Mlf 8 4 combinedfinal

Rock Island Arsenal O Computer Ruggedization O Supply Chains Army Aviation Sustainment O Unmanned Supply

The Publication of Record for the Military Logistics Community

Global Sustainer

Maj. Gen. John F. Wharton

CommanderU.S. Army Sustainment Command

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May 2014Volume 8, Issue 4

Excusive Interview with

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Cover / Q&AFeatures

Major General john F. Wharton

commanderu.S. army Sustainment command

17


Departments Industry Interview2 editor’s PersPective4 loG oPs/PeoPle14 suPPly chain27 resource center

john BryantSenior Vice president of Defense programsoshkosh Defense

MILITARY LOGISTICS FORUM

28

7Better choPPers For the lonG haulamcom’s aviation Field maintenance Directorate is responsible for army rotary wing aircraft maintenance above the unit level and below the depot level. By Henry Canaday

10dod’s rockestablished as a facility for the deposit and repair of ordnance at Rock island, today Rock island arsenal forges ahead in a post-war environment.By rHys Fullerlove

12at What Pricethe ins and outs of the high cost of ruggedized computers. How much ruggedization is enough and how much is it worth?By Karen e. THuermer

25uGvs For loGisticsWhile technological obstacles still exist, the value of unmanned systems for resupply is coming into its own.By sCoTT nanCe

OrganIzatIOnal PrOfIletaCOM lIfe CyCle ManageMent COMMandSPeCIal Pull-Out SuPPleMent

Marie GaPinskiassociate Directortacom lcmc Small Business programs

1eXcluSiVe inteRVieW WitH:

“ASC synchronizes, integrates and provides AMC capabilities to the force at

home station and abroad. We are the bridge

between our national sustainment

base capabilities and

our forward deployed

combat units.”

—Major General John F. Wharton

23honinG suPPly chainsachieving military supply chain excellence involves accounting for significant fluctuations in supply and demand, dealing with budgetary uncertainty, enhancing predictability in parts ordering, and taking advantage of Web-based enterprise resource planning software.By William murray

5tacoM’s toP contracts Fy13

6Business GrouPstacom lcmc lists eight distinct business groups.

With the status of U.S. forces in Afghanistan still somewhat in ques-tion, the drawdown is continuing at pre-planned pace. With the current Afghan president refusing to sign a continuing force agreement and the field of Afghan presidential candidates all stating that they will sign an agreement to keep U.S. forces in the country, the ultimate decision is in limbo. Without an agreement, the U.S. has said that it will completely withdraw all forces by the end of 2014.

A DoD assessment in December 2013 reported that some 24,000 pieces of equipment needed to be shipped out of the country. U.S. Transportation Command establishes and maintains the transportation network, while the Army’s Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command manages and facilitates the movement.

Partnering with industry, the process includes commercial multimodal—basically a door-to-door service with little DoD involvement—and hybrid multimodal—where usually the military will fly equipment out of Afghanistan to specific locations where it is transferred to a commercial vessel. As of December 2013, hybrid and commercial multimodal accounted for about 29 percent of outbound cargo from Afghanistan.

Much of the cargo that cannot transit through Pakistan is sent via Dubai, where it is flown in commercially, trucked over land to a seaport and loaded onto ships to complete the journey. Companies involved in the process include: American President Lines Limited Incorporated; Liberty Global Logistics Limited Liability Company; National Air Cargo Group Incorporated; World Airways Incorporated; and Farrell Lines Incorporated. The contract, which will enter into the last option year on August 1, 2014, has a total value of about $1.4 billion with this last year expected to be the most costly.

If the numbers hold true, the commercial share of the load would be about 6,900 equipment items, which on average is about 200 more pieces per month than the average in in 2013.

While there are just five contractors, the list of subcontracting companies is at least 10 times that many and the actual number is thought to be even higher. While there is nothing obvious to indicate that security of these shipments is being compromised, the risk certainly increases at some mathematical rate when more subcontractors are brought onboard and the level of direct oversight by DoD is diminishing.

Strict adherence to approved processes, the implementation of security technologies for each shipment, and accountability by the contractors would ensure that the retrograde stays on track.

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James P. Woolsey has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service and is assigned as the pres-ident, Defense Acquisition University, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Fort Belvoir, Va. Woolsey previously served as a research staff member, Institute for Defense Analysis, Alexandria, Va.

Navy Captain Michelle C. Skubic has been nominated for appoint-ment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Skubic is currently serving as chief of staff, Naval Supply Systems Command, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Colonel Darren E. Hartford, selected for the grade of brigadier general,

commander, 437th Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., has been assigned to commander, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, Southwest Asia.

Air Force Major General Wendy M. Masiello has been nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as director, Defense Contract Management Agency, Fort Lee, Va. Masiello is currently serving as deputy assistant secretary for contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.

Army Reserve Major General Leslie J. Carroll,

deputy chief of staff, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., has been assigned to commander (Troop Program Unit), 377th Theater Sustainment Command, New Orleans, La.

Army Reserve Major General Peter S. Lennon, commander (Troop Program Unit), 377th Theater Sustainment Command, New Orleans, has been assigned to deputy commanding general (Support) (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Army Reserve Brigadier General Francisco A. Espaillat, executive director (Operations)

(Individual Mobilization Augmentee), Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, has been assigned to commander (Troop Program Unit), 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Orlando, Fla.

Army Reserve Brigadier General Garrett S. Yee, deputy commander for mobilization (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., has been assigned to commander, 335th Signal Command (Theater) (Operational Command Post) (Forward), Kuwait.

Colonel Richard B. Dix, selected for the rank of brigadier general, director

for strategy and integra-tion (G-45/7), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C., has been assigned to commander, Defense Logistics Agency-Distribution, Defense Logistics Agency, New Cumberland, Pa.

Brigadier General Casey D. Blake, commander, Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, has been assigned to deputy assistant secretary for contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Compiled by KMI Media Group staffPEOPLE

CH-53K Completes Initial Test SeriesSikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of

United Technologies Corp., has successfully completed an initial series of tests required by the Naval Air Systems Command to verify the structural strength of the CH-53K heavy lift helicopter. Conducted on a full-size non-flying airframe called the Static Test Article, the tests are part of a three-year program to validate that the largest helicopter ever designed and built by Sikorsky has the structural integrity to operate safely over its entire flight envelope—from its empty gross weight of 44,000 pounds up to its maximum gross weight of 88,000 pounds with external load.

“The Static Test Article will enable Sikorsky to replicate the many stresses, strains and aerodynamic forces the CH-53K helicopter will experience during all aspects of flight,

whether the aircraft is empty, filled with cargo, or carrying up to 36,000 pounds of gear suspended beneath the aircraft by an external sling,” said Mike Torok, Sikorsky’s CH-53K program vice president. “By placing incrementally heavier static loads on various parts of the airframe assembly—including those well beyond the airframe’s analytical design strength—we can measure structural integrity, airworthiness and crash worthiness, and verify safety margins for all expected operational conditions.”

Per the current program of record, the Marine Corps intends to order 200 CH-53K production aircraft, and to stand up eight opera-tional squadrons and one training squadron to

support the Marine Corps’ operational require-ments. Eventual production quantities would be determined year-by-year over the life of the program based on funding allocations set by Congress and the U.S. Department of Defense acquisition priorities.

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Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System

Autonomy options for the Marines have taken a major step forward, as officials at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced two successful helicopter flight demonstrations with unmanned flight capability at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., part of the Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) program.

AACUS will enable the Marine Corps to rapidly resupply forces on the front lines using cutting-edge technology sponsored by ONR. The system consists of a sensor and software package that will be integrated into rotary wing aircraft to detect and avoid obstacles in unfavorable weather conditions,

or to enable autonomous, unmanned flight. The capability will be a welcome alternative to dangerous convoys, manned aircraft or air drops in all weather conditions.

“This is a giant leap in autonomous capabilities for our Marines,” said Chief of Naval Research Rear Admiral Matthew Klunder. “Imagine a Marine unit needing more ammunition and water where a heli-copter crew would be in peril trying to fly in, either from weather or enemy fire.

“With AACUS, an unmanned helicopter takes the supplies from the base, picks out the optimal route and best landing site closest to the warfighters, lands and returns to base once the resupply is complete-all with the single touch of a handheld tablet.

“Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has discussed using drones to deliver a customer’s book order in 30 minutes,” said Klunder. “We’re talking the same concept here—the differ-ence is, we’re bringing our customer, the Marine, 5,000 pounds of ammo and water instead.”

By David Smalley, Office of Naval Research

C-17 Line Closure Update

Boeing has adjusted slightly the timing for ending C-17 Globemaster III production and closing its Long Beach, Calif., C-17 final assembly facility after a successful two-decade produc-tion run of the world’s premier airlifter.

Based on current market trends and the timing of expected orders, Boeing anticipates completing C-17 production in mid-2015, an adjustment of approximately three months from an initial estimate of late 2015. The company announced plans to end C-17 production in September 2013.

Australian Seahawk Support Facility

The Maritime Helicopter Support Company (MHSCo)—a Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin joint venture company—has broken ground to build the maintenance and warehouse facilities that will provide through life support logistics services for the Royal Australian Navy’s new fleet of 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. Once completed in early 2015, the two buildings, totaling more than 11,400 square meters (120,000 square feet), will house as many as 120 personnel with the knowledge and ability to keep the fleet in peak flight readiness during its esti-mated 30-year lifespan.

The facilities also will house representa-tives from Brisbane-based Sikorsky Helitech (which specializes in helicopter aftermarket support), Lockheed Martin Australia (mission

systems and avionics), and General Electric (engines).

While NAS Nowra personnel will perform day-to-day operational maintenance on the MH-60R fleet, MHSCo’s Through Life Support facilities will be responsible for a higher level of maintenance at periodic intervals. Aircraft will be inducted for scheduled and unsched-uled depot level airframe maintenance, or deeper level maintenance, as it is known in Australia.

MHSCo also will carry out logistics and inventory management of spares and repaired parts; house ground support equipment; provide periodic helicopter and component maintenance; install aircraft upgrades and modifications; and conduct a full strip and repaint of aircraft.


The Army does not fly the most expensive or most advanced air-craft, but it flies huge numbers of aircraft, often under difficult condi-tions and on missions that have become essential in almost any kind of war the U.S. might fight. Army rotorcraft have recently observed, fought, commanded and transported troops and cargo in two tough wars. It looks like most of them, in some version or another, will be needed for a long time to come.

That means fixing them up, maintaining them steadily and often upgrading their capabilities. The Army needs even better choppers over the long term, and for at least a while these will be new versions of old veterans. The fleet, in its entirety, must continue to fly affordably, measured by maintenance and operating costs.

The Army itself is ultimately responsible for all of this. It does most or all of the work in maintaining their aircraft. Industry pitches in with advice and support in maintenance, with innovative designs for new equipment and systems and with manufacturing capacity for major upgrades.

Army Aviation and Missile Command’s (AMCOM) Aviation Field Maintenance Directorate is responsible for Army rotary wing aircraft maintenance above the unit level and below the depot level.

The directorate’s maintenance missions include mission equip-ment packages, modification work orders, combat aviation brigade pass back support, port operations, crash and battle damage repair, airframe condition evaluations, minor depot repairs, fit checks, the national maintenance program and foreign military sales support.

AMCOM officials said the command is constantly improving its work and management processes to enhance support to warfighters. It has implemented Lean initiatives and is working to synchronize reset efforts with mission-equipment package modification work orders during the reset maintenance.

As AMCOM moves toward 2030, it expects condition-based mainte-nance to help reduce labor inspection burdens by up to 40 percent, by reducing false or unnecessary removals and increasing reliability and durability of components, thus producing low-maintenance aircraft.

The stakes in parts, man-hours and dollars are huge, because the fleets are large. At present, the field directorate is responsible for 685 AH-64 Apaches, 443 CH-47 Chinooks, 2,166 UH-60 Blackhawks, 296 OH-58 Kiowas and 291 UH-72 Lakotas.

Efforts to reset these rotorcraft to desired combat capabilities and recap them to like-new condition are ongoing and must be currently funded. Reset is projected to last 24 to 36 months after the end of combat operations. Recap is an initiative of Program Executive Office Aviation and depends on funding. At present it is limited due to space constraints at the Corpus Christi Army Depot. Another initiative, aircraft inspection and maintenance, has been accomplished on a few aircraft that have not deployed.

AMCOM officials said supply chain management is a constant and major focus area as the command integrates enterprise resource plan-ning (ERP) systems and eliminates outdated processes. AMCOM has begun new efforts in demand planning with analyses that combine tables of distribution and allowances, sales and operations planning, and authorized stockage lists. These efforts yield greater speed in pro-viding parts and components, all at reduced cost.

AMCOM has also embarked on an enterprise approach to sustain-ment that emphasizes four initiatives.

First, it seeks to always conduct maintenance at the correct level. This is done by conducting pre-shop analyses to determine the best maintenance approach and reducing the no-evidence-of-failure rate.

Second, AMCOM wants to enable soldiers to return to core main-tenance and supply competencies. This means fully exploiting the available mix of soldiers, civilians and contractors and applying an enterprise approach to maintenance and supply-point operations.

The third initiative lies in force structure. AMCOM is improving its logistics capability to overcome denials of areas or access. It is also improving power-projection capabilities and optimizing the mix of active and reserve components.

Fourth comes modernization, promoted by reducing unique equipping solutions, investing in energy innovation and embedded prognostics, reducing life cycle sustainment costs and improving accountability and auditability.

AMCOM officials said these four initiatives are especially signifi-cant in light of the fact that 10 major weapon systems, including the Lakota, will be transitioning to sustainment in the near future.

AMCOM’s priority for recap is the fleet of UH-60As and -60Ls to extend their useful life and to modernize, digitize and standardize the cockpits of AMCOM’s largest fleet. These aircraft do not typically return to the original equipment manufacturer for block upgrades as do Apaches and Chinooks. With UH-60 airframes expected to be in service for more than 30 more years, AMCOM must periodically bring these aircraft in and inspect areas that it does not typically look at to ensure long-term readiness, even if the aircraft are not deployed to combat.

In executing its missions, AMCOM officials say their biggest chal-lenge has been dealing with the effects of unpredictable funding.

Moreover, this challenge must be met amidst a wide variety of duties. AMCOM’s sustainment logistics role begins with the materiel fielding that is the core component of its mission. But sustainment logistics also includes readiness reporting and analysis, logistics assis-tance, national-level maintenance and national-supply activities.

AMCOM’s national-level maintenance responsibilities include management of two Army maintenance depots, Corpus Christi and Letterkenny, that repair, overhaul, rebuild and modify aviation and

SuStaining the army aviation rotary wing fleet. By henry Canaday, mlf CorreSpondent

www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 8.4 | 7

missiles. AMCOM also operates the National Maintenance Point for maintenance management, provisioning, technical publications, tools and test equipment.

AMCOM officials say supporting soldiers in 2030 will require con-tinued excellence in delivering core competencies, tighter integration of the materiel enterprise for the best possible support under tight budgets, and business process reinvention.

This reinvention is integrating logistics with strong science and technology programs aiming at zero-maintenance weapon systems. AMCOM is thus working closely with Redstone Arsenal’s Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC). AMCOM and AMRDEC are using a building-block approach to exploit technology and enable the transition to maintenance-free systems. These will depend on optimized designs, better condition-based main-tenance and improved maintainability.

AMCOM officials stress that sustainment objectives must be incorporated in requirements of programs within each technical area. The ultimate goal is high mission reliability and low maintenance burden through reliable usage-based designs, health-based adaptive controls, prognosis-based inspection and maintenance scheduling and intelligent net-worked sensors. That should yield a modernized fleet that uses common systems at the lowest possible cost.

Meanwhile, the Army’s industrial partners play a significant role in day-to-day sustainment and a critical role in improving capabilities and lengthening service lives.

For example, Sikorsky Aircraft provides field ser-vice on Eurocopter’s UH-72 Lakota, and is involved with depot maintenance and upgrades on the UH-60 Blackhawk, explained George Mitchell, vice president, defense systems and services. But this happens to be by far the most widely flown Army helicopter.

“We have a very long history with the Army,” Mitchell said. “We have a partnership with Corpus Christi and over the last decade have worked to bring in best commercial practices.” At the depot, Sikorsky provides technical support, materials and Lean manu-facturing.

Sikorsky and Corpus Christi are now in the 11th year of their next 15-year partnership agreement. By late March 2014, the depot had reset 343 UH-60As, with the Army doing the actual work. The depot had also converted 200 -60As to -60Ls in an ongoing program that is now converting 40 aircraft per year. Here again, the Army does the work and the manufacturer provides materials and engineering.

The -60Ls will have significantly more power, improved drive systems and modern electrical systems. “They will be more reliable and robust than -60As, with higher performance and more payload,” Mitchell said. “More life is also added.”

Challenges have been encountered in developing standardized work for aircraft that are in widely varying condition. And there have also been uncertainties due to the variation in program pace. A year ago, conversions were proceeding at about 55 per year, and now the rate is 40.

“We manage the supply chain,” Mitchell noted. “We forecast materials and throttle up or down to match demand.” Sikorsky must thus work with suppliers to ensure the depot has the necessary parts but does not build up wasteful inventories.

Sikorsky makes dynamic components for the UH-60, such as rotor blades, while suppliers make flight controls, avionics and other com-ponents. The Defense Logistics Agency is involved with consumable parts, Mitchell said.

Sikorsky provides its own and its suppliers’ parts in a kit similar to those used in its own final assembly line. “It’s neatly organized like a Russell Stover candy box,” Mitchell said. “Everything you need in the right place.”

Final assembly of UH-60Ls takes about 45 days, but there is lots of back-shop work on parts. “Some are replaced, some are re-worked and all are inspected,” Mitchell explained. He estimates that the total conversion job might take up to a year.

The Sikorsky exec said the Army will convert all the UH-60s that it keeps, while divesting those that cannot be converted. In mid-February 2014, the Army had 2,154 in its fleet. Mitchell has heard that the converted aircraft might be operated out to 2050.

Sikorsky offers the same upgrade to international customers, such as Colombia, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Some foreign customers do the

work themselves, while others, such as Colombia, have Sikorsky manage the touch labor, at least initially. “It’s a good initial step to build capacity in Colombia so they can stand up an organic depot and develop deep main-tenance capability,” Mitchell said.

Boeing has a 10-year partnership with Corpus Christi and works side by side with depot mechanics as the OEM provides engineering and supply support, explained Timothy Sassenrath, vice president and pro-gram director for Boeing Rotorcraft Support.

For the AH-64 Apache, the Army does reset as the aircraft come out of theater, cleaning them up, replac-ing components as needed and taking care of environ-mental issues to bring the aircraft up to fleet standards. “We provide assistance, parts and engineering data as needed, but we are not a major player,” Sassenrath said.

Boeing is also heavily involved in major upgrades to more than a thousand Army helicopters.

The Apache is going through a major moderniza-tion program with significant upgrades and requiring substantial investment by the Army. The moderniza-tion will reduce sustainment costs. “This will reduce the cost per flying hour and tackle a lot of obsolescence issues,” Sassenrath said.

The conversion from -64Ds to -64Es includes a new transmission system, composite rotor blades to improve performance and better diagnostics and prognostics that will continue to improve with succeeding conversion lots and steadily reduce the time neces-sary to identify faults.

Some new -64Es are remanufactured in Boeing plants and some are entirely new builds. Boeing is at full-rate production on the mod-ernized aircraft. Sassenrath said he does not know whether the Army will convert all of its 64Ds.

The modernization program is still young, and by late March 2014 Boeing had delivered aircraft for about two battalions.

Another upgrade program is under way as the CH-47 Chinook and goes from D to F versions. This upgrade primarily involves the addi-tion of a glass cockpit, an enhanced digital flight-control system and a new airframe.

Mark Ballew, now director of vertical lift business development for Boeing but formerly a Chinook pilot, said the old Ds were great

George Mitchell

Mark Ballew


airplanes but over time the Army and Boeing learned where stress and fatigue occurred in the airframe. New manufacturing processes allowed a machined monolith airframe, mostly aluminum, with many fewer than the 400 parts the old airframe had riveted together, plus strength to counter stress and fatigue in the right places and designed for easier maintenance.

The D’s cockpit now has Rockwell Collins’s Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) with five multi-function displays. “I can sit at my desk and plan my flight route, put the card into the cockpit and bring it up on the moving map with known airport issues and locations of friendly and enemy troops,” Ballew explained. This and other advantages of CAAS dramatically reduce workloads on the crew, enabling them to concentrate on missions.

The new digital advanced flight control system can be set to hover at certain points and then move in 1-foot increments, vertically or laterally, at the touch of a button. This feature can be literally a life saver in limited-visibility conditions and turns high-risk missions into low-risk ones. With so many soldiers on board, safety is a crucial consideration.

Other lesser improvements have also been made, including a new roller system for cargo and more electrical hydraulics.

The Army indicates that a new heavy-lift helicopter may not come until 2050. That would mean the Chinook flies until about 2062, a 100-year airframe, Ballew noted. At some point it may be re-powered, but there are no plans for a new engine yet.

In addition to improved performance, the Chinook upgrade will help with obsolescence issues and with corrosion, Sassenrath said. It requires both conversion of existing aircraft and new builds. Both are done at a Boeing plant near Philadelphia.

Boeing also supports the MH-6 and AH-6 Little Birds flown by the Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). Sustainment of Little Birds is provided by Boeing Sikorsky Aircraft Support, to which Boeing is a supplier. In addition, “we work with the customer on modernization as necessary,” Sassenrath said. This pro-gram does not involve a huge number of aircraft, but the Little Birds “are extremely important aircraft for extremely important missions,” he stressed.

Sassenrath is proud of Boeing’s day-to-day support of Army heli-copters. The company offers transaction-based support to tip-to-tail support and everything in between. Sassenrath estimates that Boeing’s performance-based solutions have already saved 24 percent of the cost per flying hour for the Apache. He said Boeing has also saved the Army significant money on the Chinook.

The Boeing exec said his challenges are the same as the Army’s. “Making sure solders have what they need, well maintained, under a tough budget environment. They don’t need perfect solutions. They need solutions that will work. The Army makes the decisions, and we are agile enough to help them, whatever they decide.”

Short of building entirely new aircraft, one of the biggest decisions the Army can make is putting entirely new engines in older aircraft. This may even require a new business organization as well.

Ed Fortunato is vice president of Washington operations of the Advanced Turbine Engine Company (ATEC), a joint venture between Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney to develop a much better engine for Army helicopters, present and future.

The seven-year-old partnership combines the big-engine talents of Pratt with the small-engine expertise of Honeywell in an effort to boost fuel efficiency 25 percent and horsepower 50 percent on Black Hawks and Apaches, without modifying the airframes. “That’s a very

ambitious goal,” Fortunato noted. “In order to do that, we came together.” ATEC has about 15 full-time people on its leadership team and draws from many others at its partner firms.

Still in the science and technology phase of development, ATEC has built two prototypes of its proposed HPW3000 engine, intended to replace the T700 engine on the two Army rotorcraft. The first was tested in summer 2013 in Phoenix, “very successfully” according to Fortunato. The second is being tested during the spring of 2014, evalu-ations that will end with an Army sand-ingestion test.

Fortunato said the HPW3000 will meet the goals for the current helicopters for the next 30 to 40 years and also serve as the basis for powering the next generation of Army helicopters, due for operation around 2035. He argued the Army will thus get a double return on its investment, extending the life of current platforms and providing a mature engine for future aircraft.

The HPW3000 uses dual-spool architecture that Fortunato said is well proven on aircraft and even on tanks like the M1 Abrams. The technology can optimize air flow, combustion and output during flight for the best results. “It also gives you growth potential to meet the insatiable demand for power with a technology that is proven out,” Fortunato said. Lessons learned in the early phases of development would alter the HPW3000 for Black Hawks and Apaches, after which a variant could support next-generation helicopters at minimal risk.

Fortunato said this approach has wide support in Army aviation, within Army leadership and in Congress. He pointed out that saving 25 percent of fuel in operation also saves on logistics burdens to support the re-powered aircraft. Maintenance cost would be reduced due to changes aimed at easier maintenance. ATEC estimates the HPW3000 will yield 20 to 35 percent lower production and maintenance costs.

With more power, the Black Hawk could carry five more soldiers per mission. The Apache would get 48 to 66 minutes of additional sta-tion time. More powerful helicopters mean fewer aircraft could often perform the same missions. Once fielded, the HPW3000 would save the Army $1 billion a year, about what it costs to sustain a division, Fortunato estimates.

The ATEC proposal is on track for possible fielding in 2020 for 2021, but there are still decisions to be made and funding require-ments. To move from science and technology into the next phase, Fortunato expects a request for proposals to be issued toward the end of 2014. He expects GE to compete for the program but expresses confidence in the HPW3000.

Re-powering of Apaches and Black Hawks would not be affected by the other upgrades of these aircraft, Fortunato said. Indeed, to the extent that adding equipment to the two rotorcraft adds weight, they would be helped by a boost in power and fuel efficiency. Designed to fit the current airframes, the HPW3000 could be added during depot overhauls to existing helicopters or in the factory for new production.

Fortunato argued that re-powering the two widely flown helicop-ters is important for the future, especially given a shift in U.S. interests toward the Pacific. “This isn’t ship-to-shore operation. People don’t live on water; they live on the land, mostly undeveloped. This could be a game changer and force multiplier. The Defense Department has not had a lot of success with big new programs lately, but this could be one.” O

For more information, contact Editor-in-Chief Jeff McKaughan at [email protected] or search our online archives for related stories

at www.mlf-kmi.com.


The need for an organic military arsenal is as old as the Army itself. When the first Continental Army was established, there was no commercial industrial base to support the arming of America’s new fighting force. The young country soon realized it needed to create its own organic or “in-house” military supplier. As a result, America’s arsenals have been embedded in the nation’s military since its inception.

Acts of Congress in 1809 established Rock Island as a military reservation. Destruction of Harper’s Ferry Arsenal in 1859 spurred Congress to see the need for “insurance” for the military’s ordnance. In July 1862, Congress established Rock Island Arsenal as a facility for the deposit and repair of ordnance at Rock Island.

Since then, the Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (RIA-JMTC) has provided equipment for the mili-tary in every major conflict since the Spanish-American War. From making meat cans and horse tack at its inception to producing recoil mechanisms and advanced armor solutions today, this arsenal has answered its call to duty for more than 150 years.

“We have a long proud history at the Rock Island Arsenal,” said the 47th commander of RIA-JMTC, Colonel David J. Luders. “Over those 150 years, the foundation of our mission hasn’t changed much. Our new mission statement that was revised in March states, ‘We will ensure customer satisfaction by providing on-time, cost-effective products and services of the highest quality through utilization of an experienced workforce supporting the Department of Defense and other customers. We are proud to be DoD’s rock!”

CritiCal CapaBilitieS

In August 2013, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics released a report to Congress on Critical Manufacturing Capabilities and Capacities on the three organic arsenals in America. In the report, it stated that RIA-JMTC “offers a vertically integrated manufacturing facility that provides the Department of Defense the unique capability to utilize a sole supplier to fabricate products from raw material to finished products in a single location.”

The report cited that RIA-JMTC had 16 critical capabilities that are vital to the nation. “Arsenals offer unique capability to the department to fill multiple roles and responsibilities in rapid response manufac-turing solutions to the National Security Strategy. Arsenals serve as a vital link in the national defense structure, providing manufacturing, supply and technical support services for the joint services and our allies in all national emergencies and contingency operations.”

Those 16 critical capabilities include: heat treating/foundry operations, assembly (production line operations), casting (steel, aluminum, titanium), welding and fabrication (laser, waterjet), forg-ing (open and closed die, impression), tool and gage manufacturing,

rapid prototyping/reverse engineering, gear and spring manufactur-ing, machining (7 axis—236-by-147-by-68 inch), tool and die, plating (chrome, copper, nickel, zinc), engineering and laboratory services painting (CARC, camouflage, epoxy), blasting (steel, aluminum oxide, glass), non-destructive testing, and pliable materials fabrication.

RIA-JMTC is the nation’s largest government owned and operated arsenal. The 16 critical capabilities make RIA-JMTC the Army’s one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art, vertically integrated metal manufacturing and fabrication arsenal. This enables an immediate response for critical and life saving products to the servicemembers defending the nation’s interests in overseas contingency operations.

adaptaBility and produCaBility

RIA-JMTC’s role has even changed over the last two years. Gone are the days of long-running multi-year programs that the arsenal once supported like the M119A2 howitzer or the forward repair system. RIA-JMTC transformed to become more of a large job shop, supporting smaller quantities of products and spare parts.

“The way this arsenal has stayed relevant all these years is our ability to adapt,” Luders said. “We find ourselves becoming the mili-tary go-to place for metal manufacturing and prototyping. Last fall we had a great partnership with the program manager for Bridging (PM-Bridging) to develop the newest line of communication bridge.”

While working side-by-side with the United States Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering and PM-Bridg-ing engineers, RIA-JMTC helped engineer a bridge that had 87 per-cent fewer parts than its predecessor.

ChallengeS–unprediCtaBle workload leadS to fluCtuating rateS

Like many in the Defense Department, the Rock Island Arsenal has seen the changes and challenges from a country withdrawing from two conflicts and a decreased defense budget.

“We knew our workload would start to decline in 2012; however, we didn’t expect it to decline as rapidly as it did,” said Alisa Everson, resource manager for RIA-JMTC. “We are starting to see our numbers return to a pre-war posture.”

Unlike an organic depot, the Rock Island Arsenal’s workload is very unpredictable. The majority of work an arsenal completes is new manufacturing, while remanufacturing and reset activities make up the majority of the workload at a depot.

“We can only predict between 10 and 15 percent of our work-load for the next fiscal year,” explained Everson. “All our workload is sourced through multiple agencies to include, Army Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, Defense Logistics Agency, TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, joint services and commercial direct sales.”

roCk iSland arSenal forgeS ahead in poSt-war environment. By rhyS fullerlove


Arsenals are one of the closest entities in the military that operates similar to a commercial business. RIA-JMTC has direct labor rates just like a private manufacturing company. At a basic level, their rates are calculated by their expenses divided by their direct labor hours (work being executed on the shop floor). As such, RIA-JMTC cannot lock in a rate for customers over multiple years, making it more challenging for both DoD and public-private partners to do business with the arsenal.

With only being able to forecast a small percentage of its future direct labor hours, RIA-JMTC looks to control expenses internally the best they can. “In fiscal year 2013, we cut our internal operating expenses by more than $60 million,” added Everson.

CongreSSional intervention

When the 2014 Omnibus Bill was passed in January, there were two provisions in the bill aimed to help stabilize the organic arsenals. The bill requires the Secretary of the Army to keep up a minimum workload at the arsenals that allows it to “ensure cost efficiency and technical competence in peacetime, while preserving the ability to provide an effective and timely response to mobilizations, national defense contingency situations and other emergent requirements.” The arsenals are currently awaiting implementing guidance from the Department of the Army.

Also included in the bill was $150 million to be put in the Army Defense Working Capital Fund for the Industrial Mobilization Capacity Account to address the issue of non-competitive rates at the arsenals to better allow them to compete for public/private partnerships and other businesses to help sustain capacity.

forging new opportunitieS

RIA-JMTC is always keeping its eyes downrange and focusing on things that can influence its future. One of the areas the arsenal is looking to break into is AS9100 certification. AS9100 is the quality management systems standard applicable to companies that supply aerospace and defense industries.

“The artillery systems we historically produced have very high tolerances in the manufacturing world and require a high level of skill and precision from our workforce,” said Luders. “Those same workforce philosophies and practices can be transferred over to flight critical parts and potentially open us into a new market.”

In addition, the arsenal is starting to explore what in-house capa-bilities they have in the world of additive manufacturing. Currently, the arsenal has a Stratasys Fuse Deposition Modeling 3-D printer that is capable of printing plastic parts. The printer coupled with the Army’s only foundry gives the arsenal the capability to go from printed plastic parts to full metal parts in 10 days using RIA-JMTC investment casting process.

The 1.5-million-square-foot manufacturing facility rests on an island in the middle of the Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois and is part of a rich manufacturing/industrial community in the Quad Cities.

The community is currently in the process of establishing a manu-facturing innovation hub that focuses on metal and multi-materials. The innovation hub would align the more than 900 manufacturers in the region to collectively discuss ways to advance manufacturing processes and practices in the area.

“The Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center has been a critical manufacturer in the Quad Cities for more

than 150 years,” said chief economic and development officer for the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce Paul Rumler. “Having them aligned with the region’s manufacturing innovation hub ensures the latest manufacturing advancements will be available to support the nation’s defense.”

driving Change

Like a classic economic inverse relationship, as the DoD bud-get continues to decrease the amount of uncertainty across all of the Army’s organic industrial base facilities will increase. However, Mahatma Gandhi once said, “We must become the change we want to see.” The Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center will continue to adapt and evolve in this post-war environment.

“Change is inevitable. To remain relevant in the 21st century we are going to have to adapt to change very quickly,” concluded Luders. “The only constant in our business is that there will always be a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine out in the world who has a mission to defend this nation’s freedom. We must never take our eye off of providing the support they need to ensure they return home safe.” O

Rhys Fullerlove is the RIA-JMTC public affairs officer.

Join the Ranksand Be a Part of a Growing Defense Cluster


at www.mlf-kmi.com.


Ruggedized computers are tough machines. Built to withstand some of the harshest environments and treatments, such as strong vibrations, extreme tem-peratures and wet or dusty conditions, when used by those in the military they must be built to survive war.

Unlike their consumer counterpart, these machines are very expensive. They are not subject to fluctuating prices or price wars between retailers. Smaller components and more complex technology also make the ruggedized version more expensive.

But as technology advances and some components become increasingly standard, the cost of computers generally comes down. Consumers can vouch for this. How often have you purchased the latest state-of-the-art computer for your personal use, only to find it discounted months later?

Manufacturers for ruggedized com-puters face similar pressure. Yet with a

different client base with cannot-fail stan-dards and high requirements, most focus on developing and building the best pos-sible machine. And while rugged units are more expensive in terms of annualized hardware costs than their consumer coun-terpart, market research entity Venture Development Corporation (VDC) found in a study, albeit dated 2006/2007, that the total cost of ownership of a ruggedized computer was 36 percent lower for rugged notebooks and 33 percent less for hand-helds and PDS, compared to conventional non-rugged versions. The lower overall costs, VDC reported, are due to lower fail-ure rates, the related impact on productiv-ity, and other factors.

maximize value

Dell’s design philosophy is to maximize value for its rugged military customers.

“To achieve that, our primary focus is on designing the best possible product for performance in a variety of extreme con-ditions, but cost reduction also factors in when we are trying to provide value for customers,” commented Heather Wilcox, rugged mobility marketing director, Dell.

She concurred that cost can also be viewed through a different lens with prod-ucts that are regularly exposed to harsh environments. “For instance, one customer of ours, the NASCAR team JTG Daugherty Racing, was able to reallocate 70 percent of its IT budget from components and IT repair to finding innovative ways to apply its IT,” she stated. “Motor pools and many other such environments in the military pose very similar issues to those facing the JTG team, and could risk IT budgets being stretched with replacement costs or missions being compromised with IT downtime.”

the inS and outS of the high CoSt of ruggedized ComputerS.

By karen e. thuermer

mlf CorreSpondent


Currently, Dell is the only tier one manufacturer producing ruggedized com-puters. “That gives us an advantage when providing value to our military custom-ers,” Wilcox said. “Dell ships millions of non-ruggedized notebooks a year and that helps cost points with our Rugged Solutions.”

The company leverages its supply chain for things like FSDs and wireless compo-nents. “By implementing those kinds of commoditized components in Dell Rug-ged Solutions, we get the best possible cost points to pass on to our customers,” Wilcox added. “We are still building each of our ruggedized units from the ground up to meet the specific needs of our cus-tomers, but this is one tactic that helps us maximize value for our customers.”

Rob Simpson, systems engineer at VT Miltope, maintains that technology can allow the cost of ruggedizing a computer to come down, depending on what aspect of the technology is considered.

“In the world of processors, more com-puting horsepower can be put in smaller packages than ever before because of improvements to power demand versus processing capability,” he said. “This leads to easier thermal management and smaller component sizes.”

For example, X86 processors such as Atom can deliver a dual core or quad core processing capability for 3 to 9 Watts. He sees Omap and Freescale processors, smartphone technology, as being terrific to work with from a ruggedization point of view.

“They are great on power and ther-mal capability,” Simpson remarked. “But these platforms have the overhead of non-standard OSs, which leads to a custom SW effort nearly every time you need to adapt a piece of hardware.” He sees the market, however, filling this gap fast.

On the down side, Simpson points out that some of these chipsets are sensitive to functioning and booting at extremely cold temperatures, which hadn’t been much of an issue in the past. “Also since the density of these chips has increased, they are more sensitive to being damaged by nuclear event testing,” he said.

Simpson added that display technology has had similar improvements, offering higher resolution and brighter displays for less power, as technology has migrated to LED backlights. “However, touchscreens have not had similar improvements for

ruggedized products,” he said. “The com-mercial market has been saturated with ‘capacitive’ touchscreen technology as is found on your cellphone or iPad. These touchscreens work very nicely. However, they are not suitable for a ruggedized platform as they work very poorly when wet and require a bare hand or specialized glove to use.”

induStry ChallengeS

While industry faces a host of chal-lenges to lowering the cost of ruggedized computers, Wilcox maintains that per-haps the biggest challenge is the diligence her company puts into testing to ensure Dell products will survive the maximum variety of environmental conditions that its customers require of elite computing performance.

“There are no shortcuts in develop-ing those solutions,” she said. “When we refresh a product line, it has to reflect the needs our customers have when working the field: a blend of mobility, performance and ruggedization. Our units are subjected to comprehensive testing—including a variety of drops, water tests, temperature increases and decreases—and while that testing isn’t cheap, it assures our custom-ers they are getting the reliability they have come to expect from Dell Rugged Solutions.”

She added that customers don’t take shortcuts during mission critical opera-tions where lives are on the line. “Know-ing that those situations often depend on mobile computing, we don’t take shortcuts while testing during our design stage,” Wilcox emphasized.

Overall, the technology today is fasci-nating. “You can literally have communi-cation, audibly and visually, with anyone anywhere in the world on a device that you can hold in your hand,” Simpson emphasized.

However, the question remains, where are you holding it? On a battlefield? In the rain? In a snow storm or sand storm? Is there mud or water? Freezing tempera-tures? High humidity? “These are all very realistic scenarios and things that rug-gedized computer vendors are expected to make their products meet,” he said. “The challenge is [in determining] how rugged is rugged enough. I believe the industry is struggling right now to answer that question.”

For that reason, Simpson stressed that ruggedization implies extra cost.

“The majority of specifications we see from the government still ask for a fully qualified product that meets military stan-dards for environmental testing,” he said. “However, later we see that a commercial product, such as a commercial tablet or cellphone, is being used by exception. The argument is that for the cost of one rugge-dized computer I can buy five commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products.”

Simpson admits that companies like VT Miltope will always struggle to offer a rugged solution that meets the price point of the commercial industry. “However, it is important to remember that the failure of a COTS device may be cheaper to replace, but the failure mode itself and the timing of that failure may result in the loss of cru-cial mission time or worse,” he said.

While the Mil standards for environ-mental testing were derived decades ago and have steadily been revised, Simpson contends that specifications that call out these standards may need to be revisited to help answer the question of ‘How rugged is rugged enough?’ “Does the component you are bidding truly need complete MIL-STD 461 compliance for EMI/EMC (electromag-netic interference/electromagnetic com-patibility)?” he asked. “Are these issues the same as they were decades ago with today’s technology? Answering these questions would give companies like ours a chance to evaluate to the proper customer need and hopefully bid to the proper price point.”

Finally, he stressed that companies like VT Miltope offer services to the govern-ment that cannot be obtained from com-mercial vendors. These include: custom design integration, packaging and ship-ping; the ability to lockdown of a customer configuration over multiple years; obsoles-cence notifications and ECP approval; and standard warranties of three to five years.

“Services like these help keep pro-gram costs low,” he added. “It is likely that a COTS-based approach stands to put the government in a constant state of integration and development as the base-line (hardware and software) constantly changes to keep up with a competitive commercial market.” O


at www.mlf-kmi.com.


P-8A SupportBoeing will broaden its support for the U.S. Navy’s fleet of

Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft through a recent order for maintenance simulators.

The Navy plans to begin using six virtual trainers, one ordnance load trainer and 14 hardware-based devices to train P-8A maintenance personnel at Naval Air Station Jacksonville starting in 2016.

“As the manufacturer of the P-8A aircraft, Boeing offers unmatched expertise that translates directly into fleet readiness,” said Mark McGraw, vice president of training systems and govern-ment services for Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

The virtual maintenance training devices provide interac-tive, high-fidelity simulations based on actual mission systems software, while the hardware-based trainers are full-scale replicas of aircraft components.

Boeing has previously delivered several aircrew training devices for the P-8A, which is based on the Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 commercial aircraft. The Navy plans to purchase 117 to replace its fleet of P-3 aircraft, and Boeing has delivered 12 to date.

Single-point Hydraulic Release Cargo HookOnboard Systems International

Inc., a provider of helicopter cargo hook equipment, announced that it has been awarded a contract from Airbus Helicopters to design and manufacture the cargo hook system for the EC130T2 aircraft. The new system will be a single-point hydraulic release cargo hook sling design featuring a Talon cargo hook and an integrated onboard weighing system.

When completed, Onboard’s EC130T2 cargo hook system will weigh about 9 pounds. The new EC130T2 cargo hook system is

compatible with the crash resis-tance requirements to which the fuel system of the EC130T2 complies. The compact design preserves ground clearance and includes a built-in stowage mechanism. As with all Talon cargo hooks, in emergency load situ-ations it can release up to 2.5 times the rated load of about 3,300 pounds.

The Talon LC hydraulic cargo hook offers a hydraulically activated secondary release system with lines that can be routed with the electrical control cables instead of a sepa-rate loop and path for greater safety.

The result is a cleaner installation that reduces the possibility of snag-ging the line, which is manufac-tured from braided stainless steel for maximum dura-bility. To further protect the cables, hook and fuselage, the cargo hook system includes travel stops. Finally, the integrated onboard weighing system includes a cockpit indicator to show the pilot the precise weight of each load, increasing safety and productivity.

Compiled by KMI Media Group staffSUPPLY CHAIN

NAVSUP ERPThe U.S. Department of the Navy has selected Accenture

Federal Services to provide information technology support under a multi-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract. The IDIQ has a one-year base contracting period with four one-year option periods and a total ceiling of $53.7 million.

Under the contracting vehicle, Accenture will be able to provide services to support, maintain and improve Navy information systems, conduct analytics efforts and provide international programs support to the Naval Supply Systems Command’s Business Systems Center (BSC) in Mechanicsburg, Pa. The center delivers information technology solutions with specific emphasis on logistics and financial-related products and services for the Navy, U.S. Department of Defense, joint services and other federal agencies.

Work under the IDIQ will include providing informa-tion technology sustainment and operations support for the Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (Navy ERP) system, and enhancing other existing information technology programs. The IDIQ also calls for data analytics to help reduce inventory investment, improve the readiness of Navy operating forces, inform budget decisions and identify high-risk procurements.

“The Naval Supply Systems Command provides mission-critical IT solutions to fleet customers. We are excited about the opportunity to work with BSC to implement innovative, cost-effective solutions that improve enterprise performance,” said Vince Vlasho, managing director, who leads Accenture’s work with the Navy.

Accenture also supports the Navy with comprehensive audit readiness services and IT effectiveness evaluations for the Navy as well as program management and engineering services for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific.


Tacom Life cycLe managemenT commanD

marie gapinski

Business advocate

associate Director of Small Business ProgramsU.S. army Tacom Life cycle management command

Marie Gapinski was born in Detroit, Mich., and holds a B.A. from Wayne State University in business management with emphasis in production manufacturing. She has been a warranted contracting officer and supervisor most of her career at the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command in Warren, Mich. Gapinski is Level III certified in contracting. In January 2011, she became the associate director of small business programs.

With 30 years of government contracting experience, she has a wealth of knowledge to share; Gapinski was recognized in 2004 by the Army Materiel Command as the Small Business Individual of the year and received local small business awards from 1999-2007. Gapinski is a recipient of the Department of Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service for her work with the modernization and integration of business processes for the Contracting Command.

Serving in various contracting positions within the command, her work experience includes the M1 Abrams main battle tank, counter-mine and bridge launchers, tactical vehicles including the HMMWV, bridging, boats, and trailers.

Prior to her current position as the associate director of small business programs, she served as the as the acquisition lead in the Project Manager Office for the Logistics Modernization Program.

Q: As a starting point, tell me about the TACOM LCMC Office of Small Business—its size, amount of business and its mission. Do you see any changes to the organization or structure of the office in the near term?

A: Besides myself, the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) has with six small business specialists and one administrative spe-cialist. The office size fluctuates as developmental assignments for contracting personnel rotate through our office.

The OSBP’s mission is to ensure a fair and equitable share of TACOM LCMC business opportunities are available for small busi-nesses and to leverage small business capabilities to assist in meet-ing the joint warfighters’ challenges today and tomorrow. We have to stay flexible as the Army transforms. We stand ready to support

those changes and are committed to maximizing business oppor-tunities for small businesses promoting socio-economic programs.

The goals for small business achievement are projected each fiscal year based on the anticipated spend. For FY14, our share is 10 percent of all the dollars spent at this command. Right now, over $168 million has been awarded to small businesses.

Q: For contracting purposes here, how is a small business defined and do you think that assessment works in today’s marketplace or should changes be considered?

A: To be considered a small business for a government solicitation, the business must not exceed the North American Industry Clas-sification System (NAICS) Codes Size Standard assigned to a solici-tation. The Small Business Administration (SBA) establishes small business size standards for NAICS Codes.

See also, Title 13 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 Small Business Size Regulations.

The assessment for defining a small business works, the Small Business Administration updates codes to reflect technological advancements in today’s commodities, products and services.

Marie GapinskiAssociate Director of

Small Business ProgramsU.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle

Management Command

Business AdvocateMaximizing Business Opportunities for Small Businesses

Q&AQ&A

www.MLF-kmi.com TACOM Life Cycle Management Command | MLF 8.4 | 1

TACOM Life CyCLe MAnAgeMenT COMMAnD


■ Commanding General ■ Command Sergeant Major ■ Deputy to the Commander ■ Chief of Staff ■ Deputy Chief of Staff

TACOM LCMC Command Group

Integrated Logistics Support Center

■ Deputy Executive Director

Ground Combat Support, Readiness and Sustainment

■ Director

Heavy Combat Product Support Integration Directorate

■ Director ■ Heavy Armor & Recovery Group

■ Abrams Armament Group ■ Combat Support ■ Mobility Group

Security Assistance Management Directorate

■ Director• Armaments Division• Chief• SmallArms

Light Combat Product Support Integration Directorate

■ Director ■ Bradley Armament & Mines Group ■ Bradley Mobility Group ■ M113/Fox Mobility Group ■ Brigade Combat Team Support Group/Interim Armored Vehicle

■ Support Team

Field Artillery Directorate ■ Director ■ M109 Family Cab Logistics Team ■ M109 Family Cab Supply Team ■ Medium Towed & Fire Control ■ Light Towed & Fire Control ■ Towed Artillery NET Team ■ Towed M119/M102 Howitzer Team

■ Towed M198 Howitzer Team ■ Operations Team ■ Target Acquisition Team

Combat Support/Combat Services Support, Readiness & Sustainment

■ Director

Tools & Training Systems Product Support Integration Directorate

■ Co-Directors ■ Contracting Group ■ Logistics Support/ Training Systems Group

Deployment Equipment Product Support Integration Directorate

■ Director ■ Troop Support Group ■ Construction Equipment Group

■ Materials Handling Equipment Group

■ Petroleum & Water ■ Logistics Group ■ Watercraft Inspection Group

Tactical Vehicles Product Support Integration Directorate

■ Director ■ Heavy Truck Group ■ Light Truck Group ■ Medium Truck Group ■ Light/Medium System Contracting Group

■ Trailers


Logistics Integration ■ Director

Supply Directorate ■ Director ■ Distribution Management Group ■ Army Working Capital Fund Group ■ Supply Chain Management Group ■ Enterprise Business Operations & NAMI Group

Fleet & Maintenance Integration Directorate

■ Director ■ Fleet Maintenance Support Group ■ War Reserve/Retrograde/Donations/Retail Supply Group

■ Logistics Support Group ■ Maintenance Integration & Publications Group

Weapons Product Support Integration Directorate

■ Director ■ Associate Director ■ Apache Team ■ Apache Longbow Team ■ USA Helicopter Team ■ Crew Served Weapons Team ■ Individual Weapons Team ■ Small Arms Group ■ Heavy Machine Gun Team ■ Medium Machine Gun Team ■ Light Machine Gun Team ■ Rifle & Carbines Team ■ Mount Team ■ Logistics Team ■ Resources Team ■ Special Projects Team

Weapons Readiness, Sustainment & Support

■ Director

Soldier & Chem/Bio Readiness and Sustainment

■ Director

Chemical/Biological Defense Product Support Integration Directorate

■ Director ■ Product Support/Decon & Collective Protection Group

■ Product Support Integrator IP

Clothing/Heraldry Product Support Integration Directorate

■ Director ■ Clothing & Services Office

■ Heraldry Product Integration Directorate

G1 / Corporate Human Resources Directorate

G6 / Chief Information Office

G2 / Intelligence & Security Directorate

G8 / Resource Management

G5/7 / Strategic Planning & Transformation Office

G4 / Logistics, Engineering and Environmental

Anniston Army Depot

Rock Island Arsenal

Red River Army Depot

Sierra Army Depot

Watervliet Arsenal

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Q: Is there a goal—or a requirement—on how much of TACOM’s contracting busi-ness should be done with a certified small business?

A: Yes. TACOM LCMC receives annual goals from Army Materiel Command for small business contract awards at the prime contract level and also for subcontracting. TACOM LCMC’s commanding general for-mally apportions annual goals to each one of our sites. Goals are further apportioned to the socio-economic programs as well. From Small Disadvantaged Business to Service Disabled Veteran Owned catego-ries, goals are set each year.

Q: For smaller companies, trying to do business with the military may appear daunting. Does your office offer advice and guidance in negotiating the submis-sion and contracting process?

A: Our office assists small businesses who are interested in doing business with TACOM LCMC. Normally, we like to meet with the small businesses to determine several things:

1. If they are registered to do business with the federal government

2. What their capabilities are (to see if they are a good fit for TACOM LCMC)

3. What experience they have with government contracting4. How familiar they are with TACOM LCMC’s mission and

contracting process.

Based on the findings, we may determine that one business may need basic assistance (SAM registration, get familiar with ProcNet, FedBizOps, etc.) and we may direct them to go to their servicing Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Another business may be further along and [may have] already done some business with other government agencies, but wants to explore opportunities with us; in this case, if they are a good fit, we can provide them with point of contact information for the TACOM LCMC teams that have requirements in their field.

Q: Are you working on any initiatives that will make the contract-ing process simpler or easier for a small business?

A: The Army Contracting Command has that responsibility. We do work with them when small businesses bring issues to our attention.

Q: Do you leave it to the businesses themselves to look for part-nering or subcontracting opportunities or do you have mecha-nisms in place to facilitate those kinds of relationships?

A: Ultimately, it is up to the small businesses to seek partnering or subcontracting opportunities with government prime contractors.

Our office provides several tools to assist them in this task:

• We post TACOM LCMC’s prime contractors lists for their reference.

• We compile/maintain a list of available subcontractors that can be accessed by the command’s prime contractor community as well as acquisition personnel looking for companies with certain capabilities.

• Annually, we host a small business fair and we invite TACOM LCMC prime contractors to host display tables and provide small businesses with the opportunity to interact with them one-on-one and network.

Should they need additional assistance, the Small Business Administration and procurement technical assistant centers are agencies that are more suitable to recommending partnering arrangements between small businesses.

The government will recognize partnership agreements IAW FAR Subpart 9.6 Contractor Team Arrangements. The OSBP has an active list of available subcontractors. A small business firm interested in adding its company to the list you can go to our web-site: https://contracting.tacom.army.mil/sbo/sbo.htm.

Q: Are you planning a small business fair this year? What are the advantages of attending?

A: Yes. The 2014 Small Business Fair is scheduled for June 11, 2014 at the John Lewis Center (K Building) of Macomb Commu-nity College. This year’s theme is “maximizing contracting oppor-tunities through collaborative and dedicated leaders advocating for small business entities.”

The intent of the fair is to provide [those with] small busi-nesses concerns a forum to engage in mutually beneficial inter-action with key personnel from TACOM LCMC’s acquisition

Bradley program procurement has requested an FY15 budget of $107.5 million for, among other things, fielding the Operation Desert Storm situational awareness package to the National Guard, installing 146 engineering change kits, and converting 23 M3s to M2s to support further digitalization. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army]

www.MLF-kmi.com4 | MLF 8.4 | TACOM Life Cycle Management Command


community and requirement offices as well as our prime contractors.

In addition to the networking opportu-nity, our event will offer breakout sessions on topics of interest to the small business community.

Q: What are your goals or benchmarks for the next 12 months?

A: For FY14 we have several that are cal-culated:

• Small business goal is 10 percent• Small disadvantaged SB is 2.5 percent• Woman owned SB is 2.0 percent• Hubzone SB is .5 percent• Service disabled veteran owned SB is .6

percentThese goals are recalculated every fiscal year.

Q: What else is it important for busi-nesses—small and large—to know about the TACOM Office of Small Business?

A: For small businesses, look not only to OSBP organizations for guidance, but know your local procurement technical assistance centers. You can find them at www.sba.gov/content/procurement-technical-assistance-centers-ptacs. Your SBA has a wealth of

knowledge at sba.gov as well. We are all here to make a difference. Thank you for allowing us to serve you and our warfighters.

Email us at usarmy.detroit.tacom.mbx.lcmc-osbp@mail-mil or call us at 586-282-5388 for additional information.

I’d also like to thank the small business specialists here for the work they do every day and [give] special thanks to Silvia Owens and Linda Ballard who assisted me in prepping for this interview. O

TACOM LCMC manages the Army’s light, medium and heavy machine gun product lines. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army]

TACOM Top Contracts FY13Small Business Main Contractual Responsibilities FY13 Total

Kipper Tool (WOSB) Squad and Platoon Tool Kits for Urban OperationsSATS (Standard Automotive Tool Set)

$46.1 million

Fidelity Technologies Heavy Tactical Vehicle B-Kit Armor $37.6 million

MDT Armor “David” Armored Land Rover $33.2 million

Redstone Defense Systems SCWS (Standardized Commander’s Weapon Station)Mod Kit for the Assault Breacher Vehicle

$23.3 million

SDIC Constructors Construction Services at ANAD $21.7 million

Large Business Main Contractual Responsibilities FY13 Total

General Dynamics Stryker; Abrams; GCV $1.96 billion

Oshkosh FHTV; FMTV; M-ATV $1.60 billion

BAE Systems Bradley; Paladin; Hercules; GCV $526.5 million

ManTech Support Services for MRAP and Route Clearance Vehicles $433.1 million

Textron Armored Security Vehicle $189 million

www.MLF-kmi.com


TACOM Life Cycle Management Command | MLF 8.4 | 5

Anniston Army Depot

Anniston Army Depot overhauls and repairs all heavy and light combat vehicles (except for the Bradley and MLRS), towed and self-propelled artillery, as well as small arms for U.S. and allied forces. The depot is moving forward with the Army transfor-mation by providing direct support to the Stryker vehicle assembly and repair pro-gram. Additionally, the depot is leading the way within the Department of Defense in the public-private partnership arena with over 30 such agreements currently in place covering a wide range of activities.

Army ContrACting CommAnD-WArren

The Army Contracting Command-War-ren is part of the Army Contracting Com-mand (ACC), and is headquartered in Warren, Mich., at the TACOM Life Cycle Manage-ment Command. With multiple geographic sites located throughout the Unites States, they are responsible for acquisition support and contracting for a large number of the Army’s major weapon systems, for systems and equipment supporting other services, for depot-level maintenance services, and for for-eign military sales customers. ACC-Warren ensures war fighting readiness for the soldier by purchasing ground combat, tactical vehi-cles, armaments and small arms, chemical/biological systems, targetry, petroleum/water systems, construction equipment, combat engineering services, supporting services, and selected components.

integrAteD LogistiCs support Center

The ILSC is the life cycle sustainment manager for all TACOM Life Cycle Man-agement Command-managed items. They provide fleet/weapon systems management, acquisition logistics and sustainment logis-tics. They are also responsible for sustaining war fighting readiness and managing a large part of DoD’s investment in war fighting as integrators of approximately 3,137 weapon

systems that form the core of America’s ground combat fleet capability.

Joint systems mAnufACturing Center-LimA

Joint Systems Manufacturing Center-Lima, operating as a government owned contractor operated facility and managed under the direction of Defense Contract Management Agency General Dynamics Land Systems, is the production facility for the M1 Abrams tank systems and the USMC expeditionary fighting vehicle. JSMC-Lima also builds structures and components for other DoD (vehicle) programs.

reD river Army Depot

Supporting the joint combatant com-mander with products and services improved through lean manufacturing, other process improvement tools and relevant technolo-gies. Red River Army Depot (RRAD) is an ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007 registered industrial complex providing responsive and innovative solu-tions for the Department of Defense in repair, overhaul, recapitalization, remanufacture, certification, and conversion of combat sys-tems and tactical vehicles. Designated as the Center of Industrial and Technical Excel-lence for the Bradley fighting vehicle sys-tem, tactical wheeled vehicles and rubber products, RRAD is a strategic national asset providing support at operational speed and is an essential element of the joint forces. The most recent addition to RRAD’s mission is depot level reset and repair of the mine resistant ambush protected vehicle.

roCk isLAnD ArsenAL Joint mAnufACturing AnD teChnoLogy Center

Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufactur-ing and Technology Center (RIA JMTC) is the free world’s largest manufacturing arse-nal and can accomplish every phase of the manufacturing process interim and objective forces of all the armed services.

sierrA Army Depot

Sierra Army Depot serves as an Expedi-tionary Logistics Center that provides the full range of logistics support for the defenders of our nation through long-term sustain-ment storage, maintenance, care of supplies in storage, equipment reset and container management, while embracing the Army val-ues. Located in Herlong, Calif., Sierra has an ideal high desert climate, an onsite airfield, an extensive rail and transportation network, and is a recognized multifunctional instal-lation. They serve as our Strategic Power Projection Platform, providing logistics sup-port for asset receipt, classification, manage-ment, storage, distribution, maintenance, assembly and containerization, and the rapid worldwide shipment of material in support of the warfighter. Missions include reset, new assembly and kitting operations, training support, maintaining of medical readiness stock and other operational project stocks, a redistribution mission for Class II and IX items, and have established an end-of-first life cycle center for excess combat vehicles. SIAD embraces continuous improvement, has private-public partners and provides critical life cycle management support for equipment and supplies.

WAtervLiet ArsenAL

Watervliet Arsenal is America’s “Can-non Factory,” the oldest, continuously active arsenal in America, which has provided materiel for the U.S. warfighter since the War of 1812. An ISO 9001:2008 registered indus-trial complex, the Watervliet Arsenal and its partner, the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Command’s Benét Laboratories, are the Army’s capability and Center of Excellence for tank, artillery and mortar systems. Collocation of research, design, development, engineering and man-ufacturing provides customers quick, seam-less transition from concept design through prototyping to production. This 143-acre site has more than 2 million square feet of floor space, more than half of which is for indus-trial operations. O

tACom Life CyCLe mAnAgement CommAnD Lists eight DistinCt business groups.Business Groups

www.MLF-kmi.com


6 | MLF 8.4 | TACOM Life Cycle Management Command

Compiled by KMI Media Group staffSUPPLY CHAIN

MissionCare for Marine KC-130Js

Rolls-Royce has been awarded a contract to support the Marines Corps’ fleet of KC-130J air-to-air refueling tankers, worth more than $50 million.

The MissionCare contract covers sustainment services for more than 200 Rolls-Royce AE 2100 engines as well as propellers and other propulsion system repairs for the KC-130J fleet. The one-year contract also covers the deployment of Rolls-Royce field service representatives at multiple bases.

Paul Craig, president, Defence Customer Services, Rolls-Royce, said: “Our mission is to ensure these aircraft are ready to fly when needed and we continually focus on delivering innovative and cost effective support for our customers.”

In addition to support for 47 Marine Corps aircraft, three KC-130Js for Kuwait will be supported via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. The contract was awarded by Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., and is a follow-on to a prior support agreement.

Through MissionCare, Rolls-Royce offers a suite of services, tailored to each military customer’s needs, which focuses on increasing propulsion system avail-ability and reducing costs.

Saving Money on B-1 Return to Service

The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and Ellsworth Air Force Base have signed an agreement formal-izing a relationship for collaborative projects such as the application of a revolutionary research technology to refurbish aging bombers. The univer-sity’s partnership with Ellsworth has already helped return four B-1s to service and could save the military millions of dollars.

School of Mines faculty researchers in connection with the Army Research Lab have developed a patent-pending process using “cold spray” technology to deposit aluminum powder in worn and damaged areas of aircraft panels, machining them back to their original dimensions, and returning the bombers to full service. Prior to this research,

panels were nearly impossible to replace without extreme cost and time, as the original equipment manufacturer no longer produces the nearly 30-year-old aircraft components.

“The research Mines has done already on cold spray technology has saved the Air Force over half a million dollars. We want to continue to work together to advance technologies that lower maintenance costs and keep aircraft available to fly,” said School of Mines President Heather Wilson.

Cold-spray technology refur-bishments have the potential to save the military hundreds of millions of dollars over the long term. With proper approvals, another $2.5 million could be saved this year alone on the B-1s at Ellsworth.

C-5 SupportThe U.S. Air Force has awarded DynCorp International a task

order under the Contract Field Teams contract to provide aviation maintenance support to the 512th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base.

“The DI team will provide our superior intermediate level engine overhaul services on one of the largest military aircraft ever built,” said Jim Myles, DynCorp International senior vice president, DynAviation.

DI will provide jet engine intermediate maintenance support and component repair for the Air Force Air Mobility Command, Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard C-5 aircraft.

The competitively-awarded task order has one base year with one one-year option, and a total potential value of $8.5 million.


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Major General John F. WhartonCommander

U.S. Army Sustainment Command

Global SustainerSustaining Army and Joint Forces in Support of Combatant Commanders

Q&AQ&A

Major General John Wharton serves as commanding general of the United States Army Sustainment Command (ASC) and as commanding general, Rock Island Arsenal, with responsibilities and duties as the senior commander for United States Army Garrison, Rock Island. As commanding general, he leads a global organiza-tion responsible for sustaining Army and joint forces in support of combatant commands. The ASC organizes, trains and sustains a quality deployable force, while integrating materiel and services for warfighters. ASC provides the U.S. Army with materiel readiness, strategic depth, flexibility and power projection to meet its worldwide contingency missions. Wharton commands seven Army field support brigades in support of combatant commands, the Army’s Distribution Management Command, the Army Sustainment Command: Army Reserve Element, and 20 Army field support battalions consisting of more than 65,000 military, civilian and government contractors. He also provides oversight for logistics operations at CONUS and OCO-NUS Army installations through 73 Directorate of Logistics organiza-tions. Wharton came to the Army Sustainment Command from Army Materiel Command, where he served as chief of staff.

Wharton was commissioned a second lieutenant following gradu-ation from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1981. His first assignment was Fort Hood, Texas, where he served as main supply platoon leader and company commander, 15th Supply and Transport Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. In 1985, he transferred to the Dragon Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C., and later deployed to Sinai, Egypt, with Task Force 3-502nd Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as part of the Multinational Peace Keeping Force and Observers (MFO). He remained deployed with TF 2-504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 82nd Airborne Divi-sion, becoming the first commander of the Support Company, Logis-tical Support Unit. In 1986, Wharton assumed duties as an inspector general to the United States Army Western Command (WESTCOM) at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. Following that tour, he served as battalion S3 in the 25th Supply and Transport Battalion, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. From 1992 to 1994 he was the Lieutenant Colonels’ Assignments Officer at the United States Army’s Personnel Command (PERSCOM), Alexandria, Va., and then moved to Fort Drum, N.Y., to be battalion executive officer in the 210th Forward Support Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (Light) and later deployed to Operation Restore/Uphold Democracy as the battalion commander (forward). Following the deployment, he remained at Fort Drum as chief, Division Materiel Management Center (DMMC), 10th Moun-tain Division (Light) Support Command from 1995 to 1996. For the next two years he served as a joint strategy planner in the Logistics

Directorate, J4, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Pentagon, Washington, D.C. In 1998 he took command of the 1st United States Army Sup-port Battalion, 507th Corps Support Group (Airborne), MFO, Sinai, Egypt. After command, he served a second tour at PERSCOM as the Quartermaster Branch Chief. In 2001, Wharton assumed command of the 55th Theater Support Command (AC/RC), Eighth United States Army. He led the CSA’s Task Force Logistics from 2003 to 2004 and was subsequently selected to be deputy commander for Futures, U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command. In 2006 he became direc-tor, Army Initiatives Group, Army G4, followed by executive officer to the HQDA Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, G4, Washington, D.C. In 2008, he deployed to Kuwait as commanding general, AMC-SWA/U.S. Army Central G4/CFLCC C4 for Operations Iraqi Freedom and Endur-ing Freedom.

In addition to his degree from the United States Military Acad-emy at West Point, his education includes the Quartermaster Basic and Advanced Courses, the Inspector General’s Course, the Command and General Staff College, and the Naval War College. He holds a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies.

His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meri-torious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal,


Army Achievement Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal (with Service Star) and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. He also wears the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, the Army Staff Identification Badge, and the Airborne and Air Assault Badges.

Q: Describe the U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s mission.

A: The United States Army Sustainment Command’s mission is, and will remain, to sustain both the Army and joint forces worldwide in support of combatant commanders. Our top priority is to provide glob-ally responsive logistics in a joint, intergovernmental, interagency and multinational environment.

As the operational arm of Army Materiel Command (AMC) and the command and control hub for global Army logistics, ASC synchro-nizes, integrates and provides AMC capabilities to the force at home station and abroad. We are the bridge between our national sustain-ment base capabilities and our forward deployed combat units.

We the Army, for the first time, have an end-to-end capability to deliver equipment, materiel, people and supplies to the forward deployed combatant commander as their link back to the national sustainment base in the United States. AMC and ASC, as the Army’s executive agent, are an integral part of the Department of Defense’s global supply chain. The Army provides of deployment and distribu-tion, supply, maintenance, logistics services, operational contract sup-port and engineering capabilities over the communication, physical, information and financial networks. We facilitate the integration of both small and large businesses, academia, research and development, industry, and science and technology for the Army.

Formed in 2006, ASC has been ensuring readiness for Army and joint forces since our inception. ASC and its predecessor organizations have sustained operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world for more than 13 years, supporting more than 2 million servicemem-bers, without mission shortfall. We’ve built base camps, sustained our forces, collapsed base camps, and retrograded while ensuring the highest readiness for the most modern combat systems in the world’s toughest environments. We’ve conducted joint reception, staging, onward movement and integration for an average of 110 brigade com-bat teams per year, rotating in and out of the Central Command’s area of responsibility. In short, we’ve ensured that our troops are the best equipped and ready in the world.

At present, about 42 percent of ASC is either forward deployed or forward stationed in combatant command areas of responsibility. The result is a combat-ready joint force prepared to conduct training or respond to any contingency. All of this is accomplished through the global reach of our Army field support brigades (AFSBs) and their respective Army field support battalions (AFSBns) in conjunction with our 73 logistics readiness centers (LRCs, formerly known as Director-ates of Logistics), located on every Army installation in 19 countries and 32 states.

Q: The Army Sustainment Command encompasses so much. What can you tell us about what your command has on its plate right now and how ASC affects Army readiness?

A: We have a number of initiatives and I’ll touch on several in a little more detail.

Sustaining and Retrograding Afghanistan to Meet USFOR-A Objectives. Our number one priority is sustaining and retrograding

people, equipment and supplies consistent with presidential direc-tives. We’ve closed 99 U.S. and coalition bases while retrograding 19,443 pieces of rolling stock and 1.3 million pieces of non-rolling stock to date.

Recently, General [Dennis] Via, the commander of the Army Materiel Command, told me that during his visit to Afghanistan the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan said he didn’t worry about logistics or retrograde because they are in good hands.

As we handle that sustainment and retrograde mission, we’re able to regain accountability of equipment, bring it back to our depots for reset and redistribute it to meet the priorities of the Army. These complex actions posture our combatant commanders for success in any future operations.

Our AFSBs bring this capability to the COCOMs. We have two AFSBs, the 401st and 402nd, in support of efforts in Afghanistan, and we also provide Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) sup-port to commanders during the retrograde.

The 401st works closely with elements from the 1st Theater Sus-tainment Command, Army Military Surface Deployment and Distribu-tion Command, and the AMC life cycle and management commands to retrograde equipment in a timely manner and in accordance with established goals and timelines set by U.S. Forces Afghanistan and the U.S. Army Central Command leadership.

We’ve met all drawdown targets to date for installation close-down and personnel and equipment drawdown. In fact, we’re ahead of sched-ule for meeting established retrograde requirements in accordance with theater directives. We accomplish all of this while the warfighter is still under fire and operating in the world’s most harsh conditions.

Our Army has accomplished a lot over the last decade and for-tunately we have had the resources to field the most modern Army in history. It is essential that the Army continues to receive overseas contingency operations funding for the next three years in order to enable the Army to reset and redistribute our most modern equipment that we are retrograding to our depots and home stations. This is so essential to the Army’s readiness in order to meet future contingency missions.

Sustaining and Projecting a CONUS-based Army. We have been at war for 13 years and now we have to transition to supporting a CONUS-based Army. Eighteen months ago, ASC assumed control of the installation Directorates of Logistics (DOLs) which are now the logistics readiness centers. There were already AMC capabilities on each installation, but with the DOL transfer to ASC LRCs, there was a need to synchronize those capabilities while developing and implementing concepts of support at each home station that mirror doctrinal deployed relationships.

While synchronizing all AMC capabilities in support of senior com-manders and installation tenants, LRCs provide a single AMC entry point, or hub, on the installation for customer access to the Army’s sustainment base.

The LRCs fundamental mission is to ensure the logistics readiness of our corps, divisions and brigades at home stations. They do this through the execution of installation supply services, maintenance services and transportation service.

LRCs are not your DOLs under a new name. LRCs will expand to include contracting, more technical repair capabilities to include com-munications and in many cases, integrate ASAALT’s program manag-ers and executive offices.

The transition from DOLs to LRCs was seamless to the customer. Soldiers and commanders now have behind them the full power of a


globally networked logistics command, able to access needed soldier services, supply and maintenance support.

As the LRC concept matures, they will continue to set the con-ditions to integrate all AMC capabilities under one command, our AFSBs. They will remain flexible to commander requirements, pro-viding installation logistics to soldiers at reduced cost with a primary enduring mission of sustaining a CONUS-based deployable Army.

Army Sustainment Command gave back $200 million immedi-ately after receiving the LRCs and will bring our LRC budget under a billion dollars. We have done this through creating efficiencies in contract management, eliminating wasteful practices and improving through the sharing of best practices. We continue to capitalize on our unique position within AMC to leverage the materiel enterprise at every installation across the Army.

But we don’t just sustain the CONUS-based Army, we also project it globally. An excellent example of ASC’s end-to-end power projection was recently provided by the 403rd and 404th AFSBs. They enabled the successful demonstration of the Army’s Regionally Aligned Forces Strategy by supporting an attack reconnaissance squadron’s deploy-ment from Joint-Base Lewis McChord to South Korea. The 404th AFSB prepared the unit, provided out-load support, packaged basic loads and shipped the unit to South Korea. The 403rd AFSB picked up the mission on the other end by receiving, downloading and mov-ing the unit forward. This global reach shows ASC’s unique ability to provide support while merging the requirements of CONUS and global requirements.

Through our LRCs and the CONUS-based AFSBs we provide regionally aligned capability in direct support to NORTHCOM and we routinely rehearse our capability through DSCA preparedness exer-cises. Our LRCs are also responsible for maintaining the capability to provide support to organizations like Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency and other federal and local agencies. Our commitment to Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) was demonstrated by our PACOM focused AFSBn-Alaska as it played a pivotal role in the Alaska Shield exercise.

BCT Reorganization. We are returning soldiers and equipment to CONUS locations and we must now sustain a CONUS-based Army ready to project our nation’s power around the globe at a moment’s notice. We must be able to achieve overwhelming results even with a smaller force in the future, we must be more expeditionary, we must have tactical mobility, and we need to reduce our footprint in the-ater environments. The reorganization of the brigade combat teams (BCTs) is an essential component of the force of the future.

Our command plays an incredibly important role in the reorgani-zation and readiness of the BCTs. The capabilities of our Distribution Management Center, our Army field support brigades and our logis-tics readiness centers working together brings a never before realized end-to-end ability to quickly and efficiently reposture our Army.

A great example of our work in this important reposturing is the support we provided to FORSCOM in the relocation of 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. Under the BCT reorganization, many of the brigade’s battalions were relocated from Joint Base Lewis-McChord,

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Wash., to Fort Carson, Colo. In direct support of FORSCOM, ASC played an integral role in this mission by not only identifying but by synchronizing the disposition of thousands of pieces of equipment through our Distribution Management Center. ASC also provided the assets required to move soldiers and their families, realign capa-bilities to accommodate the new requirements at Fort Carson and, working in conjunction with the senior commanders, ensured the readiness of the newly established units at Fort Carson. This is only one example; ASC has executed similar strategies for every reorga-nizing BCT and other support units in our Army. We will continue to ensure success as the Army’s reorganization continues.

Through the LRCs, ASC has a true end-to-end capability from the national sustainment base to our tactical units. We provide power projection support and sustainment for both a CONUS-based and forward deployed Army. We are also focused on Rapid Expedi-tionary Deployment Initiative critical infrastructure improvements at 15 power projection platforms necessary to provide globally responsive sustainment support today and for the Army of 2025.

Additionally, through our LRCs, our Army field support brigades coordinate with installation senior mission commanders and expe-ditionary sustainment commands to validate authorized stockage lists to make sure capabilities match the requirement. As realign-ment is necessary, we get the soldiers and equipment to their new locations.

The LRCs also provide disposition for facility-specific equip-ment, non-standard equipment and excess equipment. Our Army field support battalions and brigade logistics support teams work with units to prepare equipment for turn-in and coordinate property book actions.

Throughout this process, equipment identified as excess to the Army is transferred to the Defense Logistics Agency for transfer to other services, foreign military sales, or other sale.

Globally Aligned, Regionally Engaged. As logisticians, we must always be thinking one step ahead to anticipate future require-ments. Our global engagement is demonstration of how we have been thinking ahead. We configured our seven AFSBs in order to provide sustainment services to the six combatant commands. At the same time, we’re providing support to the six Army service com-ponent commands, and three Army commands (Forces Command, Training and Doctrine Command, and our own higher headquar-ters, the Army Materiel Command).

Outside the U.S., ASC’s footprint includes two forward-deployed AFSBs in Afghanistan and Kuwait, equipping Army, joint and multinational forces through the management of theater provided equipment; establishing, operating and transitioning base camps through LOGCAP; ensuring combat readiness through our forward repair activities; and enabling the retrograde of equipment and the redeployment of U.S. Forces from Afghanistan through our redistri-bution property accountability team yards.

ASC also has two forward-stationed AFSBs in Korea and Ger-many, providing needed sustainment services to the European Com-mand, Pacific Command and the African Command. As the Army continues to move equipment and personnel to the Pacific area of responsibility, resizes its forces overseas and further develops its presence in Africa, ASC will support those operations and reposture according to the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Chief of Staff of the Army strategies.

These forward deployed and forward-stationed AFSBs are sup-ported by nine respective AFSBns, of which four are directly

responsible for the maintenance and management of the strategic resources of the Army prepositioned stocks (APS) program.

We currently have four APS sets stationed around the world, both afloat and land-based. The APS program enables equipment, materiel and supplies to be staged and available throughout the world for any contingency. We are constantly reorganizing and modernizing the APS program in order to ensure it continues to provide our joint forces with strategic flexibility and depth.

Our initiatives to refine our APS strategy have ensured respon-sive support to the joint warfighter. By moving our APS to indoor storage facilities we have improved materiel readiness and reduced issue and distribution time, but also saved millions of dollars when compared to traditional outdoor storage. In fact, using indoor facili-ties will generate a cost avoidance of more than $688 million over the next five years within APS-5 alone.

We are continually refining our methods to improve our nation’s strategic goals by leveraging our prepositioned equipment. We have recently completed establishing two initial equipment sets, one in Korea and one in Europe. ASC has played a major role in supporting the establishment of the European Activities Set (EAS) to support Army rotational forces in Europe. We have worked closely with Headquarters, Department of the Army Logistics, and U.S. Army Europe to develop the right mix of equipment to station in Europe to build the EAS, and we have done so by stationing our most modern equipment harvested from the retrograde of equip-ment from Afghanistan.

As units deploy into theater on their assigned rotation, our command will conduct joint inventories with the unit and issue them the equipment from the set. Throughout their rotation, we will provide them with reach-back maintenance support, as well as specialized logistics assistance representative (LAR) support, to keep the equipment at a high operational readiness rate to support their missions and training.

Finally, our team will receive the equipment back from the unit, account for it, and conduct higher levels of maintenance above field level in order to have the equipment reset and ready for the next rotational unit to arrive. Currently, building of the EAS is complete and we are prepared to issue to the first rotational force in early May 2014.

In Korea, ASC assisted with the deployment of the initial equip-ment for the Korean Enduring Equipment Set (KEES), with the first rotational units deploying from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Fort Hood in the spring and fall of 2013, respectively. The Eighth Army and 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command will manage and maintain the KEES for the rotational forces, and ASC will pro-vide reach-back maintenance support and specialized LAR support through our 403rd AFSB, stationed on the Korean Peninsula.

We also should highlight the 401st AFSB, located in Afghani-stan, and the 402nd AFSB, located in Kuwait. As our missions shift in Afghanistan we will eventually shift the 401st AFSB from Afghanistan to Kuwait. In turn, the 402nd AFSB will relocate back to Hawaii and assume AMC’s integration of PACOM’s sustainment support responsibilities. Both brigades continue to provide both essential force sustainment to Central Command and surpassing all of the objectives established by the USFOR-A commander regarding retrograde of equipment.

Additionally, we maintain an equipment set located in Africa in order to provide sustainment support to AFRICOM and the Theater Security Cooperation Program. We also provide support to the Army’s


special operations forces through our group logistics support teams.

Regardless of the echelon or loca-tion with which the warfighter inter-faces with ASC, they can expect to receive the same type of services, capa-bilities and resources. ASC is postured worldwide to be the single face to the field, capable of fulfilling recurring sup-port demands or executing decisive support in response to contingencies, natural disasters, or when called upon by a combatant commander.

Q: You spoke of LOGCAP’s role earlier. After the program’s important role in building up infrastructure capabilities and sustaining operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, how will the drawdown affect the program, and do you see it having a strong life after Afghanistan?

A: First and foremost, it’s important to remember that the “P” in LOGCAP is for program. LOGCAP is a capability that was developed to offset combat service support (CSS) force structure that was not built in the Total Army Analysis. As the Army continues to downsize and the number of brigades decreases, we do not expect the Army to build CSS force structure to offset our requirements in the near future. Therefore it’s important that LOGCAP is available to provide critical logistics support and also other civil augmentation for missions any-where in the world. The contract itself is merely a device within the program of LOGCAP, which is often misunderstood.

I’d like to highlight that LOGCAP’s performance in CENTCOM has been vital to the readiness of our combatant commanders as they concentrate on their war fighting missions. As the Army restructures, the ability of LOGCAP to surge sustainment support globally becomes a critical capability

While LOGCAP was designed for missions with a high degree of complexity and uncertainty, we have proven how adaptable to the full range of sustainment operations it can be. In addition to providing support to the missions of other governmental agencies such as the Department of State in Iraq and Afghanistan, we believe that in the future, LOGCAP will have a greater role in civil augmentation and humanitarian missions around the world.

I am very confident that LOGCAP will remain a vital force mul-tiplier and important augmentation capability for our combatant commanders going forward. We see the future of LOGCAP as being realigned with each combatant command, enabling contractors to build regional and local capabilities and therefore provide more efficient and responsive support. Developing regionally aligned task orders with capable contractors will expedite support and meet the needs of contingencies, training with our partner nations and allies as well as support COCOM’s objectives with their theater security cooperation plans and strategies.

Utilizing the premise of LOGCAP, we see that there is a need in the Army to centralize requirements and service acquisition for civil augmentation. We believe LOGCAP also has a very important role in the Foreign Military Sales Program, providing important sustainment capabilities for that program throughout the world.

After 13 years of success supporting joint services combined with regional task orders, it might be time to relook the synchro-nization of capabilities in order to prevent redundancies among the services. The Army has a tremendous amount of experience and capability in this area.

Q: General Odierno, the Chief of Staff of the Army, has often dis-cussed a shift in the Army’s focus toward the Pacific. What can you tell us about ASC’s role in this change?

A: The shift of focus in U.S. strategy to the Pacific demands a subse-quent response with regard to support from ASC and we’ve already taken many necessary steps.

The continuing drawdown in CENTCOM will provide ASC the necessary flexibility to adjust regional coverage within CENTCOM, supporting the region with a single AFSB. Mentioned earlier, plans are underway to relieve the 402nd AFSB in Kuwait with the 401st AFSB, which is currently supporting our joint and combined forces in Afghanistan.

The 402nd AFSB will then relocate to Hawaii and assume a Pacific-focused mission along with the 403rd, already located in Korea. Ultimately, the Pacific theater will be the focus of support for two out of the seven active duty AFSBs. In addition, the 404th AFSB, located at Joint-Base Lewis McChord, has the capability of providing sustainment capabilities to the Pacific region.

Through initiatives like Pacific Pathways, we’re able to provide sustainment capabilities as USARPAC conducts extended expedition-ary engagements and exercise operations throughout the Pacific in order to strengthen relationships with allies and partners in the region. This support includes vessel loading, LRC support, BLST sup-port, contract support and functional reach-back to the entire AMC array of capabilities.

In the short term, we’re also reinforcing this region and providing the combatant commander with a single point of interface, through the establishment of an AMC cell at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. This cell has the responsibility of coordinating, synchronizing and facilitating ASC’s unity of effort and support from the two corresponding bri-gades in support of regional requirements.


APS reconfiguration and the reposturing of equipment are keys to ensuring that sustainment needs are met and that combatant com-manders have the resources at their disposal that will enable them to meet the chief’s directives as well.

Q: You’ve told us a lot about what your command is doing operation-ally; what can you tell us about the business side of ASC?

A: Earlier I mentioned our role as being key in the defense supply chain. In WWII, Rear Admiral Henry Eccles said logistics is the bridge between a nation’s economy and its fighting forces. I believe that is true today more than ever. The AMC and ASC are that bridge between our nation’s economy and our fighting forces. With true end-to-end capability, we are already seeing the business solutions that will gen-erate efficiencies for the Army without losing effectiveness.

We are a global organization and have global business operations focused on excellence. In the past three years we have generated effi-ciencies valued at over $1 billion. Operating in an era of continued fis-cal uncertainty, we are committed to applying best business solutions that put standards in place, eliminate inefficiencies, and rid ourselves of redundancies across all of our mission sets.

For instance, in the first year of owning the LRCs, FY13, we reduced requirements by more than $200 million and are on track with another $200 million reduction in FY14, simply by instituting a rigid requirements validation process resulting in our ability to de-scope lower priority work from our contracts. Another example of becoming more efficient was the incorporation of our inside storage strategy for APS operations. We are in line to generate a cost avoid-ance in maintenance requirements of $688 million over the next five years. Lastly, we are achieving better than predicted savings from implementation of our Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise (EAGLE) program. In the first six EAGLE task orders awarded to date, we’ve realized an overall 19 percent cost reduction equating to nearly $110 million. We remain on track to award up to an additional 12 task orders yet this fiscal year and expect to see similar savings.

Three of the primary objectives of EAGLE were to eliminate redundancies in supply, maintenance and transportation services related contracts, expand competition, and increase opportunities for small businesses to operate as prime contractors. Consolidation of like contracts has not only yielded a reduction in execution costs, but it has also eliminated the need for multiple contractual overhead staffing requirements. We currently have 138 basic ordering agree-ment holders, with 88 of those being small businesses that are eli-gible to propose on EAGLE task orders. It is projected that nearly 90 percent of task orders for LRC work will be awarded to small business prime contractors. EAGLE really is a win-win for our small business partners. Lastly, we are realizing a higher proposal response rate than we ever anticipated, and although that has the tendency to slow down the source selection evaluation process, it generates tremendous opportunities for even further reduced costs.

Given our experiences in LOGCAP and EAGLE, I believe that the ASC has truly become the experts in managing acquisition programs for the buying of services. The service acquisition portfolio within the Army has tremendous opportunities to garner savings much like we’ve seen on our EAGLE program by eliminating duplicative contracts buying essentially the same services. So we’ve been thinking about the concept of strategic sourcing and how we can put some teeth behind the intent of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisi-tion, Logistics, and Technology’s (ASA-ALT) portfolio management

program for service acquisitions. Essentially, the idea for strategic sourcing is to bring all service requirements from requiring activities into one centralized command that has the visibility of all available acquisition tools across the Army rather than every requiring activity dealing directly with a contracting office. The latter approach leads to a multitude of contracts buying the same or similar services. Strategic sourcing institutes an enterprise approach for our service acquisitions.

The ASA-ALT has worked hard to get at this approach through its portfolio management program by assigning seven portfolio groups to commands across the Army, ASC being the portfolio manager for the Logistics Management Services group. Although the portfolio managers have the responsibility for their portfolio, they have little to no authority in directing requiring activities outside of their mission command in order to influence an acquisition strategy. More than half of the Army’s acquisition spending is for services, and there are tremendous savings opportunities through implementing strategic sourcing through one command where all portfolio managers reside and where every requiring activity requirement is vetted for a strategic sourcing decision. Savings is generated through consolidation and standardization of requirements.

In Afghanistan alone, we saw 33 different logistics contracts being awarded by nine separate contracting organizations. This led to redun-dant capabilities, lack of standardization and limited program manage-ment oversight of what the Army is buying through its contracted services. We are now looking at how best to consolidate these as we’re pulling out of Afghanistan. When you look across the board at all of the differing requirements of services being procured, such as medi-cal, linguistics, training, security, etc., it becomes mind boggling, and a simple approach, like ASCs EAGLE program, may be an opportunity for a better solution for a single command to have oversight for all service acquisitions with the authorities to drive toward eliminating redundant capabilities.

Q: Do you have anything you’d like to add about the Army Sustain-ment Command?

A: I’m very proud to command the United States Army Sustainment Command. I can’t praise enough the hard work and dedication of our nearly 60,000 military, civilian and contract workforce here at ASC headquarters at Rock Island Arsenal and throughout the world at our brigades, battalions and LRCs. They come to work every day ready to make a difference in the lives of our men and women in uniform.

ASC has sustained Army and joint forces in support of combatant commanders during 13 years of war, dealing with the busy operations tempo and quick decisions that can mean the difference between life and death for our fighting forces. Our people have adapted and excelled in providing the support our combatant commanders need so they can concentrate on the fight. They ensure Army readiness, making sure our troops have what they need, when they need it, with the highest readiness rates.

While CENTCOM remains the main effort, and AFRICOM’s importance continues to grow, the shifting of our AFSBs within CENTCOM will increase support to the Pacific combatant commands and provide our forces with the equipment and service support they need to maintain peace in that region.

As the Army balances itself and shifts its priorities following two wars, ASC will be there to provide outstanding support to combatant commands from the Home of United States Army Logistics at Rock Island, Illinois. O


According to vendors, including two retired flag officers, achieving military sup-ply chain excellence involves accounting for significant fluctuations in supply and demand, dealing with budgetary uncer-tainty, enhancing predictability in parts ordering, and taking advantage of Web-based enterprise resource planning soft-ware to promote greater in-transit visibility throughout the supply chain.

Fill rates for orders, order fulfillment wait times and inventory turns are three key areas a military organization can use to determine the performance of a 24-hour global supply chain, said Alan S. Thompson, vice president for logistics and health care at Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc. in Columbia, Md.

Thompson, a retired Navy vice admi-ral who served as director of the Defense

Logistics Agency, pointed out that military leaders will always look for ways to wring out unnecessary costs from the supply chain while providing the best support for the warf-ighter. In leading DLA, an organization with 26,000 employees, Thompson commanded logistics support for the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq, the largest reverse logistics operation since World War II.

Military leaders continually need to dis-cern when the military operating environ-ment and policies dictate a different approach than that used by commercial supply chains, according to Thompson.

A lack of funding in Department of Defense budgets can serve as a catalyst for innovation, if such change can lower inven-tory costs, said Charlie Fletcher, senior group vice president at Alion Science and Technol-ogy in McLean, Va.

Since 2009, Fletcher has served as a logistics senior mentor at NATO. Fletcher served on a National Defense Transporta-tion Association committee that proposed that DLA adopt commercial best prac-tices in inventory management that could drastically reduce costs. He argued that military logistics leaders are more open to commercial best practices than they were previously.

One challenge in building a just-in-time military supply chain is that some organi-zations warehouse spare parts weeks and months ahead of their need, while others might have immediate, critical needs for the parts, said Steven Hurt, partner at A.T. Kear-ney Public Sector and Defense Services. A.T. Kearney is a Chicago-based management consulting company with expertise in mili-tary supply chains.

meaSuring SuCCeSS and Seeking improvementS. By william murray, mlf CorreSpondent


Hurt pointed out that for many items of basic importance to a war fighting effort, such as ammunition, it’s important for military organizations to track usage pat-terns to better predict future needs. When an organization has exhausted 80 percent of its supply for such a product, it probably should place a resupply order, he said.

Hurt argued that DoD should adopt a “portfolio mindset,” as opposed to hav-ing programs individually managed, often-times with separate supply chains. Such an approach doesn’t take advantage of econo-mies of scale that large military organiza-tions have in working with contractors to drive down costs. Such changes wouldn’t necessarily violate the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

An effective supply chain system can help military planners know the location of parts so they can be shipped to where they are critically needed, according to Hurt. The wide use of electronic tags makes such in-transit visibility possible. In an ideal situation, military organizations can better predict their need for spare parts and new equipment based on recent history and usage patterns.

With the winding down of operations in the Afghanistan War, Hurt pointed out, reset operations will likely give the military supply chain top-rate equipment moving forward, as bases shrink, close or get trans-ferred to Afghanistan military forces. As many as 50,000 U.S. tanks and HMMWVs will be shipped from Afghanistan, according to one published report, with the time-frame of the departure partially dependent on achieving a status of forces agreement with President Hamid Karzai’s successor in Kabul.

Service-oriented architecture holds promise for supply chain management for government agencies, among other enter-prises, since it can enable them to secure Web-based enterprise systems relatively quickly and at a relatively low cost com-pared to previous solutions more propri-etary in nature, according to Timothy D. Garcia, chief executive officer and founder of Apptricity Corp., a mobile enterprise software solutions provider based in Irving, Texas.

Founded in 1999, Apptricity produces a Transportation Management System and Apptricity Warehouse Management, in addition to a Web-based In-Transit Vis-ibility Tracking System and Movement Tracking System and a Web-based rotary

air transportation request system. By using data integration, such products can help promote visibility of parts and orders throughout the supply chain.

Dwindling manufacturing sources and material shortages are a key supply chain challenge facing the military, said Stephanie Purgerson, senior manager, supply chain management government services at Aviall Inc., a solutions provider of aftermarket supply-chain management services for the aerospace and defense industries based in Dallas.

“Basically, many items are no longer manufactured or are capable of being man-ufactured due to scarcity of some raw mate-rials and the absence of demand,” she said. An Army reservist, Purgerson also serves as logistics commanding officer with the 36th Sustainment Brigade in Temple, Texas.

Aviall offers approximately 1.8 million catalog items from 240 original equipment manufacturers stocked and shipped from 40 customer services centers around the world. Aviall stocks components for the C-130, P-3, E-2C, P-8, T-38, T-1A, AV-8B, OH-58D, AH-6, TH-67 and C-40A/B aircraft. In addition to spare parts, Aviall also man-ages commercial component repairs for the P-8, C-40A/B, E-4B, E-6, VC-25, C-32, KC-10 and OH-58D aircraft. These repairs consist of everything from wheels and brake repair to reparable management of compo-nents.

“Due to budgeting restrictions, govern-ment regulations and economic limitations, military agencies are also subject to a dis-advantage in planning within the supply chain,” Purgerson said. “Often, a lack of funding due to spending cuts and seques-tration makes it difficult for the military to fund their supply chain and keep the pipe-lines full of replacement parts.

“Military procurement is often very cumbersome, with multi-year purchases when funding is available or infrequent purchases due to budget delays or end of year close-outs,” she added. “Ultimately, when the military determines something is needed, it is not uncommon to experience long lead times or a lack of parts availabil-ity from manufacturers. These outcomes significantly hinder operational readiness rates of equipment critical to missions and training.”

One of the challenges with a just-in-time supply chain network is that some spare parts and raw materials may be diffi-cult to source but may be indispensable, said

Alion’s Fletcher. A second challenge is that the military must accommodate unplanned events in places that are unknown against lethal enemies.

In 2012, Alion Science and Technology won a basic ordering agreement to compete under the Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise program, a $23 billion initiative to move, maintain and refurbish vehicles and other fielded equipment. Alion Sci-ence and Technology has rapid fabrication capabilities to help military organizations produce parts and supplies when and where needed. Such an approach is more efficient than carrying inventory in the field and using the inventory to meet an organiza-tion’s needs as it develops requirements, according to Fletcher.

During a subcontract for the U.S. Marine Corps in 2005-2008, it was clear that trucking convoys in the Iraq theater of operations could save money by lowering the number of miles driven to deliver goods, said Rich Duff, vice president of informa-tion technology at Insight of Manassas, Va., who worked on the subcontract. Insight is a company focused on optimization supply chain services.

While trucking convoys are more effi-cient in driving down costs from a security perspective, they are less efficient in the sense that all trucks in the convoy have to stay together for the duration of the opera-tion, Duff said. “A commercial supply chain would have more flexibility without the security constraints,” he noted.

“Our continuous investment in on-hand inventory saves customers time and money, because we stock our shelves ahead of demand,” Purgerson said. Aviall works to synchronize supply and demand informa-tion from the customer, within Aviall and with the OEMs and other suppliers.

Purgerson pointed out that end-of-life support in preparation for aircraft retire-ment is also a consideration. “Decommis-sioning, recycling and dismantling aircraft in a financially viable way can be a challenge both commercially and for our military cus-tomers,” she said. Aviall uses a number of techniques to help support our customers by providing end of life type buys, alternate sources of supply and utilizing surplus and serviceable parts, Purgerson explained. O


at www.mlf-kmi.com.


Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, have become one of the biggest threats to U.S. forces in recent years. At the same time, lines on the battlefield have become blurred such that soldiers, Marines and other personnel carrying out even routine logistics missions are exposed to those IED threats and other dangers that were previously only seen on the front lines. Indeed, supply convoys themselves increasingly have become targets.

Now imagine a scenario in which robotic vehicles carry out dangerous logistics operations, taking many human warfighters out of the equation—and out of harm’s way—entirely.

That’s not fantasy; rather, these unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are becoming reality, accord-ing to executives at the companies that are develop-ing and manufacturing the UGV-enabling technology.

“Both the Army and the Marine Corps have expressed a desire for an applique of hardware and software that can convert tactical wheeled vehicles—and, in this case, particularly heavy and medium vehicles—into unmanned ground vehicles with the goal of, quite simply, reducing exposure to threats for the Marines and soldiers,” said John Bryant, senior vice president of defense programs at Oshkosh Defense. The Oshkosh, Wis.-based company markets UGV technology called TerraMax.

“The UGV technology can protect warfighters from threats like IEDs by actually removing the driver from the vehicle entirely—particularly in positions in the convoy where we might perceive a particular danger to operators,” Bryant added.

The role of UGVs in supporting logistics compo-nents of ground-combat operations is ever-expand-ing—from the robotization of manned vehicles to creating unique unmanned robotic platforms that are designed primarily to carry supplies, said Charlie Dean, director of business development for unmanned ground vehicles at QinetiQ North America, based just outside Washington, D.C.

“There are a number of examples out there right now,” Dean said. Trucks can follow one another, conducting operations either fully autonomously without personnel in a convoy, or with reduced numbers of personnel while robotic trucks follow or lead the manned trucks.

“You can reduce the number of people it takes to execute the convoy—sometimes all the way down to zero people,” Dean added.

the gear warfighterS Carry

Dean cited a study he led that was conducted earlier in combat operations in Afghanistan by the Army on what combat loads are actually carried in battle, called the Modern Warrior’s Combat Load.

“That study provided the first-ever true battlefield data on what our soldiers were truly carrying on their bodies and in their

rucksacks during dismounted operations,” he said. “We, as an Army, had never had that kind of data before. So now, armed with this data, considerable work has gone on to reduce the weight and the bulk of the equipment needed by light units to conduct dismounted operations.”

One of the recommendations from the combat load study in 2003 was to use manned or unmanned vehicles to accompany small units, “allowing the sol-diers to shed weight while not losing access to their mission-essential gear,” Dean added.

Work over last few years with various logistics UGV platforms “has been to show that small units can actually benefit from having unmanned systems accompany their dismounted operations,” Dean said. “Some of this work is heading toward programs of record,” he added.

teChnology demonStrationS

Oshkosh has been working with the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory and others to develop, dem-onstrate and deploy its TerraMax UGV technology, including a program that ended in 2012 in which Oshkosh integrated TerraMax onto the Marines’

Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) vehicle, Bryant said.“That’s a tactical wheeled vehicle that really represents the

workhorse for the Marine Corps logistics fleet. It’s a 7-ton-payload, cross country-capable vehicle,” he said. “Our UGV program that we did with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab was centered around integrating our technologies into that medium platform—and devel-oping and demonstrating the ability to integrate that technology into

while teChnologiCal oBStaCleS Still exiSt, the value of unmanned

SyStemS for reSupply iS Coming into itS own.

By SCott nanCe, mlf CorreSpondent

Charlie Dean

John Bryant


logistics operations, realistic, real-world logistics operations with Marine Corps operators.”

TerraMax is capable in operating in different modes—from fully autonomous in which a vehicle can “execute a pre-determined mis-sion in any position in a [convoy] column,” to a semi-autonomous mode in which unmanned vehicles operate in a leader-follower role, also to a mode in which a human can tele-operate the vehicles, Bry-ant explained.

“One of the features of the TerraMax technology is that you can have one-to-many control. You could have one vehicle manned and the next three or four vehicles could all be [unmanned] vehicles—with literally no human operators,” he said.

In its demonstration of unmanned MTVR vehicles, Oshkosh worked with logistics personnel at Fort Pickett, Va., according to John Beck, chief unmanned systems engineer at Oshkosh Defense.

“When they first heard about this—having not heard anything about it until we came—they thought it was the craziest idea they ever heard. But after a couple days of training, they were really excited about the system and thought that it was an up-and-coming technology that they could really use in-theater,” Beck said.

For two weeks, Oshkosh and military personnel “ran all kinds of different logistics missions,” Beck said. They also ran a manned control group in the experiment, he added.

Both convoys were made up of eight vehicles, and ran through a number of different scenarios—including simulated IED attacks, Beck said. “This demonstrated a 19 percent reduction in the amount of manpower in their typical, eight-vehicle convoys.”

TerraMax also can lead to significant personnel reductions, Osh-kosh’s Bryant said. “The technology has the capabil-ity to remove a larger percentage of operators from vehicles,” he added.

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin has been demonstrating logistics UGVs, with the Army Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). The demonstration, in January, was part of the Army and Marine Corps’ Autonomous Mobility Appliqué System (AMAS) program.

“The objective there is to, first, address driver safety, assuming that the vehicles were manned—and then, as kind of an add-on—to address the possi-bilities of driving either follower vehicles or possibly even all vehicles as fully autonomous vehicles—with no drivers, no humans in the loop whatsoever,” said Joe Zinecker, director of combat maneuver systems in Lockheed Martin’s missiles and fire control division.

Lockheed and TARDEC have conducted two demonstrations, including most of the driver safety functions as well as the autono-mous driver functions, he said.

Those tests went off “pretty much without a hitch,” Zinecker said. “By the days of our demonstration, things were performing exactly as designed,” he said.

Zinecker added: “For example, one of the days it was a sticky, steamy day and you could look down on the concrete and see the condensation of the water on the concrete. You could clearly see that—run after run, after run—the tire tracks went through exactly the same 2-foot-wide patch on the ground, indicating that the way-points that had been programmed into the system by the convoy commander at the beginning of the day were holding. The vehicles knew where they were. They were holding to those coordinates.

They were able to consistently detect the edges of the road, and stay in their lane, things like that.”

teChnology BeComing mature

Such demonstrations of UGVs will lead to the technology soon being included as programs of record and deployment of more-widely fielded platforms.

“We are probably about five to 10 years out from starting to see re-supply robots of different sizes, as I’ve described for different types of missions, actually being fielded into units as part of their

tables of organization and equipment,” Dean said. “There is considerable experimentation going on today and there’s creation and completion of require-ments that will lead to those programs of record.”

UGV technology is fairly mature today, the corpo-rate executives said.

Oshkosh’s TerraMax is ready for deployment, Bry-ant said. “The utility of being able to remove a bunch of operators on a convoy is something that won’t go away when our forces come back from Afghanistan,” he added.

The biggest challenge that is facing many of the companies engaged in this arena are the cost and the

capabilities of these sensors, said Dean, of QinetQ.He cited the kinds of sensors becoming prevalent in the com-

mercial automotive market, which help drivers park their vehicle, stay within their desired lane and other tasks.

“Those types of sensors are proving themselves to be very useful on highways. When you get off of the highway, into poorly defined terrain, the sensors that were useful in a car suddenly have reduced utility off-road. To make semi-autonomy or autonomy most effective for off-road movements, you have to bring in some pretty powerful sensors,” Dean said. “Those sensors tend to be very expensive and they also have, today, limitations in their abilities to sense through grass, to sense negative spaces such as holes, ditches and edges of stream banks ahead of you. The performance of these sensors will improve with time and come down in price.” O

Joe zinecker


at www.mlf-kmi.com.

To be useful, unmanned resupply systems have to have the capacity and maneuverability to go where the troops are with what they need. [Photo courtesy of Oshkosh]


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Calendar

July 29-30, 2014Military Vehicles ExpositionDetroit, Mich.www.militaryvehiclesexpo.com

August 22-25, 2014NGAUSChicago, Ill.www.ngausconference.com

September 15-17, 2014Air & Space ConferenceNational Harbor, Md.www.afa.org

September 23-25, 2014Modern Day MarineQuantico, Va.www.marinecorpsexpos.com

October 13-15, 2014AUSAWashington, D.C.www.ausa.org

October 20-22, 2014Logistics Officers Association ConferenceWashington, D.C.www.loanational.org/conference

October 28-30, 2014NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall MeetingSt. Louis, Mo.http://ndtahq.com/events_cal_events.htm

October 30-November 2, 2014Annual Tanker Association ConferenceNashville, Tenn.www.atalink.org

December 3-5, 2014Defense LogisticsAlexandria, Va.www.wbresearch.com/defenselogisticsusa

Northrop Grumman Technical Services ...............................................C2www.northropgrumman.com/ts

Northrop Grumman Technical Services ..............................................2-3www.northropgrumman.com/performance

Special pUll-OUT SUppleMeNT

MLF RESOURCE CENTER

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IHS ..........................................................................................................C3www.ihs.com

JLG Industries ..........................................................................................5www.jlg.com

ManTech International Corporation ....................................................19www.mantech.com

Oshkosh..................................................................................................C2www.oshkoshdefense.com/jltv

Quad Cities Chamber Of Commerce ......................................................11www.quadcitiesfirst.com/defense

SAIC ........................................................................................................C4www.saic.com

June 2014 Vol. 8, Issue 5


BrIg. gen. SteVen A. ShApIroCommanderDefense Logistics Agency Troop Support

SpecIAl SectIontransportation logistics: Air/land/SeaGrowing the organic transportation capabilities and partnering with commercial partners in all modes of transport.

FeAtureScases and containersFrom small cases to large ISO containers and everything in between, they all serve the unified purpose of maintaining and securing their contents.

Sustaining unmanned SystemsLike any system, unmanned platforms—air, land and sea—need an organized and structured supply chain and life cycle management process to maintain operational readiness.

Signals retrograde from AfghanistanHow U.S. Forces-Afghanistan are managing the retrograde of the communications infrastructure. predictability and reduce critical mission parts failure.

Cover and In-Depth Interview with:

Defense Logistics Agency

A special pull-out supplement featuring:• Exclusive interview with Vice Adm. Mark D. Harnitchek,

director of DLA.• Who’s Who two-page pictorial spread detailing DLA’s

command structure and senior leadership.• Agency’s top contracts for 2013-14.

A handy reference guide with a long shelf life.

INSERTION ORDER DEADLINE: MAY 23, 2014 AD MATERIAL DEADLINE: MAY 30, 2014

NEXTISSUE


As the senior vice president of defense programs for Oshkosh Defense, retired Colonel John Bryant leads the develop-ment, production and sustainment of all vehicle and product platforms and pro-grams for Oshkosh Defense, Integrated Product Support and contract administra-tion. Bryant brings a 28-year history of service with the Marine Corps to his role at Oshkosh.

Q: What is Oshkosh’s current focus to meet the needs of the military customer?

A: The U.S. military faces an uncertain defense environment and is taxed with expanding capabilities and mission flex-ibility globally. To face these challenges, they’ve set a clear priority to acquire the joint light tactical vehicle (JLTV), a next-generation protected light vehicle that can perform in all environments, to fill the cur-rent tactical wheeled vehicle capability gap between mine resistant ambush protected vehicles and succeed the aging high-mobil-ity multipurpose wheeled vehicles.

Troops need a superior JLTV platform that can be up-armored to counter the most prevalent and dangerous threats, while maintaining exceptional off-road mobility so forces can take alternate or improvised routes when the mission or threat level calls for it. Oshkosh Defense developed its JLTV solution, the light combat tactical all-terrain vehicle, to meet these needs.

This program is our top priority. We’ve made significant investments on behalf of our warfighters to develop our JLTV solu-tion over nearly a decade. At the same time, we have a history of vehicle deliveries, lean processes and life cycle optimization capa-bilities that allow us to deliver the JLTV at a highly competitive price. We’ve delivered over 130,000 tactical wheeled vehicles on time and on budget. Combined with our warm, flexible production line and an expe-rienced workforce and supply base, we can offer a low-risk JLTV solution. The military gains uncompromised protected mobility at an affordable price.

Off-road mobility is a core competency for us, going back to the very genesis of our

company. The Oshkosh JLTV features the TAK-4i intelligent independent suspension system to deliver a 25 percent increase in independent wheel travel over the current gold standard in off-road-capable vehicles. It also uses survivability technologies that incorporate lessons learned from our life-saving M-ATV platform.

We’ve expanded our command, con-trol, communications and computers equipment integration capabilities to bet-ter serve this and other military pro-grams. Our “first pass” systems integration approach combines vehicle design and systems integration to deliver a complete solution that reduces system interference, improves ergonomics and puts the network at the soldiers’ fingertips. It also reduces time and cost compared to traditional “bolt on” integration, bringing integration work directly to the production line.

Q: What is your company doing to make operations more efficient?

A: A focus on efficiency is central to Osh-kosh operations. Throughout our 90 years of military experience, Oshkosh has con-tinually delivered value through increases in productivity and innovation.

We received DoD’s 2013 Value Engi-neering Achievement Award for setting record levels of quality and cost savings for the U.S. Army’s family of medium tac-tical vehicles (FMTV) program. Our lean manufacturing capabilities, engineering improvements and supplier network have improved FMTV quality while delivering upward of $2 billion in savings through the life of the FMTV contract.

We focus on continued productivity gains both in our own facilities and in our extended supply chain, which we manage at a global level to drive efficiency and value into our products. Though we’ve long operated a lean business, we launched the Oshkosh Operating System in 2010 to further embed lean practices in all business processes and create a culture of continu-ous improvement.

In development of our JLTV prototypes delivered last August, we deployed a 3-D model production tool. The tool gives opera-tors along our manufacturing lines a realis-tic, 360-degree view of each production task to be completed and helps contextualize how their efforts impact overall vehicle produc-tion. As a result, we’ve been able to reduce rework, producing vehicles of even higher quality more quickly—highly important metrics for our military customer.

Q: What are you working on to meet future logistical requirements that address stated needs of the military?

A: At Oshkosh, we collaborate closely with our military customers to ensure platforms and services meet mission requirements now and are flexible for the future.

With frontlines blurred, troops carrying out logistics missions are now exposed to dangers previously contained to active battle zones. The Army and Marine Corps both have stated a need for unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) solutions to reduce troop exposure to threats and bolster logistics operations for coming force reductions.

Oshkosh Defense has worked closely with the government since 2004 to develop a field-able, state-of-the-art autonomous kit system with developed tactics, techniques and proce-dures that together offer a more efficient and less perilous means for resupply and support other operations, such as route clearance. Our mature TerraMax UGV technology has proven capable of seamless integration into convoy operations during live-force military evaluations, and has been used in virtually every kind of tactical environment. This is all driving the technology toward implementa-tion in the fleets of the near future. O

John BryantSenior Vice President of Defense Programs

Oshkosh Defense

INDUSTRY INTERVIEW Military Logistics Forum


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