C.
Major General John F. Wharton
Major General John F. Wharton has been assigned as commanding general, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Wharton most recently served as commanding general, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Ill.
Major General Richard L. Stevens
Major General Richard L. Stevens, deputy commanding general for military and international operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C., has been assigned as deputy chief of engineers and deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Major General Camille M. Nichols, deputy commanding general for operations and chief of staff, Installation Management Command, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, has been assigned as director, business operations, Office of Business 8 | MLF 8.9
Brigadier General Paul H. Guemmer
Brigadier General Paul H. Guemmer, deputy director, strategy, capabilities, policy and logistics, Headquarters U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., has been assigned as commander, Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development, Air University, Air Education and Training Command, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Dr. David C. Hassell has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service and is assigned as the deputy assistant secretary of defense (chemical and biological defense), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C. Hassell previously served as the program management officer-AD with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Quantico, Va. Maynard A. Holliday has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service and is assigned as the special assistant to the under secretary of defense (acquisition, technology and logistics), Office of
the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C. Holliday previously served as a principal member, Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, Calif. Lisa A. Jung has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service and is assigned as the Director, Facilities Energy and Privatization, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C. Jung previously served as a program analyst with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics). Dr. James D. Moreland Jr. has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service and is assigned as the deputy director, naval warfare, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C. Moreland previously served as a manager with the Department of the Navy, Dahlgren, Va. John M. Tenaglia has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service and is assigned as the deputy director, contract policy and international contracting, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C. Tenaglia previously served as a contract specialist (procurement analysis) with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics).
Kenyata L. Wesley has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service and is assigned as the director, program operations, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C. Wesley previously served as a supervisory procurement analyst with the Department of the Army, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Edward Wolski has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service and is assigned as the deputy director, air warfare, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C. Wolski previously served as a general engineer with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics). James A. MacStravic has been assigned as the deputy assistant secretary of defense (strategic and tactical systems), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C. He previously served as the strategic coordinator with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics). Lisha H. Adams has been assigned as the deputy assistant secretary of defense (materiel readiness), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington,
D.C. Adams previously served as the assistant deputy chief of staff, G-3/4 for logistics integration with the Department of the Army, Huntsville, Ala. Darlene J. Costello has been assigned as the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense (acquisition), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C. Costello previously served as the principal director, strategic and tactical systems and director, acquisition and program management with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics). Robert A. Gold has been assigned as the deputy director, mission assurance, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C. Gold previously served as the director, information technology with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics). Brigadier General Kirk F. Vollmecke, deputy for acquisition and systems management, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), Washington, D.C., has been assigned as deputy commanding general, Combined Security Transition CommandAfghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan.
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Special section
Achieving synergy through strong community relationships. By Colonel William L. Marks II commander, U.S. Army Garrison, Redstone Arsenal
“Redstone is a technological hub for our Army…we are going to be deployed to places where we’re not going to have the home court advantage, and to get our soldiers an advantage over any enemy they face, technology is going to be a big part of it.” General George W. Casey Jr., 36th Chief of Staff of the United States Army In the early years of the 21st century, Redstone Arsenal (RSA) witnessed a transformation so encompassing and complex that we are still evolving from “the best-kept secret in the U.S. Army” to a strategically vital component of the nation’s defense. This transformation is mirrored in the 15-county region of northern Alabama and southern Tennessee known as the Tennessee Valley. The transformation, a complete remaking of the composition and structure of RSA, represents a comprehensive changing of character and function which began in earnest with the announcement of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 2005. Before 2005, the moniker “Team Redstone” was loosely used to describe Department of Defense and Department of the Army organizations making up RSA. Yet with each BRAC decision made in the 1980s and 1990s, the local communities and the arsenal 10 | MLF 8.9
learned many valuable lessons and fashioned improvements to internal processes. The announcement of BRAC 2005 served notice that RSA leadership, Tennessee Valley communities and elected officials would have to work closely together on a comprehensive plan to better set conditions for the looming explosive community growth. The synergies gained through the process of BRAC 2005 completely redefined the team. The close bond between the Tennessee Valley and Redstone Arsenal now supports mission accomplishment on many different fronts at many different levels. This synergistic bond is paying huge dividends as Team Redstone is making the RSA Enhanced Use Lease Project a reality and continually upgrading roads, facilities and education. Since Redstone Arsenal opened in 1941, the arsenal and the Tennessee Valley communities have shared prosperity and setbacks as
arsenal activity fluctuated. RSA grew around the nucleus of the Army’s missile program after World War II until 1960, when the arsenal expanded to include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. BRAC directives in the 1980s and 1990s provided early successes for the Tennessee Valley as the communities cobbled together an ad-hoc organization to plan for growth and assimilate new organizations into the community. BRAC 1988 witnessed the transfer of the Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Center from Lexington, Ky. In BRAC 1991, RSA grew again with the movement of Material & Logistics Activities (now known as LOGSA) to the arsenal. Over time, both RSA leadership and the community leaders learned they enjoyed a very symbiotic relationship; those things that benefited RSA also benefited the Tennessee Valley and vice versa. Out of this basic www.MLF-kmi.com
WE CALL IT PROTECTED MOBILITY.
SOLDIERS AND MARINES CALL IT A SAFE RIDE HOME.
AT LOCKHEED MARTIN, WE’RE ENGINEERING A BETTER TOMORROW.
Special section formula for success, the serious planning, preparation, and execution for both installation and community growth ultimately paved the way for an extraordinary transformation and accumulation of tremendous synergies for our nation’s defense. Team Redstone began planning in earnest to meet future challenges, not only to ensure adequate planning for community growth, but primarily to ensure the types of incoming organizations and their functions complemented the overall capability and design of the arsenal. BRAC 1995 was a resounding success as the Aviation and Troop Command (ATCOM) brought the aviation mission to the arsenal. BRAC 2005 created another opportunity for the team to improve on past performances, and the results of the team effort are remarkable. The transformational synergies created through the accumulation of organizations and their functions are extraordinary and currently include: material management and acquisition, space operations and missile defense, research and development, test and evaluation, intelligence and homeland defense, and sustainment of the force. The benefits these organizations provide for our national security and our country’s warfighters are awe-inspiring. In the beginning stages of BRAC 2005, RSA and community leaders came together to clearly ‘see ourselves’ and to understand the history, identity, advantages and shortfalls of the region. Community leaders across the Tennessee Valley were determined to ensure the region was prepared to maximize the opportunity presented to the area. Before the BRAC announcement, RSA had long been the economic engine of the Tennessee Valley. People from across the valley make up the vast majority of the 37,000-member RSA workforce, taking home salaries totaling over $3 billion to homes located throughout northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. However, BRAC was not the only contributor to the growth coming to Redstone Arsenal and the Tennessee Valley. RSA has added non-DoD organizations, among them the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Stationing actions also provided additional growth to the arsenal as both the Army Contracting Command and the Expeditionary Contracting Command have relocated to RSA. Due to the multifaceted, multifunctional organizations located at RSA, the arsenal is better defined as a Federal Center of Excellence rather than a 12 | MLF 8.9
Growth has brought capabilities and synergies to the Army and has transformed Team Redstone into a technology hub for the Army. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army]
pure Army installation. RSA was not the only recipient of the growing economic boom. The cities of Huntsville and Madison and the whole Tennessee Valley consistently garner many accolades in national periodicals as great places to live and raise a family. Consequently, many civilian enterprises such as Remington Firearms have recognized the benefits of the Tennessee Valley and are reestablishing their companies in the area. The 2005 BRAC Commission directed the movement of several large commands to RSA: Army Materiel Command (AMC), Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), Missile Defense Agency (MDA) (minus the headquarters element), Security Assistance Command (USASAC). Army Technical Test Center (ATTC), 2nd Recruiting Brigade, 2nd Medical Recruiting Battalion, and a Warner Robins Air Force Base element. Despite a few losses, RSA has seen an increase from four to 15 general officers and over 70 senior executives through both BRAC and non-BRAC growth. Just as important as ‘seeing ourselves’ in the initial stages of planning, it is now equally important for Team Redstone to visualize a future in which we continue to improve and grow. We need to envision the broad sequence of events that will unfold as well as provide clear and concise goals for the community to achieve. We have identified four major “lines of effort” requiring attention and consideration for improvement: education systems, transportation infrastructure,
economic diversity and cultural amenities. These lines of effort focus activities from the full range of Team Redstone community actors and unify our message.
First Line of Effort: Education Systems Our schools (from pre-kindergarten through the Ph.D. level) must be capable of sustaining high-quality education, as well as providing adequate infrastructure to support the growing student population. One of the highest concentrations of engineers and scientists in the country can be found in the Tennessee Valley; they require venues for their continuing education requirements as well as other professional development opportunities. These professionals are also parents in many cases and want the same educational opportunities for their children as they had. Our teachers enjoy teaching in some of the finest schools in the state and, arguably, in the country. Schools in the Tennessee Valley must be capable and competitive on the international level.
Second Line of Effort: Transportation Infrastructure Roads throughout the Tennessee Valley must be capable of accommodating the traffic associated with the continual growth the area is experiencing. Local major arteries are nearing 100 percent www.MLF-kmi.com
capacity and will only become more congested. Most of the road expansion projects were programmed beyond BRAC completion and some are still in progress. There are currently seven major road projects which correlate to the major arteries and corridors servicing RSA and the Huntsville metro area for the commuting workforce.
Third Line of Effort: Economic Diversity RSA and the local economy are so intertwined that one could not exist without the other. In this age of economic uncertainty, our community needs to ensure we have a full range of businesses. We must maintain a balance between those businesses who rely on government-related spending and those who do not in order to maintain the economic stability needed to weather the ebbs and flows of each type of spending. We also need to attract and maintain businesses that are highly agile and adaptive to changes in the economy and able to seize on opportunities in those sectors. Maintaining the complementary nature of our agencies and industries and adding new players is a priority.
Fourth Line of Effort: Cultural Amenities The Tennessee Valley is a vibrant and very diverse community, but as our aging workforce retires, we should focus our
cultural efforts at attracting the next generation of experts and innovators. Today’s college graduates grew up in a more advanced society than did their predecessors; they have different desires and dreams. We should leverage the great partnerships in the Tennessee Valley to ensure that RSA is the first choice of America’s young professionals. In the final analysis, RSA is a unique Army installation. It is certainly not a heavy troop installation such as Forts Stewart, Hood or Bragg. In fact, we currently have fewer than 1,000 soldiers in uniform, and most of those are very senior in rank. The RSA workforce is dominated by DoD/DA civilians and contractors. Engineering, science, logistics and contracting remain the primary skill sets required for the ongoing research and development in rockets, missiles and aviation, as well as logistics management and contracting, among other very technical disciplines. The transformational synergies created through adding new organizations and their functions are truly extraordinary. Team Redstone is very proud of the contributions provided through the skill, energy and ingenuity of the RSA workforce who come to us from the entirety of the Tennessee Valley. The result of these synergies is a level of arsenal responsiveness and contributions to the warfighter that make it seem as if RSA is geographically located in Bagram or wherever American troops find themselves. RSA and its surrounding
and supporting communities continue to evolve with overwhelming success based on the strength provided by the complete team. Go Team Redstone! O
Colonel William L. Marks II is the garrison commander of Redstone Arsenal. His education includes a Bachelor of Science in finance from University of South Alabama, a master’s of public administration from Webster University and a master’s in strategic studies from the Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. His military assignments include leadership positions with the 25th, 24th, 2nd and 3rd Infantry Divisions. His operational deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom (20052006, 2009-2010). For more information, contact Editor-in-Chief Jeff McKaughan at jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mlf-kmi.com.
Not just a venue to buy and sell parts For over 30 years, ILS has provided a marketplace for buying and selling aviation and marine parts and services, but we also offer value-conscious tools for sustainment. • Find qualified sources for hard-to-find parts • Broadcast requirements to a global supplier and MRO community • Obtain vital supply and demand data • Build costs projections with catalog and historic quote pricing points • Cross reference to discover alternate part numbers and procurement data Contact us today to discover the solution that best fits your needs. Inventory Locator Service,® LLC 1-901-794-5000 (Worldwide) • 1-800-233-3414 (N. America) • marketing@ILSmart.com • www.ILSmart.com Offices in: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Dubai, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore, and St. Louis MLF_March.indd 1
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The Army moves to asset visibility. By Vernon “Lee” Eustace III
The Global Combat Support SystemArmy (GCSS-Army) is the Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems’ (PEO EIS) tactical logistics Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system now in fielding. This significant modernization investment moves the Army logistics enterprise closer to achieving the strategic goal of total asset visibility. Asset visibility permits levelsetting of stockpiled materiel and enables a factory-to-foxhole supply chain that reduces costs, avoids waste and improves readiness across the Army. Additionally, commanders have near real-time visibility of all of their assets, including reparable end items that, when returned to the supply chain in a timely manner, reduce new procurement costs and result in cost avoidance. Through the deployment of GCSS-Army, we will gain efficiencies from the soldiers in the warehouses and supply rooms to the Army staff for the tactical logistics and finance domains.
GCSS-Army and Data Transparency GCSS-Army, a product of PEO EIS’ Project Manager Army Enterprise Systems Integration Program (PM AESIP) portfolio, is the tactical logistics financial system of record. As part of the Army’s logistics enterprise, GCSS-Army works in concert with the Logistics Modernization Program (LMP), which manages national-level logistics; the General Funds Enterprise Business System (GFEBS), which provides nationallevel financial management; and the AESIP Hub, which contains the master data that connects the ERP and non-ERP business processes. This enterprise approach helps the Army achieve multiple long-term goals in addition to total asset visibility, such as audit readiness, a reduced logistics footprint and improved decision-making. GCSS-Army is also a financial system of record. This timely recording of financial data will aid commanders with managing their resources more effectively than the current stovepiped information systems permit. Each supply and maintenance 14 | MLF 8.9
transaction with financial implications posts automatically in the same master database, eliminating the requirement for a complex interface between multiple systems. The automatic posting prevents delays previously associated with translating and processing data in disparate systems. Commanders and resource managers have near real-time financial information without the time lags that resulted with multiple systems. Based on these logistics and financial efficiencies, GCSS-Army estimates significantly improved efficiencies and cost avoidances over the first 20 years of the system’s life cycle.
Training and Fielding for the Next Step Learning an ERP system can be challenging for users and stakeholders. GCSSArmy is replacing an outdated, stand-alone technology with new commercial technology, and this means significant change. Foreseeing this major cultural change in the Army’s sustainment community, GCSS-Army embarked on an extensive Organizational Change Management (OCM) program to reduce the turbulence normally experienced by commercial and military users implementing ERP solutions. This OCM strategy incorporates a Lead User program, similar to commercial industry’s Super User program, augmented by extensive web-based training on the GCSS-Army website. Also included in the OCM strategy is New Equipment Training (NET), which is critical to implementing a successful ERP system. NET is designed to concentrate on core processes performed daily and weekly within the business areas. This OCM strategy facilitates the transition from the legacy Standard Army Management Information System (STAMIS) systems to GCSS-Army. GCSS-Army is currently deploying to the total Army and is on schedule to be fully fielded by the end of fiscal year 2017. Deployment will subsume nearly 40,000 legacy supply support activity, maintenance,
property book, unit supply and associated financial management systems. To accomplish this effort, GCSS-Army divided the implementation into two waves with multiple fielding groups. The Wave 1 fielding kicked off in December 2012, with a Full Deployment Decision (FDD) granted by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Honorable Frank Kendall. By October 2014, GCSS-Army will have fielded 50 percent of the Wave 1 solution to the total Army. The Wave 1 fielding is planned to finish in FY16 and will replace all Standard Army Retail Supply Systems and associated financial management information systems throughout all Army components. Wave 2 fielding replaces Standard Army Maintenance System-Enhanced and Property Book Unit Supply Enhanced and is scheduled to begin in FY15. By the end of FY17, the Army’s tactical logistics systems will achieve audit readiness.
An Extensive Reach This worldwide fielding represents the largest ERP deployment in the Army’s history, reaching more than 154,000 Army users throughout all Army components. The GCSS-Army solution makes managing the Army’s supply and maintenance programs more effective and efficient, provides commanders with near real-time logistics readiness information, and performs the requisitioning and tracking of materials and equipment that soldiers need to conduct and complete their missions. O Vernon “Lee” Eustace III is the logistics branch lead, Program Management Division, PM GCSS-Army. For the latest information on GCSS-Army, its OCM strategies and fielding dates, please visit www.gcss. army.mil. For more information, contact Editor-in-Chief Jeff McKaughan at jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mlf-kmi.com.
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Requiring lighter, more rugged and energy-efficient shelters for a mobile force. By William Murray, MLF Correspondent The U.S. military wants to acquire expeditionary shelters that are not only durable, lightweight and energy-efficient, but also hardened structures that can help the armed services operate forward-operated bases for at least six months, according to vendors. As an alternative to permanent construction, shelters are sometimes used for a variety of purposes, including food preparation and dispensing, housing, maintenance, and the operation of command and control equipment for situational awareness and tactical support in theaters of operation.
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One can’t separate the largest military branch’s renewable energy goals for permanent installations from its expeditionary shelter strategy. Under the Net Zero initiative, Army officials are looking closely not just at the shelter’s ability to withstand the elements but also for a base camp to reduce fuel consumption, waste management and water use. Net Zero has five interrelated steps: reduction,
MLF 8.9 | 15
re-purpose, recycling and composting, energy recovery, and disposal. As a result, many expeditionary shelters can accommodate solar panels and tactical wind turbines. The service’s need for and use of shelters should be seen from the prism of Net Zero, developed by Katherine Hammock, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment. The more self-sufficient a deployed squad can be, the more effectively it can likely carry out its mission. “Certainly, they’re looking for greater energy efficiency,” said Jason Raffaele, vice president of business development and chief engineer at AAR Mobility Systems, speaking of the U.S. military overall. He described this requirement as a “new thing” that he began to hear about at conferences in the last two or three years. It would seem that energy efficiency is a top-down requirement coming from headquarters down to field units. “It’s in the doctrine. I haven’t seen it in the requirements documents,” Raffaele said. AAR Mobility Systems Division is a Cadillac, Mich.based provider of rapid deployment equipment and mobile tactical shelters. A unit of Wood Dale, Ill.-based AAR Corp., the division uses aluminum component construction in its shipping pallets and shelters, which helps to keep the shelters and related shipping down through lower weight, according to Raffaele. Given AAR Mobility Systems’ work with air mobility, its shelters have always needed to be lightweight, according to Raffaele, who previously worked for an automotive supplier and with marine propulsion technology engineering before he came to AAR Mobility Systems Division in June 2014. AAR Corp uses friction-stir welding during its manufacturing process, which allows metals to be bonded in their natural state, according to company officials. They believe that friction-stir welding represents the future of Shelter systems that offer modularity and expandability are well-suited for expeditionary welding lightweight design, according to a company press release. deployments as they can grow as the footprint requires. [Photo courtesy of Sea Box] AAR Mobility Systems Division officials have also learned how Military personnel can now ship Deployed Resources shelters in to comply with the U.S. military’s rapid deployment requirements, 10-foot containers, whereas formerly they had to use 20-foot ones including the ability to have products be transportable in a 463L for shelters that could weigh as much as 8,000 pounds. The reducMaster Pallet, the standardized pallet used for military air transtion in shipping container size results in a weight reduction of 50 port, with AAR Mobility Systems’ primary work in that vein being percent, according to DeMasi. with the Air Force. Given the division’s focus on meeting military Its deployed shelters can easily fit on two flatbed trucks 53 feet needs, AAR Mobility Systems’ shelters have always been built to be in length. Deployed Resources also uses coren steel containers, durable, according to Raffaele. which are impermeable to water, according to DeMasi. Using a steel AAR Mobility Systems officials also try to work with military containerized platform helps protect the shelters. customers who want larger shelters to help them understand that According to DeMasi, Deployed Resources has also had success larger shelters generally require larger generators, which decrease in reusing wastewater, which helps U.S. military customers meet energy efficiency, according to Raffaele. Company officials also their renewable natural resources mandates. Some wastewater use thermal modeling to study the properties of materials as they reuses can include agricultural and landscape irrigation, industrial change with temperature during shipping and operational use. processes, toilet flushing and replenishing groundAAR Mobility Systems also calculates heat transfer, water basins. which always occurs from an area of higher heat to To determine how best to lower the weight in one with lower heat. deployed shelters, it’s all in the materials, according to One turnkey expeditionary shelter supplier DeMasi. “They use no metal,” he said of the Deployed reports that his company is seeing sales increases, Resources airbeam tents which provide sleeping units despite the tightening of military budgets, the ending for expeditionary personnel. “The structure is supof the Iraq War and the troop drawdown in Afghaniplied by an inflated plastic tube,” he said. “It pops up stan. “We’re gaining popularity,” said Victor DeMasi, in a couple minutes,” he said of field assembly, meandirector of strategy at Deployed Resources LLC of ing it is quick and relatively easy, without any special Rome, N.Y., located at the former Griffiss Air Force equipment and with minimal site preparation. MiliBase. His 14-year-old company seeks to provide sheltary personnel can also disassemble the expeditionary ters with a minimal footprint for military units with a Jason Raffaele shelters quickly, according to DeMasi. focus on those with as many as 70 personnel. 16 | MLF 8.9
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The fire and ultraviolet resistant-coated fabric in the inflated plastic tube helps protect Deployed Resources shelters and any military personnel using them, according to DeMasi. Deployed Resources shelters also have the ability to accommodate different power generation sources. The company’s products also comply with Tier 3 emissions standards. Reducing the weight of shelters also reduces the logistical burden with less weight to ship, according to Carl Pates, senior vice president of operations and engineering at HDT Global of Fredericksburg, Va. Initially launched in 1937 as Hunter Manufacturing, HDT Global manufactures all the components for an expeditionary base camp, according to Pates. Despite a reduced weight, HDT Global’s shelters are durable. They can withstand Responding the call to make everything lighter and more durable, shelter suppliers have responded with a range of options for military hurricane-force winds and snow loads up deployments. [Photo courtesy of AAR Mobility Systems] to 10 pounds per square feet, giving them so he knows the expeditionary shelter market well. A majority of strong ruggedization features, according to Pates. Keeping in mind the company’s shelter sales with the U.S. military are with the Army that U.S. military forces sometimes operate in environments with and Marine Corps, and Pates claims that HDT Global is the leading extreme temperatures and have more demanding requirements vendor by sales of expeditionary gear to DoD. than most commercial enterprises, HDT Global also sells to military AAR Corp.’s Raffaele is seeing increasing expeditionary shelcustomers Arctic air shelters that can withstand extreme cold. ter needs from the National Guard and U.S. Coast Guard, since Echoing what DeMasi said, according to Pates, the materials both organizations are meeting more disaster relief operational are key. “The fabric in the shelter has to breathe” to deal with both needs. “Their missions are getting more vertical,” stretching the humidity and extreme cold, he said. capabilities of both organizations, he said. It would seem that the According to Pates, simple air compression can set up a frame Coast Guard and National Guard have more of a need for soft-wall shelter. HDT Global also sells expeditionary shelters where energy shelters than rigid-wall ones. efficiency is integrated into the shelter’s construction and conAAR Systems is part of the Army’s Lightweight Multiuse Shelter figuration. (LMS) program for tactical rigid-wall shelters that can be mounted Like some other vendors, HDT Global is able to ship configon high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, a five-year, $11 milured shelters within hours of receiving an order, according to lion indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract awarded in 2011. Pates. The company operates plants in Ohio and Virginia. HDT Global’s LMS shelters have three major types, including one “Being expeditionary and mobile is in our DNA,” Pates that offers electromagnetic interference. said. He has worked at HDT Global for 12 years,
18 | MLF 8.9
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Other leading expeditionary shelter providers HDT Global customers, meanwhile, are finding include Alaska Structures Inc. of Anchorage, Alaska; fuel consumption reductions of 50 to 70 percent, Creative Tent International Inc. of Henderson, Nev.; according to Pates. DHS Technologies LLC of Orangeburg, N.Y. (also “The trends are from a transportation perspecknown as DRASH); Lindstrand Technologies Ltd of tive. The trends are for us in the shelter design and Shropshire, United Kingdom; Losberger U.S. LLC manufacturing business,” said Nick Catanzariti, vice of Frederick, Md.; Utilis USA of Fort Walton Beach, president of sales at Sea Box Inc. of Cinnaminson, Fla.; Weatherhaven of Burnaby, British Columbia, N.J., which sells and leases new and used ISO shipCanada; and Western Shelter Systems of Eugene, ping containers, cargo containers, mobile storage Ore. With a competitive marketplace, it would seem containers and refrigerated containers. that military organizations are well-positioned to The U.S. military is seeking shipping containers Nick Catanzariti receive cost-competitive offers from vendors seekand shelters that are lighter and more energy-effiing delivery orders. cient, and an unrealized need is for more collapsible In addition to rigid-wall and soft-wall shelters, there are also and expandable containers and shelters to meet emerging needs, hybrid shelters. According to the DoD Joint Committee on Tactiaccording to Catanzariti. cal Shelters formed in 1975, there are now 21 rigid-wall shelter Sea Box provides containers with a modular design; Cattypes used in the four military services, down from more than anzariti compares them to Lego blocks with a base, end walls, 100 rigid-wall shelter types used during the Vietnam War era. The roofs and side walls that one may stack on top of each other and organization began reviewing and approving soft-wall shelters and configure to meet emerging needs. When one decides to purchase hybrid-wall shelters in 1995. O and transport four Collapsable Redeployable Shelters (CRS) in one 20-foot ISO container, there is a 75 percent savings in shipping, as opposed to shipping four CRS units in separate containers, according to Catanzariti. For more information, contact Editor-in-Chief Jeff McKaughan at jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories According to Catanzariti, rigid-wall shelters can also help orgaat www.mlf-kmi.com. nizations realize an 80 percent improvement in energy efficiency compared to expeditionary shelters, largely thanks to the rigidwall shelters’ 3 inches of insulation in walls. “Soft shelters don’t have that,” Catanzariti said. Military forces also have the ability to collapse or expand rigid-wall shelters. Alternative energy source access, including solar power, can be incorporated by Sea Box into the modular CRS system, according to Catanzariti. Shelters need to be designed to meet the rough handling that they are likely to receive in the commercial and military markets, according to Catanzariti, who has worked at Sea Box since 1988. The company was founded in 1983. Sea Box provides the U.S. Air Force customized, rigid-wall shelters with a 20-year life cycle that are outfitted with latrines and showers and have solar power capabilities. These rigid-wall shelters, according to Catanzariti, are well-suited for the needs of a forward-operating base, which will usually be used for six months to two years. “When it’s erected,” Catanzariti said of rigid-wall shelters, “all components are in place.” “DoD has done a good job of setting standards with durability,” HDT Global’s Pates said. He described the need for expeditionary shelters as “more of a trend” that has not been well-established December 2-4, 2014 · Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, VA over many years. www.defenselog.com · +1 (646) 200.7530 · Defense@wbresearch.com Catanzariti noted that U.S. military personnel who use shelters generally prefer rigid-wall ones. Such shelters have a higher upfront cost than soft-wall expeditionary shelters, but last much INTERNATIONAL MILITARY & MANUFACTURERS: longer and therefore might have a lower life cycle cost and hence GET 25% OFF YOUR REGISTRATION WHEN YOU USE a greater return on investment. Soft-wall shelters generally take DISCOUNT CODE: DEFLOG14MLF more washing and cleaning after deployments, and many military organizations view them as suitable for only a single deployment. Lead Sponsors: Organized By: It’s critical that all shelters and shipping containers that vendors provide to the military may be transported with a 10,000-pound forklift, according to Catanzariti. “That’s the common denominator” for the U.S. military in a deployment regardless of location, he said.
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MLF 8.9 | 19
SUPPLY CHAIN
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Aircraft Ground Support Equipment JBT Corporation has been awarded related contracts from a U.S.-based customer with a combined value exceeding $5 million to supply compressed air, air conditioning and electrical power carts designed to service the environmental control systems and avionics of fighter aircraft. The order also includes a service and parts package for ongoing maintenance support of the equipment. The equipment order combines JBT AeroTech’s technical expertise in aircraftrelated air conditioning systems and the
generation of suitable electrical ground power. “The military sector is a continuing opportunity and important area of focus for JBT,” noted Dave Burdakin, president, JBT AeroTech. “While there are similarities and design overlap with our commercial products, each military order presents unique engineering challenges that allow us to significantly expand our technical leadership in the conditioned air and power markets.” JBT anticipates shipping the equipment starting late 2014.
Warehousing and Operations Support for Marine LOG Systems Command
Rugged Tablets Xplore Technologies Corp., a manufacturer of powerful, long-lasting, ultra- and fully-rugged tablets, has received a $1 million-plus purchase order as part of an ongoing military program. This purchase order is a follow-on to previous orders for iX104C5M ultra-rugged Windows tablets that will be utilized for data collection in the field. “We are pleased to announce this latest order that will support this multi-agency program,” stated Philip S. Sassower, Xplore’s chairman and CEO. “Our ultrarugged iX104C5M tablet computer, with its combination of processing power, ruggedization and security features, make it the device of choice for this military field application.” “This order is the latest in a series of purchase orders from this U.S. military program involving the delivery of several thousand devices,” stated Mark Holleran, Xplore’s president and chief operating officer. “We believe Xplore’s ultra-rugged tablet solution is the best tablet for use in military deployments—whether supporting special operations, managing workflows on the flight line or delivering real-time data to mobile field units.” “Xplore is proud to support the U.S. military in the deployment and use of our products,” continued Holleran. “We look forward to a successful and continuing relationship.”
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Mission Ready, through its wholly-owned subsidiary 10-20 Services Inc., is teaming with prime contractor Carl Amber Brian Isaiah and Associates to form Team Barstow, which has been awarded a contract to provide warehousing and operations support services to clean and launder, stock, and store up to 7,800 pallets of individual protective personnel equipment for the Marine Corps Logistics Systems Command (MCLC). The first purchase order for $1 million has been issued to 10-20 Services to begin cleaning operations while Team Barstow assesses the full scope of cleaning required with additional purchase orders under the contract expected. The equipment consists of individual clothing and equipment currently stored at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow. Clay Williamson, president of 10-20 Services Inc., stated, “We are thrilled that the U.S. Marine Corps has joined the Special Operations Command in choosing 10-20 Services to restore their individual combat equipment. The Marine Corps Logistics Command solicitation outlined stringent criteria for efficacy, efficiency, capacity and quality control. We are happy to have emerged as the winner, meeting or exceeding all of MCLC’s requirements.”
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Strategic Resetter Major General Clark W. LeMasters Chief of Staff for Operations and Logistics, G3/4/5/7 U.S. Army Materiel Command
2014
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Strategic Resetter
Q& A
Implementing the Strategic Reset Roadmap for Future Readiness Major General Clark W. LeMasters Chief of Staff for Operations and Logistics, G3/4/5/7 U.S. Army Materiel Command Major General Clark W. LeMasters assumed the duties as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Logistics, G3/4/5/7, U.S. Army Materiel Command, on August 1, 2014. LeMasters’ previous assignments include: commanding general of the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary); chief of ordnance and commandant of the U.S. Army Ordnance School from July 2010 to March 2012; executive officer for the Army G-4 from July 2009 to July 2010; director, Distribution Management Center, Army Sustainment Command from July 2007 to July 2009; student, Army War College; chief, Logistics Readiness Center, J4-Operations, USCENTCOM from August 2004 to June 2006; commander, 123rd Main Support Battalion, 1st Armored Division from June 2002 to August 2004; executive officer, 1st Armored Division Support Command from May 2000 to June 2002; executive officer, 703rd Main Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division from April 1999 to May 2000; materiel officer, 3rd Infantry Division MMC from May 1998 to April 1999; and support operations officer, 703rd MSB from June 1997 to May 1998. LeMasters was previously assigned to Fort Lee, Va., from December 1994 to July 1996 as a staff officer in the Force Development Directorate, U.S. Army CASCOM. In 1982, LeMasters was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant from the ROTC program at Marion Military Institute, Marion, Ala. Following his graduation from Marion, he served as a platoon leader in the 1-115th Infantry Battalion, Maryland Air National Guard, until he completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Md. LeMasters was assessed to active duty in September 1984 as an Ordnance Officer. He also holds masters’ degrees from the Florida Institute of Technology and the Army War College. His military education includes the Ordnance Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College. During his career, he has served overseas in Germany, Iraq, Qatar and Afghanistan. LeMasters’ awards and decorations include: the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), Bronze Star Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with four Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal. Q: How is AMC going about the process of determining a priority for reset and maximizing the investment for the warfighter? www.MLF-kmi.com
A: At the Army Materiel Command, we focus first and foremost on providing the best possible support for the joint warfighter, and our reset efforts are no exception. Reset priorities are driven by the Headquarters, Department of the Army G8 Retrograde, Reset, Redistribution (R3) priorities list. This list is maintained, reviewed and adjusted by HQDA based on changing priorities. The overall reset process is governed by HQDA G8 and is vetted through their Reset Task Force (RTF) forums held at the Action Officer Working Group, Council of Colonels and General Officer Steering Committee levels. AMC actively participates in each of these RTF forums by briefing critical information regarding the current status of workload being reset at the Army depots and arsenals. This R3 priorities list is necessary and beneficial because it allows us to remain cognizant of the priority of equipment to be reset and allows us to be more responsive in our overall support to the warfighter. The list allows us to meet the needs of the joint warfighter, following priorities established by senior leaders. Q: Is there a strategic reset plan or roadmap? A: HQDA G4’s retrograde, reset, redeployment, redistribution and disposal (R4D) mission process tracks reset and measures the U.S. Army Materiel Command | MLF 8.9 | 1
U.S. Army Materiel Command amount of equipment that needs to be retrograded back to the United States. The Army Surface Deployment and Distribution Command created a Velocity Volume Distribution Retrograde (V2DR) approach which will be essential in the support of R4D operations. The V2DR is based on three core premises: the necessity to move large amounts of cargo in a very short time; overcoming multiple impediments such as weather and route saturation; and cost-conscious transportation operations. V2DR leverages point-to-point movement flow to maximize efficiencies gained through volume and effectiveness through velocity. Following the V2DR road map allows AMC to focus resources to meet requirements and sustain depot core capabilities. The Army organic industrial base plan established a basis for capacity planning, creating one common management framework. Resetting the Army will engage the organic industrial base and require overseas contingency operations funding for three or more years past the end of the return of equipment. Working with DA and theater, we monitor the flow of critical major end items from theater that support our reset/repair efforts both in our AMC forum Army Strategic Retrograde update and the DA forum R4D general officer steering committee. Q: Are there challenges to making sure all of the depots are receiving either an equal amount of work or enough work to make the investment there pay off? A: AMC workloads the organic facilities based upon their designation as a Center for Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITE) as defined by 10 US Code 2474, their identification as a governmentowned and government-operated core logistics capability as defined in 10 US Code 2464 and the current manufacturing missions for the arsenals and core competencies for the depots which do not have a traditional maintenance mission, such as Sierra Army Depot. AMC manages five hard iron maintenance depots, four ammo plants/activities, three manufacturing arsenals and one supply storage depot. Approximately $29.5 billion (operation and maintenance Army) of depot-level reset has been executed between fiscal years 2003 and 2014. Approximately 774,000 items have been reset at depot sources of repair between FY06 and FY13. Because of variances in the nature of the missions, AMC depots, arsenals and other installations will not and should not be expected to receive equal amounts of work. Although workload continues to decline across the enterprise due to Army requirements decreasing, maintaining a consistent flow of workload to these installations remains a priority. CITEs are encouraged to reengineer industrial processes and adopt best business practices to better serve as recognized leaders in their core competencies throughout DoD and in the national technology and industrial base. Q: What is AMC doing to reduce its amount of on-hand inventory—not too little to impact operational readiness and not too much as to impact excess cost and waste? A: Section 328 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY10 (P.L. 111-84) required the Secretary of Defense to submit a comprehensive plan for improving the inventory management systems of the military departments and the Defense Logistics Agency with 2 | MLF 8.9 | U.S. Army Materiel Command
The DoD has long sought the perfect balance between organic and non-organic maintenance capacity. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army]
the objective of reducing the acquisition and storage of secondary inventory that is excess to requirements. While the mission remains the same—ensuring materiel is ready for soldiers where and when they need it—the needs are changing and the U.S. Army Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) will continue to be a core element of managing those needs. The Army LMP system generates monthly reschedule and cancellation recommendations for procurements that are due-in (open purchase requests and on-contract orders) and exceed requirements. Cost, weapon system life cycle stage, marketplace support and other programmatic inputs are used to make reduction and termination decisions for excess on-contract orders. LMP enables Army Materiel Command leaders and employees to plan for logistics and budget requirements; order, buy and distribute materiel; make and fix materiel; and manage materiel, money and people—all worldwide, and at any time of the day or night. Q: How can Army Materiel Command optimize the public-private partnership environment? A: As AMC shifts focus from combat to sustainment and workloads tied to overseas operations decrease, an enormous opportunity for the private sector exists. Through the public-private partnership, or P3, program, companies can take advantage of the critical capabilities and skillsets developed over the last decade at the Army’s organic industrial base. By bringing in new opportunities and business for development, the Army can maintain the readiness critical to continue support for the warfighter. While the program has been in existence for more than 16 years, it is growing in visibility and becoming a key strategy to sustaining the industrial base. P3’s goal is to fully leverage the power of partnerships to enhance and preserve AMC’s unique organic industrial facilities, processes such as welding and testing, and personnel, while offering private industry access to those capabilities for their mutual benefit. Partnership arrangements result in more effective fulfillment of Army contracts by private industry at lower cost and reduced risk to industry partners. They also sustain production lines and other systems, as well as the critical skillsets of our nation’s industrial artisans. www.MLF-kmi.com
See the PSDS at AUSA Annual Meeting booth #843.
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U.S. Army Materiel Command Headquarters
Gen. Dennis L. Via Commanding General
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. James K. Sims Command Sergeant Major
Lt. Gen. Patricia E. McQuistion Deputy Commanding General
Aviation and Missile Command LCMC
Maj. Gen. James M. Richardson Commander
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Tod L. Glidewell Command Sergeant Major
Army Contracting Command
2014
Maj. Gen. Theodore C. Harrison III Commander
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. David M. Puig Command Sergeant Major
Logistics Support Activity
Col. Charles B. Salvo Commander
MANTECH INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION (WW)
John B. Nerger Executive Deputy to the Commanding General
William Marriott Deputy Chief of Staff, G1
Brig. Gen. Edward Daly Chief of Staff
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. James E. Spencer Command Sergeant Major
Maj. Gen. Bruce T. Crawford Commander
Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity
James Amato Program Manager
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Kennis J. Dent Command Sergeant Major
Military Surface Deployment & Distribution Command
TACOM LCMC
Maj. Gen. Gwendolyn (Gwen) Bingham Commander
Maj. Gen. Clark W. LeMasters Deputy Chief of Staff G3/4/5/7
Communications-Electronics Command LCMC
Army Sustainment Command
Maj. Gen. Kevin G. O’Connell Commander
Col. H. Brock Harris Deputy Chief of Staff G2
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Karl E. Schmitt Command Sergeant Major
Maj. Gen. Susan A. Davidson Commander
Office of PM-Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization
Brig. Gen. Paul Laughlin Program Manager
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Cedric J. Thomas Command Sergeant Major
Chemical Materials Activity
Donald E. Barclay Director
Dr. Edward Siomacco CIO/Deputy Chief of Staff, G6
Robert J. Turzak Deputy Chief of Staff, G8
Joint Munitions Command/Joint Munitions and Lethality LCMC
Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French Commander
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Anthony M. Bryant Command Sergeant Major
Research, Development & Engineering Command
Maj. Gen. John F. Wharton Commander
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. James P. Snyder Command Sergeant Major
Army Security Assistance Command
Maj. Gen. Mark McDonald Commander
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Rodger W. Mansker Command Sergeant Major
MANTECH INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION (WW)
U.S. Army Materiel Command The P3 program benefits industry in several unique ways. It facilitates private industry access to U.S. Army centers of industrial and technical excellence and their advanced-technology equipment. Industry can also take advantage of the diversified, highly skilled and deployable workforce. Finally, industry can protect their bottom line by using established facilities equipped with modern tooling and manned with trained and ready workers rather than constructing new plants or training new personnel. In return, the Army improves operaU.S. forces from Afghanistan is taking a coordinated, multi-service effort utilizing a host of U.S. military assets and contractor tional efficiencies and lowers the cost of Moving services. [Photo courtesy of DoD] products and services by maximizing output We’re well aware of the potential disruptions, and prepared to and potential. Partnerships generate significant revenue and jobs for address them as needed. the Army, leading directly to sustainment and expansion of organic industrial capabilities. Q: How is the Pakistan route? Currently, AMC has public-private partnerships with around 200 businesses, generating about $200 million. We project we will A: Overall, we have an acceptable flow through the Pakistan routes, have another 114 partnerships soon. Those partnerships generated particularly on the southern routes. more than $203 million in FY13 and $158 million in FY14. AMC is The Khyber Pass is a bit problematic at times, both because of currently in the process of developing a comprehensive strategic the unpredictable weather and because the route goes through the approach to business development to maximize those opportuniFederally Administered Tribal Regions of Pakistan. Those areas have ties. Part of the plan includes leveraging major commercial trade been relatively hostile as the Pakistani government takes action shows, where business decisions are often made, for industries such against terrorist networks there. as automotive and heavy machinery. The goal is to steadily increase P3s at the same rate as the U.S. economic growth, and ultimately Q: Can you tell me about what your Future Operations office looks to drive enough partnerships to maximize capacity at each of the at and plans for? industrial base arsenals, depots and plants. This growth is necessary for the U.S. Army to sustain the critical skills and capabilities it A: The AMC G-3/4 Future Operations Division spans the mission needs to maintain readiness for future operations. planning and execution gap between strategic plans and current Public-private partnerships allow us to deliver to our warfightoperations. They integrate national, Defense, Army and AMC straters the equipment they need, when they need it, at the most affordegy with directed studies and analysis to develop and implement able price by leveraging the best of what industry and the industrial alternatives for AMC organizational constructs, capabilities and base has to offer. capacity. The work done in the Future Operations Division helps promote the AMC commanding general’s priorities, ensure consisQ: In relation to the Army’s use of the NDN, have recent geopolititent messaging, shape programs, processes, policies and resources, cal issues caused you to plan differently for the retrograde? build teams, and collaborate across the full spectrum of AMC and its customers, the Army and the joint warfighter. A: Our retrograde plans shifted two years ago, when Pakistan first In addition to planning and hosting strategic engagements and closed the transit routes. Even though those routes have re-opened, events, AMC’s future operations division conducts study efforts to the temporary delays caused by those closures caused us to relook ensure AMC entities have a clear understanding of and are adhering our options and come up with alternatives. We’ve had some chalto Secretary of the Army Optimization Effort Initiatives and other lenges here and there, but we’ve been able to maximize the flow of Army and DoD efforts to support the joint warfighter. equipment to meet our retrograde goals. The division also ensures the integration of strategic plans, and ensures the command is prepared to integrate the Globally ResponQ: Any issues on the northern distribution network with Russia? sive Sustainment initiatives. A: We’ve been fortunate that we’ve had little disruption on the Q: Any closing thoughts? northern distribution network. The NDN is more than just the rail access to Russia. We also have a sealift offload location in the Baltics, A: The great professionals of the Army Materiel Command remain which provides an air or surface route to Afghanistan. We have a committed to continuing to support the joint warfighter as we preroute through Turkmenistan in Tajikistan into Azerbaijan, which is pare the command to support Force 2025 and beyond. AMC remains the southern tier of the NDN. There are several options that make forward-deployed and ready to flex capability anywhere the Army or up the NDN, but only about 10 percent of what we move comes in the joint warfighter requires support. O through the Baltics. 6 | MLF 8.9 | U.S. Army Materiel Command
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U.S. Army Materiel Command
Military Logistics Forum, with U.S. Army Materiel Command, outlines what a company needs to do to do business with AMC. While it may not be as easy as connecting the dots, mechanisms are in place to open up the process and level the playing field. AMC is the Army’s premier provider of materiel readiness—technology, acquisition support, materiel development, logistics power projection, and sustainment—to the total force, across the spectrum of joint military operations. The command’s complex missions range from development of sophisticated weapon systems and cuttingedge research to maintenance and distribution of spare parts. AMC operates research, development and engineering centers, laboratories, depots, arsenals, ammunition plants and other facilities, and maintains the Army’s prepositioned stocks, both on land and afloat. The command is also the DoD Executive Agent for the chemical weapons stockpile and for conventional ammunition. The command is engaged in the development, support and sustainment of the future Army while supporting and sustaining the current Army. Through its maintenance depots, AMC restores weapon systems needed as the Army makes its way to full transformation. The command’s overhaul and modernization efforts are enhancing and upgrading major weapon systems—not just making them like new, but inserting technology to make them better. AMC handles diverse missions that reach far beyond the Army. For example, AMC manages the multi billion dollar business of selling Army equipment and services to friends and allies of the United States and negotiates and implements agreements for www.MLF-kmi.com
co-production of U.S. weapon systems by foreign nations. AMC also provides numerous acquisition and logistics services to the other components of the Department of Defense and many other government agencies. AMC is headquartered at Huntsville, Ala., and is located in about 149 locations worldwide, including more than 45 states and 38 countries. AMC has about 50,000 dedicated employees at these organizations, both military and civilian, many with highly developed specialties in weapons development and logistics. To develop, acquire and maintain materiel for the Army, AMC works closely with industry, as well as colleges and universities, to ensure that state-of-the-art technology is effectively leveraged for the defense of the nation. As the place in the Army where superior technology, acquisition support, and logistics are integrated to assure readiness for today and tomorrow, AMC is heavily involved in making the Army more responsive, deployable, agile, versatile, lethal, survivable and sustainable.
A Step-by-Step Approach
System (NAICS) codes for your products or services. 2. Register Your Business • Obtain a DUNS Number The Data Universal Number System (DUNS) Number is a unique nine-character identification. If you do not have a DUNS Number, contact Dun and Bradstreet to obtain one. http://www.whitehouse.gov/ sites/default/files/omb/grants/duns_num_ guide.pdf • Register with Central Contractor Registration (CCR) You must be registered in Central Contractor Registration (CCR) to be awarded a DoD contract. CCR is a database designed to hold information relevant to procurement and financial transactions. CCR affords you the opportunity for fast electronic payment of your invoices. “Dynamic Small Business Search” is an additional tool used by Contracting Officers and Contract Specialists to locate small business concerns. 3. Identify Your Target Market
1. Identify Your Product or Service It is essential to know the Federal Supply Class or Service (FSC/SVC) codes and North American Industry Classification
Research personnel and procurement statistics. Of particular interest to small businesses is the Standard Tabulation (ST) 28 report of products and services purchased U.S. Army Materiel Command | MLF 8.9 | 7
U.S. Army Materiel Command each fiscal year by the DoD. Data on the ST28 are sorted by FSC/SVC code and provide the name and location of DoD contracting offices. This can be cross-referenced with the list of small business specialists within each individual service organization. • • • • •
Army Navy Air Force DLA Other Defense Agencies (ODAs)
4. Identify Current Procurement Opportunities Identify current procurement opportunities in your product or service area by checking the electronic version of the Federal Business Opportunities website, which can assist you in identifying all Federal procurement opportunities. For the most up to date Army solicitations, visit the Army Single Face to Industry website. Also visit the Small Business Innovation & Research Information website: http://www.arl.army.mil/www/ default.cfm?page=29. 5. Familiarize Yourself with Army Contracting Procedures Be familiar with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). 6. Investigate Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Contracts Many DoD purchases are, in fact, orders on Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts. Contact the General Services Administration (GSA) for information on how to obtain a FSS contract.
marketing, financial and contracting issues at minimal or no cost. • Small Business Specialists (SBS): The military services and some defense agencies have small business specialists at each of their procurement and contract management offices to assist small businesses, including veteranowned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone, small disadvantaged, and woman-owned small business concerns in marketing their products and services to DoD. Among other services, these specialists provide information and guidance on (1) defense procurement procedures, and (2) how to identify prime contract and subcontract opportunities. To learn more about the Army’s mission before attempting to sell to your customers of interest, contact the SBS at http://sellingtoarmy.com/ user/showpage.aspx?SectionID=9. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Defense Logistics Agency maintain the names of Small Business Specialists associated with their organizations. • • • • • •
Army Navy Air Force DLA Other Defense Agencies (ODAs) DefenseLink (http://www.defense.gov) is the official Website for the Department of Defense and the starting point for finding U.S. military information online, including links to the military services and ODAs. • Additional procurement-related resources are located in the Links section of our web site: http://www.amc. army.mil/pa/smallbusiness.asp. 8. Explore Subcontracting Opportunities
7. Seek Additional Assistance as Needed There are several important resources that are available to assist you in the Army marketplace: • Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) are located in most states and are partially funded by DoD to provide small-business concerns with information on how to do business with the Department of Defense. They provide training and counseling on 8 | MLF 8.9 | U.S. Army Materiel Command
Regardless of the product or service, it is important that you do not neglect our very large secondary market; The AMC guide “Subcontracting Opportunities with DoD Prime Contractors” provides, by state, the names and addresses of DoD prime contractors, the names and telephone numbers of small business liaison officers (SBLOs), and the products and services supplied to DoD. The report is generated from data mined through DoD prime contractor contracts and subcontracting plans.
Please note that the DoD OSBP does not maintain the data on its website and is not necessarily current (The directory reflects data as of September 30, 2005). AMC encourages all parties to investigate potential opportunities with these firms. Many also have websites that may be useful and AMC encourages all parties to explore teaming options. In addition, many of the larger organizations may have subcontracting opportunities at the lower tiers (beyond the first and second tiers). The SBA’s SUB-Net is another valuable resource for obtaining information on subcontracting opportunities. Solicitations or notices are posted by prime contractors as well as other government, commercial and educational entities. 9. Investigate DoD Small-Business Programs There are several programs that may be of interest to industry such as: VeteranOwned, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, HUBZone, Small Disadvantaged, WomanOwned, Small Business Innovation Research, Small Business Technology Transfer, MentorProtégé, Indian Incentive, Historically Black Colleges, Tribal Colleges, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and other Minority Institutions. Information on all these programs is available on the DoD Office of Small Business Programs website: http://www.acq.osd.mil/ osbp/doing_business/index.htm.
10. Market Your Firm Well After you have identified your customers, researched their requirements and familiarized yourself with DoD procurement regulations and strategies, it is time to market your product or service. Present your capabilities directly to the DoD activities that buy your products or services. Realize that their time is valuable and if the match is a good one, you can provide them with a cost-effective, quality solution to their requirements. Additional helpful resources, posted on the AMC website, include “Government Contracting: The Basics” and “Marketing to the Department of Defense: The Basics.” O For more information, contact Editor-in-Chief Jeff McKaughan at jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mlf-kmi.com.
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U.S. Army Materiel Command
614th Contingency Contracting Team deployment in support of combat operations is a first. By Daniel P. Elkins The arrival of the 614th Contingency Contracting Team in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in August signals the first deployment of a contracting team in support of combat operations for the Army Contracting Command since integrating uniformed members at contracting offices across the country. Mission and Installation Contracting Command officials received a short-notice deployment order for a five-member team in July. Operations officials at the headquarters at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston worked closely with the MICC Field Directorate Office at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., to assess teams, consider augmentation needs and identify the team from MICC-Fort Benning, Ga. Previously, individual soldiers were selected to deploy forward and fall into a team once in country. “The objective was to deploy a complete team through the entire process, which includes training, deploying forward and operating as a team,” said Art Jackson, the chief of the MICC Current Operations Division at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. “We went to a specific unit at Fort Benning; that’s the first time the Army Contracting Command has deployed a contingency contracting team from within the continental United States.” According to ACC operations officials, the command has previously sent individual contracting officers into a combat theater, but not teams. The Expeditionary Contracting Command’s 408th Contracting Support Brigade at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, maintains a forward presence in the CENTCOM AOR. After accomplishing all necessary requirements, members from the 614th CCT deployed and stood up an operation in the CENTCOM AOR that reports to the 408th CSB. “They were able to go from notification to being in theater in less than 45 days,” said Mike Kuppers, the MICC deployment operations officer here. “In that time, they completed home station training, medical readiness and pre-deployment preparedness, and had the opportunity for a week of block leave to spend time with their families.”
Integrity Test ACC officials announced in January 2013 plans for integrating soldiers in the 51C contracting military occupational specialty across its centers and MICC contracting offices to streamline the span of control of soldiers assigned stateside and enhance professional development. The MICC’s role was to broaden their contracting skills and proficiency by pairing the soldiers alongside seasoned civilian contracting professionals while completing acquisition certification requirements. Soldiers would then put those skills to the test when called upon to deploy. MICC officials said the deployment of a team marks a significant milestone for the command as an organization. Previously, the ECC provided contracting support to deployed locations on an individual replacement basis. The MICC now joins ECC in providing the ACC with the capability of additional contingency contracting personnel and units to support combatant commanders worldwide, Kuppers said. 10 | MLF 8.9 | U.S. Army Materiel Command
The Mission and Installation Contracting Command leadership met with three contingency contracting teams in mid-July during a visit to Fort Benning, Ga., as soldiers making up the 614th Contingency Contracting Team were preparing to depart for readiness training at Fort Bliss, Texas, en route to their deployment. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/By 1st Lieutenant Lauren Magrane]
Kuppers added that supporting a combat capability as an organization validates architecture in place to meet the Army’s intent of aligning units to supported units. He explained that a contracting support brigade deploys in support of an Army corps, a contingency contracting battalion in support of a division, and contingency contracting teams in support of a brigade combat team. “The accomplishment of this mission illustrates to the Army why it is important to maintain the contingency contracting infrastructure,” Jackson said. “Even though we’ve always supported the mission down range, this opportunity validates our ability to deploy our numbered units from within the United States.” The deployment is also the first since the integration of uniformed members at contracting offices across the command.
New Mindset The MICC was established as a Tables of Distribution and Allowances (TDA) unit. TDA organizations are usually considered nondeployable. Jackson said the attachment of soldiers began a shift in that mindset. Soldiers are assigned to ECC but attached to the MICC for professional development. Once called upon to deploy, the unit would then return as an ECC asset. “This is a significant accomplishment from a year ago when we first attached soldiers into our contracting offices. The initial intent was to improve their training, and when they were given a mission, we would detach them back to ECC to work specific deployment issues,” Jackson explained. “What happens now is that we work closely with our counterparts at the ACC and our offices in taking the units until they are ‘wheels-up’ en route to their deployed location.” O Daniel P. Elkins is with the Mission and Installation Contracting Command public affairs office.
For more information, contact Editor-in-Chief Jeff McKaughan at jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mlf-kmi.com.
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SUPPLY CHAIN
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
End-to-End Supply Chain Visibility Lockheed Martin will continue sustainment and operations for the Integrated Data Environment/Global Transportation Network Convergence (IGC) program, which provides DoD with near real-time enterprise access to logistics and transportation data used to track assets in motion, in storage and in theater to provide end-to-end supply chain visibility. This $26.8 million award is a follow-on to the 2008 IGC development and sustainment contract where Lockheed Martin was responsible for system design and implementation as the enterprise service provider. “Situational awareness is an integral focus for any mission, and part of that effort is the awareness of asset locations and deliveries,”
said Angela Heise, vice president of enterprise IT solutions with Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions. “We’re using actionable logistics information to provide decisionmaking support for joint force commanders.” IGC is the United States Transportation Command’s program of record for in-transit visibility and the program of record for the Defense Logistics Agency’s asset visibility system. The system creates the greatest opportunity of a distribution network that ensures consistent access to authoritative logistics data, business rules and reliable information. IGC provides warfighters with the best information technology tools for supply and transportation while eliminating redundancies to streamline
Hawkeye Closes in on Aerial Refueling The Northrop Grumman and U.S. Navy team has successfully conducted the preliminary design review (PDR) for its E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aerial refueling system. Completion of this critical milestone allows the program to proceed to its critical design review, moving closer to manufacturing the system and installing it on new production E-2Ds as well as retrofitting it onto E-2Ds that are currently operating in the Navy fleet. “I’m very pleased with the progress the team has made,” said Captain John Lemmon, program manager, E-2/C-2 Airborne Tactical Data System Program Office. “Adding an aerial refueling capability to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye will extend its critical mission of providing continuous information to the warfighter who depends on it.” Under a $226.7 million engineering, manufacturing and development contract awarded in 2013, Northrop Grumman is designing several system upgrades necessary to accommodate an aerial refueling capability. These include new seats to enhance pilot field-of-view and decrease crew fatigue; formation lights for better visualization and air space orientation; and enhanced software in the aircraft’s flight control system to assist the pilots with aircraft handling qualities when refueling.
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the support of informed and agile decisionmaking. IGC integrates more than 950 transaction types from 67 external DoD transportation, logistics and supply system interfaces and over 250 commercial transportation carriers into a single integrated data model to provide complete, consistent and authoritative data in near-real time. IGC processes and loads nearly 3.5 billion transactions per month into two active, unclassified and classified environments in support of over 6,000 end-users. More than 17,000 business rules have been implemented to accurately integrate data and develop a single version of truth from numerous data sources.
Contractor Logistics & Training Support for Afghani MSFV The Afghan National Army (ANA) MSFV is a 4x4 armored tactical vehicle that provides mine and ballistic protection to the crew compartment, a weapons station and an ammunition storage area. Product Manager Allied Tactical Vehicles (PM ATV) currently manages the production, deprocessing, fielding and new equipment training of MSFVs in Afghanistan. There are over 600 MSFVs in the ANA inventory in three variants. PM ATV is currently seeking a qualified contractor to provide contractor logistics and training support (CL&TS) for the ANA. These services are required to support the U.S. strategic objectives in transitioning the war effort to the government of Afghanistan. The ultimate goal of this program is to enable the Afghans to be selfsufficient in training, maintaining and sustaining MSFVs. This will require the contractor to provide maintenance training, component repair, limited supply training and troubleshooting training in both a classroom and non-classroom environment. Most importantly, the contractor will be required to transition all aspects of the CL&TS contract to the Afghans.
MLF 8.9 | 21
Readiness Deliverer
Q& A
Delivering Responsive Global Readiness, Logistics and Sustainment Capabilities
General Dennis L. Via Commander U.S. Army Materiel Command General Dennis L. Via assumed duties as the 18th commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) on August 7, 2012. AMC is the Army’s premier provider of materiel readiness to ensure dominant land force capability for the U.S. warfighter and our allies. Via’s prior assignment was as AMC’s deputy commanding general. He deployed to Southwest Asia in October 2011 as the commander, AMC Responsible Reset Task Force, with the mission of leading the strategic integration of the Materiel Enterprise for the retrograde of equipment and materiel out of Iraq at the conclusion of Operation New Dawn. Prior to that, he served as director for command, control, communications and computer systems, J-6, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. A native of Martinsville, Va., Via was commissioned on May 18, 1980 in the Signal Corps after graduating as a distinguished military graduate from Virginia State University. He holds a master’s degree from Boston University, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (class of 1991) and the U.S. Army War College (class of 1999). Via’s command assignments include the 82nd Signal Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; 3rd Signal Brigade, III Armored Corps, Fort Hood, Texas; 5th Signal Command, United States Army Europe and 7th Army, Mannheim, Germany; and the United States Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command, Fort Monmouth, Fort Monmouth, N.J. His key staff assignments include aide-de-camp to the Chief of Staff, Allied Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy; Operations Officer, J-6, Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, Washington, D.C.; Division Chief, Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, United States Army, Washington, D.C.; and principal director for operations, Defense Information Systems Agency/deputy commander, Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations, United States Strategic Command, Arlington, Va. His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; the Defense Superior Service Medal; the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster; the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; the Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters; the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; the Joint Service Achievement Medal; and the Army Achievement Medal. He is authorized to wear the Master Parachutist Badge, Joint Staff Identification Badge and Army Staff Identification Badge. Q: How is AMC transforming the ways it does business as the nation transitions from a less direct war footing? www.MLF-kmi.com
A: Although our Army is currently transitioning toward a post-Afghanistan period, the primary mission and business of the Army Materiel Command remains relatively unchanged—and that’s delivering responsive global readiness, logistics and sustainment capabilities to our Army’s warfighters and the joint force to enable worldwide unified land operations. As we conclude operations in Afghanistan, our Army remains heavily engaged in simultaneous contingency operations around the globe on multiple continents. So while there may be less direct support to combat operations, overall AMC’s mission support requirements are actually increasing. A key component of future Army readiness is the continued successful retrograde and reset of equipment out of Afghanistan by December 2014, along with the ongoing reset of equipment retrograded from Iraq. Reset operations are critical to rebuilding combat readiness in our air and ground equipment fleets and weapons systems, and are essential for meeting future contingency requirements and global commitments as we return these systems to our Army corps, divisions and brigade combat teams. In conjunction with Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA), the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA-ALT), the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and Forces Command (FORSCOM), we are currently assessing many of the systems and capabilities rapidly acquired and fielded across our Army over the last 13 years of war, many of which are non-standard, and determining their future utility and affordability. MLF 8.9 | 23
We’re determining which of these systems should transition into a formal program of record for life-cycle sustainment, or be identified for training use, Army prepositioned stocks, further research and development, or divestiture. One of the major challenges we face during this period of transition is budget uncertainty due to sequestration. The lack of predictable resourcing, especially within a global logistics enterprise such as AMC, makes it significantly more challenging to conduct our operations, meet Army priorities, provide sustained readiness to our forces, and train and develop our workforce. Faced with declining budgets, along with a smaller Army, we know that we must aggressively seek more innovative, efficient and effective ways to deliver readiness solutions to our joint warfighters, and at a lower cost. We are exploring several promising business transformation initiatives like virtual contracting, virtual Integrated Materiel Management Centers and virtual laboratories, along with continued Logistics Modernization Program improvements that are changing the way our depots and arsenals work.
Managing the retrograde from Afghanistan is an all-services effort to ensure proper disposition of equipment and supplies. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/by Sergeant 1st Class Luis Saavedra]
Q: When we spoke about this at the same time last year I asked about any possible reorganization of AMC. You mentioned that, per an Army Headquarters Directive, there was a review underway to see how the Army could reduce the institutional Army at the 2-star and above level by 25 percent. Can you tell me anything new about that review and how it might affect AMC? A: We were, in fact, directed by the Department of the Army to reduce personnel authorizations by 25 percent at all of our 2-star major subordinate commands and above. I’m pleased to say that AMC is well on its way towards meeting this directive while taking care of our people in the process. We are leveraging normal workforce attrition, turnover and new hiring; reorganizing, consolidating or reducing selected staff functions; and eliminating redundancies to meet our mandated reductions. We are also tailoring our organizations in accordance with planned force structure changes, evolving mission sets and anticipated funding levels. These efforts and initiatives will allow AMC to responsibly shape our command for the future by reacting to decisions driven by the ever-changing and unpredictable fiscal environment. Q: Do you expect any further consolidation of the Army’s ammunition and munition manufacturing capabilities in the near future? A: Any decisions regarding future potential consolidations of AMC organizations and manufacturing capabilities will very much depend upon what happens with sequestration. Should sequestration return in full in 2016, then everything is on the table and all AMC organizations and capabilities will be impacted. The Joint Munitions Command (JMC), a major subordinate command of AMC, manages the production, storage, issue and demilitarization of conventional ammunition for all U.S. military services, and serves as the Department of Defense’s field operating agency for the Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition mission. In that role, JMC provides support to all branches of the U.S. military and to selected non-DoD customers as well. JMC produces, maintains and stores a mix of commercial and government-produced munitions. Approximately 75 percent of all munitions are produced commercially, and the remaining 25 percent 24 | MLF 8.9
is produced organically in Army ammunition facilities. The munitions produced by JMC are manufactured from a combination of government-owned, contractor-operated and government-owned, government-operated facilities. These facilities reduce, but do not eliminate, dependence on a single commercial source for key munitions/components and maintain a surge capacity to meet unanticipated requirements. As budgets are reduced and demand workload in our ammunition plants decline, we continue to assess all options for reducing costs and gaining efficiencies throughout the ammunition industrial base. It is essential, in fact critical, to Army combat readiness that we maintain a viable industrial base to meet munitions requirements for current and future operations, training and contingencies. Q: Army Contracting Command is about six years old. Is that enough time to determine if establishing a separate command to manage the acquisition and contracting processes is paying dividends in cost savings and cost avoidance? Have the other services taken notice of what the Army is doing? A: We’re tremendously proud of the accomplishments Army Contracting Command (ACC) has made since its inception. ACC’s effectiveness in providing responsive contracting mission support to our Army commands and organizations has reinforced the Army leadership’s decision to establish the command. In fiscal year 2013, ACC processed more than 191,000 actions worth more than $61.2 billion, and in FY14, ACC is on track to execute over 143,000 contracting actions in excess of $43.4 billion. ACC accounts for approximately 70 percent of the Army’s total contract dollars, so clearly ACC is making a huge impact for the warfighter. One standout initiative ACC implemented over the past two years is the Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise program, or EAGLE, which standardizes contracts for transportation, services and supplies at all Army installations. EAGLE increases the Army’s buying power and improves the supply chain across AMC, placing high-quality equipment into the hands of installations and units faster and at a competitive cost while creating increased opportunities for small businesses. As the Department of Defense reshapes its acquisition and contracting policies through programs like Better Buying Power 3.0, EAGLE is one of the Army’s and AMC’s success stories. AMC is bringing greater transparency and accountability to www.MLF-kmi.com
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the acquisition process by improving contracting policies, procedures and customer support within the Army and the Department of Defense. Q: Things have been tough for defense suppliers the past few years. How can AMC—the Army—maximize its efficiencies and cost savings at the same time it ensures that the core industrial base is not damaged and that our soldiers always go to battle with the advantage? A: I cannot overstate the critical importance of the defense industrial base—organic and commercial—to ensuring our national security. The Army’s organic industrial base (OIB) is the centerpiece of Army combat readiness. These unique, one-of-a-kind facilities, and the outstanding dedicated men and women who work there, provide tremendous capability for our Army and the Department of Defense. They are truly national treasures. For the past 13 years, we witnessed a tremendous increase in demand and workload in these facilities, which met with unprecedented success. However, as we concluded operations in Iraq and began to withdraw forces from Afghanistan, that workload has declined significantly. As this decline continues, we must ensure that we preserve those unique skillsets that are crucial in the OIB to reset Army equipment retrograded from the war, and maintain a level of core workload to sustain the skillsets of our artisans and retain the capability and capacity to meet future requirements. We also remain focused on exploiting leap-ahead, game-changing technologies, increasing operational effectiveness and reducing risk to warfighters. With our partners in ASA (ALT), TRADOC, FORSCOM, academia and industry, along with the support of HQDA, we are synchronizing and aligning our science and technology investments with the Army’s priorities to assure the Army’s technological advantage well into the future. Working together, we’ve developed some remarkable technological capabilities; however, our focus must remain on developing the next generation of systems that will dominate and ensure technical overmatch in the future. Q: Is AMC making the maximum use of partnerships and synergies from the commercial world to incorporate best practices into the way it does business? How do you routinely interact with business leaders? A: Partnership, collaboration and engaged communication with industry are key to navigating the challenging times currently faced by our Army and AMC. We have several initiatives in place at AMC, along with multiple venues to share information with our industry partners and the business community. We are actively encouraging public-private partnerships; conducting quarterly advanced planning briefings to industry at our AMC centers of excellence, including Redstone Arsenal, Ala.; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; Warren, Mich.; and Rock Island Arsenal, Ill.; as well as Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. and the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.; hosting semiannual small-business forums; and meeting with the CEOs of large corporations and small businesses, ensuring that all are aware of AMC’s capabilities and future requirements. As a $50 billion global logistics enterprise that accomplishes its mission, in large part, through the great partnerships we have established with our industry partners and the business community, we are always seeking future business opportunities. And with more 26 | MLF 8.9
than $7.6 billion in small-business contracts for FY14, accounting for approximately half of all small-business contracting dollars spent by the U.S. Army, “Small Business is Big Business” at AMC. We will continue to count on the flexibility and adaptability of industry and the business community to meet future Army and AMC requirements. Q: What can you tell me about AMC’s role in the Army’s overall power and energy strategy? A: Army power and energy has been identified as a top priority by our senior Army leadership, and is certainly a priority within AMC. The Department of the Army is developing new doctrine, policies, plans and technologies that will improve the management and use of institutional and operational energy to better support soldiers’ needs. With extensive laboratory, manufacturing, storage and industrial facilities located throughout the United States, AMC plays a critical role in Army power and energy through research and development (R&D), the Army Petroleum Center (APC) and Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP). AMC’s Research, Development and Engineering Centers focus various R&D efforts to field new technologies and energy initiatives. APC, which falls under the responsibility of AMC’s G3 (Logistics Operations), is AMC’s operational energy integrator and the Army Service Control Point for bulk petroleum. APC supports Army strategic, tactical and base operation petroleum capabilities to sustain weapon systems, soldiers and unit readiness. The LOGCAP program leverages existing task orders to identify energy reduction opportunities on forward-operating bases, supporting energy savings initiatives and capitalizing on reductions in fuel consumption. Energy can be both an effective force multiplier and an exploitable vulnerability for our Army. Supplying energy to soldiers in support of contingency operations around the world is becoming increasingly challenging, costly and dangerous. Power and energy initiatives foster a culture of energy responsibility and sustainability in order to reduce the Army’s energy demand and achieve greater energy security. In order to be successful, we must cultivate and leverage a culture of discipline to change behavior, make energy performance a leadership responsibility and conduct energy-informed operations. Q: Any closing thoughts? A: We are presently facing one of the most challenging periods I’ve witnessed in 34 years of wearing the uniform of a U.S. soldier. The global security environment remains very dangerous, complex and multifaceted, and therefore the demands on our Army to be prepared to respond globally when the nation calls will only increase. The American people trust that their Army will be ready. At AMC, our primary mission remains providing readiness to our warfighting formations—when and where needed. We do not accomplish this alone. It requires a team effort—soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, our industry partners and academia. More importantly, it requires trust—trusted professionals working together to provide our soldiers the equipment and materiel they require to accomplish their mission and return safely home to their families. As our Army transitions to a smaller, globally deployed, regionally engaged, expeditionary force while balancing readiness, end strength and modernization, AMC stands ready to do its part to ensure our Army remains the best-led, best-trained and best-equipped fighting force the world has ever known. O www.MLF-kmi.com
Army Sustainment Command’s facility investment strategy and the way ahead. By Andrew L. Appleget
As early as 2009, the Army Sustainment Command (ASC) G4 began preparations to assume responsibility for all Directorates of Logistics (DOL) facilities worldwide—74 installations consisting of more than 4,000 buildings and structures. The G4 began conducting initial assessments of each installation in 2010 with the goal of estimating the rough order of magnitude cost of the requirement when ASC assumed full operational control (FOC) of all DOL facilities. The G4 visited all 74 locations, took pictures and wrote an assessment detailing critical facility issues. When ASC assumed FOC of all DOL facilities in September 2012, DOLs were renamed LRCs (logistics readiness centers), emphasizing their new mission under ASC. Upon FOC, ASC funded a $5.5 million Corps of Engineers-led project definition and validation plan (PDVP). This effort, conducted 28 | MLF 8.9
from October 2012 to June 2013, was aimed at visiting all non-joint base CONUS installations (49 total) to prepare estimates and submit work orders for every noted building deficiency. There were more than 3,100 deficiencies quantified, totaling more than $225 million. As a result of these findings, ASC was able to fund more than $16 million in LRC facility upgrades and repairs in fiscal year 2013.
Downsizing, BCT Reorganization and the AMC Campus Initiative In 2010, all but one of the Army Materiel Command (AMC) MCA (military construction, Army) projects were removed from the MCA program objective memorandum due to cost-cutting measures stemming from the ongoing retrograde from the Southeast Asia www.MLF-kmi.com
theater of operations and subsequent plans to bring the size of the armed forces to peacetime levels. The one remaining project not to be cut was the regional logistics support complex (RLSC) on Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Wash. First advocated in 2007, the RLSC maximizes support to I Corps, U.S. Army Pacific, and the West Coast Region by consolidating and integrating the AMC regional activities and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology elements into one location. Upon completion (expected FY15 2Q), the RLSC will serve as the single location of logistics sustainment and operations in the western CONUS region. There were originally four phases of the RLSC, of which two were funded: the maintenance and storage facilities. The remaining two phases, an admin headquarters and a training facility with classrooms, continue to compete for MCA funding annually. www.MLF-kmi.com
This consolidation effort falls in line with the AMC Campus Initiative put forth in 2013 by General Dennis Via, the AMC commanding general. The AMC Campus Initiative serves three purposes: to streamline logistical operations of AMC activities, to get out of World War II-era wood buildings that have exceeded their lifespan and to improve the quality of work environment for AMC’s workforce. The AMC Campus Initiative will seek to consolidate AMC activities to a single area on every Army installation. Additionally, the operations and maintenance Army (OMA) funding spent to renovate two existing buildings in the logistics center has led to an MCA cost savings of more than $10 million. Currently, the Army plans to deactivate seven brigade combat teams by 2017. Due to this reduction, additional facilities will become available for AMC assets to utilize in the future. ASC and AFSB staffs are working with Installation Management Command MLF  8.9 | 29
and installation Directorates of Public Works (DPW) to locate buildings supporting the Campus Initiative.
ASC Facility Investment Strategy Due to the unlikelihood of MCA funding, OMA funding will be the predominant avenue to improve the logistics infrastructure across the ASC footprint. Most repairs dealing with infrastructure are related to health, life and safety issues in aging facilities. Such repairs are traditionally the responsibility of Installation Management Command (IMCOM) to fund. As a result, AMC does not have a specific budget line item allocated to facility repairs. However, due to IMCOM funding shortfalls, tenant unit sustainment needs The Regional Logistics Support Complex (RLSC) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., begins to take shape. In addition to consolidating are often not high enough priority to war- AMC equities, the RLSC also supports the AMC Campus Initiative. [Photo courtesy of 404th Army Field Support Brigade] rant attention or funding from the local garrison. As a result, facility improvements are not funded until the August-September timeframe at the end of each fiscal year, when ASC has unfunded base mission dollars returned to the headquarters. In November 2013, the ASC G4 put together a facility investment strategy (FIS) detailing the way ahead for the next seven years for OMA funding. This FIS was briefed to the ASC, AMC and IMCOM command groups. The way ahead is to fund the “worst first” facilities that are ASC mission requirements (e.g., renovating a building to increase space for a maintenance or storage facility, thereby alleviating a critical shortage of storage space). The ASC G4 will continue to work with the local installation DPW to input the remaining IMCOM bills into Project Priority System (PPS). PPS allows both AMC and IMCOM to An artist’s rendition of the general purpose warehouse, Phase II of the RLSC at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. [Photo courtesy of see requirements that are IMCOM bills USACE Seattle District] with an algorithm derived by IMCOM to prioritize such projects for funding. To better facilitate the workASC and IMCOM funding, depending upon whose bill it is to fund. ing relationship between AMC and IMCOM, the ASC commanding In FY15, the plan is to fund the last round of PDVP assessments general signed and sent a memorandum to each senior mission for LRC facilities in Korea and Japan. O commander, garrison commander and the IMCOM commander encouraging a mutual working relationship to ensure collective Andrew Appleget is a facility engineer contractor for Penduefforts are met. A response memorandum from Lieutenant Genlum Resources LLC. He works for the Army Sustainment Comeral David Halvorson, the IMCOM commander, detailed IMCOM’s mand G4 Engineering Division. He holds a Bachelor of Science continuing support to work with ASC and AMC in the future. in economics from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has worked for Pendulum for four years. Additional PDVPs In September 2013, ASC funded a second round of PDVP assessments. During FY14 ASC visited all CONUS joint bases not previously visited, as well as all European LRC installations. The goal, once again, is to develop facility projects to compete for both 30 | MLF 8.9
For more information, contact Editor-in-Chief Jeff McKaughan at jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mlf-kmi.com.
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The Army depot system is designed to maximize the Army’s own capabilities and partner with industry to gain synergies from the business world.
Military Logistics Forum recently reached out to several of the U.S. Army’s depots to see what they see as their competitive advantages and how their work delivers results for the warfighter.
Anniston Army Depot By Clester Burdell, public affairs officer
This month, Anniston Army Depot turns 73 years old. The installation has served our nation for over seven decades. While the country was involved in World War II during the 1940s, construction was taking place here in Anniston on what would become a vital part of our military history. And our history is vast. Anniston Ordnance Depot began as a storage depot in 1941 with igloos, magazines, warehouses and administrative buildings. A year later, employment numbers increased to approximately 4,000 workers. Nearly a decade later, the ordnance depot began an assignment to overhaul and repair combat vehicles. In 1963, combat vehicle maintenance and storage missions launched with the name Anniston Army Depot under the jurisdiction of the Army Materiel Command.
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Combat vehicles, like the M1, and frontline components make up the bulk of Anniston’s work. [Photo courtesy of Anniston Army Depot]
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Brandishing the Department of Defense’s Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence, or CITE, designations for ground combat vehicles, including assault bridge, artillery, small-caliber weapons, locomotives, rail equipment and non-tactical generators, the depot, without a doubt, provides industrial expertise, products and services to support America’s warfighters, allies and commercial customers. “Our capabilities are only limited by the imagination,” said Depot Commander Colonel Brent Bolander. “It is the dedication and ingenious spirit of our workforce that makes the depot so special and vital to our nation’s military.” In the 1990s, partnering with industry efforts initiated, with the depot becoming the forerunner in public-private partnerships. Today, the depot has established more than 80 different partnerships with industry First used as a storage depot, Anniston, now with more than 80 industrial partnerships, served as a forerunner in public-private leaders, utilizing agreements such as partnerships. [Photo courtesy of Anniston Army Depot] direct sales, workshare and facility use. Abrams tank, M88 recovery vehicle, Stryker, M113, M9 ACE Some examples of these programs include General Dynamics and ABV, the installation looks forward to opportunities to Land Systems (Stryker, M1 vehicles and components), BAE expand its services and support to new vehicles and weapon Systems (M113, M88, Paladin/FAASV, PIM), Honeywell (M1 systems. turbine engines and Egyptian Turbine Engines), Raytheon “The depot’s reputation has preceded itself,” said Bolan(USMC M1 and M88 components), ITT (APS5, Kuwait) and der. “When it comes to remanufacturing or rebuilding combat CAE International (M1 turret trainers). vehicles, their components, small-caliber weapons locomoEncompassing more than 15,000 acres, the depot is proud tives, rail equipment and non-tactical generators, nobody of its achievements and has great expectations for the future. does it like Anniston.” While continuing to support vehicle systems such as the
Blue Grass Army Depot Arriving via Black Hawk Helicopter, General Dennis L. Via— Commander of the Army Materiel Command (AMC)—recently made his first-ever visit to Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) in Richmond, Ky. The general learned firsthand about BGAD’s unique position within AMC’s wide-range of GO/GO (governmentowned/government-operated) and GO/CO (government-owned/contractor operated) production arsenals and storage depots. Although not one of the larger depots, BGAD is a multifunctional installation with varied missions and
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General Dennis Via, commander of U.S. Army Materiel Command (left) during a visit with Colonel Lee Hudson, commander of Blue Grass Army Depot. [Photo courtesy of Blue Grass Army Depot]
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capabilities. Its primary mission, according to BGAD Commander Colonel Lee Hudson, is storing, shipping, receiving, inspecting, maintaining, renovating and demilitarizing all types of conventional munitions. But Hudson also noted that BGAD’s large chemical defense equipment warehouse is the sole source provider of chemical protection equipment and gas masks to the Army as well as a major supplier to the joint services; it also has rapid-response industrial capabilities focused on metal cutting and fabrication of components for military vehicles and weapon systems that supplements the work of the arsenals. BGAD also is the country’s final location for the storage and eventual destruction of chemical weapons, with two separate U.S. Army tenant organizations responsible for the safe, secure storage of the weapons and their future destruction. Blue Grass Chemical Activity (BGCA), General Dennis Via at Blue Grass Army Depot about to detonate obsolete munitions. [Photo courtesy of Blue Grass Army Depot] which is responsible for chemical weapon BGCA and BGCAPP leadership is to be commended for their surety, is under the guidance of the U.S. Army Chemical close working relationship and partnering efforts in ensuring Materials Activity (CMA), yet another reporting arm under that their unique missions, capabilities and workforces bring the AMC. Blue Grass Chemical Agent-destruction Pilot Plan great value to DoD, as well as to our country’s military and (BGCAPP) currently oversees the construction, systemization civilian personnel alike.” and operation of the $6 billion plant currently being built Along with onsite briefings of the chemical weapons storon BGAD that will destroy America’s last chemical weapons age and the chemical weapons destruction plant, Via’s visit stockpile. BGCAPP reports under the Department of Defense included tours of all BGAD primary facilities and operations, (DoD) Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternative (ACWA) including blocking and bracing, outloading, ammunition program. shipping and receiving, surveillance and the demolition “Blue Grass is a highly valued and critical logistical comgrounds, where Via became an active participant in detoponent of our country’s military-industrial organic base,” said nating explosives as part of BGAD’s mission of munitions Via, “as well as to our country’s adherence to international demilitarization. treaties regarding chemical weapons destruction. BGAD,
Corpus Christi Army Depot By Col. Billingsley Garner Pogue III, Commander, Corpus Christi Army Depot and Brigitte Rox, CCAD Public Affairs Specialist
The Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) is responding to a dynamic shift in operational requirements from producing helicopters and aircraft components at full effort to operating in an environment of decreasing demand. During high or low production, CCAD remains focused on delivering superior support and the highest-quality products to our customers as efficiently as possible.
Efficiency Through Automation We’re making strides in increased efficiency by embracing shop floor automation through the Complex Assembly
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Manufacturing Solution (CAMS). CAMS will replace the depot’s four main production systems with one automated system to better track material and labor usage, allow full visibility of our production processes, minimize cycle time and make the shop floor virtually paperless. Preparation for the May 2015 deployment has already shown improvements such as streamlined production operations and reductions in manual processes. Once fully deployed, CAMS will enable us to improve the quality, speed and efficiency of our support and services to our customers. With CAMS, we’ll be able to keep our rates competitive and our workforce intact, which will secure CCAD’s viability as a force multiplier in aviation.
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Efficiency Through Partnering With four original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) onsite at CCAD, our partners are here when we need them. They provide us with the technical, engineering and logistical services and supplies that make our business a success. Armed with better business practices, they bring efficiency and engineering support, as well as private-sector expertise that we adopt into our enterprise. In return, the OEMs utilize our resources: our depot artisans, facilities and equipment; generations of overhaul process knowledge; and more than 50 years of continuous and surge capability.
Efficiency Through Testing Innovation One of the newest and most efficient tools we have is our state-of-the-art smart transmission test stands. These stands change the way we do business by optimizing value-added time
in test cells and minimizing setup and disassembly time. Each stand has the capability to test every helicopter transmission and gearbox in our inventory, and will be able to test future components as well. This flexibility maximizes our maintenance, repair and overhaul production while saving time, space and money. In short, it enables us to quickly respond to and sustain an evolving workload for the joint services, both now and in the future.
Efficiency for Success CCAD is a flexible organization that can expand and contract to meet our customers’ demands. We take pride in having the capability to provide flight-critical quality in any quantity. We seek to optimize the depot through continuous process improvement to be truly better, faster and more cost-effective for our customer. Our efforts to constantly improve our efficiency are just another example of what makes CCAD the cornerstone of aviation readiness.
Leghorn Army Depot Not the best known of the depots, but still a critical mission. The commander of the Army Materiel Command recently visited a relatively small AMC entity with a very large mission. General Dennis L. Via visited Leghorn Army Depot and Camp Darby in Livorno, Italy, in early September. Primarily manned by the 405th Army Field Support Battalion-Italy (AFSBn), the depot performs a variety of critical materiel missions. “I was impressed with the workforce there,” Via said. “I came away with a much better appreciation of the strategic importance and significance of the location. “Leghorn provides tremendous support to European Command, Central Command and Pacific Command and growing support to Africa Command,” he added. “With regionally aligned forces and ongoing operations, this becomes an ideal location.” Located on the northwestern coast of Italy, the depot is
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near the city of Livorno, which provides a strategic sea port location for the military. This positions Leghorn as a tactically valuable location for the storage and dissemination of humanitarian relief supplies
By Kelly Ann DeWitt and for storage, maintenance and shipment of Army Prepositioned Stocks in units in EUCOM, CENTCOM and AFRICOM. Nearby air and rail operations further cement the value of the location.
At Leghorn, the AFSBnItaly receives, stores, maintains and issues Army Pre-Positioned Stocks. APS equipment is stored and maintained in a series of climate-controlled warehouses on the Depot, according to
Leghorn Army Depot supported disaster relief operations for storm-ravaged Slovenia in early 2014. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/By Sergeant A.M. Lavey]
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Letterkenny Army Depot Letterkenny Army Depot (LEAD) is the Army’s missile depot and the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Air Defense and Tactical Missile Ground Support Equipment, Mobile Electric Power Generation Equipment, Patriot Missile Recertification and Route Clearance Vehicles. In its quest for excellence, Letterkenny is always searching for a way to ‘do it better,’ ‘do it faster’ and ‘do it for less.’ Efficient Lean manufacturing principles are embedded into the Letterkenny culture. All new and established programs are designed to incorporate Lean principles from start to finish. Depot employees and contractors attend a four-hour, hands-on Lean basic course. As a direct result of its dedication to Lean, the depot received the prestigious Shingo medallion a record nine times for manufacturing excellence. In the last two years, the depot
AFSBn-Italy commander Lieutenant Colonel Joseph W. Greenlee. Leghorn is one of two Army Prepositioned Stock locations in Europe, and one of five worldwide. Over the course of two years, the AFSBn-Italy team, which is comprised of nine soldiers, 11 Army civilians and 220 local national workers, will also reset about 1,000 Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles. The MRAPs returning from theaters of combat will return to the APS stocks at Leghorn when complete. “The ability to reset those MRAPs in Italy saves an astronomical amount of transit dollars, as opposed to shipping that equipment to Red River Army Depot and then back to Italy,” Greenlee said. Last year, AFSBn-Italy mechanics reset more than 80 MRAPs. The efforts should increase to about 500 MRAPs in fiscal year 2015, and another 500 in FY16, according to Greenlee. The unit also manages and maintains warehouses of humanitarian assistance commodities.
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has received several industry supplier excellence awards for its innovative business practices. In fiscal year 2013, the depot returned more than $26 million in Lean savings to its private-industry partners, with $6 million of those savings generated by depot employees. “One of the primary partnership initiatives here at Letterkenny Army Depot is developing a team culture with private-industry partners,” said Colonel Victor Hagan, depot commander. He stated that successful partnerships are a cultivation of understanding each other’s business, best business practices, corporate visions and goals. Public-private partnerships allow the depot to acquire state-of-the-art technology and skill sets. Private industry reaps rewards by gaining access to a highly skilled workforce and established facility infrastructure.
General Dennis L. Via and Command Sergeant Major James K. Sims are briefed on storage capabilities by Angelo Borelli and Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Greenlee, AFSBn-Italy commander, during a tour of one of 15 climate-controlled storage warehouses on Leghorn Army Depot, Italy. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army]
Equipment for the Humanitarian Assistance ProgramExcess Property, managed by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, is maintained and stored there, as is similar equipment on a reimbursable basis for the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. The equipment, as well as the APS stocks, is stored in 15 warehouses with more than
620,000 square of humidity-controlled storage. “This facility was improved to support a heavy brigade combat team,” Greenlee said. “However, it has proven that it can provide a wide range of support far above that mission.” Following his visit to the depot, Via stressed the critical nature of the organization.
“This depot tends to be forgotten, but it was built where it is for a purpose,” Via said. “We need to ensure we address future support opportunities at Livorno—it is a great location for an intermediate staging base facility.” Kelly Ann DeWitt is with public affairs, U.S. Army Materiel Command
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The depot began partnering with private industry in 2003. Partnership revenues in FY13 were $9.7 million. Partnering with major military defense contractors such as Boeing, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin contributes to cost-effective, quality products for our soldiers in the field. Highly sophisticated missile systems integration electronic components are tested at Letterkenny’s state-of-the-art test facilities. Major end items are reset to near zero miles. In-house engineers provide reverse engineering and fabrication services In 2013, Letterkenny Army Depot received its ninth Shingo award for the Force Provider program. [Photo courtesy of to simplify customers’ logistical prob- Letterkenny Army Depot] lems, restore worn components to accessories to customize the HMMWVs. Now commonly like-new condition and provide expert service in the field of referred to as the GMV ‘monster garage,’ this garage is capable service life enhancement. of producing an ‘a la carte’ menu of customized add-ons. Letterkenny used innovative technology in its approach “Letterkenny Army Depot will continue to provide outto meet specific mission requirements for Special Operations standing support to maintain the world’s best Army,’ said Command’s (SOCOM) high mobility multipurpose wheeled Hagan. He is confident that LEAD will continue to diligently vehicle (HMMWV). There was not a single ground mobility pursue its vision of being the provider of choice for both vehicle platform that fulfilled SOCOM’s needs. Depot engiindustry and the joint warfighter. neers worked with SOCOM to engineer and fabricate bolt-on
Red River Army Depot For over seven decades, the focus of Red River Army Depot (RRAD), located in Texarkana, Texas, has been providing outstanding support to America’s warfighter. Beginning as a storage facility in 1941, RRAD now has one of the most robust military vehicle recapitalization and reset facilities in the world. In fact, Red River is designated by the Secretary of the Army as the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Tactical Wheeled Vehicles, which includes the mine resistant ambush protected vehicle and high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle, the Bradley fighting vehicle system, and the multiple launch rocket system. The depot is also home of the only Department of Defense capability for remanufacture of road wheel and track for various vehicle systems. In addition to the rubber products division, Red River also has the capability to reset automatic fire extinguishing systems (AFES) on a variety of vehicles. Red River is also capable of resetting the AFES in certain other vehicle systems not remanufactured by the depot. Employees have taken AFES work beyond refill and are able to provide bottle certification, which involves rebuilding the fire bottle valve heads. This saves approximately $1,200 per system. To expand the depot’s capability and capacity, Red River is in the midst of a major military construction effort to be called the Maneuver Systems Sustainment Center. The MSSC is a four-phase construction project that will transform the
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RRAD employees dissemble a high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle. Red River is designated by the Secretary of the Army as the Center for Industrial and Technical Excellence for Tactical Wheeled Vehicles. [Photo courtesy of Red River Army Depot]
depot’s ability to execute its vast mission. The 300,000-squarefoot center includes a tactical body repair facility and a tactical vehicle processing facility. “We want our customers to continue making Red River Army Depot the depot that they choose because we provide the best product for the value,” said RRAD Commander Colonel Brandon L. Grubbs. “Our employees put forth their
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greatest effort to ensure our customers always receive the very best.” With over 50 partnerships, it’s no secret that Red River believes in the importance of partnering for the soldier. Since 2009, RRAD has generated over $230 million in revenue with direct sale contracts. Beyond the revenue advantages to partnerships, both RRAD and private industry gain technical and process advantages from working as a team. Many of the depot’s partners have experienced lengthy associations, some in excess of 15 years. Red River is committed to building quality products that meet the needs of America’s joint force. We will continue to “Build it as if our lives depend on it—Theirs do!”
Red River’s rubber product division removes worn rubber from unserviceable track and road wheels, and then uses state-ofthe-art equipment to clean and paint the track and road wheels in preparation for the application of new rubber. [Photo courtesy of Red River Army Depot]
Sierra Army Depot By Jon France, Deputy Mission Manager
Sierra Army Depot, part of the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command family of depots and arsenals, serves as the Army Materiel Command’s (AMC) main depot for general supply logistics and storage, infused with maintenance and kitting operations. Sierra provides receipt, storage, shipping and inventory accountability utilizing various systems (AWRDs, PBUSE, ISM-CIF, SARSS and LMP), which serve a multitude of customers from within an area approximately the size of Washington, D.C. Over the last 10 years, what was supposed to be an 18-month retrograde and redistribution mission from supplies received from SWA has morphed into a significant set of programs that support retail supply, organizational clothing and individual equipment, non-standard equipment, an integrated base defense system, a brigade combat team and improvised explosive device defeat. To give perspective, think of Sierra as one big “Craigslist” for a wide variety of retrograde and excess material receipt, other than Class V. Through Lean Six Sigma efforts supported by our employee’s dedication and diligence, we currently account for over $18 billion worth of assets and continue to develop programs of value for our customers. Based off our non-standard equipment (NS-E) operations, we were approached by JPM Guardian to work on the Integrated Base Defense (IBD) System, which involves deployable force protection system packages for expeditionary ground operations. In order to assemble the packages, NS-E material receipts from multiple OCONUS locations are reconstituted into kits and care of supplies in storage is performed prior to fielding or deployment. Sierra then assembles these kits based on four base camp sizes combining both standard and
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non-standard equipment that covers data fusion, entry control, perimeter security, warning/alerting and persistent surveillance. The support Sierra provides to JPM Guardian bridges the gap between a variety of disparate systems, thus insuring IBD capability. Since 2009, Sierra has been considered the primary body armor repair site for the Department of Defense. In conjunction with PEO Soldier and the TACOM Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment Management Office, we evaluated all incoming body armor and determined that repairing the outer coverings of the ballistic plate (damage that would normally cause the plate to be rejected or deemed DEMIL during X-Ray scan) would be a huge cost savings to the Army. Since the inception of the program, Sierra has scanned 2.5 million plates, repairing and redistributing a total of 727,652 plates, which has saved the Army approximately $21.2 million. Sierra also developed a process in which plates that are identified for training purposes can be requested to assist in simulating the plates soldiers would normally use in the field, avoiding damage to serviceable plates. Sierra also provides services to support the Air Force third party turn-in and the Reserves mission, which demonstrates our diversity in having the capabilities to support either a unit or an individual soldier within any of the U.S. forces. Sierra continues to support the soldier in many innovative ways to ensure our soldiers have what they need when they need it. O For more information, contact Editor-in-Chief Jeff McKaughan at jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mlf-kmi.com.
MLF 8.9 | 37
WHITE PAPER FORUM
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Overcoming MRO Supply Chain Dysfunction
F-35 Sustainment
A Critical Element of Operational Excellence
The DoD currently has or is developing several plans and analyses that will make up its overall F-35 sustainment strategy, which is expected to be complete in fiscal year 2019. The annual F-35 operating and support costs are estimated to be considerably higher than the combined annual costs of several legacy aircraft. DoD has begun some cost-savings efforts and established sustainment affordability targets, but did not use the military services’ budgets to set these targets. A report is calling for an affordable strategy, greater attention to risk and improved cost estimates.
Isn’t it time to transform your organization into a streamlined machine that adeptly leverages the benefits of solid and reliable MRO data? This White Paper will help you shift your organization’s current MRO mindset while illustrating the economic impact of the silo’ed viewpoint and helping you leverage MRO to: • Enhance productivity • Reduce inventory • Cut MRO spending For the complete White Paper, go to: http://bit.ly/1w2tbRD
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To see the complete report, go to: http://bit.ly/1qOPXHz
White Paper Forum
An effective way to have military logistics decision-makers, influencers and program officers follow your pioneering research and focused capabilities while driving our qualified and loyal group of readers to your Web site. Elements of featured posting includes • Company name • Title of White Paper • Your unique URL • Description/Summary of your White Paper (approx. 140 words) • Image of White Paper cover Benefits to You • An effective and efficient way for you to communicate your understanding and commitment to a solution • Build credibility with senior level military logistics decision-makers • Increase traffic to your Web site through qualified White Paper readership Your Posting • 4 Featured Postings available per issue in hard copy of publication • White Paper summary and unique URL to appear on the MLF Web site for one month • After one month, White Paper to appear in archives for 3 years For more information on your White Paper submission contact: Jane Engel, Associate Publisher / (301) 670-5700 ext. 120 / jane@kmimediagroup.com
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The advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers. KMI cannot be held responsible for discrepancies due to last-minute changes or alterations.
MLF RESOURCE CENTER Advertisers Index
Transportation Issue
AAR Mobility ........................................................................................... 17 www.aarmobilitysystems.com
NEXTISSUE
ATEC ......................................................................................................... 5 www.atecpower.net
The Publication of Record for the Military Logistics Community
November/December 2014 Vol. 8, Issue 10
Banneker Industries, Inc. ........................................................................ 1 www.banneker.com Dell Rugged Mobility .............................................................................C3 www.dell.com/rugged Exelis Mission Systems/Vectrus ............................................................... 7 www.vectrus.com Fluor ....................................................................................................... 25 www.fluor.com Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation ......................................................... 9 www.gulfstream.com/specialmissions I.H.S. ....................................................................................................... 27 www.ihs.com I.H.S. ....................................................................................................... 38 http://bit.ly/1w2tbRD Inventory Locator Service ..................................................................... 13 www.ilsmart.com Leidos ....................................................................................................... 3 www.leidos.com/logistics Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control .............................................. 11 www.lockheedmartin.com/jltv Northrop Grumman Technical Services ............................................... 22 www.northropgrumman.com/ts Oshkosh .................................................................................................C2 www.oshkoshdefense.com/jltv SAIC ........................................................................................................C4 www.saic.com Supplycore ............................................................................................... 1 www.supplycore.com Worldwide Business Research (WBR) ................................................... 19 www.defenselog.com
Cover and In-Depth Interview with:
Gen. Paul J. Selva Commander U.S. Transportation Command
Special Section Setting the Table Facing the challenges of 2015 from the perspective of senior logisticians.
Features AMCOM Sustainment Ensuring long-term operational readiness of Army aviation and missile assets. Tracking the Supply Chain The long-distance retrograde of personnel and equipment from Afghanistan tests the processes and technologies to ensure everything gets where it is supposed to be. Multimodal Transportation Platforms that allow the transfer of containers and equipment from one type of transport to another with the least amount of handling reduce time and money spent on movement.
Special Who’s Who Pull-Out Supplement U.S. Transportation Command A special pull-out supplement featuring:
Special PULL-OUT SUPPLEMENT
• An exclusive interview with Maj. Gen. Rowayne A. Schatz Jr., USTRANSCOM Director of Plans & Operations
Mantech International Corporation .....................................................C2 www.mantech.com Mantech International Corporation ....................................................4-5 www.mantech.com National Industries for the Blind ..........................................................C3 www.nib.org/value Perkins Technical Services, Inc. .............................................................. 3 http://pts-inc.com
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• A two-page organizational profile of USTRANSCOM A handy reference guide with a long shelf life.
Bonus Distribution Defense Logistics Army Aviation Symposium Insertion Order Deadline: November 10, 2014 Ad Material Deadline: November 17, 2014
MLF 8.9 | 39
INDUSTRY INTERVIEW Military Logistics Forum Greg Schmidt Sector Vice President and General Manager Technical Services Sector’s Mission Solutions and Readiness Division Northrop Grumman
Greg Schmidt is the sector vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman’s Technical Services Sector’s Mission Solutions and Readiness division. The 7,000-member MSR team provides comprehensive solutions to multiple U.S. government agencies such as the U.S. Army and National Guard, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, Joint Staff, U.S. SOCOM, Department of Energy and NASA. Schmidt has more than 32 years of knowledge and experience in engineering, production, mission assurance and program management for defense products and services. Q: How would you describe your company’s focus, goals and abilities to meet the needs of the military customer? A: Our focus is to be the most trusted provider of innovative, cost-effective solutions to our DoD or other governmental customers that ensures the security and freedom of our nation and its allies. We partner with our customers to understand their needs and align our solutions accordingly. For many of our contracts, our team members are side by side with our government customers; this kind of relationship allows us to be attuned to our customers’ requirements and positions us well to anticipate our customers’ future requirements. We focus on solving the tough problems that our military customers face. We think that’s the real value of a partner, and that’s what we strive to achieve—a partnership with our customers. Q: What innovations will better position you in today’s military marketspace? A: For more than 80 years, Northrop Grumman has been delivering innovative logistics and training solutions to our customers around the world, enabling affordability, effectiveness and 24/7 global mission readiness. We’re always looking for innovations that will result in a value-based offering to our customers. As our customers continue to face increased budget pressure, the importance of affordability is critical. One area in which we have created an innovative, affordable solution is HMMWV 40 | MLF 8.9
modernization. Our HMMWV modernization solution returns the vehicle to its original performance and payload while maintaining the current armor protection. Our solution extends the life of the HMMWV while significantly lowering maintenance costs and increasing fuel efficiency. We have accomplished this by assembling a talented team that combined innovations from the automotive industry with some ingenious engineering—all while embracing the affordability challenge. The result is an affordable solution that we think brings real value to our Department of Defense customer. Q: What do you do to better understand logistical requirements from the military’s perspective? A: We stand shoulder to shoulder with our customers supporting a vast variety of platforms and systems. That kind of presence allows us to understand the extremely challenging missions that our customers are undertaking. We invest in developing affordable solutions that help our customers overcome those challenges. By listening to our customers and understanding their requirements, goals and budget constraints, we are able to deliver a solution that aligns with and meets the needs of the military. Q: What challenges have you forecasted for the coming 12 months and how have you positioned yourself to address those? A: Budgetary pressures, global threats and changing environments have created new and complex challenges. Like our customers, we are adapting by reducing costs and focusing on ensuring our company is best
positioned to react to the ever-changing defense environment. We are focused on providing and developing innovative and affordable solutions for our customers. Northrop Grumman’s team members enable product innovation through the integration and application of new technologies, tools and devices. These innovations allow us to deliver proven performance at a lower operational cost. For example, we have developed ReadyBlue, a mobile app with the capability to give logistics support personnel, military leaders and depot operations staff secure, real-time insight into fleet readiness and mission capability rates. We are currently using ReadyBlue at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., where we provide mission logistics services in support of combat brigades training at the NTC. We believe ReadyBlue supports a 14 percent efficiency improvement in deployed areas and significantly reduces paper, supporting our customer’s GoGreen initiative. Q: Are there examples that illustrate your capabilities in meeting the needs of the defense customer? A: We are delivering innovative, affordable solutions for the NTC and the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, La. At both of these premier training centers, we’re implementing a Combat Training Center-Instrumentation System that affordably upgrades their range communication systems to digital technology. We have an in-depth understanding of mission requirements at the NTC and JRTC as a result of our logistics support of their ground vehicle fleets. In addition, we have a long and deep history in providing mission training solutions from the Battalion through Combatant Commands levels via programs such as Mission Command Training Center, Fort Hood, Texas; Mission Command Training Support Program, Leavenworth, Kan.; Mission Command Training Program, Leavenworth; and Joint Force Development, Suffolk, Va. This vast experience in providing mission readiness solutions helps us meet a broad base of customer needs. O
gregory.schmidt@ngc.com www.MLF-kmi.com
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