COLUMBUS, Ohio –
“The big test is ‘Are we ready?’ Are we ready to equip the Warfighter to fight the next fight?” said Defense Supply Center Columbus and Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime Commander Navy Rear Adm. John Palmer.
This question of readiness was the foundation of the visit between Palmer and Army
Maj. Gen. Daniel Mitchell, commander for
U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command.
The Sept. 11 meeting held in the Operations Center’s Command Conference Room kicked off with introductions from representatives from TACOM as well as DLA Land and Maritime’s command group, Strategic Acquisitions Programs Directorate, Engineering Support Activity and Land Customer and Supplier Operations.
Topics highlighted in the meeting included current and future strategic engagements, technical support, the High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle project, tire initiatives and acquisition approaches.
Land and Maritime purchasing strategies include Performance Based Logistics agreements, privatization, integrated supplies and services such as Industrial Product-Support Vendor, long-term contracts, automated transactional evaluations and awards and manual transactions.
Building upon the existing partnership, the group discussed current projects and operating trends that impact TACOM as well as plans for future process improvements, all with a focus on improving readiness.
“It’s a pretty simple mission – Readiness,” Mitchell said. “For two-thirds of the Army’s equipment and supply chain, [TACOM] manage 20 percent of that and [DLA] manage 80 percent. We’re indispensable partners and this is why this is a very important get together for us.”
Communication is key and discussions like the ones held during the meeting are crucial to solving problems now before they become an issue, Mitchell said.
A presentation by DLA Land and Maritime Engineering and Technical Support Director Todd Lewis touched on the support to TACOM’s ground vehicle technical and engineering partner – the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center.
The model partnership provides an environment for each to work closely together to collaborate for weapon systems support.
“The platform allows us to share information so we know what requirements are coming up and can mitigate any issues that could arise related to the requirements,” Lewis said. “These platforms provide the space to quickly resolve issues with almost immediate actions.”
“We all have to work together as a team,” Mitchell said. “Ensuring everything is delivered on time and high quality.”
Sharing similar functions, TACOM and DLA Land and Maritime are working to increase supply availability by building the depth, breadth and velocity of the global ground and support systems supply chains.
Considering the future of the industry, reviewing best practices to ensure military readiness remains lethal and responsive in the years to come was the cornerstone of the meeting.
Throughout the conversation the group not only considered current impact but second and third order effects.
The meeting concluded with DLA Land and Maritime recapping ways to cultivate communications and continue the partnership while streamlining the acquisition process to ensure Warfighter readiness.