Army Ammunition - DTIC

January - March 2008

Army AmmunitionOn Target and More Lethal Than Ever

ASC_1207_ALT_Jan-Mar 2008_CC.qxp 12/18/2007 12:18 PM Page 1

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Our constant first priority within the acquisition, logistics and technology (AL&T) community isproviding world-class weapon systems and

equipment to the warfighter, and I am proud of my entireorganization’s success in fulfilling this important duty.Still, while at war, we must continue to work hard andwork together to get even better capability to warfighters— especially those in the warfight right now — much faster. One waywe are doing this is by bringing both the acquisition and logistics com-munities together. That was our aim when the Life Cycle ManagementCommand (LCMC) concept was formalized in August 2004 with thegoal to provide products to the Soldier faster, make good products evenbetter, minimize life-cycle costs, and enhance synergy and effective-ness by enabling a closer relationship between the U.S. Army MaterielCommand’s major subordinate commands and the program executiveoffices (PEOs).

In the last few years, we have established four LCMCs in the areas ofweapons, electronics, combat vehicles, aviation and ammunition.Our LCMCs provide critical resources to our warfighters at the righttime, right place and right price. As I have stated before in this verypublication, our LCMC effort to streamline multiple Army acquisitionand logistics programs and organizations into leaner, more organizedcommands has been successful. In this edition, we highlight ournewest LCMC — the Joint Munitions and Lethality (JM&L) LCMC, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.

During my visits to the JM&L LCMC headquarters and other com-mands and organizations within its umbrella, I’ve seen firsthand howmilitary personnel, civilians and contractors take great pride in theirjobs because they know the importance of providing ammunition toour warfighters. Munitions are critically important. In fact, it is oftensaid that ammunition is the lifeblood of the military. Enhanced lethal-ity is also critically important to our men and women, especially thoseon the front lines prosecuting the global war on terrorism. When westood up the JM&L LCMC in November 2006, we expected greatthings from the organization’s men and women, and they are surpass-ing our expectations.

The JM&L LCMC’s responsibilities to warfighters begin with makingsure the partnership with its component organizations is focused onproviding superior products, support and services. The alliance iscomprised of three major organizations: PEO Ammunition (Ammo)and the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineer-ing Center (ARDEC), both at Picatinny Arsenal; and the Joint Muni-tions Command (JMC), Rock Island, IL. Let me briefly describe the in-dividual responsibilities.

• JM&L LCMC leads the Army’s full ammunition develop-ment, procurement and technology capabilities whileproviding input to senior Army and DOD leaders oncurrent and future requirements of all ammunition lifecycle aspects.

• PEO Ammo develops and procures conventional and“leap-ahead” munitions to increase combat power to

warfighters. In doing so, the PEO also establishes defined and prior-itized areas for science and technology investment using an appliedstructure analysis and determining a commonality of technical solu-tions among its assigned program managers.

• ARDEC develops and maintains a world-class workforce to executeand manage integrated life-cycle engineering processes required forthe research, development, production, field support and demilita-rization of munitions (small, medium and large caliber; propellants;explosives; logistics; packaging); weapons, including non-line-of-sight fire, nonlethal and autonomous; fire control (battlefield digiti-zation, embedded weapon systems software, aero ballistics andtelemetry); and associated items.

• JMC is responsible for manufacturing, procuring, storing, issuing anddemilitarizing conventional ammunition for U.S. military services,federal agencies and allied nations as directed by the U.S. Depart-ment of State. JMC also serves as the DOD operating agency for theSingle Manager for Conventional Ammunition (SMCA) mission, inwhich JM&L LCMC Commanding General BG William N. Phillips isthe SMCA. Through this mission, all U.S. Armed Services branchescommunicate their ammunition needs on the same page.

These organizations are on the cutting edge in identifying the latesttechnologies, developing them into viable, quality munitions, massproducing them and getting them to our warfighters in a timely andcost-effective manner. From creating Product Manager Improvised Explosive Device/Defeat, to modernizing our ammunition plants, tourgently fielding the award-winning Excalibur artillery projectile, thisalliance is helping our warfighters accomplish their missions quicklyand decisively while simultaneously streamlining the ammunition acquisition process.

The benefits to the Army and our sister services — and certainly to ourwarfighters — are enormous, both in terms of getting better weaponsystems and equipment to the warfighter much faster as well as sus-taining those items once they get where they need to be. And, for theArmy and America’s taxpayers, we’re getting these things done morecheaply than ever before. HOOAH!

From the Army Acquisition Executive

Joint Munitions & Lethality LCMC Provides Critical Resources to Our Warfighters

Claude M. Bolton Jr.Army Acquisition Executive


ARMY AL&T

1JANUARY - MARCH 2008

PB 70-08-01

CLAUDE M. BOLTON JR.Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logis-tics and Technology and Army Acquisition Executive

EDITORIAL BOARDLTG WILLIAM E. MORTENSENDeputy Commanding General, AMCLTG JACK C. STULTZChief, U.S. Army Reserve/Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve CommandLTG N. ROSS THOMPSON III Director, Army Acquisition Corps and Director,Acquisition Career ManagementLTG STEPHEN SPEAKESDeputy Chief of Staff (DCS), G-8TINA BALLARDDeputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Procurement, Office of the ASAALTWIMPY PYBUSDeputy Assistant Secretary for ILS, Office ofthe ASAALTLTG JEFFREY A. SORENSONChief Information Officer, G-6DR. THOMAS H. KILLIONDeputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, Office of the ASAALTDR. JAMES R. HOUSTONDirector of R&D, U.S. Army Corps of EngineersTHOMAS E. MULLINSDeputy Assistant Secretary for Plans, Programsand Resources, Office of the ASAALTEDWARD W. WALTERS IIIDeputy Assistant Secretary for Strategy and Performance Planning, Office of the ASAALTKARL F. SCHNEIDERAssistant DCS, G-1MG GEORGE W. WEIGHTMANCommanding General, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command CRAIG A. SPISAKDirector, U.S. Army Acquisition Support CenterMICHAEL I. RODDINExecutive Secretary, Editorial Board

EDITORIAL STAFFMICHAEL I. RODDINEditor-in-ChiefCYNTHIA D. HERMESExecutive EditorROBERT E. COULTASDepartments EditorWHITNEY F. KOENINGEREditorKELLYN D. RITTEREditorCOLLEEN M. SHEHANManuscript EditorNOJAE KIMLayout and Graphic Design

To contact the Editorial Office:Call (703) 805-1034/1035/1038 or DSN 655-1034/1035/1038

Articles should be submitted to: DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, ARMY AL&T, 9900BELVOIR RD, SUITE 101, FORT BELVOIR, VA 22060-5567.

Our fax number is (703) 805-4218.E-mail: [email protected] [email protected].


The Joint Munitions and LethalityLife Cycle Management Command(JM&L LCMC) Provides the BestCapability to U.S. WarfightersMeg Williams and Trish Bryan

Page 5

Making the Best Quality Ammunition for the Warfighter —An Interview With the U.S. ArmyJoint Munitions Command’s (JMC’s)BG James E. RogersMeg Williams

Page 54

ACQUISITION, LOGISTICS &TECHNOLOGY

Managing Ammunition to Better Address Warfighter Requirements Now and in the Future. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Jeffrey Brooks

Picatinny Arsenal — Home of American Firepower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Trish Bryan

Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP) Modernization — Meeting Commitments of National Ammunition Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18William Melton

The Future of Gun-Fired Precision Munitions (GFPM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22COL Ole A. Knudson, Martin Moratz and Frank Altamura

Excalibur — Training for the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Steven A. Hromnak

30mm Apache Ammunition In-Bore and Hang Fire Investigation Team (IHIT) . . . . . . . . . 28Kenneth Insco and John Hirlinger

Countermeasure Flares Team (CFT) Leverages Acquisition Process to Meet Warfighter Demands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Rene Medina

Insensitive Munitions — New Explosives on the Horizon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Nancy Gray

The Security Assistance Ammunition Program — Helping Allies Help Themselves . . . . . . 36Marcy Salmonson

Cover Story

Features


2 JANUARY - MARCH 2008

ARMY AL&T


ACQUISITION, LOGISTICS &TECHNOLOGY

For more news, information and articles, please visit the USAASC Web site at http://asc.army.mil. Clickon the Army AL&T Magazine tab located on the bottom of the flash banner in the center of the page.

Army AL&T Magazine (ISSN 0892-8657) is published quarterly by theASAALT. Articles reflect views of the authors and not necessarily officialopinion of the Department of the Army. The purpose is to instruct membersof the Army acquisition workforce relative to AL&T processes, procedures,techniques and management philosophy and to disseminate otherinformation pertinent to their professional development. Privatesubscriptions and rates are available from the Superintendent ofDocuments, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 or(202) 512-1800. Periodicals official postage paid at Fort Belvoir, VA, andadditional post offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes toDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, ARMY AL&T, 9900 BELVOIR RD, SUITE101, FORT BELVOIR, VA 22060-5567. Articles may be reprinted if creditis given to Army AL&T Magazine and the author.

Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition (SMCA) and Joint Ordnance Commanders Group MeetWarfighter NeedsCOL André C. Kirnes and Claudia Applegate

Page 62

ARDEC — The Army’s Lethality and Armaments Systems Provider forToday’s and Tomorrow’s Warfighters COL Russell J. Hrdy

Page 72

By order of the Secretary of the Army

GEORGE W. CASEY JR.General

United States ArmyChief of Staff

Official:

JOYCE E. MORROWAdministrative Assistant to the

Secretary of the Army0733804

This medium is approved for official disseminationof material designed to keep individuals within the Army knowledgeable of current and emergingdevelopments within their areas of expertise for the purpose of enhancing their professionaldevelopment.

Departments

Features

Conventional Ammunition Demilitarization (Demil) — A Growing Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38LTC Brian W. Raftery

Assessing Munitions Solutions — The Army’s Munitions Readiness Reporting (MRR) System is on Target. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Jay D. Sloat

Nonlethal Munitions (NLM) Expand Warfighter Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Fareed Choudhury

The Self-Protection Adaptive Roller Kit (SPARK) — Negating the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Threat for Soldiers and Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50LTC Karl Borjes

Joint Munitions Command (JMC) Facilities Provide Unique Capabilities Within its Ammunition Industrial Base. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Dennis Dunlap

Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Keri Pleasant-Hagedorn

Career Development Update... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Contracting Community Highlights .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Farewell From the Editorial Staff

The Army AL&T Magazine editorial staffwould like to thank the man who haschaired our Editorial Advisory Board(EAB) for the past 6 years. Our publica-tion’s strongest supporter, Army Acquisi-tion Executive and Assistant Secretary ofthe Army for Acquisition, Logistics andTechnology Claude M. Bolton Jr. helpedguide the direction and scope of ArmyAL&T Magazine throughout his remark-able tenure. His insight, knowledge andexpert guidance enabled us to provideour readers with the latest informationregarding the Army’s science and tech-nology initiatives, research and develop-ment accomplishments, Future CombatSystems capabilities, best business prac-tices, and career and professional devel-opment policies. Secretary Boltonknows that Soldiers rely heavily on theAcquisition, Logistics and Technology(AL&T) Workforce for their weapon sys-tems, equipment, logistics and supportservices, and he has worked tirelessly toensure that our warfighters have the tech-nological advantage to remain the finestfighting force on Earth.

We thank Secretary Bolton for his dedi-cated service to the AL&T Workforce, theU.S. Army and this proud Nation. It wasour distinct honor and privilege to haveworked so closely with him as our EABChair. We wish him a fond farewell andcontinued success in all his future per-sonal and professional endeavors.

Army AL&T MagazineEditorial Staff


Idepart my position as Assistant Secretary of theArmy (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology)[ASAALT] and Army Acquisition Executive on Jan. 2,

2008 — 6 years to the day from taking office. Theseyears have been both challenging and rewarding.Challenging in addressing the complexities of provid-ing Soldiers with the right product, at the right timeand at the right place to meet their needs at a timewhen we are a Nation at war. Rewarding in that it wasa wonderful time for me personally to work closelywith a world-class team in the Army; in the Navy, Ma-rine Corps and Air Force; the Office of the Secretary ofDefense; Congress; academia; and industry — bothdomestic and international. Together, we always didthe right thing for our Soldiers.

As I look back on my first day on the job, I remembera brief meeting with then-Secretary of the Army TomWhite. His advice was to do three things: (1) takecare of programs; (2) take care of the acquisitionworkforce; and (3) take care of the industrial base. Ihad my mission and immediately turned my focus toprograms, people, production and improvement.During my first year, my efforts were concentrated onprograms. My second year was devoted to peopleand my third year was focused on the industrial base.I have continued to emphasize these areas of priority,and all along the way, we have seen improvements. Iam equally as proud of the fact that we have also em-bedded and institutionalized those improvements forlasting change. Dedicating a share of ASAALT re-sources to strategic planning has been instrumental toeffecting the lasting change. Let me briefly highlightsome significant accomplishments.

During the early years, there were significant tacticalchallenges. For our brave men and women fightingthe global war on terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq andelsewhere in the world, we surged to provide bodyarmor, armored vehicles, Soldier equipment and train-ing. We were able to meet these tactical challenges

in a very short period of time, and our success en-sured that those in harm’s way had what they neededto fight and win and, to the best of our ability, returnhome safely.

While meeting our short-term challenges, we learnedto equip and field items quickly so our Soldiers hadwhat they needed — from a rapid equipping stand-point — within hours to 90 days. In addition to theRapid Equipping Force, the Rapid Fielding Initiativehas become the largest equipment fielding effort sinceWorld War II and provides 50 mission-essential equip-ment and clothing items, including the AdvancedCombat Helmet and accessories, weapons acces-sories, knee and elbow pads, and hydration systems.To meet urgent needs on the battlefield, we learned todo rapid acquisition very efficiently and effectively.

Early in combat operations, we experienced losses ofaviation platforms and, most regrettably, our Soldieraviators. We moved quickly and with great success toinstall state-of-the-art survivability equipment on allArmy rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft in theater for en-hanced flight crew and platform protection.

Moving forward, Future Combat Systems [FCS] remainat the center of our broader modernization strategy.While large and complex, it is a model program thatembraces the “Big A” approach to acquisition whereall stakeholders, including the requirements commu-nity, the “little a” community, testers, the sustainmentcommunity, Soldiers and others work together towarda common goal. Now in the System Design and De-velopment phase, FCS, after 50 months, is one per-cent below cost, on performance with some spin-outsdownrange and only a few days behind schedule. Itis an amazing accomplishment that involves first-rateteamwork among the Army and our sister services, theUnited Kingdom and 600 companies. FCS is truly asuccess story. Moreover, all Army programs — morethan 550 of them from every program executive office

ARMY AL&T


Farewell to the Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Workforce

From the Army Acquisition Executive


[PEO] — are doing well. In fact, they are in muchbetter shape than when I arrived 6 years ago.

Our world-class science and technology [S&T] com-munity — from our University Affiliated ResearchCenters to our scientists and engineers — is second tonone. S&T has a pivotal role in pursuing technologiesto maintain and enhance the Army’s already advancedcapabilities. Our dynamic and responsive S&T portfo-lio is focused to enable specific new capabilities inthe Future Force while remaining agile to satisfy oper-ational needs of the Current Force.

The United States remains the world’s leader in safelydestroying stockpiled chemical weapons covered bythe Chemical Weapons Convention. In meeting ourinternational treaty obligations 7 months early, 2007turned out to be our most successful year ever. Weare more than 50 percent finished with our task of de-stroying the remaining stockpile of chemical weapons.

Another significant accomplishment this year was thecompletion of work and closure of the Iraq Projectand Contracting Office [PCO]. This follows 3 years ofmanaging and coordinating the Iraq reconstructionprogram where we started some 4,000 projects andcompleted more than 3,000. These projects includedwater, electricity, sewage treatment plants, roads,schools, hospitals, fire stations, oil pipelines and otherkey infrastructure programs that are vital to enablingthe people of Iraq to press ahead with the difficult taskof establishing a viable government and defending it.The PCO was instrumental and its people remarkable.They worked incredible hours under dangerous anddifficult conditions. Two PCO personnel made the ultimate sacrifice: Ms. Barbara C. Heald and LCDRKeith Taylor. Their dedication and sacrifice served to encourage us all to work harder for a free and democratic Iraq.

An extremely important concept — Life Cycle Man-agement — was formalized in 2004 and presently wehave four Life Cycle Management Commands[LCMCs]. During my recent visits to the Aviation andMissile LCMC in Huntsville, AL, and the Communica-tions Electronics LCMC at Fort Monmouth, NJ, I sawfirsthand that the leadership and workforce are takingthis on as their own and working together to realize

the original goal: to provide products to the Soldierfaster, make good products even better, minimize life-cycle costs and build a closer working relationshipbetween the Army Materiel Command’s major subor-dinate commands and our PEOs. The success wehave seen so far is significant. When the war endsand the budget gets squeezed, concepts like LifeCycle Management will help our Army leaders andSoldiers prepare for the next war. Without this con-cept in place, I would have grave concerns about ourability to surge in the future and give our Soldierswhat they will need to accomplish their mission andreturn home safely.

Finally, as we look at the successful work being done,I am pleased that Mine Resistant Ambush Protected[MRAP] vehicles are being delivered to our Soldiers inthe field. These vehicles will not only protect them,but save their lives as well.

All the foregoing would not have been possible with-out a tremendous workforce and our industry partners.We are fortunate to have outstanding military andcivilian leadership, well-trained and well-equippedSoldiers and a world-class acquisition workforce onduty 24/7. Our accomplishments as a team provideour new leadership with a strong foundation for con-tinued success.

Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of being yourleader during this historical time for the United StatesArmy and our Nation. The hardest part, I am finding, isleaving such a great team that I truly regard as my family.

I wish you all the very best in 2008 and in the comingyears. May God bless you. May God bless the greatwork that you do. And, may God bless America.

Thank you for 6 wonderful and memorable years.HOOAH!

Claude M. Bolton Jr.Army Acquisition Executive


ARMY AL&T


AL&T: What is the most importantmessage you would like to convey toSoldiers who might read this issue ofArmy AL&T Magazine?

Phillips: First, we very much appreci-ate and honor the sacrifices Soldiersmake every day supporting freedomand democracy for our Nation and thefree world. That applies to their Fami-lies too. When you have loved oneswho are away for 15 months at a time,it’s difficult on both sides. Our Soldiers

and their Families are making great sac-rifices, and it’s great that the Army isfocusing significant energy and re-sources toward supporting Families. Atthe JM&L LCMC, that means we sup-port not only Soldiers and our Army,but all service members and civilianswho use ammunition, bombs and non-lethal systems. Second, our mission isto provide our Soldiers and servicemembers with the very best capabilitypossible. We want them to executetheir missions quickly and decisively so

they can get the job done and returnhome safely. Every day, I ask myself,“What can I do and what can theLCMC do to help them be more suc-cessful and to give them the best capa-bilities to complete the mission and re-turn home safely?” That’s what wework hard to ensure every day at TeamPicatinny [NJ], Rock Island [IL] and allour depots and arsenals.

AL&T: JM&L LCMC is responsiblefor bringing together the people,

ARMY AL&T


The Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command

(JM&L LCMC) Provides the Best Capability toU.S. WarfightersMeg Williams and Trish Bryan

Several months ago, BG William N. Phillips, Commanding

General (CG), JM&L LCMC, met with Army AL&T Magazine

staff to discuss his organization’s mission, accomplishments,

goals and initiatives. In addition to his role as the JM&L LCMC

CG, he serves the Army as the Program Executive Officer Ammu-

nition (PEO Ammo) and the Picatinny Arsenal CG.

Billowy clouds of fiery smoke hang in the air after field artillerymen from Battery B, 1st Dragon Battalion,82nd Field Artillery Regiment, fire their M109A6 Paladin Howitzer at Camp Taji, Iraq, Sept. 2, 2007,during a live-fire combat mission. (U.S. Army photo by SSG Jon Cupp, 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT),1st Cavalry Division (CavDiv) Public Affairs Office (PAO).)


infrastructure and processes requiredfor total conventional ammunitionlife-cycle management to supportwarfighters. What is your mission andvision for this organization? In whatnew ways are the three major compo-nents that comprise the LCMC —PEO Ammo, Joint Munitions Com-mand (JMC) and U.S. Army Arma-ment Research, Development and En-gineering Center (ARDEC) — work-ing together?

Phillips: Establishing a mission forLCMC was important. And, you can’treally put a mission in place and haveit succeed if you don’t have the fullcommitment of all the players who arecritical to the LCMC, includingARDEC’s science and technology[S&T] workforce, PEO Ammo’s ac-quisition profession-als, and JMC’s logis-tics and sustainmentexperts. We havethat commitmentand we’ve outlinedour mission and vi-sion in a documentthat everyone hassigned. It’s not justleaders who must be committed, butthe people in our organization.

For the S&T piece, Dr. Joseph A. Lan-non, ARDEC Director, is looking atcapability gaps that may exist today inammo — improvised explosive device[IED] defeat, bombs and many otherareas — to see what next-generationweapons and capabilities we’ll be ableto give our Soldiers and the Joint serv-ices over the next 2 to 15 years. PEOAmmo works with ARDEC to transi-tion those new technologies into ac-quisition programs and get them tothe field. And the ARDEC is truly aworld-class organization at developingnew technology, evidenced by beingawarded the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige

National Quality Award. Of course,Army leaders, such as Chief of Staff ofthe Army GEN George W. Casey Jr.and Vice Chief of Staff GEN RichardA. Cody, don’t only ask what you’regoing to do 4 years from now; theywant to know what you’re going to do

tomorrow. From theARDEC S&T toPEO Ammo’s acquisition, we are con-tinuously working ways to shorten the procurement and production timelines.

Once we acquire andfield a system, wework with JMC toprovide the readinessand logistics supportthat sustain the capa-bility we put in thewarfighter’s hands.Operations and sup-port, which is the sus-

tainment and logistics piece of a pro-gram in the out years, makes up about60 percent of a program’s life-cyclecost, so we have to work closely to-gether as an LCMCto make sure what-ever we give Soldiersand warfighters isproducable, sustain-able and affordable.We also try to lever-age what we’ve doneon one system andapply it to another.For example, we’regetting into precisionmunitions in a bigway. Now that we’vegot the 155mm XM982 Excalibur

round, we want to leverage that sametechnology for the 105mm artilleryround and potentially this technologycould apply to mortar rounds. Com-monality is important. The morecommonality among systems we have,the lower their life-cycle cost.

When you talkabout integratingthe life-cycle management concept,you have to stay linked to the folkswho are stakeholders in this business.The JM&L LCMC works hard to staylinked to the key stakeholders we sup-port, namely: Office of the Secretaryof Defense [OSD]; Assistant Secretaryof the Army for Acquisition, Logisticsand Technology [ASAALT]; AMC[U.S. Army Materiel Command] andkey Army staff. We have received ex-traordinary support from the people Iconsider to be the two prime architects

of the LCMC vision— Secretary ClaudeM. Bolton Jr. [theArmy Acquisition Ex-ecutive/ASAALT] andGEN Benjamin S.Griffin [AMC CG]— as we continue togrow and stand upthe LCMC. If itweren’t for GENGriffin or Mr.Bolton, we would nothave been able to do

what we have done as an LCMC.


ARMY AL&T

Commonality is

important. The more

commonality among

systems we have, the lower

their life-cycle cost.

As the SMCA, we are

chartered to buy all the

large, medium and small

caliber ammo, grenades

and bombs for all of the

services and we combine

requirements to the

maximum extent possible.

The new 155mm XM982 Excalibur round will helpU.S. Army artillerymen provide precision fires,thereby eliminating unnecessary collateraldamage. (U.S. Army file photo.)


AL&T: What are your responsibilitiesas the Single Manager for ConventionalAmmunition (SMCA)?

Phillips: The most important responsi-bility is ensuring that our Joint warfight-ers have the right ammo and that thereare no capability gaps! One of thethings we’re doing under the leadershipof LTG William E. Mortensen [AMCDeputy CG] and LTG N. Ross Thomp-son [Military Deputy to the ASAALT]is bringing all the services together tolook at their ammunition requirements.As the SMCA, we are chartered to buyall the large, medium and small caliberammo, grenades and bombs for all ofthe services and we combine require-ments to the maximum extent possible.Our 5.56 and 7.62mm small caliberproduction is a perfect example. Webuy well over a billion rounds annuallyto meet our stakeholder’s requirements.Combining these requirements helpslower cost because we’re ordering higherquantities, making it possible to leverage

the industrial base — bothorganic and commercial— so we can manufacturemunitions effectively.

We want to make themost of every dollar Con-gress gives us. To fulfillthe SMCA function andto integrate the require-ments, we put a lot of en-ergy and effort into work-ing with the other serv-ices. There are a greatgroup of dedicated profes-sionals within the Army,U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force[USAF], U.S. MarineCorps [USMC], CoastGuard, OSD and the lawenforcement communitieswho are dedicated tomaking the SMCA mis-sion work. This requires

communication, and I speak with ourstakeholders periodically — folks likeUSMC BG Mike Brogan, Comman-der, Marine Corps SystemsCommand; USAF MGKathy Close, Commander,Ogden Air Logistics Cen-ter; and Tony Melita,Deputy Director, DefenseSystems, Land Warfare andMunitions, Office of theUndersecretary of Defensefor Acquisition, Technologyand Logistics.

We also meet with theJoint Ordnance Comman-ders Group twice a year toreview any issues we needto address. What’s mostimportant is that we staylinked and integrated withthe Joint services and thatwe keep the warfighterforemost in our mind in terms of mission and

execution. It is working extremelywell from our foxhole, but we con-stantly seek improvements.

AL&T: What’s the scope of productsunder the LCMC’s management andcan you put an approximate dollar fig-ure on products and services the LCMCprocures, maintains and manages for theArmy and the other services?

Phillips: We do more than ammo; wedo two other key systems. The first isdefeating IEDs. Last summer we es-tablished the Product Manager IEDDefeat/Protect Force [PM IEDD/PF].When you see Soldiers returning withwounds from IEDs, you see how vi-tally important this mission remainsfor our Army! In our own commu-nity, we just welcomed back SGTJames Benoit. Jim’s had more than 80surgeries at Walter Reed, and count-ing. Homes for Our Troops, alongwith the local community and TeamPicatinny, are building a house for himright down the street at no cost to his

ARMY AL&T


Certified welders Ron Burton (left) and Larry Mitchell flank BGPhillips during his visit to the Pilot Model Shop at Tooele ArmyDepot, UT. Burton and Mitchell have a combined work history of 75years’ experience at Tooele. (U.S. Army photo by Kathy Anderson.)

Roger Hale (right), Equipment Specialist, explains the ElectricMeasuring and Firing Instrument (Ammunition PeculiarEquipment) to BG Phillips at the Pilot Model Shop, Tooele ArmyDepot, UT. (U.S. Army photo by Kathy Anderson.)



ARMY AL&T

Family. When I look at him and otherSoldiers who are wounded by thesehorrible weapons, I think, “How canwe defeat these IEDs?” This is a majorthrust for us.

The second thing we do is demilita-rization [demil]. Aswe take old ammuni-tion out of inventorythat is no longer vi-able for use by anyservice, we have tohave a sound demilstrategy. In that re-gard, the Demilita-rization Enterprise,under the PM Demil-itarization’s leader-ship, has recast thedemil strategic planto maximize the ef-fectiveness of available demil resources.

The JM&L LCMC has an annualbudget of $3.7 billion and employs6,600 government and military em-ployees, as well as 8,000 contractorsand industry partners who are ab-solutely critical to mission execution.We work closely with our industrypartners every day. We have approxi-mately 300 systems undergoing scien-tific research and development[R&D]. We have transitioned about200 systems into production, and wehave another 500 that are alreadyfielded for which we’re providing logis-tics and support. We have extraordi-nary folks in our ammunition plantsand depots where we receive, issue,store and demil ammunition. This en-terprise encompasses some 427,000acres that the LCMC manages, plusmore than 3 million square feet ofR&D capability. That’s why it’s socritical to get the acquisition, logisticsand technology right. The depth andbreath of our programs are significant.

AL&T: You have another cross-servicerole besides SMCA. Can you tell usabout that?

Phillips: Besides my LCMC Com-mander role, I am also the PicatinnyArsenal Commander. Team Picatinny

is becoming purple.Base Realignmentand Closure [BRAC]2005 realigns Navylethality functions tomy installation, so Iwill be a cross-servicelandlord. It is actu-ally a far more signifi-cant role. It is agolden opportunityfor me, and for thelarger Team Pi-catinny, to contributeeven more to Sol-

diers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen.BRAC is funding the largest construc-tion project in the arsenal’s history —$75 million for 160,000 square feet ofpredominantly labo-ratory space. Mychallenge is to en-hance the integrationof missions, processes,investments, peopleand knowledge acrossthe Army and Navy.The Nation’s criticalmass in guns and am-munition expertisewill reside almost ex-clusively at Picatinnyby the next decade.We need to make thiswork, and we need tomake this investmentpay off. I’ve part-nered with RADMArcher M. Macy Jr., Naval SurfaceWarfare Center Commander, to buildan effective, efficient specialty site, onethat supports Joint ammo, Jointweapons and Joint lethality across

AL&T in both services. It is morework, but a perfect fit with my LCMCrole. Just recently, we executed a cere-mony with RADM Macy to welcomethe Navy back to Picatinny Arsenal.

AL&T: Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has re-ally been embraced by the JM&LLCMC, JMC, PEO Ammo andARDEC. How do you plan to growthis initiative and what new initiativesdo you see in the future?

Phillips: To me, Lean is a way ofthinking. If you look at LSS as some-thing you have to do to check offsome blocks, that’s not what we dowithin the LCMC. We’re looking atresults. There has to be a commonbase of understanding of how LSS canbe applied. Only then can you applyLean thinking across the whole staffand operation. We’re looking forsmart people to make decisions onwhat’s value added and what’s not, andthen eliminate steps that aren’t con-

tributing to the endresult. That willmake the entireprocess more efficientand increase our production capacityaccordingly.

We are totally self-sufficient across theLCMC in LSS. Wehave trained enoughof our personnel tobe green, black andmaster black beltsthat we don’t have torely on outside con-tractors. We doapply LSS to admin-

istrative areas as well. We put a lot ofenergy and effort into this and wetrack it constantly so we can reportback to AMC and ASAALT.

We’ve worked on

improving the production

process for our insensitive

explosive PAX 2-A and

achieved a cost avoidance

of almost $19 million. We

also developed a high-

speed process for loading

PAX 2-A into M80

grenades and validated

another $37.6 million in

cost avoidance.

The JM&L LCMC has an

annual budget of $3.7

billion and employs 6,600

government and military

employees, as well as 8,000

contractors and industry

partners who are absolutely

critical to mission

execution.


We’ve had solid success in our LSS pro-gram. We’ve worked on improving theproduction process for our insensitiveexplosive PAX 2-A and achieved a costavoidance of almost $19 million. Wealso developed a high-speed process forloading PAX 2-A into M80 grenadesand validated another $37.6 million incost avoidance. Of course, not every-thing brings that degree of savings. We

saved almost a million dollars bystreamlining our internal paperworkprocessing required by the Environ-mental Protection Agency when we’repurchasing items that contain recoveredmaterials. We saved another milliondollars by simply changing the type ofprotectant we use on the threads of60mm mortar bodies. We saved an-other million by making minor changes

in the production of the Multi-OptionFuze for mortars. Large or small, it’sstill dollars saved that we cycle backinto Soldier product development.

Our LSS philosophy has also served toimprove our communications andteaming and reinforce relationships be-tween multiple organizations, with afocus on effective and efficientprocesses and communication to fulfillmission requirements. BG James E.Rogers and I spend a lot of time withour PMs, commanders and staff exam-ining how the JM&L LCMC will getbeyond where we are today and howwe can get there together. I often askmyself simply, “How can I make theLCMC better so when someone elsecomes in, it’s a step ahead of where itis today?” My intent is to make it alittle better and the next commandercan simply build upon this success andmake it better still. Teaming helpsmake this happen in a big way!

AL&T: Force protection is a Soldier’snumber one priority. With the Iraqwar now entering its fifth year [an-nounced start on March 19, 2003], arewe getting the right ammunition tothe right place at the right time and atthe right cost so Soldiers can carry onthe Protect Force mission?

Phillips: Yes, definitely. There is noshortage of ammunition in theater.We track ammunition deliveries andmanage the stockpile and flow ofammo into Afghanistan and Iraq verycarefully. The 30mm ammunition forthe Apache helicopter is an example.Apache and its weapon systems arecritical to both theaters, and our pilotsare firing a significant number of thoserounds. Given that, we look at wherewe are with the 30mm every day. Wemake sure it’s manufactured on sched-ule and that it gets into the hands ofour Soldiers and pilots who need it.

ARMY AL&T


By using LSS processes, JM&L LCMC has saved more than $2 million by changing the type of protectantthey use on 60mm mortar body threads and making changes in the production of the Multi-Option Fuze forall mortar systems. Here, PFC Jerry Cleveland (left) and SPC Brett Mitchell, with the International SecurityAssistance Force, fire a 120mm mortar during a combat operation in the Da’udzay Valley in Zabol Province,Afghanistan, Nov. 21, 2007. (U.S. Army photo by SFC Jim Downen.)


We have no major issues with eithersmall or large caliber ammo. If weneed something in greater quantities,we work with our industry partners toramp up. That’s what we did with Ex-calibur. I describe it as an artilleryround that acts like a missile — it cantake out a building without collateraldamage to the building next door. Youcan shoot it from 20 ‘klicks’ away andbe accurate up to a few meters. It’s animportant capability for our warfight-ers. They want more capability andwe’re working to give it to them.

Intense ammunition management hasassisted us in meeting the ammo re-quirements for Operations Enduringand Iraqi Freedom [OEF/OIF ]. We’realso meeting 100 percent of our

warfighter munitions requirements.No unit has gone to war with lessammo than their basic load requiredduring this conflict.

On the issue of force protection, defeatof IEDs is one of our most importantmissions. Whatever we can do to de-feat these insurgent systems is criticallyimportant to our mission here andother places in terms of S&T, R&Dand acquisition. We need to shortenthe cycle time to get new equipment tothe field and we need to deliver itfaster. We’re facing a smart and ex-tremely adaptable enemy out there whoadjusts to us very rapidly. We need toensure that we stay ahead of the tech-nology detection curve in fielding ca-pability to our Soldiers and protect

them so they come home safely to theirFamilies and friends.

AL&T: Can you speak to any specificchallenges or special warfighter needsthat JM&L LCMC has responded tosuccessfully?

Phillips: The single most effective thingwe can do is sit with the Soldiers, seehow they use the equipment we’re pro-viding, understand what challenges theyare facing; then, translate that intochanges or new ideas. I’ll give you anexample. SPARK [the Self-ProtectionAdaptive Roller Kit] was fielded to the-ater and was very successful from thebeginning. [See Page 50 of this issue forthe related article.] One of our PMs,LTC Karl Borjes, PM IEDD/PF, went


ARMY AL&T

The SPARK is another extremely effective innovation thathas been fielded in theater to counter IED placement alongconvoy routes. In-theater Soldiers suggested lightplacement on the SPARK to improve its night operationscapability. (U.S. Army file photo.)


over to Iraq and was talking to the Sol-diers. One Soldier said they oftenhave night operations and it would begreat to get additional lights for flexi-bility. The answer could have been,“We don’t have the money to do that.”Instead, Borjes said, “We’ll make ithappen.” And, that’s what his teamdid. Three nights later, an IED wascommand detonated— on the SPARK—not the Humvee itwas mounted on. Thesimple solution thatSoldier came up withundoubtedly savedlives that night andhas saved many moresince then. You can’tget this kind of infor-mation sitting at Pi-catinny or Rock Is-land. You have to beon point with our Sol-diers, talking withthem and implement-ing fixes.

AL&T: New legislation contained inthe FY07 John Warner National DefenseAuthorization Act, Section 353 (P.L. 109-364), allows PEO Ammo to reinvestdemil resource recovery and recyclingproceeds to offset the cost of demil proj-ects. Do you think this will have a sig-nificant impact and are there other waysyou think demil can be facilitated?

Phillips: First, we need to thank Con-gress and others for getting this lawput through because it will have a sig-nificant impact. It’s a step in the rightdirection to allow us to reinvest thosedollars that are, in some cases, exten-sive. We need every dollar we can gar-ner by harvesting parts, componentsand systems that are in old weapons,be it explosives, metal, gold or elec-tronics. As you know, there are alwayscompeting priorities for funding. To

support the ongoing global war on ter-rorism, we don’t have any trouble get-ting funding for new technology.Demil is at the other end. Although itmay not have the highest priority, ifwe don’t put money into demil, boththe stockpile and cost to maintain thestockpile will grow exponentially.Demil is funded at about 60 percent

of what is requiredfor an annual stock-pile reduction of 6percent. We esti-mate that the pro-ceeds for reinvest-ment from scrapsales to be 1 to 2percent of our cur-rent annual demilbudget. Our job isto convince Armyleadership, OSD andCongress that weneed to continue todemil these old am-munition systems.

AL&T: What aresome of your goals in relation to sup-porting your workforce? What areyour thoughts on providing propertraining and education? How are yourorganizations addressing the seniorworkforce that is getting ready to retirein the next few years?

Phillips: I stood in front of a TownHall meeting recently and asked,“Who’s the most important person inthis room?” Everyone was lookingaround. The answer is, “you are.”People are our number one asset. It’sthe people who work here every day,wanting to do great things that get themission done. I must ensure that ourpeople have the resources they need todo their job and that they are trainedproperly. If they aren’t acquisition cer-tified in the position they hold, we willget them certified and do it quickly.

I’ve challenged every military member,PM and deputy under my commandto get everyone on their staff certifiedin their area of expertise.

Transfer of knowledge is also impor-tant. We’re fortunate in that we’ve gota strong flow of potential talent com-ing into Picatinny through interns andnew college graduates. We’re commu-nicating the importance of Army Ac-quisition Corps and S&T positions.We challenge everyone to make a per-sonal investment in learning, trainingand having a mentor. In fact, I requireall my officers to have a mentor, some-one who can guide their career andmake them think about what they aredoing now and what they’ll be doingnext. If they don’t name one, we’ll doit for them. This is part of why we arethe most powerful Army on Earthtoday. We have the equipment andtechnology. We do 95 percent ofeverything right. And, the 5 percentwe’re not getting completely right? Wetalk about it and correct it. The key ismentorship — people who have beenin the Army for years sharing theirknowledge, their experiences, theirfailures and their successes with youngSoldiers and civilians.

MEG WILLIAMS is a Senior Editor withBRTRC’s Technology Marketing Group.At the time of this interview, she was pro-viding contract support to the U.S. ArmyAcquisition Support Center. She has a B.A.in English from the University of Michiganand an M.S. in marketing communicationsfrom Johns Hopkins University.

TRISH BRYAN is a Project Manager withBRTRC’s Technology Marketing Groupproviding contract support to the JM&LLCMC, PM Close Combat Systems andother clients. She has more than 25 yearsof experience as a marketing and commu-nications professional.

ARMY AL&T


Intense ammunition

management has assisted

us in meeting the ammo

requirements for

OEF/OIF. We’re also

meeting 100 percent of

our warfighter munitions

requirements. No unit

has gone to war with less

ammo than their basic

load required during

this conflict.



ARMY AL&T

Managing Ammunition to BetterAddress Warfighter RequirementsNow and in the FutureJeffrey Brooks

From the onset of the global war on

terrorism (GWOT) in 2001, it became

apparent to Headquarters, Department

of the Army (HQDA) that there would be

problems providing sufficient quantities of

some ammunition items because of dramati-

cally increased requirements DOD-wide.

Appropriated funding couldn’t get through

the budget process quickly enough and pro-

duction couldn’t be ramped up fast enough

to keep up with increasing demand. The

“Iron Mountain” of ammunition left over

from the Cold War was depleted because of

reduced replenishment funding during the

1990s. Conserving what was available by

reducing some levels of training in CONUS

for a period of time while continuing to fully

supply warfighters engaged in or preparing

for combat overseas had little positive

impact on the overall supply. As a result, in

April 2004, the Army Chief of Staff (CSA)

tasked the Army Staff (ARSTAF) to investi-

gate and make recommendations for improv-

ing the Army’s munitions management.

Soldiers from the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment’s Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, fired their M109A6Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzers at Camp Taji, Iraq, last March. The big guns fired the new ModularArtillery Charge System (MACS) for the first time on foreign soil. Today, the Paladins are using MACSto propel the 155mm Excalibur precision munition against insurgent targets. (U.S. Army photo bySSG Jon Cupp, 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs Office.)


Centralized Control, Coordinated RequirementsProcess NeededCoordinating the myriad new require-ments, urgent needs, the programmingof dollars and increasing productionand distribution of munition assetslacked centralized control and processesacross ARSTAF. During this sametime, the Program Executive OfficeAmmunition (PEO Ammo) was estab-lished in 2002. PEO Ammo consoli-dated all conventional ammunitionprograms from three different com-mands — 23 programs in PEOGround Combat Systems, 74 programsin the U.S. Tank-automotive and Ar-maments Command and 94 programsin the U.S. Army Materiel Command(AMC) — along with the ammunitionindustrial base and Single Manager forConventional Ammunition missions.ARSTAF determined that there was no single, responsible munitions

management organization or staff ele-ment and that the munitions require-ments process was disjointed.

Munitions “Team of Teams”Focuses on AmmunitionAs a result of theCSA’s tasking, a morecentralized munitionsrequirements and pri-oritization processunder the G-3 was de-veloped and integratedwith the currentHQDA staff structure.Because the G-3/5/7retains the overall roleas the staff office thatsets the Army’s priori-ties and requirements,they were identified asthe lead integrator incoordinating and synchronizing Armymunitions management.

The G-3 combined two separate muni-tions offices — training and futurewarfighting capabilities — bringing thewar reserve and training requirementsfunctions together into one central of-fice. The Army Munitions Manage-

ment Office/DAMO-TRA would becomethe Army’s singlepoint of contact(POC) for all muni-tions requirements,and would integratethe functions, respon-sibilities and executionof other ARSTAFmunitions offices.

Three other estab-lished HQDA staffoffices supported thisnew organization —

the G-4 Munitions Division/DALO-SMA (sustainment), the G-8 Munitions

ARMY AL&T


The Army Munitions

Management

Office/DAMO-TRA

would become the Army’s

single POC for all

munitions requirements,

and would integrate the

functions, responsibilities

and execution of other

ARSTAF munitions offices.


Directorate/DAPR-FDX with assistancefrom other missile and rocket hardwaredirectorates (programming and budget-ing), and the Assistant Secretary of theArmy for Acquisition, Logistics andTechnology (ASAALT) Missile Systems/Munitions Directorate/SAAL-SMA (ac-quisition and program management).This created a munitions Team ofTeams on the ARSTAF that could focuson ammunition, headquarters-level pol-icy, management, requirements, resourc-ing and distribution, while simultane-ously planning and programming forfuture ammunition needs.

It is this core team that deals with theday-to-day issues of ammunition and

missiles in the Pentagon. Many otheroffices interface with them consistently.In the Washington, DC, area, these of-fices and organizations include at aminimum, the Investment and BudgetLiaison Teams in the Army Budget Of-fice; the Office, Chief of Legislative Li-aison; AMC; various Secretary of De-fense and Joint staff offices; and otherresourcing and requirements direc-torates within G-3, G-8 and ASAALT.Outside the area, offices and organiza-tions include PEO Ammo at PicatinnyArsenal, NJ; PEO Missiles and Space atRedstone Arsenal, AL; the Joint Muni-tions Command at Rock Island, IL;and the U.S. Army Training and Doc-trine Command and its proponents.

The figure clearly maps out organiza-tion duties and responsibilities forammo management.

Changes Lead to ProfoundResultsThe results of this reorganization wereprofound and immediate. Conse-quences of these actions included:

• A better coordinated, accurate andeasily understandable war reserve re-quirements determination processknown as the Quantitative War Re-serve Requirements for Munitions(QWARRM) and results. The Armygets better war reserve planning fig-ures and it paved the way for senior


ARMY AL&T

Munitions Team of TeamsValidation, Prioritization, Resourcing, Policy

AMCOM: Aviation and Missile CommandAR2B: Army Resource and Requirements

Board and Development SystemATEC: Army Test and Evaluation CommandBOS: Battle Operating SystemCAA: Center for Army Analysis Command

CBT: CombatJCIDS: Joint Capabilities Integration JM&L: Joint Munitions and LethalityLCMC: Life Cycle Management CommandMRP: Munitions Requirements ProcessONS: Operational Needs Statement

POI: Program of InstructionSMCA: Single Manager of Conventional

AmmunitionSTRAC: Standards in Training CommissionTRADOC: U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

• CIC Capability Requirements• SSW War Plans• FW Force Structure• TRA Resourcing Requirements/

Priorities

Sustainment• Munitions Div

Programming andBudgeting

• BOS Div’s (Missiles)• Ammunition Div

Acquisition andProgram Management• Missile Systems and

Ammunition Directiorate


leaders to better understand theQWARRM process and make theirmunition-related decisions.

• A fully developed and coordinatedconsolidated, worldwide monthlymunitions status for Army seniorleadership. Presented monthly at thebalcony briefing, the Army’s leaderssee a consolidated, integrated snap-shot on the status of ammunition intheater and worldwide, and are up-dated on current ammunition issuesaffecting warfighters.

• Defined munition staff officers whoknow their functions within the re-quirements and budget cycles andcross coordinate when required,speaking with “one voice.” It has become vitally important to fully co-ordinate and speak in unison whencommunicating the Army’s ammuni-tion message to Congress, the pressand industry.

• A central, focused core team to lookinto the future for Army munitionsat the HQDA level. The Army islooking at short-term and long-termways to respond to immediateGWOT needs and across the FutureYears Defense Plan to plan and program legacy and future munitionrequirements.

• One, single office for ammunitionstaff leadership, G-3/DAMO-TRA.

G-3 is the singleentry point for all external am-munition inputsto ARSTAF andthe focal point for internal ammuni-tion staff guidanceand direction.

As appropriatedfunds began to flow,other results gradu-ally emerged. Am-munition deliveriesincreased to meetwarfighter de-mands. For exam-ple, small caliberammunition deliv-eries grew by a fac-tor of four. Theteam continued tolook for opportuni-ties to reprioritizeand redirect fundsin response to the-ater demands, including small caliberammunition and associated produc-tion modernization efforts, visible lightmortar illumination cartridges and the155mm Excalibur guided projectile, toname just a few.

Today, as immediate theater munitionneeds reach the Pentagon and are vali-dated, this Team of Teams works withvarious Pentagon and other externalstaffs to give warfighters what theyneed to accomplish their missions.

JEFFREY BROOKS is the Branch Chief,Pentagon Liaison Office, PEO Ammo, as-signed to ASAALT in Washington, DC.He has a B.S. from the U.S. MilitaryAcademy and an M.S. in aerospace engi-neering from the U.S. Air Force Instituteof Technology. Brooks is Level III certi-fied in program management and test andevaluation and is an Army AcquisitionCorps member. His military education in-cludes the Field Artillery Officer Basic andAdvanced Courses, Armor Officer Ad-vanced Course, U.S. Army Command andGeneral Staff College and Defense SystemsManagement College.

ARMY AL&T


Soldiers from the 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry BCT, 2nd InfantryDivision, assemble .50-caliber ammunition links at Forward Operating BaseRustamiyah, Iraq, last October in preparation for ongoing force protectionmissions. The Army Munitions Management Office is the Army’s single POCfor all worldwide munitions requirements. (U.S. Air Force photo by MSGTJonathan Doti, 4th Combat Camera Squadron.)

PFC Mack Borden, Alpha Battery, 3rd Battalion, 7th Field ArtilleryRegiment, carries ammunition to an M119A1 105mm Towed Howitzerduring a live-fire exercise last June near Kirkuk, Iraq. (U.S. Air Forcephoto by SSGT Dallas Edwards, 460th Space Communications Squadron.)



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Picatinny Arsenal — Home of American Firepower

Trish Bryan

On June 26, 1880, the U.S. government

purchased 1,195.8 acres of land to build

what was referred to as the “Grand Arse-

nal on the Atlantic Seaboard.” Originally called

the Dover Powder Depot, the name was changed

just 4 days later to Picatinny Powder Arsenal, NJ.

In 1907, it officially became Picatinny Arsenal.

Picatinny’s Cannon Gate, one of the most recognizable and enduring Arsenalsymbols. The gates were manufactured by the Cornell, NY, Iron Works in1885 using cannons and cannon balls. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Army.)


During the intervening years, moreland was purchased, buildings wereconstructed and a railway was built.One of Picatinny’s most enduring sym-bols, the Cannon Gate, was installedand still greets arsenal visitors today.By the early 1900s, a propellant chargeloading activity was initiated, storagefacilities were added and the first pow-der factory was constructed.

The arsenal moved into research anddevelopment work and started a schoolto instruct officers in weaponry sci-ences. Testing and control laboratorieswere established during World War I(WWI), as well as a small, experimen-tal plant for design and development ofartillery ammunition in 1919. In1921, the arsenal took over responsibil-ity for experimental work on fuzes.In 1926, lightning struck Navy Hill, anarea transferred to the Navy Depart-ment to store ammunition. A treeoverhanging a magazine that housed600,000 pounds of TNT was hit, start-ing a series of explosions. The devasta-tion yielded unexpected, but useful in-formation. By studying the degrees ofdamage at different ranges, it was possi-ble to calculate the first reliable, safe-distance tables for munition storage.

As the reconstruction of Picatinny Ar-senal following the fire continued, thebalance of world power shifted andAxis countries began increasing stock-piles of arms. By the time the U.S.entered WWII, Picatinny was preparedto play a major role in arming the Na-tion. As one of the few facilities withthe ability to manufacture munitions,it employed 18,000 people and ranthree shifts turning out bombs and ar-tillery shells. Still, Picatinny had itsresearch triumphs, especially the devel-opment of a delay fuze for skip bomb-ing and special bombs for dams andoil fields. It also pioneered productionprocesses later transferred to munitionsmanufacturers around the country.

After WWII, and into the Cold Warera, Picatinny refocused its efforts ondeveloping new weapons and muni-tions. Its support to American forcesin Korea included an improvedbazooka and an illuminating riflegrenade. Ammunition for the world’sfirst nuclear artillery weapon, the280mm cannon, was developed. Inperiods of peace, the arsenal made im-portant contributions in the areas ofradar, pyrotechnics, missiles, time fuzesand many other munitions. Whenwar broke out again, it gave troops inVietnam a complete family of 40mmammunition for grenade launchers andhelicopter gunships.

Innovations in 20th century warfaremade it possible for the U.S. to main-tain battle supremacy in the 1990s andbeyond. There were new rules of en-gagement along with high-techweaponry such as laser-guided bombs,electronic countermeasures and muchmore. Picatinny Arsenal played an in-valuable role in this new kind of warwith the development of smartweapons, the next generation ofmounted and dismounted objectivecrew-served weapons and many othermuntions used in the Gulf War, Oper-ation Desert Storm and Operations En-during and Iraqi Freedom.

As the Army fulfills a vision to trans-form itself into a 21st century modularland force, it is clear that America willcontinue to count on Picatinny Arse-nal in the future as they have in thepast to respond with unwavering com-mitment, ingenuity and skill. The“Home of American Firepower” willhelp ensure the legacy of freedom formany generations to come.

TRISH BRYAN is a Project Manager withBRTRC’s Technology Marketing Groupproviding contract support to the Joint Mu-nitions & Lethality Life Cycle ManagementCommand, Project Manager Close CombatSystems and other clients. She has morethan 25 years of experience as a marketingand communications professional.

ARMY AL&T


Rocket shells for the 3.5-inch Bazooka were tested at Picatinny Arsenal. Overnight, they were put intofull production and were destroying Chinese and North Korean tanks 7 days later as hostilities during theKorean War intensified. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Army.)

Workers assemble rocket fuzes on a Picatinnyassembly line during WWII. (Photo courtesy ofU.S. Army.)



ARMY AL&T

Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP)Modernization — Meeting

Commitments of National Ammunition StrategyWilliam Melton

LCAAP is a formidable place; one that makes a

lasting impression on first-time visitors and

veteran employees alike. Most striking is that

the massive amount of small caliber ammunition

produced there is still being produced on World

War II (WWII) equipment. Machines from the

1940s work around-the-clock in many buildings.

Fortunately, the Army’s modernization program

will align capabilities more closely with future re-

quirements for small caliber ammunition.

LCAAP’s modernization initiatives will ensure that Soldiers always have sufficientquantities of .50-caliber ammunition when and where they need it. Here, aSoldier controls an entry point with his M2 .50-caliber machine gun duringExercise Nimble Panther, Hanau, Germany. (U.S. Army photo by Martin Greeson.)


LCAAP, located in Independence,MO, sits on approximately 4,000 acresof formerly rural river valley. SenatorHarry Truman presided at the Dec.26, 1940, groundbreaking for whatbecame the first of 12 WWII-eraArmy small caliber ammunition facto-ries. Then, as now, workers at theplant produced small caliber ammuni-tion components such as cartridgecases, bullets and primers; loaded andassembled cartridges of all types suchas ball, tracer, armor piercing and in-cendiary; and packaged them for usein a broad range of U.S. and NATOweapons. The plant is government-owned but contractor-operated —presently by Alliant Techsystems(ATK). It has been active since it wasbuilt, contributing billions of roundsused by our U.S. Forces over the last60-plus years.

Global War on Terrorism(GWOT) Reinforces Need forLCAAPProduction declined markedly duringthe 15 years preceding the events ofSept. 11, 2001. In response to theGWOT, LCAAP out-put surged steadilyduring 2002-2004,but not enough tokeep pace with rap-idly expanding smallcaliber ammunitiondemand. Operationalchallenges broughtinto sharp focus theplant’s age and declin-ing condition, as wellas its reliance on man-ual quality systems and outdated tech-nology. For the short term, Army offi-cials sought alternate supply sources,which only served to prove that despiteits shortcomings, LCAAP was not onlythe largest capacity producer, but alsothe most cost-effective. Moderniza-tion, as the way forward, was the clear

path to providing a long-term sustain-able and affordable source of supply.

Two increments of Army investmenttotaling nearly $50 million facilitatedLCAAP’s post-2001 ramp up. AnFY02 appropriation established5.56mm capacity and added Armyequipment to bolster the manufacture

of steel links for am-munition belts, ex-panding overall plantcapacity from 800million per year to1.2 billion cartridgesper year. The secondinvestment, duringFYs 04-06, furtherincreased 5.56mm ca-pacity and supple-mented 7.62mmlines, further expand-

ing overall plant capacity to 1.6 billionper year. These capital projects werenot directed at modernization, butrather reconditioning or reinstallingexisting idle equipment and restoringits production capability, at least fornear-term GWOT requirements.

Project Manager ManeuverAmmunition Systems (PMMAS) Leads the Charge forPlant ModernizationDuring 2005, PM MAS outlined itsproposed long-term solution for a reli-able supply base — a 7-year, $242million program for essential LCAAPmodernization. It targeted critical andmajor operations for selective replace-ment and renovation, rather than al-ternate quick-fix or wholesale replace-ment strategies. Key modernizationprogram objectives included assuring areliable baseline capacity; improvingproductivity, maintainability and prod-uct quality; and above all, maintainingwartime production throughout themodernization program’s course. TheAssistant Secretary of the Army for Ac-quisition, Logistics and Technologyapproved the program and authorizedessential modernization for LCAAP inAugust 2005.

PM MAS organized an integratedprocess team (IPT) and implementedstrict acquisition disciplines to managethis critical program. IPT member-ship includes:

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LCAAP workers ensure all .50-caliber ammunition belts are “stretch/flex” tested and visually inspectedbefore being packed in M241 ammo cans for shipment or storage. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of LCAAP.)

Army officials sought

alternate supply sources,

which only served to prove

that despite its

shortcomings, LCAAP was

not only the largest

capacity producer, but also

the most cost-effective.


• Joint Munitions Command (JMC),which shares responsibility for main-taining the ammunition industrialbase and manages ammunition or-ders from all military services.

• U.S. Army Armament Research, De-velopment and Engineering Center,which develops and maintains thecartridge technical data for the prod-ucts manufactured at LCAAP andprovides engineering support.

• ATK, the LCAAP ammunition supplyand facilities management contractor.

Careful Planning and Thorough Reporting Ensure SuccessAs a first order of business, the IPTdeveloped a tactical plan that definedthe modernization requirements, scopeand funding allocation for the entireprogram. The team systematically as-sessed factory needs using a QualityFunctional Deployment process to set

project priorities and allocate projectbudgets for each production area. Thetactical plan provides a road map forthe entire 7-year program. Updatedannually, the plan is now at the heartof LCAAP modern-ization execution.

The process for man-aging individual proj-ects begins withdefining clear projectgoals and objectives atproject initiation andincorporates Alphacontracting to expe-dite initial funding.Front-end planningduring project defini-tion and design in-creases the likelihoodof success, as do rig-orous project prove-out tests. Baseline,resource-loaded project schedules are

established for each project builtaround common performance mile-stones. Cost and schedule performanceis tracked and reported on a monthlybasis using Earned Value Managementindices that effectively identify projectexecution issues or opportunities.Throughout the project life cycle, riskassessment and mitigation is an integralpart of the decision-making process.

Upgrades Bring LegacyEquipment Into the 21stCenturyAfter modernization of 7.62mm and.50 caliber operations, the building thathouses these operations will no longerseem frozen in time. The plan calls fornew equipment for case priming andcartridge loading, a mix of new and re-furbished equipment for cartridge casemanufacturing, and refurbished equip-ment for bullet production and packag-ing. Modernization project implemen-tation will be carefully choreographedto protect production runs on a 24/7schedule, while working within theconstraints of existing floor space.Many projects are still under design,but new 7.62mm case inspection ma-chines, hardness testing machines and a

cartridge loader are al-ready on order. A keyelement in this mod-ernization effort is theintegration of in-process inspection sys-tems to replace 100-percent manual in-spections of finishedcartridges.

Combat 5.56mm car-tridges are producedon automated equip-ment developed andinstalled under a pred-ecessor 1970s Small

Caliber Ammunition ModernizationProgram (SCAMP). The modernization


ARMY AL&T

Key modernization

program objectives

included assuring a

reliable baseline capacity;

improving productivity,

maintainability and

product quality; and above

all, maintaining wartime

production throughout

the modernization

program’s course.

An LCAAP worker visually inspects a5.56mm M855 cartridge for defects. Akey LCAAP modernization initiative willintegrate in-process inspection systemsto replace manual inspections offinished cartridges on the aging SCAMPcartridge loaders. (U.S. Army photocourtesy of LCAAP.)


plan for 5.56mm SCAMP operations isto rebuild these lines and continue usingthem in the future. The 1970s equip-ment has proven to be durable, muchlike its WWII counterparts, but hasnow been in service for 30 years. Thevintage electronic control systems andinstrumentation on these automatedlines pose the greatest risk of failure.They’re now technologically obsolete,built with components and software nolonger manufactured or supported byvendors. The overhaul process encom-passes redesign and replacement of elec-tronic controls and inspection systemswith current off-the-shelf electroniccomponents and technology, as well asthe rebuild of mechanical presses andline parts. One SCAMP primer insertmachine has already been rebuilt and re-turned to production at higher produc-tion efficiency and reliability, and two

additional lines are in process. The firstcase line overhaul is scheduled to beginin the next 6 months, although certaincase line components, case anneals andtrim motors have already been replacedin advance. The expanded 5.56mm ca-pacity will back up 5.56mm deliveriesduring the SCAMP rebuild process.

The modernization plan focuses oncartridge operations and incorporatesonly limited plant infrastructure im-provements where necessary for pro-duction equipment installation andoperation. As the program has ma-tured, the need for more infrastructureand support area upgrades has beenrecognized. One project, already com-pleted, is the upgrade to plant security.Modifications to the plant’s explosivewaste incinerator are under construc-tion to meet new emission standards

and a third project is underway to re-place a section of failing wastewaterpiping. Overall plant infrastructureneeds have been assessed and priori-tized, and a parallel program to ad-dress these projects is being managedby the Joint Munitions and LethalityLife Cycle Management Command.

60 Years Later, LCAAP Continues its Mission to Support WarfightersThe WWII investment in the LCAAPhas paid dividends to U.S. taxpayersmany times over. Generations of U.S.Armed Forces have trained and foughtwith ammunition bearing the “LC”(Lake City) headstamp. Although thefacility itself is aging and requires capi-tal investments to maintain its long-term viability, those investments arebeing made. Progress toward a mod-ernized facility is evident throughoutas the pace of modernization acceler-ates. Simultaneously, the unique capa-bilities of this plant make it possible tocontinue to deliver products. Withmore than 100 million small caliberrounds being manufactured and deliv-ered to our warfighters every month,the modernization effort will positionLCAAP to continue its role as one ofthe Nation’s most prolific suppliers ofammunition well into the future.

WILLIAM MELTON, Professional Engi-neer, is a Senior Analyst at Science Applica-tions International Corp. (SAIC) providingprogram management and technical supportfor PM MAS and JMC, which helped de-velop this article. He holds a B.S. in me-chanical engineering from the University ofMissouri and an M.E. in industrial engineer-ing from Texas A&M University. He wasChief Engineer and Deputy to the Com-mander at LCAAP for 28 years before retir-ing and joining SAIC in 2003, where he hasbeen instrumental in PM MAS’ moderniza-tion program planning and execution.

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LCAAP has been in continuous operation for more than 60 years producing the Army’s small caliberammunition components that include cartridge cases, bullets and primers, and load and assemblycartridges for the ammunition depicted here. The plant is currently undergoing a 7-year, $242 millionmodernization program that will enhance LCAAP’s production capability, quality and baseline capacity.LCAAP manufactures the full range of 5.56mm, 7.62mm, .50-caliber and 20mm cartridge types. (U.S.Army photo courtesy of LCAAP.)



ARMY AL&T

The Future of Gun-FiredPrecision Munitions (GFPM)

COL Ole A. Knudson, Martin Moratz and Frank Altamura

The Excalibur 155mm artillery projectile

can precisely engage targets in urban

and complex terrain with minimal risk of

collateral damage. The successful use of Excal-

ibur in theater over the last several months has

demonstrated its effectiveness, signaling the

arrival of a new generation of GFPM.

Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division fire their M109A6 Paladin Self-PropelledHowitzer from Forward Operating Base Camp Taji in Taji, Iraq, during an operationalmission. Since being fielded in May 2007, the Excalibur 155mm artillery projectilehas become the GFPM of choice among artillery commanders because of itsenhanced accuracy in complex and urban terrain and 24 km range. (U.S. Army photoby SPC Benjamin Cossel, 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)


This ground-launched munition canbe quickly employed without extensivemission planning or the extensive co-ordination needed to deliver precisionmunitions via an air delivery platform.In general, providing precision fires ex-ponentially reduces collateral damageand drives down the logistics footprintwhile significantly increasing opera-tional effectiveness. The deploymentof a new generation GFPM holds theprospect of providing precision muni-tions that are much less costly overallthan current missile-based or air-dropped solutions. The technical challenges to accomplish high G load(the magnitude of the accelerationcompared to gravity) survivabilityGFPM are being solved by currentPrograms of Record (PORs) such asExcalibur, Precision Guided Kit(PGK), Precision Guided Mortar Munition (PGMM) and the Mid-Range Munition (MRM).

Based on the significant progress that hasalready been demonstrated for GFPM,one of the greatest challenges remainingis to develop more affordable solutions.Near-term solutions to make GFPMmuch more affordable should change theongoing debate from “how much preci-sion can we afford?” to “how do we im-plement more affordable precision solu-tions?” This change will ensure that thewarfighter’s precision needs aren’t re-stricted by budget shortages. To achievegreater affordability, component costsmust be reduced and technologies thatwill enable cost drivers such as inertialmeasurement units, semiactive laser seek-ers, canard actuation systems, power sup-plies, and fuze safe and arm devices mustbe further developed and simplified.

Advances in these key technology areas,coupled with aggressive acquisitionstrategies that maximize competition andprovide participants incentives to bring

forward the most cost-effective solutions,will continue to drive down the cost ofGFPM. For example, PGK’s Increment1 average unit cost is approximately$3,000, making it much more affordablethan any previous precision capability.Tech base and contractor’s independentresearch and development funding fo-cused on exploring potential solutionsfor artillery precision-guided munitions,and mortar guidance kits (similar toPGK for mortars) also show potentialfor having very affordable gun-fired pre-cision solutions in the near future.

Excalibur Provides New Capabilities in Urban WarfareAfter completing development testingand a limited user test, Excalibur wasfielded in May 2007 and is providingdeployed forces an urgently needed155mm artillery precision capability.The weapon’s guidance system enables afire-and-forget, continuously guided,

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gliding projectile with less than 10-meter (m) circular error probability(CEP) accuracy with a near-vertical, ter-minal angle, top-attack effects capability.Excalibur has a high-explosive (HE)warhead with three fuzing modes —point detonating, proximity and delay— that makes it effective against a vari-ety of target types, ranging from person-nel to structures and both lightly ar-mored and other vehicles. In compari-son to conventional unguided artillery

projectiles, Excalibur’s accu-racy gives Soldiers

and Marines a

whole new capability that they canemploy effectively in complex andurban terrain where collateral damageis a primary concern. The fielded ver-sion of Excalibur has a range of 24kilometers (kms). A longer-range ver-sion that will reach 35-40 kms is un-dergoing testing and is expected to bein production soon. Raytheon is theprime contractor for the first two in-crements of Excalibur, and a competi-tion is planned for follow-on incre-ments to help reduce unit costs andincrease reliability for the long term.

PGK Solves Long-StandingProblemThe PGK will provide the Army’s current inventory of 155mm HE projec-tiles with less than a 50-m CEP. Poten-tially, it will provide increased precisionto a CEP under 30 m. Using a screw-onkit in place of a standard artillery fuze,PGK provides a solution to a very diffi-cult problem: guiding an artillery projec-tile that has a spin rate of 250-300 hertz,weighs approximately 100 pounds and isbeing fired at a maximum of approxi-mately 15,000 G loads with all the kit’scomponents packaged in a very smallsize of the fuze well on the existing

stockpile of 155mm HE projectiles.To greatly reduce the technical diffi-culty, Increment 1 requirements al-lowed potential technical solutions

to deviate from the standard NATOsize factor and use all of the space

within the deep well cavity on existingHE projectiles. External stakes and ca-nards were also allowed as long as the so-lutions were compatible with existingammunition and howitzers.

The average low-rate initial productioncost for the PGK is about $3,000 perunit. The simplicity of the design ap-proach that expanded the allowablespace beyond the standard fuze sizewas a major factor in developing a suc-cessful technical solution and in keep-ing the unit cost down. Alliant Tech-systems, the winning contractor from

the competitive technology demonstra-tion (TD), used predeployed, fixed ca-nards to reduce the design complexityand demonstrate dramatic improve-ments in first-round accuracy at longerranges. The same TD proved that algo-rithms that measure antenna strength asthe round spins can be used to deter-mine roll rate and provide an accuratemeasurement of up, thus, eliminatingthe need for more complex inertial sen-sors. Continued competition amongkey component providers and otherproducibility improvements could po-tentially reduce PGK’s unit cost evenmore. A planned follow-on competi-tive PGK effort will provide a similarcapability for 105mm projectiles.

XM395 PGMM — A Commander’s Hip-PocketMunitionPGMM is a multipurpose, laser-guided120mm mortar cartridge that is capableof engaging high-payoff targets out to amaximum range of 7,200 m, providinga precision strike round capability witha first round defeat of high-value pointtargets such as enemy personnel pro-tected by brick over block walls, lightlyarmored vehicles, earth and timberbunkers, and command and controlcenters. The ability to hit point targetsis especially valuable in urban environ-ments and low intensity conflicts whereavoiding collateral damage and reduc-ing the potential for civilian casualties


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XM982 Excalibur 155mm PrecisionGuided Extended Range Projectile.

An M109A6 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer test fires an XM982 Excalibur 155mm projectile downrange at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ. The Excalibur’s on-boardguidance system will deliver the projectile within a 10-m CEP accuracy with a near-vertical, terminal angle, top-attack effects capability as demonstrated in thisfiring sequence. The Excalibur’s increased accuracy also helps minimize potential collateral damage and civilian casualties when employed against point and high-payoff targets. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of PM CAS.)


is critical. PGMM is fired much likeany standard mortar cartridge after pro-gramming the fuze with time-of-flight,target type and laser code of the day. Itcan be fired from all current and futuresmooth-bore 120mm mortar weaponsand flies ballistically to its search areawhere the laser sensor acquires the target.It requires an operational lasing time ofapproximately 10 seconds. The currentPGMM engages stationary targets, andfuture increments will include movingtargets and a longer range. The PGMMis the battalion or task force comman-der’s hip-pocket precision munition.

XM1111 MRM Raises Stand-off, Lowers Collateral Damage The MRM is a 120mm multipurpose,GFPM that enables the Future CombatSystems Mounted Combat Systems(MCS) to engage moving or stationaryhigh-payoff targets at beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) ranges from 2 km out to12,000 m and beyond. This enables theMCS to exploit terrain and range to pro-vide the tactical standoff that enablesthem to act first, as well as an organicBLOS capability, without the need toqueue fires. The MCS can fire MRMwhile stationary or on the move, provid-ing precision defeat of single point, high-payoff targets, including stationary ormoving main battle tanks, light armor,self-propelled howitzers, air defense ar-tillery and bunkers. MRM is compati-ble with the M256 gun tube, which willpotentially allow for future integrationonto the Abrams M1A2 tank.

The MRM employs three modes of op-eration: autonomous, designate anddesignate-only. In the autonomousmode, the MRM searches for and en-gages targets using data downloaded tothe projectile prior to firing to aid intarget acquisition. Designate is whenthe munition searches for a semiactivelaser designator return from the targetand engages it. The munition switches

to the autonomous mode in the termi-nal phase, which allows for sensor-fuzed, aimpoint refinement to maxi-mize lethality. If the laser spot is lost ornot present, the projectile will auto-matically revert to autonomous. Thedesignate-only mode is the same as designate, except the munition does notrevert to the autonomous mode if thelaser spot is lost or not present. This al-lows for added control where fratricideor collateral damage is a concern.

The Key to Greater Affordability — Technology Advancement In addition to the PORs describedabove, numerous technologies must beadvanced to enable more affordableGFPM. Warhead technologies thatwill allow increased or selected lethalitywith a significant decrease in payloadsize are needed, as well as reduced ratesensors that lower cost without sacrific-ing performance. Introducing moreMicro-Electro Mechanical Systemstechnology into the sensors and fuzesafe and arm devices to reduce volumewithout degrading performance is anear-term solution to reduce costs.Developing small, low-cost, gun-hardened actuators and power supplyalternatives are also essential to overallcost reductions for GFPM solutions.

To promote the independent advance-ment of key technologies, the DefenseOrdnance Technology Consortium is-sued Request for Project Proposals forVery Affordable Precision and EnablingTechnologies in FY07 and FY08. Theenabling technologies include fuze safeand arm, semiactive lasers, height ofburst sensors, super capacitors, inertialmeasurement units, novel actuationmechanisms, alternate energy sources,common telemetry and novel sensors.More than 25 qualifying proposalswere received. These are being priori-tized and, when possible, funded.

Providing affordable precision solutionsto the warfighter is a clear necessity forongoing combat operations and islikely to be essential for success in anyfuture conflict. As technology and thecurrent PORs advance, affordable pre-cision will advance as well, providingdramatic improvements in precision-striking power immediately available toground combat commanders.

COL OLE A. KNUDSON is the ProjectManager Combat Ammunition Systems(PM CAS). He holds a B.S. in engineeringfrom the U.S. Military Academy and anM.S. in mechanical engineering from theNaval Postgraduate School. Knudson is agraduate of the U.S. Army Command andGeneral Staff College, the Defense SystemsManagement College Harvard Fellowshipfor Management Development and theArmy War College Fellowship Program atthe University of Texas. Additionally, he isa Defense Systems Management CollegeProgram Management Course and Execu-tive Program Management Course gradu-ate. Knudson is an Army AcquisitionCorps (AAC) officer Level III certified inprogram management.

MARTIN MORATZ is the Chief, Ad-vanced System Division, PM CAS. Heholds a B.S. in engineering from the U.S.Military Academy. Moratz is an AAC mem-ber with Level III certification in manufac-turing, production and quality assurance.

FRANK ALTAMURA is the ProgramManagement Integration Process TeamLead for the MRM program. He has aB.S. in mechanical engineering from theNew Jersey Institute of Technology and anM.S. in integrated engineering from theStevens Institute of Technology. Altamurais certified Level III in systems planning,research, development and engineering,and Level II in program management. Heis also an AAC member.

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ARMY AL&T

Excalibur — Training for the FutureSteven A. Hromnak

If the 155mm Excalibur projectile is the future of

cannon-fired artillery, then lessons learned from its re-

cent fielding during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) are

providing a model for future munition training programs.

Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, receive hands-on traininginstalling the Portable Excalibur Fire Control System (PEFCS) from the Excalibur NET Teamduring in-theater training. The PEFCS is the interim fire control solution required to set theExcalibur projectile. (U.S. Army photo by Willie Shaw, U.S. Army Armament Research,Development and Engineering Center.)


Why does Excalibur require a differentapproach to training? The answer liesin the way missions have changed.War and insurgency have moved intourban environments, and destroying acity block is no longer an option. Pre-cision engagements have become thenew mission, and training is the key togetting advanced precision munitionslike Excalibur selected as the choicemunition by field commanders.

Since Excalibur relies on sophisticatedtargeting capability and new tactics ex-ercised by fire direction elements, anintegrated comprehensive training pro-gram is essential to realizing the sys-tem’s full capabilities. To ensure thatExcalibur training meets Soldier needs,Soldiers were integrated into the train-ing program in the earliest stages ofproduct development. Later, Soldiershelped write the training documents.

A New Equipment Training (NET)team was organized to cover the fullmission from forward observation(FO), through fire direction center(FDC) operators, down to gun crews. Using a mix of classroom and extensivehands-on exercises, skills were honedand training units conducted test fir-ings for critical program events withfull digital connectivity from FOthrough the FDC to the gun crew.

When the team hit the sand duringOIF, there was no question theywould succeed. Each Forward Operat-ing Base capped off the training withthe unit firing a tactical mission.With each hit, Soldiers’ confidence inthe system grew. When the NETteam left and missions came in, Sol-diers were ready and Excalibur per-formed as expected.

As we move into the future, trainingplans must be fully developed. Weowe it to our Soldiers to equip them

with superior weapon systems andthen to train them to succeed. Inkeeping with the philosophy of “trainas you fight,” the more hands-on expe-rience we provide, the more effectiveour Soldiers will be in employing Ex-calibur and other future gun-fired pre-cision munitions systems.

STEVEN A. HROMNAK is the Fieldingand NET Manager for the Project ManagerExcalibur. He has a B.S. in mechanical en-gineering from the New Jersey Institute ofTechnology and is an Army AcquisitionCorps member with Level III certificationin program management. He is also a certi-fied Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

ARMY AL&T


Artillerymen from 1st Battalion, 82nd FieldArtillery Regiment, 1st “Iron Horse” Brigade, 1stCavalry Division, prepare an XM982 Excalibur155mm projectile for a fire mission, May 6, 2007.(U.S. Army photo courtesy of the Multi-NationalDivision-Baghdad Public Affairs Office.)


Warfighter Needs IncreaseDramaticallyThe start of Operations Enduring andIraqi Freedom resulted in a dramatic increase in Apache 30mm M789 car-tridge use. Weapon failures continuedto occur, and by 2003, enough inci-dents had been reported that ProjectManager Apache issued a System SafetyRisk Assessment. More than 1.1 mil-lion 30mm M789 cartridges producedprior to the 1987 design improvementincorporation were suspended, exceptfor emergency combat use. To meetwarfighting requirements, ProgramManager Maneuver Ammunition

Systems (PM MAS) initiated new am-munition production contracts, quicklyramping up to 75,000 rounds permonth. However, there continued tobe occasional in-bores and hang firesduring operational use.

Team Challenged to Find SolutionsA formal cross-organizational investiga-tion team was chartered to finally deter-mine the causes and corrective actionsneeded to eliminate the ongoing prob-lem. Co-chaired by Apache ProjectManagement Office and Product Manager Medium Cannon Caliber

Ammunition, the IHIT consisted ofpersonnel from the U.S. Army Arma-ment Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC); JointMunitions Command; Army ResearchLaboratory; Tank-automotive and Ar-maments Command; U.S. Army Train-ing and Doctrine Command SystemsManager Attack Helicopter; Boeing Co.(Apache prime contractor); and AlliantTechsystems Inc. (M230 weapon and ammunition prime contractor). Specif-ically, the team was chartered withidentifying and evaluating root causesof in-bores and hang fires, recommend-ing impacts on current ammunition


ARMY AL&T

30mm Apache Ammunition In-Boreand Hang Fire Investigation Team

(IHIT)Kenneth Insco and John Hirlinger

Aprimary warfighting munition for the Apache attack helicopter is the 30mm M789 high-

explosive dual-purpose round. Considered the armament of choice for soft and light

armor targets, it is fired from the M230E1 cannon at rates in excess of 600 rounds per

minute. Unfortunately, the round has experienced low-order, in-bore detonations and hang

fires periodically that have damaged the M230E1 cannon in incidents dating back to the 1970s.

Several failure investigations were conducted in the 1980s and 1990s to determine the cause,

resulting in design changes to the fuze, ignition system and moisture seals. The most significant

change occurred in 1987 in the hope of eliminating a design flaw that was proven to contribute

to in-bore detonations. While the number of incidents was reduced, the problem persisted.

The AH-64 Apache’s preferred warfighting munition of choice is the M789 30mm high-explosive duel-purpose round. Here, an Apache prepares to leavethe flight line for a combat mission over Ninewa Province, Iraq. PM MAS and ARDEC have teamed together to implement numerous ammo designchanges and make the 30mm cartridges more robust. (U.S. Navy photo by PH2 Robert M. Schalk, Fleet Combat Camera-Atlantic.)


stockpiles and reducing or eliminatingidentified failures and potential risks.

Unlike previous investigations that fo-cused mostly on the ammunition, theteam looked at the problem from a totalsystems perspective. Using systems engi-neering and Lean Six Sigma (LSS) tech-niques, they explored all aspects of po-tential contributors from the aircraft, tothe cannon and ammunition handlingsystem, to the ammunition design andproduction processes, to fielding, han-dling and ammunition storage. Theteam’s membership included a Six SigmaBlack Belt. Process mapping, failuremode effects analysis (FMEA), fault treebreakdown, voice of the customer anddesign of experiments were some of theLSS tools the team employed.

Initially, the team’s FMEA identified215 potential failure modes. Thesewere grouped into four major areas:

• Gun manufacturer, handling and air-craft systems (121).

• Ammunition metal parts and fuzemanufacturer (55).

• High-explosive charge pressing andcartridge load, assembly and pack (36).

• Handling and storage of ammuni-tion (3).

Through risk prioritization, potentialfailure modes were narrowed down to24 and evaluated using fault tree

analysis. Cartridges were built withthe specific flaws ranked highest fromthe fault tree analysis, and were evalu-ated using a design of experiments testto determine individual contributionsas well as interactions that contributedto causing an event. Results from thetest firings replicated the observed fieldsignatures for all of the event typesthat had been previously noted.

Hard Work = Successful ResultsThe IHIT effort took 2 years. TheIHIT team eventually found three pri-mary root causes for the various failures:

• Foreign material contamination inthe warhead that could lead to in-bore detonation.

• Damage to the cartridge ignition trainand propellant degradation as a resultof long-term exposure to extremetemperatures and aircraft vibrationthat could lead to delayed ignitionand hang fire or high-pressure events.

• Ammunition damage or degradationbecause of storage and loading proce-dures that could lead to high pres-sure or bullet-on-bullet events.

The team’s findings led to implementingmultiple production process improve-ments in the ammunition manufactur-ing facility to minimize occurrence of in-bore detonations. A more completeunderstanding of the aging effects ofpropellants was also gained, resulting in

issuing instructions to the field onproper ammunition storage to preventhang fires. This guidance also updatedprocedures for upload and download,and implemented procedures to rotateammunition on the aircraft to mini-mize potential damage from prolongedaircraft vibration that could lead tohang fires and high pressure. The teamrecommended numerous ammunitiondesign changes to make the cartridgemore robust and new screening proce-dures for ammunition that had beensuspended because of in-bores or hangfires. The net effect is that the Armywas able to recover more than 100,000rounds that otherwise would have beendemilitarized at a loss to the Army ofmore than $7 million.

While the potential for another in-boreor hang fire cannot be positively elimi-nated, their occurrence has been dramat-ically reduced through these efforts. Amultidisciplinary team employing a sys-tems approach and tailored use of LSStools resulted in considerable success inreducing a problem that has plagued theArmy for more than 20 years.

KENNETH INSCO is the Deputy ProductManager for Medium Cannon Caliber Am-munition with PM MAS, Program Execu-tive Office Ammunition. He has a B.S. inmechanical engineering from the Universityof Tennessee and an M.S. in quality systemsmanagement from the National GraduateSchool of Quality Management. He is anArmy Acquisition Corps (AAC) memberand is Level III certified in program man-agement; manufacturing, production andquality assurance; and systems engineering.

JOHN HIRLINGER is the Team Leaderfor the Medium Cannon Caliber Ammuni-tion Team with ARDEC. He has a B.S. inaeronautical engineering from PennsylvaniaState University, is an AAC member and isLevel III certified in systems engineering.

ARMY AL&T


A multidisciplinary team employing a systems approach and LSS tools is striving to eliminate 30mm in-bore detonations and hang fires that lead to weapon systems failures in Iraq’s and Afghanistan’s harshoperational environments. Here, an AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter from 1st Battalion, 101stAviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, provides air support for U.S. and Iraqi army ground forcesoperating from Forward Operating Base Speicher, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSGT Andy Dunaway,1st Combat Camera Squadron.)



ARMY AL&T

Countermeasure Flares Team (CFT)Leverages Acquisition Process to Meet Warfighter Demands

Rene Medina

In November 2005, the Army drastically increased

monthly requirements for the M211, M212 and M206

countermeasure flares from 9,000 to 54,000 in just 3

months. This new requirement was the challenge faced

and met by the Project Manager Close Combat Systems

(PM CCS) CFT.

An AC-130 Spectre gunship fires M211 flares during an air interdiction mission. DuringOperations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, the USAF and SOCOM expended nearly 80,000 flares per month. (USAF file photo.)


Driving the demand was the highly ac-celerated, fleetwide fielding of the newhelicopter-mounted Common MissileWarning System (CMWS) withoutsufficient munitions to support it intheater. “The M211, M212 andM206 flares have been highly effectivein defeating surface-to-air heat-seekingmissiles, and have saved countless Sol-diers’ lives,” remarked PM CCS COLRay Nulk. “Recognizing this, theCFT worked tirelessly with contractorsto meet the increased demand and getthis lifesaving equipment into thehands of our warfighters.”

As demand rose and funds becameavailable, the team worked with theflare producers to rapidly increase pro-duction capacity. At the same time, thetesting team performed lot acceptancetesting against intensive schedules toverify product quality while performingadditional qualification testing in sup-port of new production processes andequipment implementation. According

to Santo Lombardo, PM CCS Pyro-technics and Shoulder Launched Muni-tions Division Chief, exceptionally closecommunication between the govern-ment and contractors — Alliant Tech-systems Inc. for the M212 and AlloySurfaces for the M211 — allowed thisto be choreographed so effectively.

Prompt, Expedited ContractingIn response to Soldiers’ increasedneeds, the integrated product team(IPT) was established to guide the ef-fort streamlined the contractingprocess, resulting in several awardswithin 30 days of receiving funds.This was accomplished by providinginnovative contracting strategies suchas multiple ramp ups, product im-provements and increased productionquantities. It also required the devel-opment and staffing of several justifi-cation and approvals to various levels,the highest being the Assistant Secre-tary of the Army for Acquisition, Lo-gistics and Technology (ASAALT).

The M206 team promptly executedsupplemental funding requirements,assuring appropriate justifications, ap-provals, solicitation and award docu-mentation was completed to awardtwo split (45 percent/55 percent) contracts within 1-2 weeks of fundingreceipt. The team’s contracting spe-cialists negotiated requirements anddelivery schedules with each contractorto meet 30-60 day customer-requireddelivery dates.

The IPT was able to identify issues,develop solutions and contractually ex-ecute alternative approaches quicklyand decisively to meet the need formore countermeasure flares to supportthe increase in fielding of the CMWScurrently being used in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). “By developingeffective solutions and accelerating theaward of multiple contracting actions,the team was able to provide a higherlevel of protection to our Soldiers during conflict,” said Lombardo.

ARMY AL&T



Collaboration Increases Production Without DelaysThe government team and flare pro-ducers worked in close collaborationso increases in production capacity didnot interrupt current flare production,delivery or quality. Jointly, they wereable to streamline approvals of newtooling, manufacturing processes andlot acceptance testing to ensure thatdeliveries arrived in time to supporttheater operations. PM CCS qualifiednew suppliers to support increasedproduction, not only allowing in-creased rates, but also eliminating po-tential single points of failure while re-ducing and mitigating risks. Manufac-turers were directed to expedite flaredelivery by shipping directly from theproduction line to Dover Air ForceBase (AFB), DE, or Charleston AFB,SC, for delivery to Kuwait or Iraquntil inventory was sufficient in the-ater to support monthly requirements.

The team also helped facilitate con-struction of a new manufacturing plantthat successfully completed the rampup of M211 flare production to 80,000units per month — enough to meetArmy, U.S. Special Operations Com-mand (SOCOM) and U.S. Air Force(USAF) requirements for the flare.

Expedited Delivery andClearance Times Transportation specialists on the CFTmanaged the delivery process to expe-dite clearance and shipment of materialsthrough constant communication andquick action. Aside from continuouslytracking production delivery schedules,they provided liaison support betweenthe contractor, Defense Contract Man-agement Agency and Army Air Clear-ance Authority to expedite clearanceinto the aerial port of embarkation.Using Lean Six Sigma techniques in ad-dition to other initiatives, process timewas reduced from 3 days to 1.

The transportation specialists also coor-dinated unit line number airlifts di-rectly with the U.S. Central Command(CENTCOM) and U.S. Army Trans-portation Command and created aweekly dedicated Air Mobility Com-mand channel mission to provide sup-ply stability to the entire theater.Diplomatic clearance time was reducedfrom 21 to 9 days for these criticalitems. This group was also able tomaximize scarce transportation assets,including diverting in-transit groundshipments to alternate ports to meetcritical theater needs.

Continuous Reporting toArmy Leaders and WarfightersThe CFT continuously reported flarerequirements, usage and projections tothe very highest level of Army leader-ship, supporting balcony briefings,CENTCOM status briefs, weekly pro-duction updates and reports to theASAALT. This vital information wasprovided to Congress in support of theArmy’s request for supplemental fund-ing for these urgently needed flares.

The team also provided support and in-formation directly to warfighters in the-ater through weekly teleconferenceswith the Coalition Forces Land Com-ponent Command’s Command, Con-trol Communications and Computers(CFLCC C4) Ammunition Officer;PM CCS; Joint Munitions Command(JMC) managers; and logistics support.The weekly meetings were an integralpart of coordinating with CENTCOM,the 321st Theater Materiel Manage-ment Center and the U.S. Army Ma-teriel Command. CFT members havealso traveled to theater to provide thelatest information on flare status.

In recognition of their outstandingsupport, CFLCC C4 presented the


ARMY AL&T

A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter fires flares during a combat troop insertion during OIF. Transport helicoptersare especially vulnerable to shoulder-fired IR-guided missiles. The new LA59 flare will greatly improve crewsurvivability in both Army fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of PM CCS.)

USAF transport planes preemptively firecountermeasure flares during take-off and landing,as those are the times when they are mostvulnerable to shoulder-fired IR missiles. (DODphoto by SA Julianne Showalter.)


team with commander coins. Positivefeedback was received from theater re-garding the Joint Munitions andLethality Life Cycle ManagementCommand support. CFLCC C4Commanding General BG RaymondV. Mason remarked, “[CFT’s] dailydedication and coordination effortsfor Class V have been nothing shortof outstanding! It is individuals likeyou who have allowed the U.S. Armyto leverage its logistics capabilities togive our Soldiers and our allies thebest support available.”

Team Wins PrestigiousPackard AwardThe PM CCS CFT received the DavidPackard Excellence in AcquisitionAward in November 2006 in conjunc-tion with the U.S. Army ArmamentResearch, Development and Engineer-ing Center; the Rock Island-basedJMC; the U.S. Army Tank-automotiveand Armaments Command contract-ing staffs; the Army Field SupportCommand; and the CommunicationsElectronics Research, Developmentand Engineering Center (CERDEC)(e.g., CERDEC’s Infrared (IR) Flares

Team) for their work on the M211,M212 and M206 countermeasureflares project.

“This award means a great deal to allof us,” stated Patti Felth, Deputy PMCCS. “Through teamwork, hard workand focus on our ultimate customer,the Soldier, we are proud to have beeninstrumental in meeting the Army’s ac-celerated demand for the lifesavingM211, M212 and M206 flares.”

Multipurpose Flare PromptsQuick Procurement ActionIn early 2007, the U.S. military experi-enced an increase in aircraft lossesfrom enemy attack. Testing conductedin FY06 by SOCOM had shown thatthe LA59 (XM216) Aircraft Counter-measure Flare provided a better level ofprotection with a lower visible signa-ture and a lower cost than the M206,M211 and M212 flares currently inuse. When the results were presentedto Army senior leaders, including ViceChief of Staff of the Army GENRichard A. Cody, at an aviation sum-mit held in February 2007, Cody di-rected PM CCS to procure the LA59.

The LA59 improves crew survivabilityby protecting Army fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft from shoulder-firedIR-guided missiles. It also acts as adecoy to counter an attack on aircraftfrom various IR-guided missile threatsat both low and high altitudes. Thisnew flare can serve as protection forArmy helicopters and low-altitude air-craft, and can be used on the A-10, F-16 and C-130. The LA59 is intendedfor use in either the CMWS dispenseror the Improved Countermeasure Dis-penser (ICMD) package, both of whichhold 30 flares total. Currently, uponengagement, the CMWS dispenses aminimum of one each of the M206,M211 and M212 for up to 10 engage-ments. With the LA59, the CMWS or

the ICMD will be able to handle up to30 engagements.

“Once sufficient quantities of the LA59are on hand,” said Lombardo, “it willenhance the current cocktail of counter-measure flares that are used to counteran attack on aircraft at high altitude.”

The CFT developed an acquisition strat-egy to rapidly get the Army on contractto procure the LA59 by using a lettercontract to award a 1-year indefinite de-livery indefinite quantity contract only 3days after receiving congressional ap-proval for new start authority. The IPTused this Undefinitized Contract Awardapproach to award a delivery order con-currently with the contract award andbegan receiving flare deliveries in No-vember 2007, with increased flare pro-duction per month exponentially byMay 2008. PM CCS definitized thecontract in October 2007, which willvastly increase deliveries in May 2008 asthe initial contract will only satisfy theurgently needed requirements.

Army requirements for aircraft counter-measure flares consist of operational re-quirements (war reserve plus training re-quirements) of approximately 800,000per year. This 1-year contract will allowthe government enough time to haveanother contract vehicle in place to sat-isfy additional nonurgent requirements.

RENE MEDINA is the Pyrotechnic FlaresProject Officer with PM CCS, Program Ex-ecutive Office Ammunition. He has a B.S.in electrical engineering from the New Jer-sey Institute of Technology and an M.S. in technology management from the StevensInstitute of Technology. Medina is anArmy Acquisition Corps member and isLevel III certified in manufacturing, pro-duction and quality assurance as well asprogram management. He is a certifiedLean Six Sigma Black Belt.

ARMY AL&T


During OIF, U.S. and coalition forces havedepended heavily on American manufacturingbase initiative and production capability tocounter insurgent ground-to-air missile threats.Here, an Australian airman loads U.S. producedM206, M211 and M212 flares to his aircraft inpreparation for a combat mission. (Photocourtesy of PM CCS.)


The main issue with TNT as a filling formodern projectiles is that the explosivebehaves violently if subjected to an acci-dental stimulus, such as being involvedin a fire. In addition, TNT-loaded am-munition is susceptible to attack byenemy fire. For example, .50-caliberarmor-piercing bullets can penetrate aTNT-loaded projectile, causing a devas-tating reaction. High-speed fragmentsand even the Rocket Propelled Grenade-7 shaped charge weapon system provokea similar, violent response from TNT-loaded 155mm projectiles.

Over the years, there have been manyinitiatives to make TNT safer. For ex-ample, mixing TNT with other non-explosive additives to “desensitize” theexplosive and make it less violent (andsensitive) when subjected to unplanned

stimuli. One major consequence ofthese approaches is that when TNT isdiluted with nonexplosive additives,

such as wax or other inert organic ma-terials, the resultant system energy is re-duced, which renders the ammunitionless effective. The current state-of-the-art shows that while TNT can be madesafer, it can never be completely safe.Even the best attempts to make a safeTNT-based explosive filling fail to fullymeet the Army’s stringent testing re-quirements for insensitive ammunition.

New Path Results in a SaferExplosiveWhen OSI scientists looked at this prob-lem, they took a different path. Their re-search suggested that the materialsneeded to make a safe 155mm artilleryexplosive were not actually available inlarge quantities. This left two choices —adopt the conventional approach and tryto make a safer TNT-based explosive or


ARMY AL&T

A motor pool fire at the Camp Doha, Kuwait,compound in July 1991, involving an M992ammunition carrier loaded with 155mm artilleryprojectiles, resulted in the destruction or damageof 102 vehicles. Forty-nine people were injuredand 3 Soldiers were killed. Losses exceeded $15million. That’s why PM CAS, OSI and HSAAPhave partnered to produce OSX-CAN, aninsensitive munition that is entering qualificationtesting as a potential TNT replacement in M795munitions. (U.S. Army file photo.)

Insensitive Munitions — New Explosives on the Horizon

Nancy Gray

The U.S. Army is testing a new explosive filling for the 155mm

M795 artillery projectile developed by scientists at the U.S.

Army’s Holston Army Ammunition Plant (HSAAP) in Kingsport,

TN. BAE Systems, Ordnance Systems Inc. (OSI), is the HSAAP operating

contractor. Recently, OSI embarked on a program to identify potential

next-generation energetic materials that can be used to address stake-

holder concerns over the conventional ammunition filling (2, 4, 6-TNT)

for 155mm projectiles used by the U.S. Army.

An M109A6 Paladin 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer fires an M795 projectile against an insurgent target insupport of Operation Iraqi Freedom combat operations last year near Baghdad, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo.)


find a way to produce the potentiallymore suitable, but not readily available,insensitive replacement for TNT. OSIchose the second option. Following thecompletion of a series of strategic pro-grams, OSI had established a capabilityat HSAAP to manufacture two key in-gredients that would become the majorcomponents of its 155mm insensitive

explosive formulation.The first of these newingredients was 2, 4-dinitroanisole(DNAN); the secondwas 3-nitro-1, 2, 4-tri-azol-5-one (NTO).

OSI manufacturesDNAN and NTO ina facility originallydesigned to destroyexplosive materials.From 2000-2001, theU.S. Army establisheda capability atHSAAP to dispose ofenergetic ingredientsas part of an interna-tional peacekeepingeffort. This facility

employed a 2,000 gallon glass-lined re-actor that was used to demonstrate thedisposal process, but was then redun-dant. OSI used the glass-lined reactoras a nucleus for establishing a reconfig-urable production facility — one thatcould be used to make multiple newexplosive ingredients, includingDNAN and NTO.

OSI used DNAN, NTO and other in-gredients to develop Ordnance SystemsExplosive-Common Ammunition New-fill (OSX-CAN). This new explosivewas submitted to the U.S. Army’s Pro-gram Manager Combat AmmunitionSystems (PM CAS) as part of an indus-trywide evaluation program to identifya truly insensitive replacement for TNTin the 155mm M795 ammunition. Itwas evaluated alongside numerous othercandidates in a series of carefully or-chestrated tests managed by PM CAS.

The evaluation effort involved systemati-cally testing the candidate explosivesloaded into 155mm projectiles againstvarious credible tactical threats such asbullet impact; fragment attack; slow- andfast-heating, sympathetic detonation;and shaped charge attack. OSX-CANsuccessfully passed all of the insensitivemunitions (IM) tests that the explosivewas subjected to and was identified asbeing a “superior choice in all areas” toall other candidates. OSX-CAN was se-lected as the leading candidate for quali-fication testing as a TNT replacement inthe M795 ammunition.

In developing IM components such as OSX-CAN, HSAAP is ensuring asafer product for warfighters to useand handle, a safer product for trans-porting and a safer product for manu-facturing and storing. The bottomline for OSX-CAN and other IMcomponents being developed atHSAAP is that this ammunition willsave lives on and off the battlefieldwhile sustaining the same powerfulability to stop the enemy in its tracksduring combat operations.

NANCY GRAY is a Human Resources andPublic Affairs Specialist at HSAAP. She hasworked for the federal government for 30years, including 24 years at Holston.

ARMY AL&T


The 2,000 gallon glass-lined reactor isused at HSAAP in the making of newexplosives and other critical ingredients.(U.S. Army photo courtesy of HSAAP.)

Before: An inert 155mm M795 artillery projectile moments before beingstruck by a .50-caliber armor-piercing bullet. After: The same 155mmM795 artillery projectile after being struck by a .50-caliber bullet. Notethe white “energetic material” exposed in the damaged shell casing. It isthis kind of “accidental stimulus” that renders TNT violent and sensitive.(U.S. Army photos courtesy of HSAAP.)

Before After


The Security Assistance AmmunitionProgram (SAAP) was founded on, andremains today, an invaluable instru-ment of U.S. foreign policy. The armstrade and related services are reachingenormous dimensions and involvemost nations as sellers, providers, buy-ers or recipients. At the U.S. ArmyJoint Munitions Command (JMC), se-curity assistance is the means by whichthe U.S. government seeks to achievenational security and foreign policy ob-jectives by enabling allied and friendlynations to acquire and maintain the ca-pability to defend themselves. JMCprovides the ammunition and equip-ment that allows our allies to carry outthis objective.

Security Assistance Evolvesas Part of U.S. Foreign Policy The idea of security assistance beganduring the Cold War with concernsthat war-torn countries would fall vic-tim to the Soviet Union. The U.S.containment policy, which called forstopping the domino effect of nations

moving politically toward SovietUnion-based communism, began witha proclamation by former U.S. Presi-dent Harry S. Truman on March 12,1947, which became known as theTruman Doctrine. It was used effec-tively in Turkey and Greece and set apattern for security assistance that de-veloped through the next 4 decades.

The Marshall Plan (also referred to asthe European Recovery Program) enact-ment on April 3, 1948, served as anemergency tool to stabilize Europe andmarked a turning point for U.S. foreignpolicy following World War II (WWII).This enactment led to the establish-ment of the Economic CooperationAdministration (July 1948). When itended in 1951, Congress was in theprocess of formulating a new foreignaid and containment policy designed tounite military and economic programswith technical assistance. The new pol-icy became a factor in determiningwhich countries would receive aid, whattype and how much assistance would be

furnished, and whether it would beprovided through a grant or sale.

In 1961, Congress passed the ForeignAssistance Act (FAA), which reorgan-ized the U.S. foreign assistance pro-grams including separating militaryand non-military aid and putting pri-mary emphasis on long-range eco-nomic and social development assis-tance efforts. A key FAA element wasa provision for multiyear financing toallied countries that allowed for com-mitments beyond the year-to-yearbasis, while still allowing each year’sappropriation to come before Con-gress. Congressional reviews of appro-priated funds offered to internationalorganizations and foreign countries aresubject to certain conditions and re-quirements. This allows Congress its“checks and balances” on foreign-assistance policy. Through this andother military statutes, the ForeignMilitary Sales (FMS) Program was au-thorized with the security assistanceorganizations executing the program.


ARMY AL&T

The Security Assistance Ammunition Program— Helping Allies Help Themselves

Marcy Salmonson

Enabling friendly foreign countries and international organizations to acquire timely, quality con-

ventional ammunition, operations support, training and related logistics support, in furtherance

of U.S. national security policies.

Security Assistance MissionThe U.S. supports legitimate defense requirements of allies and friendly foreign countries to help themdeter or defend themselves against aggression and to promote better interoperability with U.S. militaryforces. Here, 1LT Gabriel Scheinraux, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, coaches an Iraqi policeofficer at a weapons training course in Khidr Ilyas. (DOD photo by TSGT John M. Foster, 1st CombatCamera Squadron.)


The U.S. reaffirmed its containmentpolicy by joining formal security al-liances, such as the United Nations andNATO. These alliances had significantinfluence on security assistance priori-ties and special accommodations, andevery presidential administration hasmade those accommodations the foun-dation of their foreign policy.

The Middle East assumed a preeminentrole in U.S. security assistance begin-ning in the 1980s. Because of countlessborder conflicts, international terrorismand invasions, and ultimately, the worlddependence on the region’s petroleumreserves, no other part of the world,with the exception of Southeast Asia,has commanded as much presidentialattention since WWII.

Program Helps AlliesThroughout the WorldToday, the total funding of the JMC’sSAAP is in excess of $691 million insales to foreign customers. The top 10countries, including Egypt, Afghanistan,Iraq, Japan, Israel and Canada, accountfor $626 million in sales.

The FMS Program is used by first-world allies, such as Greece, NewZealand, the United Kingdom, Australiaand the Netherlands, but also by lesserknown NATO and global war on ter-rorism partners such as Slovenia, Esto-nia, Senegal, Mauritania and Georgia,which struggle with their independencefrom the communist-socialist influence.

Georgia, for example, requested FMS as-sistance to train and equip its forces insupport of Operation Iraqi Freedom.Items obtained through U.S. inventoriesincluded mines, simulators and signals.Foreign equipment was obtainedthrough a U.S. contractor and suppliedprimarily by former Warsaw Pact na-tions. Those items included rockets,mortars and various small- and medium-

caliber arms. Logistics services andequipment, also provided by a U.S. con-tractor, included daily base operations,water purification and medical facilities.

The role FMS assistance plays inlesser-known countries such as Colom-bia is crucial. U.S. drug interventionin Colombia is intended to discouragethe production, distribution and con-sumption of targeted substances.These counternarcotics efforts havebeen, and continue to be, supportedby the U.S., which supplies rockets,launchers, grenades and medium- andsmall-caliber ammunition.

Goals Ensure Support to U.S.and Allied ForcesThe benefits of U.S. and allied negotia-tions and sales go beyond the obvious— it includes sales by the U.S. govern-ment as well as the necessary partner-ing with U.S. contractors and privateindustry. Since the U.S. is not the onlysource of ammunition and related serv-ices on the world market today, JMChas a tremendous challenge to fostersolid business relationships. With U.S.contractor and industry assistance, theU.S. government retains customers andobtains additional sales via improvedammunition acquisition, competitiveprices and better delivery schedules.

Since 1961, the Security AssistanceFMS Program ideals have notchanged, yet the program has under-gone significant changes in the way itdoes business. Export sales and trans-fers are complex transactions involvingthree primary stakeholders — the U.S.government, allied or friendly govern-ments and U.S. defense companies.Industry marketing efforts, necessaryto support cash sales, are intensifying.

A primary method by which foreigngovernments acquire U.S. defense arti-cles and services is through government-

to-government FMS agreements usinga Letter of Offer and Acceptance.Under FMS, the U.S. government usesits own procurement procedures andacts as its own procurement agent forforeign customers.

Because restraint is most important inarms transfer, the U.S. supports legiti-mate defense requirements of alliesand friendly foreign countries with thefollowing five goals:

• To ensure U.S. military forces con-tinue to benefit most from technologi-cal advances over potential adversaries.

• To help allies deter or defend them-selves against aggression, while pro-moting interoperability with U.S.forces when combined operations arerequired.

• To promote regional stability in areascritical to U.S. interests, while pre-venting the proliferation of weaponsof mass destruction and their missiledelivery systems.

• To promote peaceful conflict resolu-tion and arms control, and protecthuman rights, democracy and otherU.S. foreign policy objectives.

• To support the U.S. defense indus-trial base’s ability to meet U.S. de-fense requirements and maintainlong-term military technology supe-riority at lower costs.

Security assistance is dedicated tothose efforts, ensuring that our ArmedForces have the best possible resourcesavailable — both at home and abroad.

MARCY SALMONSON has 18 years ofcivilian service at JMC. She holds a B.S. indental technology from Western IllinoisUniversity and is Level I certified in manu-facturing, production and quality assurance.Salmonson has been in Security AssistanceFMS for 8 years, the last 5 serving as a StaffAction Officer.

ARMY AL&T




ARMY AL&T

Conventional Ammunition Demilitarization(Demil) — A Growing Challenge

LTC Brian W. Raftery

As the Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition,

the Army has demil responsibility for DOD conventional

ammunition. This includes storage, surveillance, demil

and disposal of DOD’s excess, obsolete and unserviceable ammu-

nition, including conventional munition items, tactical missiles

and large rocket motors. Also, the Army is charged with plan-

ning, programming and budgeting. Obtaining the resources to

reduce the demil stockpile is the single biggest challenge.

Here, 81mm mortar rounds undergo demil treatment in an Ammunition Peculiar Equipment 1401Autoclave Meltout Facility. (Photo by Sam King, The CSI Group.)


Size MattersThe current demil stockpile is esti-mated at almost 480,000 short tons ofconventional ammunition and morethan 300,000 missiles and missile com-ponents. At an approximate cost of$1,800 per ton to demil this stockpilewith future additions or generations,the demil liability to DOD is almost$2 billion through the current budgetand program years. At the currentfunding level, the stockpile, instead ofgetting smaller, continues to grow.

Most of the demil stockpile is storedand maintained by the U.S. ArmyJoint Munitions Command (JMC) at

its major depots and ammunitionplants, where they also receive, storeand outload ammunition in directsupport of the warfighter. The pres-ence of demil stocks in the same placeas the critical mission and trainingstocks results in storage inefficiencies,increased costs and decreased opportu-nity to apply Lean Six Sigma (LSS)principles to improve efficiency.

In addition, under the Base Realign-ment and Closure program, the JMClost a significant amount of coveredstorage space without a correspondingdecrease in stored stockpile. Demil ismore critical than ever to ensure that

excess, obsolete and unserviceable muni-tions items do not consume valuablecovered storage space. In this regard, theJMC is the Demil Program’s major cus-tomer. In fact, for every ton of conven-tional ammunition demilitarized, ap-proximately 7 to 9 square feet of coveredstorage space can be opened to store am-munition required by the warfighter.

At current funding levels, the demilstockpile is expected to grow to morethan 500,000 tons by 2013. As thestockpile is demilitarized, the munitionstoward the end of the queue are morecomplex than those currently being de-militarized, further exacerbating the

ARMY AL&T



problem. This increased complexityresults in increased cost, so tomorrow’sdemil dollar will potentially buy less interms of the numberof items demilita-rized. The trend overthe last few decadeshas moved from themore traditional andless complex openburn or open detona-tion (OB/OD) demiltechniques to morecomplex and morecostly Closed Dis-posal Technology(CDT) and ResourceRecovery and Recy-cling (R3) methods.

Environmental con-siderations have re-sulted in the currentDemil Program operating at CDT orR3 levels of 85 percent or higher andOB/OD at 15 percent or less. Addi-tionally, CDT and R3 capabilities gen-erally require a capital investment todevelop and purchase hardware, as wellas the normal level of operationalfunding to actually execute demil.Thus, it would seem that operating ata high level of CDT and R3, althoughmore environmentally responsible, re-sults in diminishing marginal returns.

Recycling Has Potential toLower Costs, Expand EffortWith demil funding levels either flator trending downward, anddemil costs on the rise,the Demil Enter-prise was

forced to look for ways to reduce costs.One potential answer was finding mar-kets for demil operations recyclable

components and endproducts, much theway the commercialrecycling industrydoes. This involvedseveral challenges, notthe least of whichwould require statu-tory relief for theDemil Program to di-rectly reinvest theproceeds of R3 opera-tions back into theprogram. Whiledemil operations werealready producingmillions of pounds ofmarketable metals andenergetics every year,there was no way to

effectively see and direct monetary ben-efit back into the program. Thiswould require changing the law.

The U.S. Army Materiel Command(AMC) G-3 and Command Counselcrafted language that would do just that.After a concerted effort by the Army, thislanguage was codified into law throughthe John Warner National Defense Autho-rization Act for FY07(NDAA 07).

With NDAA 07 passage, the Army hasthe legal authority to establish and op-erate a recycling program that willbenefit the Demil Program by offset-ting demil R3 operations cost. Whileconsiderable, this accomplishment isjust a first step in establishing and op-erating a program to help achieve thestatute’s intent. Now that the Armyhas this legal authority, it can sell recy-clable munitions materials resultingfrom demil and reinvest the proceedsinto demil R3 operations. Proceedsfrom the reinvestment are estimated at$2-3 million annually.

In close coordination with AMC G-3and Command Counsel, the DemilEnterprise Partners (Product Manager(PM) Demil); JMC; the U.S. ArmyDefense Ammunition Center; the U.S.Army Armament Research, Develop-ment and Engineering Center; and theU.S. Army Aviation and Missile Com-mand G-3, as well as the Army G-4and the Assistant Secretary of theArmy for Acquisition, Logistics andTechnology, started implementing thenew statute as quickly as possible. ADepartment of the Army (DA)-levelpolicy would be required when thebill’s final version was received, as wellas an implementation plan.

Within the Demil Enterprise, a working-level plan was devised.

It became


ARMY AL&T

At an approximate cost of

$1,800 per ton to demil

this stockpile with future

additions or generations,

the demil liability to

DOD is almost $2 billion

through the current

budget and program

years. At the current

funding level, the

stockpile, instead of

getting smaller, continues

to grow.

Here, demilled mortar rounds and othermunitions metal scrap await recycling. UnderNDAA 07, the Army can now operate a recyclingprogram that will offset demil R3 operations costs.(Photo by Sam King, The CSI Group.)


clear early on that the JMC installationswould be critical planning partners and,for it to be successful, the installationswould have to receive incentives formarketing work to generate the revenuein the first place. A cost-sharingarrangement would have to be estab-lished that provided monetary benefit tothe installation performing the work.This would take the form of a 40-percent return of the proceeds harvestedby the installation for future demil R3projects or capabilities. The remaining60 percent would be for demil reinvest-ment for similar activities for the Demil

Program at large. The intent was that100 percent of the proceeds would beused to offset demil R3 projects costs.Additionally, a financial accounting sys-tem was established to maintain revenuemanagement control and accountability.

The DA G-4 drafted, staffed and pub-lished a DA-level message that effectivelyserved as the interim regulation requiredby statute to implement the plan. Thismessage codified the key tenets of theoperational plan previously described, aswell as established overall applicability.At this time, only CONUS installations

are eligible toparticipate.When this mes-sage was pub-lished in May2007, the DemilR3 Program wasestablished andthe first revenuechecks were de-posited in thecentrally man-aged account.

Where Do We Go From Here?While the new legislation does offerpotential in terms of cost reduction fordemil R3 programs, more is needed.Reducing the demil stockpile must beadequately funded. While sellingdemil recyclable derivatives can helpoffset costs, it doesn’t pay the wholecost, nor does it apply to the entirestockpile. Additionally, many itemsare too small or complex to effectivelyrecycle; other derivatives produce littleor no value, like commercial glass,which is cheaper to produce new.

The new law complements two exist-ing demil initiatives: the Demil Re-search and Development (DRD) Pro-gram and the Design for Demil(DFD). DRD has major thrust areasfocusing on disassembly and reusingexisting munitions. DFD seeks to in-fluence future munitions design foreasier disassembly. Both of these ini-tiatives can help maximize the recy-cling value of demil residual productsby reducing the cost of a more valu-able end product. By using LSS prin-ciples, existing processes can be tunedto return higher yields on existing R3projects. With new leverage providedby the new law, we can increase cur-rent demil program effectiveness andenhance demil R3 economic viability.

LTC BRIAN W. RAFTERY is the PMDemil within Program Executive Office Am-munition. He holds a B.S. in mechanicalengineering from the U.S. Military Academywhere he was the 1987 recipient of the COLJames L. Walsh Memorial Award for Excel-lence in Mechanical Engineering, an M.S. inmechanical engineering from PennsylvaniaState University and an M.A. in procure-ment and acquisition management fromWebster University. Raftery is a Defense Acquisition University Materiel AcquisitionManagement Course and Program Management Certification course graduate.

ARMY AL&T


With current demil stockpiles estimated at 480,000 short tons, coupled with the high operations tempoassociated with the global war on terrorism, demil stockpile tonnage is expected to grow to more than500,000 tons by 2013. Inadequate resourcing and storage, handling and shipping challenges exacerbatethe situation. The demil community has responded with creative and innovative LSS processes to addressthe situation. With the passage of NDAA 07, additional revenues from recyclables are being put directlyinto R3 operations. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Clydell Kinchen, 55th Signal Co. (Combat Camera).)

The presence of demil stocks collocatedwith critical mission and training ammostocks results in storage inefficiencies andincreased costs. LSS principles arehelping to more effectively manage R3demil operations. (U.S. Army photocourtesy of PM Demil.)



ARMY AL&T

Assessing MunitionsSolutions — TheArmy’s MunitionsReadiness Reporting(MRR) System is on TargetJay D. Sloat

Develop a system for munitions that will portray the

Army’s ability to support contingency operations.

This was the challenge issued by then U.S. Army Chief

of Staff GEN Eric K. Shinseki just 2 days after the Sept. 11,

2001, attacks. The Operations Support Command, now

known as the Joint Munitions Command (JMC), headquartered

at Rock Island Arsenal, IL, quickly accepted this challenge.

The MRR system reports readiness availability and reliability while capturingcurrent stockpile status. Here, Marines from Lima Co., 3rd Battalion, 2ndMarine Regiment, fire their 60mm mortar during a live-fire training exercise inNorthern Kuwait. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by LCPL Gordon A. Rouse.)


JMC is the Army’s field operatingagency (FOA) for the DOD SingleManager for Conventional Ammuni-tion (SMCA). In this capacity, JMCproduces, stores, maintains and demil-itarizes ammunition for all militaryservices. The command operates aglobal network of installations, activi-ties and forward support elements.

Shinseki recognized that the Armyneeded a tool to define and assess itsability to support contingency opera-tions, and that major elements withinthe Army lacked a common methodol-ogy for assessing munitions readiness.To meet this challenge, JMC devel-oped and implemented the MRR sys-tem. Consequently, the Army is nowmeasuring munitions readiness usingthe standard methodology for measur-ing unit readiness.

Initially, JMC turned to Army Regula-tion (AR) 220-1, Unit Status Reporting,which establishes measures for readi-ness of Army units and defines four re-source areas for unit status reporting.Adopted as a model, these resourceareas were modified to fit MRR. Theabove table illustrates:

Unit Status Reporting

AR 220-1

Areas Rated:

S — Equipment on Hand

R — Equipment Serviceability

T — Training

P — Personnel

MRR

AR 220-1 Adapted

Areas Rated:

S — Munitions on Hand

R — Munitions Serviceability

Q — Munitions Quality

B — Production Base

The MRR system rates readiness fo-cused on specific munitions categoriesrather than particular Army units.

With unit status reporting, S and Rratings are assigned to items and rolledup at the battalion level. T and P rat-ings are then added, and (composite)C ratings are subsequently developedand reported at brigade and divisionlevels. This is a well-established andproven process within the Army.

Similarly, in reporting munitionsreadiness, with the MRR’s earliest ver-sion, S, R, Q and B ratings were all as-signed at the individual item level(model level). Rollup occurred at thesubcategory level (i.e., 81mm mortars),

ARMY AL&T


The MRR system determines ratings for two basic measurement areas. Readiness is reported for availability (S rating) and reliability (R rating) for each ammunition item. At the roll up levels, ratings are color coded and displayed graphically.

MRR Worldwide View“S” On Hand

TANK/AT/ACFT ARTILLERY/MORTARS

SMALL/MEDIUM CALIBER SUPPORT ITEMS


and C ratings were developed at themunitions category level (i.e., mortar).The methodology had a very familiarfeel and was quickly understood.

Although the MRR has evolved signif-icantly from its initial design, it stillhas a familiar approach to measuringand aggregating readiness.

Refined from the original four re-source areas, the system currently de-termines ratings for just two basicmeasurement areas. Readiness is re-ported for availability (the S rating)and reliability (the R rating) for eachammunition item. At the rollup lev-els, ratings are color coded and dis-played graphically. The system screenin the figure illustrates the MRR or-ganization of munitions. Today in theMRR, ratings for approximately 543active class V items are rolled into 45subcategories. These 45 groups, inturn, determine composite ratings at12 category levels.

Modeling AR 220-1, the MRR initiallyadopted four rating levels. This has beensimplified to three rating levels. Eachrating level defines a range of readinessin each of the two resource areas and for

the category evaluations. The readinessratings are represented by separate colors— red, amber and green — using a tra-ditional ‘traffic light’ schema.

The MRR is a Web-based system.MRR screens were initially updatedquarterly. However, the system con-tinues to improve, and today, screensregenerate monthly.

Various algorithms are built into thesystem to compute and aggregate rat-ings. These are much too involved tobe articulated in this article’s scope.For an in-depth look at how the MRRcomputes ratings, log into the systemand click on the methodology button.The JMC Munitions Readiness Direc-torate is also available to answer ques-tions and demonstrate the system.

For a quick, simple MRR user guide,look at the Worldwide S view illustra-tion on the previous page. Notice thateach subcategory is displayed as a col-ored block connected by a vertical lineto a category block. All blocks are la-beled and annotated.

On the right of each block, 10 small‘tabs’ are displayed in 2 rows of 5 each.

The upper row of five tabs shows ourability to meet war reserve requirements,while the lower row captures our abilityto meet training requirements.

The MRR captures current stockpilestatus and is also a predictive system.Moving from left to right, those smalltabs indicate a readiness rating begin-ning with current status, then at 6, 12,18 and 24 months into the future.Predictions are based on planned con-sumption, production due-ins andmaintenance schedules.

With all the talk of colors, lines, tabs,blocks and circles, you may be gettingthe idea that the MRR is very graphic.Indeed it is. Yet the system provides de-tailed numbers down to the most primelevels. This system can slice and dice.Click on any block and users find theycan “drill down” for more definition.

Drilling down, the user is provided theactual assets and requirements bymodel. Assets are segregated into Ser-viceable, Unserviceable/limited restora-tion, Emergency Combat Use Onlyand Unserviceable. Requirements areidentified as War Reserve and Opera-tional projects, Pipeline, Training, Testand Current Operations.

Click on any individual rating and thespecific details pertaining to that ratingwill pop up. At the most detailedlevel, information such as shortfallquantities, percentage filled, andscheduled funded and unfunded pro-duction quantities are available.

As mentioned, the figure provides amock worldwide view snapshot. Thecustomer can also select views for U.S.Army Pacific, U.S. Army Europe andany Army Pre-Positioned Stocks. A “lineof balance” report is available and can bedownloaded as a spreadsheet. The MRRuser can run a line of balance for all of


ARMY AL&T

SPC Karl Snow and SSG Leon Junk, Alpha Co., 1st Battalion, 38th InfantryRegiment, 4th BCT, 2nd Infantry Division, prepare to fire their 60mmmortar during a combat mission in Baqubah, Iraq, Oct. 28, 2007. TheMRR measures and aggregates munitions readiness to ensure our frontlineSoldiers always have the ammo they need. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSGTJason Robertson, 1st Combat Camera Squadron.)


the individual items in the system, or bya specific group or family. Industrialbase maps are also available that portraya part-by-part geographic analysis ofwhere our munitions are produced.

The MRR database includes both mis-siles and conventional ammunition.Very much a product of the Army Am-munition Enterprise and the Joint Mu-nitions and Lethality Life Cycle Man-agement Command (JM&L LCMC),reported data is the result of a collabo-ration involving input from manyagencies including the U.S. Army Pro-gram Executive Office Ammunition,the U.S. Army Missile Command andDepartment of the Army (DA).

The MRR is used as a tool to assist indetermining our munitions capabilityto support the warfighter. It helps de-termine what munitions we should buyand maintain. It is also used to feedthe class V readiness data into theArmy’s Strategic Readiness System.Initially patterned after AR 220-1, andcontinually improved, the MRR suc-cessfully provides a much-needed stan-dard methodology to measure our mu-nitions readiness.

Shinseki provided the vision and thechallenge, JMC supplied the expertise.Not long after the Sept. 11, 2001, at-tacks and resultingfrom an intense de-velopmental effort,the MRR went on-line in early 2002.But the effort hasnever rested.

Throughout 2006,JMC collaboratedwith DA G-3/5/7.In fact, this team’swork resulted insome of our recentconfiguration im-provements. TheDA G-3/5/7 providesa monthly ammunition readiness up-date to Army senior leadership duringthe Army Operations Center balconybriefing every month. Key partici-pants include the Secretary of theArmy, Undersecretary of the Army,Chief of Staff of the Army and ViceChief of Staff of the Army. The up-date provides Army worldwide ammu-nition status based directly on theanalysis conducted by the MRR.

JMC and JM&L LCMC project man-ager staffs also provide additional ac-quisition information via a dedicatedchart in the MRR that is designed ex-clusively to support this briefing. TheDA G-3/5/7 Munitions ManagementOffice uses the information to build acondensed version referred to as theOne Voice chart. The One Voicechart is essentially used as a quick ref-erence guide (focused on munitionswith red ratings) to answer questionsduring the balcony briefing. The DAG-3/5/7 also provides the One Voicechart to other DA staff as a reference,including the DA G-4, Assistant Sec-retary of the Army for Acquisition,Logistics and Technology and others.

JMC also recently collaborated withthe U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Pro-gram Manager for Ammunition and

the USMC SystemsCommand to developand operate a USMCMRR system. Thenew USMC MRRemploys some com-mon reporting con-ventions with theArmy MRR and hasthe same general lookand feel. However,the embedded busi-ness rules are USMC-unique. The USMChas defined its ownalgorithms for muni-tions readiness, which

are designed to support the USMCstrategic and logistics perspectives. Be-cause of its SMCA mission, JMC canprovide some of the data required tosupport the USMC MRR, but the pri-mary data feeds are received fromUSMC systems and databases.

These recent projects demonstrate thatthe MRR solution is an evolving tool.Work will continue to develop im-provements such as increased model-ing capability to allow “what if ” sce-narios to be run. Beyond the MRRnear-term view, Program ObjectiveMemorandum budget data will likelybe incorporated into an additional,new view. Joint service munitions re-porting capabilities may also be possi-ble in the not-too-distant future.

JAY D. SLOAT is a Systems ManagementSpecialist within JMC’s Munitions Readi-ness Logistics Center. He holds a B.A. inpsychology from Cornell College and is cur-rently working toward his M.B.A. He isLevel I certified in life-cycle logistics and hasworked at JMC for 23 years.

ARMY AL&T


The MRR is used as a tool

to assist in determining our

munitions capability to

support the warfighter. It

helps determine what

munitions we should buy

and maintain. It is also

used to feed the class V

readiness data into the

Army’s Strategic Readiness

System.

The MRR can be used to predict readiness ratingsbased on planned consumption, production due-insand maintenance schedules. Here, Soldiers from 4thSquadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, fire their 120mmmortar from the back of a Stryker Mortar Carrier.(USMC photo by LCPL Andrew D. Young, 1st MarineDivision Combat Camera.)



ARMY AL&T

Nonlethal Munitions (NLM) ExpandWarfighter Capabilities

Fareed Choudhury

In the jumbled terrain of modern urban combat, the preferred theater of

operations for today’s terrorists, the need to distinguish combatant from

noncombatant is paramount. In a war with no fixed fronts, with no clearly

identifiable foe, where the very definition of the word enemy is maddeningly

fluid, our Soldiers require better, smarter and more innovative ways to defend

themselves without jeopardizing their overall mission.

A Soldier loads an XM1091 40mm nonlethal point cartridge into his M203 grenade launcher. This new NLM is designed to deliver a measured effect against a specific target to cause blunt force trauma to an individual at distances from 10 to 50 meters. The munition can be fired from the M4 carbine or M16 series rifle mounted with an M203 grenade launcher.(U.S. Army file photo.)


Instead of “shoot first and ask ques-tions later,” NLM allow our Soldiersto “ask questions by shooting.” Thejudicious application of nonlethal ef-fects allows the Soldier to interrogatethe intent of the target by giving itample warning and incentive to ceaseany questionable or objectionable be-havior prior to resorting to more ex-treme measures. NLM are, therefore,analogous to precision guidedweapons, in that theyare designed to de-liver a measured effectagainst a specific tar-get while minimizingthe likelihood of col-lateral damage.

Many of the currentNLM were type clas-sified from specifica-tions drawn up in abygone era. The ColdWar had ended, themilitary was downsiz-ing, the so called“Peace Dividend” wason every politician’slips and the BerlinWall was being bro-ken up into souvenirsfor tourists. The Army’s NLM werebased on civilian law enforcementmodels — short-range, low-velocityrounds intended for use only as a lastresort. After all, the greatest foresee-able threat to law enforcement at thattime was from “peaceniks” andantiglobalization protestors.

But times changed quickly and our de-ployment with NATO to Kosovo iden-tified a real and urgent need for NLMin a military role. In April 2000, theOffice of the Project Manager CloseCombat Systems (PM CCS), part ofProgram Executive Office Ammuni-tion (PEO Ammo), deployed theArmy’s first ever Nonlethal Capabilities

Set. A large part of that set was themunitions. “Bottom line is that ournew equipment works well and theNLM kept us from having to killsomeone,” noted COL James B.Brown, then serving as Task Force Fal-con Provost Marshall. The Armyseemed well on the way to acquiring anonlethal capability that would protectour troops while avoiding unnecessarycivilian casualties.

A New EraHarkens NewNeedsSept. 11, 2001,changed all that.Those attacksplunged our Nationinto a new kind ofwar, one that manypredict will be aslong, if not longer,than the Cold War.It holds the potentialto be bloodier and farmore complex andthe stakes will be justas high. In adaptingto this new kind ofwarfare, nonlethal ca-pabilities were thrust

to the forefront and our current as-sumptions and ways of thinking about

NLM would have to adapt as well tomeet warfighters’ evolving needs.

As stated in FM 3-22.40, Tactical Em-ployment of Nonlethal Weapons (AirLand Sea Application Center), “NLWs[Nonlethal Weapons] provide com-manders the flexibility to influence thesituation favorably with increasedsafety to U.S. Forces while reducingrisk of both noncombatant fatalitiesand collateral damage.”

Next-Generation NLM Extend RangePM CCS is working closely with PMSoldier to acquire the next-generation,extended-range NLM for the warfighter.Two, in particular, the XM1091 40mmextended range marking round and theXM1116 12-gauge extended-rangemarking round, will fill critical gaps in

ARMY AL&T


Soldiers from the 114th Transportation Battalion, Illinois National Guard, conduct nonlethal weaponstraining at Camp Atterbury, IN, last May. NLM will help warfighters enhance force protectionmeasures by countering civil disturbances and responding to various levels of threat by employingnonlethal means. (U.S. Army photo by SSG Russell L. Klika.)

The 40mm Sponge Grenade is anNLM used to provide a standoffcapability in conjunction withriot/crowd control during low-intensity conflict and peace-keeping missions where use ofdeadly force is unwanted orunwarranted. The nonlethal40mm crowd dispersal roundprovides U.S. forces the capabilityto enhance force protection bystopping, confusing, disorientingor deterring a potential threatwithout using deadly force.(Photo courtesy of the MilitaryAnalysis Network.)

Instead of “shoot first and

ask questions later,” NLM

allow our Soldiers to “ask

questions by shooting.”

The judicious application

of nonlethal effects allows

the Soldier to interrogate

the intent of the target by

giving it ample warning

and incentive to cease

any questionable or

objectionable behavior

prior to resorting to more

extreme measures.


current nonlethal capabilities and assistwarfighters immeasurably in applying es-calation of force (EOF) procedures.

The XM1091 is simi-lar in appearance andfunction to theArmy’s currentM1006, 40mm non-lethal point cartridge.It produces a blunttrauma impact on thetarget and will be ca-pable of being firedfrom the M203 andXM320 as well as theMarine Corps’ MK 1 and Penn ArmsXM328, 6-shot multigrenade launcher.What’s new is the range. TheXM1091 will have nearly twice the

M1006’s effective range. And rangematters. Similarly, the XM1116 willprovide an extended range capability

(far in excess of thecurrent M1012) tostandard 12-gaugemanually operatedplatforms.

Both rounds incorpo-rate a fluorescentgreen marking pow-der that disperses onimpact to identifytroublemakers forlater detention or to

single out individuals for extractionteams that must be able to identifytheir target from within a crush ofhostile bodies.

Cooperative Acquisition Approach Facilitates DevelopmentThe XM1091 and XM1116 are beingdeveloped jointly by PEO Soldier andPEO Ammo. Through its innovativeSoldier Enhancement Program, PEOSoldier is providing the funding for developmental testing and safety certifi-cation of these rounds, which will type-classify standard for fielding and useby the Army. Through PM SoldierWeapons, they are providing strong ex-perience and expertise in small-arms am-munition. The U.S. Army ArmamentResearch, Development and EngineeringCenter (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal,NJ, is providing the engineering expert-ise and support. As part of PEOAmmo, PM CCS will provide life-cycle


ARMY AL&T

Building on experience

gained through civilian law

enforcement, PM Soldier

Weapons and ARDEC

engineers are working to

enhance performance to

better meet user

community needs.

U.S. Marines and Soldiers demonstrate the use of NLWs and tactics during an exercisesponsored by the U.S. European Command and hosted by U.S. Marine Corps Forces,Europe, in Boeblingen, Germany, June 21, 2006. (DOD photo by GSGT Donald E.Preston, U.S. Marine Corps.)


management. As with all other NLM,PM CCS will have ownership and man-agement responsibilities of these ex-tended rounds as part of its growingnonlethal inventory.

As with past NLM, the Army is lever-aging the best available technologiesfrom the civilian world. DefenseTechnologies of Casper, WY, longtimepartner with the Army’s NLM devel-opment and production efforts, is thecurrent manufacturer for the roundsupon which the military versions willbe based. Building on experiencegained through civilian law enforce-ment, PM Soldier Weapons andARDEC engineers are working to en-hance performance to better meet usercommunity needs. They will also“militarize” the rounds, tougheningthem up to handle the stringent re-quirements for shipping, storage andhandling, as well as the shelf life re-quired by the services.

All this takes time. To meet the cur-rent operational needs, PM CCS israpidly fielding the required XM1091and XM1116 muni-tions quantities perthe urgent materiel re-lease (UMR) process.This UMR processprovides the most expedient means foracquiring these capa-bilities and gettingsafe and reliable prod-ucts into the war-fighter’s hands in atimely manner.

Of course the storydoesn’t end here. TheXM1091 and XM1116 represent thebest available capabilities right now.Research continues to achieve evengreater ranges and better performanceand to expand the list of platforms that

can fire NLM so that they will beavailable to suit every situation or op-erational need. PM CCS will con-tinue to work with the user commu-nity and, wherever possible, anticipate

future requirementsto ensure that thebest available tech-nologies are fielded asquickly as possible.

Greater RangeEquals MoreTimeThe range advantageof the XM1091 andXM1116 over theM1006 and M1012,respectively, will pro-vide warfighters withthat extra split second

to evaluate the situation and avoid atragic mistake. EOF is all about a meas-ured, sequential response to a perceivedthreat. The time to evaluate that threatis greatly increased when warfighters can

employ the nonlethal option at longerand more practical engagement ranges.As GEN David H. Petraeus, Com-manding General Multi-National Force-Iraq has noted, “… you must shape sit-uations to minimize the tough calls, andtrain our leaders on how to react … thiswill reduce the number of Iraqi civilianinjuries and deaths.”

With the XM1091 and XM1116, PMCCS is saving the lives of Soldiers andinnocent civilians alike, and increasingthe NLM capabilities for warfightersand the law enforcement communitymoving forward.

FAREED CHOUDHURY is the PMCCS Project Officer for NLM. He has aB.S. in mechanical engineering from theCity University of New York, is certifiedLevel III in systems planning, research, development and engineering, and Level Iin program management. He is an ArmyAcquisition Corps member.

ARMY AL&T


Various types of NLM including foam, rubber and bean bags, rest on a target impacted by Taser probesafter an NLW demonstration last February at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. (Photo by Charlie Riedel courtesyof the Associated Press.)

EOF is all about a

measured, sequential

response to a perceived

threat. The time to

evaluate that threat is

greatly increased when

warfighters can employ the

nonlethal option at longer

and more practical

engagement ranges.



ARMY AL&T

The Self-Protection Adaptive Roller Kit(SPARK) — Negating the Improvised ExplosiveDevice (IED) Threat for Soldiers and Vehicles

LTC Karl Borjes

The number one threat to Soldiers in Iraq and

Afghanistan is the IED, which has been respon-

sible for almost 40 percent of U.S. casualties in

Operation Iraqi Freedom. There are numerous ways

to activate IEDs, ranging from crude timers to com-

mand wires to remote activation via cell phone.

However, one of the most common activation meth-

ods is a pressure-sensitive trigger that relies on targets

to activate the IED by rolling over it themselves as

they would, for example, in a vehicle. Commonly

called the “Victim-Operated IED,” it is typically

buried beneath the many long roads that U.S. and

Coalition Forces patrol on a daily basis.

Currently, the Army has equipped three vehicle platforms with the SPARK in Iraq.Since the HMMWV is the most used vehicle in theater, it is also the most vulnerableto IED threat. Here, a SPARK-mounted HMMWV is tested at YPG before beingdeployed to Iraq in March 2007. (U.S. Army photo.)


One of the newest weapons in our arse-nal against this threat is the SPARK, amodular mine roller system designed tobe mounted on tactical wheeled plat-forms. It is currently being used in Iraqon three platforms: the M114/1151 ar-mored High-Mobility MultipurposeWheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), the RG-31 and the M900 5-ton truck series.SPARK is managed by Product ManagerIED Defeat/Protect Force (PM IEDD/PF), which is a part of the Project Man-ager Close Combat Systems (PM CCS),Program Executive Office Ammunition(PEO Ammo), based at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.

Two SPARK configurations are currentlyavailable in theater. The track-widthfront roller configuration attaches to theframe of the RG-31 and the HMMWV,the two vehicles most commonly usedfor deliberate route-clearance operations.The full-width configuration attachesboth a front and rear roller to the M9005-ton truck series. This version is in-tended for use on vehicles that are partof fast-moving logistical convoys.

In both configurations, the front rollerconsists of two roller banks on the vehi-cle’s left and right side, its sole purposebeing the defeat of any IED. Theseroller banks provide contact with theground, causing the IED to detonateon the roller, forcing as much of theblast down and out as possible, as op-posed to underneath the vehicle. Thepurpose of having the two rollers infront and back in the full-width config-uration is that the rear roller also has ahydraulic system that controls rollers,allowing the vehicle to move fasterdown the road and be more stable.

Need Necessitates Invention,While Research Refines Effectiveness Before SPARK, there was no mineroller kit available to Soldiers for a

tactical wheeled vehicle platform. So,like many innovations, its creation wasborn out of immediate need and im-provisation. In early 2006, enterprisingU.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division mem-bers took it upon themselves to create aroller for their HMMWV out of towbars and wheels for the M1113 vehicle.

“Soldiers do what Soldiers do best,”says COL Ray Nulk, PM CCS. “Ifthere is a threat out there, they willtake whatever they can find to protectthemselves and their vehicles.”

Responding to Soldiers’ needs, theRapid Equipping Force quickly fieldedtwo mine roller variants based on theseimprovisational solutions in late2006/early 2007 — the Sharp Edgeand the Sharp Knife rollers. Whilethese new designs addressed the imme-diate warfighter needs, the rollers wereonly stopgap measures until a more ef-fective solution could be found.

In September 2006, a Joint Urgent Operational Need Statement (JUONS)for 313 mine rollers was approved, andthe newly formed PM IEDD/PFteamed with the U.S. Tank Automotive

Research, Development and Engineer-ing Center (TARDEC) to present acommercial-off-the-shelf solution to theJoint IED Defeat Office (JIEDDO).The two organizations pooled their re-sources to gather data from outsidesources on available alternatives.

“Prior to our JUONS, the U.S. Ma-rine Corps had already fielded minerollers from several different vendors,”said Robin Gullifer, Deputy PMIEDD/PF. “TARDEC had assistedthem in effectiveness analysis, so wewere able to leverage that data for ourown purposes.”

After a thorough assessment, it was de-termined that of the various mine rollersin use, Pearson Engineering offered thebest solution for the Army against theIED threat. Aside from having the onlyoption that provided both blast damp-ening and a modular, easily repairabledesign, Pearson Engineering already hada history with the Army.

“Since the late 1990s, Pearson has pro-vided a roller variant for the Strykerengineer vehicle,” noted Gullifer.“Having a similar system already in

ARMY AL&T


A HMMWV equipped with SPARK and a Rhino IED detection system is put through its paces at YPG.SPARK has undergone grueling endurance testing at both YPG and ATC to ensure it was field ready fordeployment to the theater of operations. (U.S. Army photo.)


production provides commonality ofkey components that make long-termsustainment feasible.”

Tight Collaboration EnablesRapid AcquisitionOnce the Pearson roller was selected,JIEDDO approved funding on Dec.22, 2006, and a contract through theU.S. Army Tank-automotive and Arma-ments Command Acquisition Centerwas awarded Jan. 9, 2007. Three ur-gent materiel releases (UMRs) forrollers to equip the HMMWV, the RG-31 and the M900 5-ton truck serieswere issued soon after in an extremelyshort time span, which needed to befulfilled in a rapid sequence to meetfielding requirements. PM IEDD/PFreceived funding in December, and in arecord 90 days, Soldiers in Iraq receivedthe first delivery of SPARKs.

What made this quick turnaround possi-ble was PM IEDD/PF working in con-cert with multiple key external organiza-tions. “We collaborated with theArmy Test and Evaluation Com-

mand (ATEC) and withTARDEC for engineersupport, designingthree unique brack-ets that would at-tach the SPARKto each vehicle.

We were in constant communicationwith those in theater to coordinate distri-bution plans. We involved Pearson En-gineering from thevery beginning to workthrough any produc-tion issues. PMStryker was invaluablein managing the con-tracting process, andthe PMs for each ofthe vehicles were quickto offer their endorse-ment and support,” re-lated Gullifer. “Work-ing as a team withthese outside organiza-tions enabled us to puttogether test, UMR,production and distri-bution schedules thatallowed us to get thisequipment to the Sol-dier as fast as possible.”

Thorough Testing Ensures aSolid Solution

Even though the SPARK was fieldedquickly, no shortcuts were taken

with testing. PM IEDD/PF,working with TARDEC and

ATEC, conducted in-depth,safety-centric automotive

performance testing

for the SPARK on each of the three ve-hicles at Aberdeen Test Center (ATC),MD. The team also performed a

SPARK mobility testat Yuma ProvingGround (YPG), AZ,where they captureddata on braking,speed, turning andslope navigation.While at YPG, theSPARK underwentendurance testing, en-suring that the 3,200-pound roller systemwouldn’t cause anyadditional stress onthe HMMWV — themost used, and there-fore, most vulnerablevehicle of the three.Lastly, the SPARKwent through a suc-

cessful blast test attached to theHMMWV.


ARMY AL&T

We collaborated with the

ATEC and with TARDEC

for engineer support,

designing three unique

brackets that would attach

the SPARK to each vehicle.

Working as a team with

these outside organizations

enabled us to put together

test, UMR, production

and distribution schedules

that allowed us to get this

equipment to the Soldier

as fast as possible.

A mechanic adjusts the tension arm of a SPARK on an M900 5-ton truckseries at an FOB in Iraq. The 3,200 pound modular system has alreadybeen credited with saving dozens of Soldiers’ lives in Iraq. (U.S. Armyphoto.)


Life-Cycle Management PlaysVital Part in System SuccessPM IEDD/PF’s involvement with theSPARK system doesn’t end with systemdelivery. Once in theater, field supportrepresentative (FSR) teams based in fourforward operating bases (FOBs) are onhand to handle installation, training andsustainment. According to Gullifer, “It’snot easy sustaining anything in Iraq. Inmost cases, the Soldier won’t contact youunless the system is falling apart orblown up. That’s why our FSRs paySPARK-issued units daily visits, interfac-ing with the warfighter, checking systemmaintenance, getting feedback on systemperformance, even lubing the fittings.”

Vehicles equipped with the SPARK areon patrol every day, but not alwayswith the same crew. That’s why FSRsconduct regularly scheduled trainingon the system at FOBs, training newunits, revisiting units for maintenanceand training, making certain thateveryone in the organization is familiarwith every SPARK aspect.

Training consists of hands-on work onthe roller, ensuring that units can install

and uninstall the roller, conduct basicmaintenance, be cognizant of safetyconcerns and perform a test drive.Every crew member is given the oppor-tunity to drive their SPARK-equippedvehicle until they feel sufficiently famil-iar and comfortable with it. In total,training takes from 30 minutes up to 1hour to complete.

“Training doesn’t stop with one classor one crew,” remarked Gullifer. “It’sa continual thing. That’s why it’s soimportant that we have FSRs on theground integrated with the Soldier.”

SPARK Saves LivesSince the SPARK was first fielded inMarch 2007, it has been involved in 22reported IED incidents and has beencited in saving many Soldiers’ lives. Inone instance, five Soldiers in aHMMWV hit an IED that propelledthe 3,200-pound roller 20 feet from thevehicle, leaving a crater as big as the ve-hicle. All five crew members walkedaway from the blast, including the Sol-dier stationed in the turret. Countlesstimes, the SPARK’s modularity designhas proven its effectiveness. In most

cases, systems damaged in an IED at-tack have returned to the battlefieldwithin hours. One system has bornethe brunt of four IED attacks and isstill in the field performing its mission.

SPARK in the FutureAt present, a revision to the initialJUONS is with the U.S. Army CentralCommand for approval to increase thenumber of SPARKs in theater signifi-cantly, while increasing the variety ofvehicles the SPARK will support. Ofthe proposed new amount, the major-ity would be allocated to equipping ar-mored HMMWVs, as the SPARK hasproven itself to be especially effectivewhen mounted on this vehicle.

Beyond requirements, PM IEDD/PFpersonnel are constantly finding waysto improve the SPARK on their own.Recent innovations include a versionof the front-mounted track-widthroller with lights mounted on it to as-sist night patrols, and integrating mul-tiple IED defeat capabilities to combatvarious IED threats.

“We want to create a system-of-systemsbuilt upon the SPARK, providing thewarfighter with a complete IED defeattoolkit. We are always investigatingnew ways to evolve the capability ofthe system, through analyzing eventmatrix data and talking directly to theSoldier in theater,” Gullifer concluded.

LTC KARL BORJES is the PMIEDD/PF, PM CCS, PEO Ammo. Hehas both a B.A. in marketing and financefrom Old Dominion University and anM.B.A. in acquisition management fromthe Florida Institute of Technology. He isa U.S. Army Command and General StaffCollege graduate and is Level III certifiedin program management. He is an ArmyAcquisition Corps member.

ARMY AL&T


Here, technicians finish outfitting an M900 5-ton truck series with SPARK at an FOB in Iraq. The rollersare designed to defeat pressure-sensitive triggered IEDs by forcing the blast down and away from thevehicle. (U.S. Army photo.)



ARMY AL&T

Making the Best Quality Ammunition for theWarfighter — An Interview With the U.S.Army Joint Munitions Command’s (JMC’s)

BG James E. RogersMeg Williams

BG James E. Rogers took command of the JMC in

September 2005. Prior to serving as the JMC

Commanding General (CG), Rogers was Logistics

Operations Division Chief (J-4), U.S. Central Command,

MacDill Air Force Base, FL. Rogers took time from his

busy schedule during a recent visit to Fort Belvoir, VA, to

meet with Army AL&T Magazine editorial staff.

While the SMCA supports the common ammunition requirements for all services, the JMCprovides critical acquisition, logistics and sustainment support for the ammunition fromproduction or receipt through the demil and disposal process, ensuring that Soldiers,Sailors, Airmen and Marines will always have the right type of conventional ammunitionwhen and where they need it. (U.S. Army file photo.)


AL&T: The JMC and Program Executive Office Ammunition (PEOAmmo) represent two sides of the Single Manager for Conventional Am-munition (SMCA) triangle. How doesthe SMCA work and what benefitsdoes it present the Army and DODfor ammunition procurement, produc-tion and management?

Rogers: The SMCA provides a meansto support common ammunition re-quirements for all services. I representthe Joint Munitions side of the SMCAmission. As the SMCA principal FieldOperating Activity, JMC has the leadon logistics and sustainment concernsto include receipt and issue; storageand distribution; inventory and ac-countability; safety and security; qual-ity assurance; maintenance; demilita-rization (demil) and disposal; trans-portation; and Operations and Main-tenance, Army funding decisions,whereas BG William Phillips, PEO

Ammo, has overall responsibility forammunition life-cycle managementwith focus on acquisition. Together,we make a very powerful team becausewe are executing the entire ammuni-tion life cycle. The U.S. Army Arma-ment Research, Development and En-gineering Center [ARDEC], which hasthe research and technology piece, isthe third side of the SMCA triangle.With ARDEC, you are really bringingacquisition, logistics and technology[AL&T] together and it pays huge div-idends for our Soldiers.

When you talk about the SMCA, youare talking about the centralized man-agement of conventional ammunition,where we obtain the most bang for thebuck. Whoever thought of this con-cept was right on the mark. By main-taining a DOD perspective, there’smore benefit and you can reduce thecost in most cases for bulk buys. Wal-Mart® does it very well. We must

work on being at least as good as Wal-Mart from a bulk manufacturing anddistribution standpoint. We can reallyreduce our buys if all the services cometogether.

Everyone needs a 5.56mm bullet fortheir weapons. Army, Navy, Air Force,Coast Guard and Marine warfightersneed it. So we now buy in bulk ratherthan each service purchasing items ontheir own and competing against eachother for the same resources. That isreally the benefit of the SMCA — webring together the needs of all servicesand the people who are trained to exe-cute the mission’s acquisition portion.My folks are trained on how to re-ceive, store, issue and ensure that theammunition is maintained properlyand is delivered to the warfighterwhenever and wherever they need it.We also provide logistics supportthrough our Defense AmmunitionCenter in the form of explosive safety,

ARMY AL&T



demil technology, hazard classification,ammunition transportability, ammuni-tion peculiar equipment development,technical assistance and training ofDOD’s ammunition workforce — pro-viding a total quality life cycle programapproach. That’s the huge benefit ofhaving one service do this mission.

AL&T: How are re-sponsibilities allocatedbetween the JMC andPEO Ammo?

Rogers: That is hardto say because we areso integrated. Youmust look at the his-tory before PEOAmmo. In the past, all ammunitionwas consolidated under the U.S. ArmyMateriel Command [AMC]. Afterseveral years reviewing numerous stud-ies, the decision was made to establisha PEO for Ammunition to get the

ammunition experts involved in ensur-ing that we obtain the most bang forthe buck when acquiring munitions.We had acquisition experts at AMC,but breaking it out gave it even morefidelity. The JMC provides critical ac-quisition and logistics support to theproject and product managers [PMs]

through the residentexpertise on our com-modity teams, so thePMs are integratedwith portions of theJMC to ensure wesupport them. Thereare two acquisitioncenters supporting theammunition mission.One is part of the

U.S. Army Sustainment Commandcollocated with and providing supportto the JMC at Rock Island, IL, andthe other is at Picatinny, NJ, assignedto the U.S. Army Tank-automotiveand Armaments Command.

So when you ask, where the line is between the JMC and PEO Ammo, Ido not think there is a line, and that’s agood thing because of what the JointMunitions and Lethality Life CycleManagement Command [JM&LLCMC] was designed to accomplish.The AL&T communities not onlyhave to work together, but they workso much better if they are tied at thehip. Once you pull in the technologyfrom the research and development[R&D] community, you have a verypowerful team because the whole lifecycle is integrated, and that is what ourPMs are ultimately responsible for. Bycollocating the key players together,everyone can do their jobs better.

Finally, from a warfighter perspective,there should be no line. Thewarfighter wants a readiness solution,and it’s up to the JM&L LCMC toprovide a seamless, integrated AL&Tammunition readiness solution. As is


ARMY AL&T

The JMC provides critical

acquisition and logistics

support to the PMs

through the resident

expertise on our

commodity teams.

Not even a winter storm that left a 1-inch slick of ice could keep employees at home when ammunition needed to beloaded onto a train at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant (MCAAP) in January 2007. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of JMC.)


true in most organizations, informa-tion exchange can be a challenge as wecommunicate globally 24/7. TheJM&L LCMC recognizes these challenges, and wecontinue to look forbetter ways to im-prove our processesand communicatemore effectively tosupport warfighterammunition readinessand battlefield requirements.

AL&T: Whatprocesses does JMCuse to integrate theother services’ ammu-nition acquisition andlogistics requirements?

Rogers: The JointOrdnance Comman-ders Group [JOCG]is responsible for guiding and influenc-ing conventional ammunition life cyclefor all services. JOCG participants areinvolved in the development and up-dating of joint SMCA policy and pro-cedures, and they address urgent andimportant issues relative to insensitivemunitions and the services’ safety con-cerns. One JOCG goal is to developand continuously improve Jointprocesses and procedures in the best in-terest of the services’ warfighters. I amthe Army JOCG member, and BGPhillips chairs it. Also, as part of therequirements piece, JMC, as part of theLCMC, has the distribution and out-load requirement for all services.

We have been working numerous con-tinuous improvement and Lean SixSigma [LSS] actions to aid us in our ef-forts. We work with the Departmentof the Army [DA] G-3 equivalents forrequirements with all the services to tryto ensure that we understand their

needs and where they want the ammopositioned in our depots, so we can bestsupport them on outload or training re-quirements. We also have this Inte-

grated Logistics Strat-egy program, which isreally a complexitystudy, and aboveblack belt work whenyou consider it in anLSS-type process.

We are also analyzingwhether our networkwas set up to accom-plish the mission ofsupporting all theservices. We havelooked at outload andat the network for allthe depots, and weare now positioningstocks in coordina-tion with the services’requests. We want to

ensure that they have optimal stocks atthe best place so they can have it at thebest price, as well as the most effectiveway to ship it out the door should wehave an outload requirement. It’s ahuge project that involves the JMC,

the PMs and the other services’ re-quirements people. We ask them,“This is what we think you need basedon our analysis and what you’ve toldus. We want to confirm that’s true.And this is where we’re putting it tobest support you. Are you in line withthat?” We are at about a 90-percentsolution, and we are always improvingupon that number.

AL&T: There are two tools that werereported in the August 2004 issue ofArmy AL&T Magazine that supportammunition readiness: MunitionsReadiness Reporting (MRR) and Cen-tralized Ammunition Management(CAM). Can you briefly explain bothand tell us what impact they have hadon being able to provide the highestquality, ready-to-use ammunition toour Soldiers?

Rogers: The MRR was developedshortly after 9/11 to best determinewhat ammunition we had out in theworld, what condition it was in andwhether it supported the warfighter.At that time, the Army did not havean overarching assessment to showleadership how well we were doing our

ARMY AL&T


Kathryn Condon, Executive Deputy to the CG, AMC, visited the MCAAP Conventional Ammunition DemilFacility, Robotic Disassembly, Cryofracture and Incineration operations. The robots are used for demilling AreaDenial Artillery Munition (ADAM) mines, a safe, efficient disassembly technology for downloading and inspectingImproved Conventional Munition (ICM) rounds. The robots were designed specifically for the ADAM mines, butare adaptable to other ICM rounds. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of JMC.)

The JOCG is responsible

for guiding and

influencing conventional

ammunition life cycle for

all services. JOCG

participants are involved in

the development and

updating of joint SMCA

policy and procedures, and

they address urgent and

important issues relative to

insensitive munitions and

the services’ safety

concerns.


job. Ultimately, our mission is to sup-port the warfighter down to every in-dividual Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Ma-rine. It sounds simple, but it’s verydifficult. So the MRR was designed.First, we started withthe Army and en-sured that the G-3agreed with it becausewe knew that once heagreed with it,HQDA would follow.In fact, DA G-3helped us develop themetrics. Now wehave a system all theway down to the in-dividual bullet, theDODIC [DODIdentification Code]level, to show whereall our ammo is around the world,what condition it is in and whether ornot we are ready to support trainingand operational requirements.

We have refined the MRR over theyears to the point that we literally haveone common operational picture [COP]that everyone understands, becauseeveryone is using the same one in theArmy. This COP is briefed all the way

up to the Army Chief of Staff to showammo readiness. Everyone can under-stand it. In addition, we have found aneed exists to ensure that we have thestocks positioned correctly to meet

Combatant Comman-ders’ [CCDRs’] re-quirements. We con-tinue to refine the de-tails now, which willallow us to articulateto all CCDRs whetheror not we have thatammo in the rightplace for them, too.MRR is a very power-ful tool.

Traditionally, theammo at our supplydepots and the ammo

at our Ammunition Supply Points[ASPs] were managed in stovepipes.No single entity was responsible forthe entire process or for tracking theammo stockpile from beginning toend. CAM came about in May 2002as a Chief of Staff Army LogisticsTransformation Task Force initiativefrom the U.S. Forces Command[FORSCOM] Commander to theJMC Commander. We were critically

short of some go-to-war items whenthe ASPs were holding large quantitiesin excess of their training require-ments. JMC undertook the challengeto manage wholesale and retail ammoas a unified whole, and today we arethe Materiel Management Center sup-porting training and mobilization at78 CONUS sites. CAM started be-fore LSS came into vogue. The CAMteam developed process stream andvalue stream maps in the early 2000s.They laid out the CAM process ofhow to ensure that we have visibilityof ammo and that everybody has whatthey need to train and deploy. Wehold the rest of the stocks and makesure we deliver them to the peoplewho need it. It was one of those fair-sharing logic schemas.

As a result, we were able to manage itbetter than individual organizations be-cause we now had ASP visibility. Now,we literally manage for FORSCOM,the U.S. Army Training and DoctrineCommand [TRADOC] and the Na-tional Guard. We have brought all oftheir management boxes into the JMCwhere we execute ammunition manage-ment for them. That does not negatethe fact they still have to tell us whatthey need to support training, and itgoes through those entities to ensurethat they are doing the right thing withit for the mission. When they ask usfor rounds now, we can actually lookinto their ASP and tell them whether ornot they have enough rounds to dotheir mission. We can tell them theyhave a huge stockage of rounds that theyhave not used and we are going to coor-dinate with TRADOC, FORSCOM orthe National Guard — which is the keyto having that coordination — to takesome of what they have and move itsomeplace that really needs it more. Sowe have been able to optimize where wedeliver ammunition, where it is stockedand have visibility of that throughout


ARMY AL&T

Now we have a system all

the way down to the

individual bullet, the

DODIC level, to show

where all our ammo is

around the world, what

condition it is in and

whether or not we are ready

to support training and

operational requirements.

Bill Miller (right), a BAE Systems, Ordnance Systems Inc. employee, speaks with BG Rogers during a visit tothe Holston Army Ammunition Plant in Kingsport, TN. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of JMC.)


the United States. Next, we’ll tacklethe overseas ammo management chal-lenge. We have visibility of OCONUSstocks, but we are working to convincethe entities that we can help them bet-ter manage their overseas stocks. Over-all, these tools have been very success-ful for us.

JMC manages all the depots, arsenalsand ammo plants for the Army. Ourpeople take a lot of pride in what theydo. There is only one military personin these depots — the commander;everyone else is civilian. They knowtheir mission in life is to support theSoldier and they go out of their way todo just that. As a good example,McAlester Army Ammunition Plant[MCAAP] in Oklahoma had a huge icestorm in January [2007], yet they hadan ammo outload mission required togo overseas for the war effort. Thoseguys came in when they did not evenhave power in their own houses! I do not know how they made it towork, quite honestly, because MCAAPwas considered a disaster area. Butthey went in anyway to make sure theyfilled the railcars for that outload. People are what makes the JMC sopowerful.

AL&T: What are the biggest changesyou’ve seen in the ammunition industrialbase during your tenure at JMC? Howwill this be addressed in the future?

Rogers: Because the ammunition in-dustrial base is more than the govern-ment, or organic industrial base, wehave a huge effort going on to scopethe ammunition industrial base. If youlook at the whole spectrum of the am-munition industrial base, it is made up of government-owned, government-operated [GOGO]; government-owned, contractor-operated [GOCO];and contractor-owned, contractor-operated organizations. You have to

look at the whole perspective. From alife-cycle management perspective, weare looking at the ammunition indus-trial base holistically. From the GOGOto our commercial vendors, we are en-suring that we are prepared for the fu-ture and are supporting the war effort.Everyone knows, sooner or later, we aregoing to slow down and we must beprepared for that, too. We must slowdown in the right way so that we donot hurt our commercial and govern-ment base capabilities. So, when youweigh all those challenges, it’s a verycomplicated task to execute. We atPEO Ammo, JMCand ARDEC havetaken that mission onto ensure that wemodernize the rightareas in the organicindustrial base andcontinue to supportthe commercial indus-trial base as well. It’sour responsibility toensure that everyoneunderstands our whole purpose in life isto make the best quality ammunitionfor the warfighter — bar none!

What I have seen change is that we aretrying to refine and better articulatethis overarching ammunition industrialbase with requirements and capabilityand scoping that down to determine ifwe have the right mix of governmentand civilian structure. Are we going inthe right direction to ensure that wecan support the warfighter in the fu-ture? Not only is the infrastructurecritical, but we must also start to thinkwhat the next munitions are going tobe. You have to prepare yourself — inthe government and commercial world— for that next step and that’s wherethe ARDEC folks come in.

AL&T: Soldiers can’t fight withoutammunition. Are we doing a better

job today than we were 4 years ago insupplying the right ammunition to theright place at the right time? What ini-tiatives have JMC or the SMCA put inplace to resolve that?

Rogers: I think we have done a betterjob across the board of ensuring thatthe stockage is there to support notonly this contingency, but other poten-tial contingencies. We have createdbetter analytical tools to project whatwill be needed in a specific theater be-fore it’s even requested. The necessaryinfrastructure is in place to ensure that

the ammo arriveswhen and where it isneeded and that thequality is there. As faras support operationsfor Operations Endur-ing and Iraqi Freedomare concerned, I don’tthink any Soldier hasever gone without atype of ammo that heor she has ever needed.

That, to me, is what this mission is allabout — quality ammunition that isthere when Soldiers need it.

AL&T: Under the Base Realignmentand Closure (BRAC) program, theJMC lost a significant amount of cov-ered storage space without a corre-sponding decrease in stored stockpile.How will JMC manage this?

Rogers: We are losing some coveredstorage space, but that was factored inwhen BRAC was developed. Origi-nally, one of our biggest storage facili-ties out at Hawthorne, NV, was on theBRAC list, but it was pulled off andthat alleviated some of the problem.The Integrated Logistics Strategy hasalso helped us redefine how we storestocks safely in all our igloos. It hasgarnered us space throughout our de-pots to be able to store munitions

ARMY AL&T


It’s our responsibility to

ensure that everyone

understands our whole

purpose in life is to make

the best quality

ammunition for the

warfighter — bar none!


more efficiently and be more ready tooutload should the requirement arise.We are continuing to improve and re-fine the process. We have an initiativewith ARDEC right now to work some3-D models into our storage capacity,so when individuals say, “I need tostore something, it is coming in nextweek,” they can look inside the iglooand see what is there and see whetherit will fit by testing it. It has con-straints — you could not store incom-patible ammo because the algorithm inthe system would not let you. Thatwill be a pretty powerful capability,and we are working that for the future.

Right now, our biggest concern forstorage is our demil program. Wehave a large percentage of ammo thatmust be destroyed because it has

become obsolete or is excess to thewarfighter’s requirements. It’s still safeto store, but it needs to be demilita-rized. That bill is increasing and theArmy is the executive agent for demilof conventional ammunition. Wehave all the other services’ demil aswell, which is also growing. We havean ongoing effort now to try to stabi-lize the money so that we can reducethe demil requirement in the outyears. We have a very robust demilprogram, but it has never been fundedto our full capacity. It is so criticalthat we continue to free up igloo spacefor the next generation of rounds, sodemil is something we’re aggressivelypursuing. We are optimizing the spaceand repositioning the stocks to bestsupport our warfighters. We are alsoworking hard to obtain the funding we

need for demil so we can destroy ex-cess and obsolete stock.

The JM&L LCMC recommended thelaw change relative to reinvestment ofrevenue from recovery and recyclingdemil operations, and AMC supportedthe initiative. As we continue to exe-cute environmental stewardship in allour demil processes, it becomes moreexpensive to operate. The issue be-comes how to garner money to do that.As you melt out a bomb, for example,we have found there are other uses forfill, such as selling the fill to miningcompanies for commercial slurries aslong as the stability factor is still thereso it is safe for them to use. Then, youhave a big chunk of metal. The ideawas, if we could resell the metal as scrapafter making it safe, you could take that


ARMY AL&T

SPC Thomas Quinn, a Division Rapid Response Force Soldier, BatteryC, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division,stands guard as an AH-64D Apache helicopter takes off following atraining mission at Camp Taji, Iraq. JMC’s mission is to ensure thatSoldiers like Quinn always have the ammo they need when and wherethey need it. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Nathan Hoskins, 1st Air CavalryBrigade, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.)


money and place it back into demilfunding. Instead of demilitarizing say20,000 rounds this year, we could af-ford to demil 25,000 rounds. This notonly incentivizes the installations toparticipate, but it reduces the demilburden and helps off-set rising costs. It’s agreat initiative.

AL&T: If you could“fix” one thing withthe way we procure orproduce ammunition,what would it be?

Rogers: Our biggestchallenge is establish-ing stable requirements. This affectsthe entire government and commercialindustrial base. If you look at a graphof ammo requirements and how theyhave varied over the years, you wouldsee a sinusoidal curve that peaks duringa conflict and drops off dramaticallyimmediately following the conflict. Weare aggressively trying to fix that. Thechallenge is competing demands forfederal dollars.

We are trying to better articulate re-quirements for all the services so wecan predict what we call the “soft land-ing” for the industrial base. Predictingthis presents a huge challenge. Re-quirement estimates can change sub-stantially from year-to-year based onnumerous factors and the changingworld situation. I do not know if wewill ever reach the point where we canavoid a periodic drop in requirements,but we are working this hard as a totalmunitions community through theLCMC, the services, commercial andgovernment suppliers, and the depots.HQDA G-3, G-4 and G-8 are criticalplayers in this issue as well.

AL&T: Safety is a big issue, both instorage and handling the ammunition.

What safety initiatives have been putin place to ensure better safety forboth Soldiers and civilians working inour arsenals?

Rogers: For us, safety is the most im-portant thing. As youcan imagine, han-dling, making andstoring ammunition isextremely hazardous,so you must under-stand the hazards andeliminate or mitigatethe risk in everythingyou do. We have,through AMC, initi-ated in all the depots,

OSHA’s [Occupational Safety andHealth Administration’s] Voluntary Pro-tection Program. Our depots and arse-nals are shooting for ‘Star Status,’ whichmeans that OSHA recognizes you ashaving all the controls and processes inan aggressive safety program. This isconsidered the top of industry and isvery difficult to achieve. It brings everyperson into the safety program. Thebiggest safety challenge is having everyworker on the line thinking safety everysecond of every day. Because if theydon’t and they take shortcuts, thingscan go ‘boom’ that you don’t want to.The next step is that the supervisormust think that way as well. Althoughwe say the commanders are ultimatelyresponsible — I am the safety officerfor the JMC just as GEN Benjamin S.Griffin is the safety officer for AMC —when it hits the road, you have to godown all the way to individual workers,and they must be their own safety offi-cers because they want to go home safeeach night. That is what we have builtinto our safety processes. That is theGOGO side where we have govern-ment civilians working.

In the GOCO sites, we have dedicateda safety officer to each one of our

plants that contractors operate. We re-quire them to have a very aggressivesafety program. The safety officer’ssole mission in life is to ensure that theplant complies with the establishedsafety standards. That has been verypowerful, over the years, to ensure thatsafety is the number one concern andis emphasized every day.

AL&T: What is the most importantmessage you would like to convey toSoldiers who might read this issue ofArmy AL&T Magazine?

Rogers: They should never worryabout the quality of ammo they re-ceive. What’s powerful about theLCMC is that I have Logistics Assis-tance Representatives [LARs], ammu-nition LARS and QASAS [Quality As-surance Specialist Ammunition Sur-veillance] personnel all the way downinto the units. They are emergency es-sential and deploy with their units.The LARs and QASAS ensure thatammo is stored safely, that it’s readyand safe when Soldiers pick it up, andthat it’s safe when it has been storedfor an extended period of time, espe-cially in the harsh conditions Soldierslive in. We will never concede on ourquality standards and we will alwaysdo everything humanly possible to giveSoldiers the bullet that they need be-fore they need it. That is what is keyto us. I never want a Soldier worry-ing, “Am I going to get the next bulletthat I need?”

MEG WILLIAMS is a Senior Editor withBRTRC’s Technology Marketing Group. Atthe time of this interview, she was providingcontract support to the U.S. Army Acquisi-tion Support Center. She has a B.A. inEnglish from the University of Michiganand an M.S. in marketing communicationsfrom Johns Hopkins University.

ARMY AL&T


We will never concede on

our quality standards and

we will always do

everything humanly

possible to give Soldiers

the bullet that they need

before they need it.



ARMY AL&T

Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition(SMCA) and Joint Ordnance Commanders

Group Meet Warfighter NeedsCOL André C. Kirnes and Claudia Applegate

Since the 2004 stand-up of Program Executive Office Ammunition (PEO Ammo), the

Army’s Ammunition Enterprise management approach has been used to integrate the

people, organizations, infrastructure and processes that are responsible for effective

ammunition life-cycle management. In October 2006, the Army Ammunition Enterprise was

formalized as the Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command (JM&L

LCMC), combining PEO Ammo and the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command (JMC) into a

single organization under one chain of command, with strategic and operational linkage to

the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command’s (RDECOM’s) Armament

Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC). Lean Six Sigma methodologies insti-

tutionalized in the JM&L LCMC ensure continuous pursuit of improved management practices.

The SMCA is DOD’s executive authority for managing conventional ammunition for all five services. Here, Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 377thParachute Field Artillery Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, fire their M119A1 105mm Towed Howitzer during a fire mission near Forward OperatingBase Kalsu, Iraq, last November. (U.S. Army photo by SSG Sean A. Foley.)


Within the Army, PEO Ammo hasoverall responsibility for ammunitionlife-cycle management. Primarily, itfocuses on acquisition/procurementand is the functional lead on ammuni-tion manufacturing science and systemdevelopment, make or buy decisions,ammunition-peculiar equipment formaintenance support and Procurementof Ammunition, Army funding deci-sions. JMC is the lead on logistics andsustainment concerns to include re-ceipt and issue, storage and distribu-tion, inventory and accountability;safety and security; quality assurance;

maintenance; transportation; and Op-erations and Maintenance, Army fund-ing decisions. The industrial base isled by Project Manager Joint Services.With ARDEC’s technical support, theJM&L LCMC provides the full spec-trum of functional activities associatedwith developing, acquiring, moving,maintaining and disposing of conven-tional ammunition for Soldiers.

A Practical Approach toAmmo ManagementDuring the Korean conflict’s lateryears, four problems were identified by

DOD and Congress with regard to theU.S. military services:

• Procurement of common munitionsby multiple organizations.

• Competition among the Armed Ser-vices for limited production capacities.

• Fragmented industrial base management.

• Inefficient stockpile management.

Centralized management of conven-tional ammunition was recommendedas a solution to these problems and in1975, the Office of the Deputy Under

ARMY AL&T



Secretary of Defense issued a decisionto implement the SMCA concept.The Army was designated as DOD’sSMCA because it owned most of thegovernment-owned production base,most of the storage sites and had thelargest acquisition conventional am-munition program. Centralized man-agement of conventionalammunition is intendedto provide:

• More accurate budgetrequests for militaryservices’ projected requirements.

• Better use of limitedcommercial industrialcapacity.

• A single governmentfocal point for resolu-tion of technical, qualityand other production issues.

• An entire DOD per-spective in schedulingproduction, moderniza-tion and mobilization.

• Better communicationsamong the services.

• Improvement in storage and distri-bution management to reduce trans-portation and handling costs.

As the DOD SMCA, the Secretary ofthe Army is responsible for ensuringthat the mission functions outlined inDOD Instruction (DoDI) 5160.68,

Single Manager for Conventional Am-munition: Responsibilities of the SMCAand the Military Services, are accom-plished for SMCA-assigned conven-tional ammunition. The JM&LLCMC functional expertise that sup-ports conventional ammunition forthe U.S. Army (USA) is extended toU.S. Marine Corps (USMC), U.S.Navy (USN), U.S. Air Force (USAF)and U.S. Coast Guard to accomplishthe SMCA objectives of efficient andeffective acquisition of top-qualityammunition and performance ofwholesale conventional ammunitionlogistics functions.

PEO Ammo is delegated the authorityas SMCA Executor to ensure executionof the DoDI 5160.68 SMCA missionfunctions. The SMCA Executor usesthe PEO Ammo organization andJMC to accomplish these functions.Collaboration and communication arefundamental to effective and efficientexecution of functional responsibilitiesin fulfilling the ammunition require-ments for our Nation’s Armed Forces.


ARMY AL&T

Through the JM&L LCMC, JMC and PEO Ammo — the SMCA Executor —with technical support from RDECOM’s ARDEC, the Army provides DOD’sfunctional expertise for the management, production, procurement andsustainment of the services’ conventional ammunition. Here, U.S. Marinesmaneuver their M1A1 Abrams tank into position during Exercise TalismanSabre 2007 near Yakima, WA. (USN photo by MC1 Mark A. Rankin, FleetCombat Camera Group-Pacific.)

The JOCG provides a forum for senior service members to identify and resolve conventional ammunition concerns, andthen synchronize and integrate the necessary processes and procedures across the services. Here, JOCG PrincipalMembers met at Picatinny Arsenal on May 3, 2007, to discuss life-cycle management approaches within the entirespectrum of conventional ammo. Depicted left to right are: BG James E. Rogers, USA; CAPT David H. Lepard, USN; BGMichael M. Brogan, USMC; MG Kevin J. Sullivan, USAF; MG Paul S. Izzo, USA; LTG William E. Mortensen, EDCA ExecutiveDirector, USA; and RADM James P. McManamon, USN. (Photo provided courtesy of the JOCG.)


As depicted in the figure, the JM&LLCMC organizations work together toexecute the SMCA mission; the Execu-tive Director for Conventional Ammu-nition (EDCA) over-sees and assesses theSMCA mission execu-tion; and the JointOrdnance Comman-ders Group (JOCG)provides a forum forsenior service mem-bers to identify andresolve issues of com-mon concern withinthe entire spectrum ofconventional ammu-nition life-cycle man-agement, includingmatters pertaining toSMCA operations.JOCG responsibilities center on syn-chronization and integration ofprocesses and policies across the serv-ices, maintaining continuous dialogueto gain understanding of similar prob-lems and to effect common approachesfor resolution.

Chaired by the JM&L LCMC Com-manding General, the JOCG member-ship consists of flag and general offi-cers representing the Army PEO

Ammo and JMC; theNavy Supply, Ord-nance and LogisticsOperations Division,Deputy Chief ofNaval Operations(Logistics), and War-fare Systems Engi-neering, Naval SeaSystems Command;the Air Force OgdenAir Logistics Center;and the MarineCorps Systems Com-mand. These menand women establisha trusting environ-

ment in which candid comments areaccepted and issues addressed. Theystrategically examine and plan forSMCA’s future, actively involving sen-ior staff as their JOCG ExecutiveCommittee and functional staffs insubgroups individually established to

satisfy continuing requirements for ad-vice and assistance in specific areas ofordnance technology, management andoperations. JOCG participants are in-volved in the development and updateof SMCA policy and procedures; theyaddress urgent and important issuesrelative to insensitive munitions, safetyconcerns and alternatives to the use ofchemical constituents of concern inammunition production; and they seeksolutions to the growing demilitariza-tion munitions stockpile.

Ammunition support to the ArmedForces has evolved into a unified, sin-gle command structure under theJM&L LCMC. The acquisition ex-pertise of PEO Ammo and the logis-tics and sustainment expertise of JMCare integrated with a common focusand unity of purpose, supported byARDEC’s technical expertise.Through the SMCA mission, thiscommon focus extends to providingquality ammunition to our sister serv-ices, overseen and assessed by theEDCA, and continuously monitoredthrough the active communication andcollaboration of JOCG members.

COL ANDRÉ C. KIRNES is the Project

Director Joint Services. He has an M.B.A.in economics from Middle Tennessee StateUniversity. He is an Advanced ProgramManager Course graduate and is Level IIIcertified in program management.

CLAUDIA APPLEGATE is a retired De-partment of the Army civilian. At thetime of her retirement, she held the posi-tion of Chief of the JMC, Joint Servicesand JOCG Integration Office and servedas the JOCG Executive Secretary. She isan Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpemember and holds an M.B.A. from St.Ambrose University.

ARMY AL&T


JOCG responsibilities

center on synchronization

and integration of

processes and policies

across the services,

maintaining continuous

dialogue to gain

understanding of similar

problems and to effect

common approaches for

resolution.

PEO AMMO JMC• SMCA Executor• Acquisition and Procurement• Manufacturing Science and System Development• Industrial Base• PA Program

• SMCA Field Operating Activity• Logistics and Sustainment• Readiness Reporting• Industrial Base• OMA Program

ARDEC

EDCAEDCAOversee and Assess

JOCGJOCGSynchronize and Integrate

Continuous Dialog

MILITARY SERVICES

The JM&L LCMC Collaborative Ammunition Enterprise



ARMY AL&T

Joint Munitions Command (JMC) FacilitiesProvide Unique Capabilities Within its

Ammunition Industrial BaseDennis Dunlap

The Army relies on the private sector for 70 percent of DOD’s conventional ammuni-

tion requirements; the remaining 30 percent are provided by government-owned

ammunition plants and depots. Some plants, such as Radford Army Ammunition Plant

(AAP), VA, and Holston AAP, Kingsport, TN, are well-known. This article focuses on some of

the lesser known unique capabilities within the government-owned industrial base and how

those capabilities provide flexibility to support our Soldiers, often in ways that were never

imagined when the capabilities were developed.

CAAA produces the USN’s MJU-32/B decoy flares to protect aircraft from attack. CAAA has been producing illumination pyrotechnics forDOD since the 1940s. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of JMC.)


Unique Needs Spur OngoingOperationsSome capabilities within the govern-ment-owned industrial base are trulyunique. Private industry could not af-ford to sustain them given the ups anddowns of defense munitions require-ments. Riverbank AAP in Riverbank,CA, for example, produces steel-drawncartridge cases used in the 105mmStryker mobile gun system and theU.S. Navy’s (USN’s) 5-inch gun am-munition. Although the plant isscheduled for closure, the capability is

so critical that JMC has laid out acomprehensive plan to stockpile suffi-cient cartridge cases to meet Soldiers’and Sailors’ requirements while theproduction line is being moved toRock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, IL,where JMC is headquartered.

Other capabilities are not unique, butserve a unique purpose. Crane ArmyAmmunition Activity (CAAA) inCrane, IN, has been producing pyro-technics for illumination since the1940s. In October 2001, when the

USN needed MJU-32/B decoy flaresto protect aircraft from attack, it waslogical to turn to CAAA. In a littleover 10 months, they were able to pro-duce an acceptable first article prod-uct. While there are several commer-cial producers available, the fact thatCAAA has this capability allows thegovernment to conduct low-rate initialproduction prior to technical datapackage (TDP) release and to ensurethat TDPs are fully acceptable forcompetitive procurement. This alsoreduces the cost of follow-on buys.

ARMY AL&T



Diverse Missions Lead theWay to New TechnologyPine Bluff Arsenal (PBA) in Pine Bluff,AR, has diverse missions ranging fromdepot storage to chemical and biologicaldefense (CBD) equipment production.PBA’s production engineering lab,smoke test facilities, and chemical andphysical laboratories are integral to newmunition item development. PBA is akey producer of white and red phospho-rus rounds, pyrotechnics and trainingitems; and manufacturer of the M45protective mask, large filters and decont-amination kits used by Soldiers aroundthe world. PBA’s support of DOD’sCBD has led to broader involvementwith homeland security first-respondertraining, pre-positioned equipment sur-veillance and national weapons of massdestruction training center maintenancefor the American Red Cross.

The need to reduce environmental im-pacts has spurred new technology at

Anniston Defense Munitions Center(ADMC) in Anniston, AL, where amissile recycling center(MRC) is being im-plemented in threephases. Phase I estab-lished a disassemblyprocess for Tube-launched, Opticallytracked, Wire-guided(TOW) missiles.ADMC estimates that98 percent of missilehardware, warhead ex-plosives and propellantingredients can be re-claimed. Currently,TOW missile cases arebeing recycled andsold to the original equipment manu-facturer for reuse in new production.Other components are undergoing test-ing to determine reuse potential. PhaseII, a slurry explosives module, will in-corporate low-value energetic materials

and produce a mining explosive forcommercial use. Phase III, an energet-

ics processing module(EPM), is planned forstartup in 2008. TheEPM will reclaimhigh-value HMX (cy-clotetramethylene-tetranitramine), RDX(hexahydro-trinitro-triazine) and AP oxi-dizer ingredients incrude form withgreater than 99 per-cent purity. TheMRC technologiesshould be directly ap-plicable to the vastmajority of missiles in

the DOD and NATO inventories.

Demilitarization (Demil), Recovery and RenovationDemil capability exists across the am-munition industrial base. At McAlester


ARMY AL&T

MCAAP partners have

developed cost-effective

methods for recovery of

explosives like tritonal

and TNT that has

resulted in recovering 11

million pounds of tritonal

per year and more than

20 million pounds of

TNT for reuse in new

bomb production.

An 8” artillery projectile is placed in its carousel by an MCAAP explosive worker prior to being loweredinto an autoclave. The autoclave melts the TNT that will be sent through a process that returns theexplosive into its original form for reuse in other bombs. More than 20 million pounds of TNT have beenreclaimed since 2004. (U.S. Army photo by Jerri Mabray.)


AAP (MCAAP) in McAlester, OK, ca-pabilities include dis-assembly, autoclavemeltout and recoverywith technologies likerobotic and cryofrac-ture disassembly underdevelopment. MCAAPpartners with severalcommercial firmsdoing a wide variety ofdemil work. Together,they have developedcost-effective methodsfor recovery of explo-sives like tritonal andTNT that has resultedin recovering 11 mil-lion pounds of tritonalper year and morethan 20 millionpounds of TNT forreuse in new bomb production. TheDefense Ammunition Center (DAC),collocated at MCAAP,is currently developingthree capabilities for im-plementation into theU.S. Republic of KoreaDemil Facility — a unitto treat contaminatedsolid waste for projectilemeltout operations; aunit to treat contami-nated liquid waste; anda unit that converts mil-itary propellants intousable liquid fertilizer.

Hawthorne ArmyDepot in Hawthorne,NV, is home to theWestern Area DemilFacility (WADF), a$120 million complexwith a full range ofdemil capabilities in-cluding meltout,steamout, high-pressure washout,

decontamination furnaces and disassem-bly capabilities for im-proved conventionalmunitions. WADFhas a capacity to demil49,000 tons of ammu-nition per year.

Similarly, ammuni-tion renovation is acapability that existsthroughout theammo industrialbase. Renovation al-lows the Army to re-cover and extend thelife of ammunitionthat otherwise wouldhave become candi-dates for demil. Forexample, MCAAPand Blue Grass Army

Depot (BGAD) in Richmond, KY,have pioneered bomb maintenance

and renovation with complete thermalcoating and thermal arc spray capabil-ities that meet stringent U.S. AirForce (USAF) thermal arc coatingstandards. The “new” bombs have 41percent lower life-cycle maintenancecosts and a 20-year useful life exten-sion. BGAD has also developed ahigh-output renovation process for105mm howitzer ammunition, amuch needed capability since the105mm howitzer is the primary ar-tillery piece currently being used byour light forces.

Specialized Capabilities Sup-port Design, Manufacturing,Logistics Some capabilities emerge from theneed to maintain the depot itself. Forexample, MCAAP, the largest ammu-nition storage depot in DOD, also hasthe largest rail system in the Army.Over the years, MCAAP has developed

ARMY AL&T


JMC established the

MARID team to provide

direct ammunition logistics

support to Soldiers in the

field. Calling on ammo

expertise from throughout

the JMC depot system,

MCAAP deploys teams to

perform all aspects of

ammo life-cycle

management, including

maintenance, shipping,

receiving, inspection,

renovation and demil.

CAAA Project Engineer David Peel works on the new Armor Survivability Kitsfor HMMWVs. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of JMC.)


institutional expertise and capabilitiesfor efficient and effective rail mainte-nance that it now provides as a serviceto other facilities to generate revenue.

Another specialized capability atMCAAP is the design and manufactureof both wood and steel pallets. Themetal pallet facilitycan prototype, ma-chine, weld, fabricateand galvanize as manyas 2,000 pallets amonth. The woodpallet shop is equallyversatile. MCAAPhouses two of onlyfour heating chamberswithin DOD capableof destroying insects and pests in woodproducts meeting U.S. Department ofAgriculture, European Community and

United Nations requirements, makingMCAAP the supplier of choice for nu-merous DOD customers and vendorsthroughout the world.

JMC established the Mobile Ammuni-tion Renovation Inspection Demil(MARID) team to provide direct ammu-

nition logistics supportto Soldiers in the field.Calling on ammo ex-pertise from through-out the JMC depotsystem, MCAAP de-ploys teams to performall aspects of ammolife-cycle management,including mainte-nance, shipping, re-

ceiving, inspection, renovation anddemil. DAC also provides mobile train-ing teams to provide critical hazardous

materials (HAZMAT) training toDOD-deployed forces in Southwest Asia(SWA). A 2-instructor team spends 3months in theater, teaching students therules and regulations governing HAZ-MAT transport by land, sea or air.

DAC also serves as the Army’s HazardClassifier, coordinating actions withthe USN, USAF, Surface Deploymentand Distribution Command (SDDC),DOD Explosives Safety Board andDepartment of Transportation (DOT).DAC also operates and maintains theJoint Hazard Classification System onDOD’s behalf and serves as the Armyapprover for Explosives and ChemicalAgent Safety Site plans for operationsand storage.

Some of the equipment used by theMARID team comes from another JMC


ARMY AL&T

DAC engineers and the Cybernet Corp. developed the ATACS, an automated inspection/sorting machine for unlinked small arms ammunition (SAA). The ATACSefficiently sorts and inspects five types of SAA: 5.56mm, 7.62mm, 9mm, .45 and .50 caliber at a rate of 50,000 rounds per 8-hour period. Units are installed atCamp Arifjan, Kuwait, and Fort Irwin, CA, and more than 7 million rounds have been processed to date. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of JMC.)

DAC also serves as the

Army’s Hazard Classifier,

coordinating actions with

the USN, USAF, SDDC,

DOD Explosives Safety

Board and DOT.


facility, Tooele Army Depot (TEAD) inTooele, UT, as well as from DAC.These activities maintain a skilled staff ofengineers and machinists who develop,design, manufacture and field ammuni-tion peculiar equipment (APE) world-wide. There are more than 370 types ofAPE including deactivation furnaces,meltout systems and operational equip-ment that provide a safer environmentfor handling HAZMAT, many of whichhave been deployed in support of Opera-tions Enduring and Iraqi Freedom(OEF/OIF). Using their highly special-ized skills, the workforce at APE andTEAD have developed robotic vehiclesfor antipersonnel mine clearance, liftingtowers for security surveillance and com-munications systems used by both Sol-diers and homeland defense personnel.

In direct support to the warfighter,DAC developed an Automated TacticalAmmunition Classification System(ATACS) that is capable of sorting andclassifying 50,000rounds of mixed smallarms ammunitionfrom 5.56mmthrough .50 caliberper 8-hour shift, andhas processed 5 mil-lion rounds since spi-ral integration in 2004at Camp Arifjan,Kuwait. A secondATACS at the Na-tional Training Center,Fort Irwin, CA, hasprocessed 2 millionrounds since 2006. Athird ATACS is beingintegrated into the Desert OptimizedEquipment Workshop, and will providea transportable, self-contained work-shop for fielding to SWA.

Along with providing critical equipmentto the warfighter, DAC provides Jointservice ammunition-related training to

more than 35,000 military and civilianstudents annually. DAC also managesthe Army’s oldest ca-reer program, theQuality AssuranceSpecialist AmmunitionSurveillance, and theAmmunition Man-agers career program.Combined, these ca-reer programs providemore than 1,000 qual-ified civilians in thefield supportingwarfighters. DACproduces the YellowBook, formally knownas the Hazard Classifi-cation of United States Military Explosivesand Munitions, to help Soldiers in thefield who don’t have ready access to official information sources.

CAAA has developed a niche in repair of20-foot shipping containers that are es-

sential to the Army’slogistics support. Ap-plying Lean Six Sigmato develop productionprocesses allows CAAAto deliver high-qualityproducts at competi-tive prices. CAAA isalso renovating itemssuch as dummy noseplugs, metal palletsand other types ofshipping containers.CAAA’s machiningcenter supports all ofthese operations with afull complement of

modern computer numerically controlledmachinery as well as paint, plating andpowder coating capabilities.

Unique Expertise Supportsthe WarfighterThe existence of these unique capabili-ties makes it possible for the Army to

respond quickly to urgent Soldier re-quests. For example, the rapid manu-

facture of armor sur-vivability kits forHigh-Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Ve-hicles (HMMWVs)early on in OEF/OIFwas done at CAAA.As the improvised ex-plosive device threatgrew, CAAA andTEAD were bothcalled upon to pro-duce armored cabs forM939 series trucks.In FY02, DAC devel-oped AMMOHELP,

an informational database that answersquestions on any aspect of ammunitionand explosives management, operationsand use. Questions can be submittedby e-mail, phone or through the DACWeb page at www3.dac.army.mil. Allresponses are provided by subject mat-ter experts, and more than 3,800 ques-tions have been received and answeredsince the program began.

These are just a few examples of thediverse and unique capabilities thatexist within the ammunition industrialbase to support and protect ourwarfighters. The ammo industrial basetouches Soldiers around the worldevery day with capabilities that extendfar beyond the basics of ammunitionproduction, storage and maintenance.

DENNIS DUNLAP is Director, Indus-trial Support, within JMC’s Munitions Lo-gistics Readiness Center. He has workedin positions related to the Army industrialbase for most of his 28 years of federalgovernment service. Previously, Dunlapwas the Director, Enterprise Transforma-tion, at the U.S. Army Tank-automotiveand Armaments Command Industrial BaseOperations Directorate.

ARMY AL&T


DAC developed an

ATACS that is capable of

sorting and classifying

50,000 rounds of mixed

small arms ammunition

from 5.56mm through

.50 caliber per 8-hour

shift, and has processed 5

million rounds since

spiral integration in 2004

at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

DAC provides Joint service

ammunition-related

training to more than

35,000 military and

civilian students annually.

These career programs

provide more than 1,000

qualified civilians in the

field supporting

warfighters.



ARMY AL&T

ARDEC — The Army’s Lethality and Armaments Systems Provider for Today’s and

Tomorrow’s WarfightersCOL Russell J. Hrdy

The U.S. Army’s Armament Research, Development and

Engineering Center (ARDEC) headquartered at Picatinny,

NJ, is the Army’s principal researcher, developer and sus-

tainer of current and future armament and munitions systems.

As a critical member of the newly formed Joint Munitions and

Lethality Life Cycle Management Command (JM&L LCMC) and

key TACOM LCMC supporter, ARDEC plays a major role in

Army transformation with its involvement in Soldier and Future

Combat Systems development.

A U.S. Marine from 1/12 Task Force Military Police maneuvers his vehicle through the Mine ResistantAmbush Protected (MRAP) course in Al Asad, Iraq, July 24, 2007. This MRAP is equipped with theARDEC-designed and produced Objective Gunner’s Protective Kit (O-GPK), which provides bettergunner protection from small arms fire and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). (U.S. Marine Corpsphoto by LCPL Ashley S. Hoffman.)


Center of Lethality’s Facilities and Personnel Support WarfightersAs the Army’s Center of Lethality,ARDEC leads the way in developingcurrent and future armament and muni-tions systems for the U.S. Army, U.S.Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. MarineCorps (USMC) and Special Forces. Ac-cording to ARDEC Director Dr. JosephLannon, “The success of ARDEC comesfrom its diverse workforce, state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories dedicated tosupplying ‘Innovative Armaments Solu-tions for Today and Tomorrow.’”

ARDEC’s workforce of more than3,000 employees is highly educated —over 34 percent hold graduate-level de-grees while more than 2 percent holddoctorates. Highly trained project man-agers and system engineers go through“Armament University,” to learn aboutcost, schedule and performance manage-ment using an array of system engineer-ing software tools and models availableto the enterprise before being assignedto a project team.

ARDEC is a leader in Lean Six Sigma(LSS). Since FY00, more than 1,500employees have received Green Belttraining with 771 certifications. An-other 115-plus employees receivedBlack Belt training with 80 certifica-tions. To implant Six Sigma earlier inthe life cycle, ARDEC will be expand-ing into Design for LSS.

The Center’s state-of-the-art facilitiessupport the work being done here and,in many instances, make it possible.

• Armament Software EngineeringCenter (ASEC) — The ASEC isLevel 5 Capability Maturity ModelIntegration certified, one of the onlygovernment centers to have this dis-tinction. It leverages ARDEC’s firecontrol mission and situational

awareness technology to allow for re-configurable fire control technologies,development and implementation.

• Armament Technology Facility — Thisindoor 52,000-square-foot facility pro-vides a secure, environmentally safe, in-tegrated, full-service design, develop-ment and evaluation facility for smalland cannon caliber weapon systems.

• Precision Armaments Laboratory andTower — This 200-foot tower, har-boring a lab at its top, allows ARDECscientists and engineers to measureand evaluate the performance of sen-sor systems designed to detect targetsduring adverse weather, from groundlevel and at various altitudes.

• Radio-Frequency Plasma-BasedNano-Particle Reactor — The largestreactor of its kind in North America,it supports a wide spectrum of nanotechnology needs, ranging from integration into weapon andequipment systems, to healthcareand cosmetics, to electronics andtelecommunications.

• Rapid Prototyping Center —Equipped with a wide array of nu-merically controlled milling, cuttingand shaping machines, the Centercan turn models into hardware tomeet urgent warfighter needs.

• ARDEC’s in-house capabilities also in-clude the ability to design, fabricate andtest advanced warheads, explosivelyformed penetrators, advanced cannonstructures, complex armor materiel, di-rected energy systems, advanced sensor-based robotics control systems andstate-of-the-art fuzes. They can also de-sign and produce — in limited quan-tity — composite and energetic materi-als, thermoplastics, adhesives, sealantsand lubricants.

ARDEC plays a pivotal role in transi-tioning a broad variety of technologiesto support Army transformation toprogram managers (PMs) that willprovide advanced warfighting andcounterterrorism systems for the bat-tlefield. Examples of such transitionsare the 81mm Dismounted MortarSystem (DMS) to PM Combat Am-munition Systems and the Medium-Range Munition (MRM) to PM Maneuver Ammunition Systems. Theimproved ergonomic design of the81mm DMS is 30 percent lighter andenhances mobility in all terrains. TheMRM will provide a 120mm precisionmunition capable of defeating high-value targets up to 12 kilometers awaywith first-round effects on the target.

ARMY AL&T


ARDEC designed and produced the first generation O-GPK to better protect vehicle gunners. The O-GPKsystem includes transparent armor windows and rearview mirrors that provide 100 percent visibility forthe gunner. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of ARDEC.)


Responsive Support for theGlobal War on Terrorism(GWOT)Since early 2005, ARDEC has been akey provider of fast-turnaround solu-tions for our deployed combat units.Using a talented pool of engineers,proven processes, facilities and in-house production capabilities, ARDEChas fielded more than 34 specializedarmament systems in response to ur-gent field requirements. What followsis a small snapshot of the GWOT sup-port provided by ARDEC.

To meet immediate survivability chal-lenges of the High-Mobility Multipur-pose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV),ARDEC designed and produced the firstgeneration O-GPK for turreted protec-tion of HMMWV gunners. Showcasingthe benefits of collaboration, O-GPKwas jointly developed by ARDEC engi-neers and Soldiers recently returnedfrom active duty in Iraq. With morethan 8,000 systems already being used intheater on the HMMWV, the O-GPK iscurrently in mass production at Armydepots. Field-ready kits are arriving inIraq and Afghanistan on a weekly basis,with more than 20,000 kits already pro-duced through January 2008.

Notably, the O-GPK was recently se-lected as the standard gunner protection

platform for the family of MRAP vehi-cles. The O-GPK system includestransparent armor windows andrearview mirrors that allow Soldiers tomaintain a protected posture while per-forming mission objectives with full visi-bility. In just 6months, the systemwas transformed fromconceptual designmodels to full-scaleproduction, an effortthat would historicallytake more than a yearto complete for a pro-gram of this magni-tude. Other recent de-velopments include anew customized Spe-cial Forces GPK forthe HMMWV andthe Picatinny BlastShield, which is nowbeing used by theUSMC on their LightArmored Vehicles.

ARDEC, in cooperation with PMHeavy Brigade Combat Team and theuser community, developed a suite ofadd-on armor protection kits for theM1 Abrams tank. Within the span of 9 months, ARDEC was able to developthree separate kits for the M1A1 tankcommander, M1A2 tank commander

and loader positions. The kits, com-monly known as COMAGS (Comman-der Armor and Gun Shields), are in-tended to protect the Soldier in eachposition from small-arms fire and IEDs,while maximizing their situationalawareness (SA) and mobility. Warfight-ers from the Armor School at FortKnox, KY, were able to evaluate 3-Drenderings of each design iteration, thenphysically review hardware prototypeson a monthly basis. This concurrentprocess allowed the design team to cap-ture all design objectives as well as theoften missed “soft” user requirements.

In the area of weapons development,ARDEC developed the Grenade RifleEntry Munition (GREM), a light-weight, muzzle-launched breachingmunition fired from an M16 or M4

carbine. It uses thewarhead’s overpres-sure to breach lockeddoors or windowsfrom distances up to40 meters (m) away,with minimal hazardto operator. TheGREM was releasedto the field under anurgent materiel re-lease (UMR) inMarch 2006.

ARDEC’s involve-ment with nonlethalmunitions led to de-veloping the 40mmExtended Range

Marking round (XM1091), which pro-vides the warfighter with the capabilityto engage hostiles at 40 m to 75 mwith blunt trauma force. It contains apowder dye, which, upon impact,marks the individual for future identifi-cation. The extended range and mark-ing capability is beyond the currentlyfielded M1006 sponge grenade.


ARMY AL&T

The M113A2 APC REV is designed to increase Soldier survivability during peacekeeping, low-intensityconflict and crowd control situations. REV features include six modular crowd control munitions,modified firing ports and improved SA. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of ARDEC.)

As a key member of the

JM&L LCMC team, we

are actively partnering

with PMs to effectively

transition crucial

technologies, develop and

field rapid solutions to

our Soldiers, identify and

solve deficiencies with

fielded systems and

continue to be the world’s

best provider of lethality

systems to the warfighter.


In response to operational require-ments from military police in Iraq fora rapid, protected means to employnonlethal force to restore order duringriots at theater internment facilities,the M113A2 Armored Personnel Car-rier (APC) Rapid Entry Vehicle (REV)was designed. The current vehicle,fielded within 8 months of the projectstart, increases Soldier survivability byproviding improved SA and the abilityto move and fire from within an ar-mored vehicle. Innovative REV fea-tures include six modular crowd con-trol munitions that can spray non-lethal rubber pellets into a crowd todisperse it, and windows and Bradleyfiring ports modified for shotguns thatfire nonlethal bullets. As of 2007, twoREVs have been delivered and wererecognized by users as a 2006 Army’sGreatest Invention.

In 2007, ARDEC fielded the SpecialWeapons Observation Remote reconnaissance Direct Action System(SWORDS). SWORDS is an armed,

remote-controlled tracked vehicle withsurveillance and reconnaissance capa-bilities. It provides Soldiers with ameans to conduct higher risk opera-tions while keeping them out of harm’sway. The system is the culmination ofa development strategy that focused onthe integration of off-the-shelf compo-nents as a way to provide our Soldierswith futuristic warfighting capabilitiestoday.

SWORDS development included ex-tensive evaluations by 3rd Infantry Di-vision, 3rd Brigade Combat Team(3ID/3BCT) Soldiers in November2006, resulting in positive feedback.In June 2007, SWORDS was ap-proved for UMR use by the 3ID/3BCT. ARDEC has since successfullytransitioned the SWORDS program tothe Robotic Systems Joint Project Of-fice located at Redstone Arsenal, AL,for future planning. Since the JuneUMR, the three SWORDS robots as-signed to the 3ID/3BCT have beenused to further train their units, giving

Soldiers an opportunity to experimentwith the robots and determine futuremission fits. ARDEC continues toconference weekly with onsite contrac-tors responsible for SWORDS’3ID/3BCT maintenance and usage.Today, ARDEC SWORDS techniciansnote that the system is being consid-ered for checkpoint use.

World-Class Lethality forToday and TomorrowARDEC leaders are committed tomeeting the lethality challenges oftoday and tomorrow. This requires acommitment to workforce growth andeducation, continuous process im-provement, modernization of facilitiesand an eye to the ever-changing com-plexities of technology. However, cen-tral to all is the underlying need tosupport the warfighter with effective,responsive solutions. “As a key mem-ber of the JM&L LCMC team,” con-cludes Lannon, “we are actively part-nering with PMs to effectively transi-tion crucial technologies, develop andfield rapid solutions to our Soldiers,identify and solve deficiencies withfielded systems and continue to be theworld’s best provider of lethality sys-tems to the warfighter.”

COL RUSSELL J. HRDY is the ARDECDeputy Director. He holds a B.S. from theU.S. Military Academy and an M.S. inmanufacturing systems engineering fromLehigh University. His military educationincludes the Armor Officer Basic and Ad-vanced courses, U.S. Army Command andGeneral Staff College, the Advanced Pro-gram Management course and the IndustrialCollege of the Armed Forces. He is anArmy Acquisition Corps member and is cer-tified Level III in program management;Level II in test and evaluation; and Level Iin systems planning, research, developmentand engineering.

ARMY AL&T


The ARDEC-fielded SWORDS is an armed, remote-controlled tracked vehicle with battle-testedsurveillance and reconnaissance capabilities that is helping keep Soldiers out of harm’s way. (U.S. Armyphoto courtesy of ARDEC.)



ARMY AL&T

Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) HistoryKeri Pleasant-Hagedorn

RIA was officially established by an act of Congress on July 11,

1862. Located on 946 acres of land along the Mississippi River, it

is the largest active U.S. Army government-owned and operated

arsenal. Its historic significance was recognized by the State of Illinois

in 1969 when the arsenal was placed on the National Register of His-

toric Places and, then again in 1989, when the original arsenal buildings

were designated as National Historic Landmarks. Today, they stand as

symbols of the important missions RIA personnel have completed during

both war and peace to support our Soldiers and protect our Nation.

An aerial view of the sprawling RIA complex. RIA, founded in 1862, has supported U.S. forces in every militarycampaign since the Civil War. (U.S. Army photos courtesy of RIA Museum.)


After the War of 1812, the U.S. Armybuilt Fort Armstrong on the lower endto keep the Native Americans peaceful,the river open to traffic and to protectsettlers arriving from the east. Thefort was abandoned in 1836, althoughthe Army maintained a small depotthere from 1840 to 1845 until, thattoo, was abandoned.

With the outbreak of the Civil War,Congress needed to replace Harper’sFerry Armory, WV. RIA was ideally sit-uated to provide ordnance stores totroops stationed in the area and to Sol-diers guarding the frontier. In 1863, theOrdnance Department began construct-ing the first arsenal building, a store-house, currently known as the ClockTower building. At the same time, theArmy Quartermaster Department wasbusy building a prisoner-of-war camp —the Rock Island Prison Barracks — tohold approximately 10,000 prisoners.Together, these and other projects madeRIA’s construction one of the largest mil-itary construction projects of the late19th century. All that remains of theprison today is the Confederate Ceme-tery and the graves of the Union guardsin the National Cemetery.

Brevet BG Thomas J. Rodman as-sumed command of RIA’s constructionin 1865. His genius is evident in thebeautiful symmetry of the old stonebuildings that still stand nearly intact.Rodman is considered the “Father ofthe Rock Island Arsenal” because ofthe critical role he played in designingand expanding the arsenal. LTCDaniel W. Flagler went on to completemuch of Rodman’s master plan.

In 1898, the Spanish-American Warwas RIA’s first test to meet emergencywartime production requirements forhaversacks, canteens, meat cans, tincups, gun carriages, limbers and cais-sons. RIA also produced various

leather accouterments for the cavalryincluding saddles, saddlebags, rifle scab-bards, bridles, halters, stirrups andstraps. During World War I (WWI),RIA manufactured French-designed75mm recuperators. Following the war,RIA became the Army’s center for pro-duction of recoil mechanisms. From1920 to 1930, RIA conducted develop-mental work on artillery, tanks, tractorsand armored vehicles. The modernArmy tank evolved from RIA shops.

WWII marked a period of productionunsurpassed in RIA’s history. RIA pro-duced immense quantities of recoilmechanisms, gun carriages, gunmounts, machine guns, small-armsequipment and loading machines forthe U.S. Navy, and enormous quanti-ties of spare parts for various weaponsand equipment. At its peak employ-ment, RIA operated around-the-clock,with three shifts of employees totaling18,675 in 1943.

During the Korean Conflict, RIA’s prin-cipal activities focused on developing

and manufacturing rocket launchersand mortars, as well as overhaulingtanks, artillery and small arms. In1955, the Army established a com-mand headquarters at Arsenal Island,and it has since hosted a series ofheadquarters. During the VietnamWar in the 1960s, RIA resumed pro-duction of manufactured aircraft ma-chine gun systems, artillery recoilmechanisms and gun mounts, andcompleted overhaul of small arms, artillery and combat vehicles.

RIA completed an extensive moderniza-tion program, begun in the early 1980s,called Project Renovation of ArmamentManufacturing (REARM). UnderREARM, manufacturing operationswere consolidated into a single build-ing. During Operation Desert Storm,RIA manufactured carriages and recoilmechanisms, performed final assemblyof M198 155mm Towed Howitzers,and produced gun mounts for M109and M110 Self-Propelled Howitzersand for M1A1 tanks.

Today, RIA is the only U.S. Army facil-ity that assembles tool sets, kits and out-fits that support equipment in the fieldfor the global war on terrorism. The ar-senal manufactures gun mounts, recoilmechanisms, artillery carriages andother combat equipment. RIA isDOD’s only complete, in-house metalparts forge, foundry and plating shop.The arsenal has contributed significantlyto local, regional and national historywhile continuing to play a vital manu-facturing role for our Nation’s defense.

KERI PLEASANT-HAGEDORN is theHistorian for the U.S. Army Joint Muni-tions Command, headquartered at RIA.She has a B.A. in psychology from theUniversity of Northern Iowa and is com-pleting an M.A. in U.S. history at WesternIllinois University.

ARMY AL&T


This image of an RIA shop interior, machinery andequipment was taken in August 1918. DuringWWI, RIA manufactured French-designed 75mmrecuperators.

During WWII, RIA operated around-the-clock tosupport the war effort for both the Army and U.S.Navy. Here, an RIA worker broaches the riflingin machine gun barrels.



Iwant to wish the Acquisition, Logisticsand Technology (AL&T) Workforce thevery best for the New Year. In 2008, the

U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) will renew our commitment tokeeping a well-trained, efficient and edu-cated workforce to support any new chal-lenges or contingencies our Soldiers may meet in an uncer-tain world. We will also continue keeping our SoldiersArmy Strong by providing the best weapons, technology andlogistics, as quickly as possible, to support persistent conflictand the continuing global war on terrorism.

Achieving Certification RequirementsNow is a good time for supervisors to complete a review oftheir organization’s positions for proper coding and submitany changes through the local Civilian Personnel AdvisoryCenter. Supervisors should also review their employees’ In-dividual Development Plans (IDPs) to ensure every em-ployee has a strategy to meet their certification and continu-ous learning requirements. With the release of DirectorArmy Acquisition Corps Guidance Memo #3, supervisors arerequired to have 100 percent of their employees’ IDPs up-dated within the last 6 months. It is essential that employ-ees and supervisors include all the courses required for em-ployee certification in IDPs so we can obtain the muchneeded quotas for required Defense Acquisition University(DAU) training courses. This needs to be projected 8-18months into the future. The certification process, like anywell-built structure, requires a strong foundation. Alongthose lines, things like continuous learning and developingleadership competencies are important to career and profes-sional development and must be accomplished concurrently.But, if there is a “requirement” to complete training sequen-tially, certification courses must come first.

CAPPMIS Position ScrubsBeginning in March 2006, USAASC conducted a manualscrub of all AL&T Workforce positions in the Civilian Acqui-sition Personnel and Position Management Information Sys-tem (CAPPMIS) based on input from acquisition organiza-tions identified by the Refined Packard Definition. The scrubresults were loaded into CAPPMIS in April 2007, and then

top-loaded into the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System(DCPDS). After this was accomplished, organizations wereadvised to review the CAPPMIS data and make corrections,additions or deletions through DCPDS. This process shouldbe repeated annually as directed by the DOD Desk Guide forAcquisition, Technology and Logistics Workforce Career Manage-ment, Chapter 5, Pages 5-13, Position Maintenance/Review.

Likewise, the DOD Desk Guide states that “supervisors are re-sponsible for reviewing AL&T position information duringthe employee’s annual appraisal and initiating appropriate ac-tions within their component should changes be required.”This review should also be done before recruitment, duringreorganizations or when an incumbent’s duties change. Formore information, contact Shirley Hornaday at (256) 955-2764/DSN 645-2764 or at [email protected].

Program Managers (PMs) Empowerment and Accountability ReportSection 853, John Warner National Defense Authorization Actfor FY07, Public Law 109-264, requires the Secretary of De-fense to develop a comprehensive strategy for enhancing theroles of DOD PMs in developing and implementing defenseacquisition programs. One initiative requires that DOD re-vise major defense acquisition program guidance to addressqualifications, resources, responsibilities, tenure and PM ac-countability. Each Service Acquisition Executive has beenprovided the following guidance:

• Formulate a performance agreement between the PM andthe program’s milestone decision authority (MDA) on ex-pected parameters for cost, schedule and performance, aswell as appropriate PM and MDA commitments to ensurethe parameters are met.

• Expand PM authorities including, to the appropriate ex-tent, the right to object to additional program requirementsthat would be inconsistent with parameters established atMilestone B and reflected in the performance agreement.

• Adhere to PM-specified tenure lengths based on their ac-quisition category level.

The Army Acquisition Corps (AAC) will prepare a programmanagement and tenure agreement for centrally selectedproject and product managers. The process is under discus-sion in the program executive office (PEO) community.When the PEO requests a charter for a PM, a programmanagement and tenure agreement will be prepared andsigned by the Army Acquisition Executive, PEO and PM.For more information, please contact Joan Sable at (703)805-1240/DSN 655-1240 or [email protected].

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Acquisition Key Billet CompetitionAfter an open competition pilot in FY08 to all DOD em-ployees to vie for two Acquisition Key Billet positions in theDefense Contract Management Agency, the Army has nowexpanded availability to all “best qualified” positions for theFY09 Acquisition Key Billet Board. To reach the entire ac-quisition community across the services, an announcementwas posted on the USAJOBS® Web site (http://www.

usajobs.gov/) outlining basic eligibility with specifics identi-fied via the U.S. Army Human Resources Command(HRC), Acquisition Management Branch (AMB) Web page.Applicants from the other services must meet the same re-quirements as Army employees and include the Senior RaterPotential Evaluation (SRPE) and the Acquisition CareerRecord Brief in their applications. Acquisition Career Man-agers (ACMs) will help non-Army applicants, supervisorsand senior raters prepare SRPEs.

Army employees are encouraged to have an ACM reviewtheir application before submitting it. There have been sig-nificant reductions in application errors for this announce-ment with no incomplete application rejections. Anotherchange this year was that senior raters were given extra timeafter the closing date to complete the SRPE in the CareerAcquisition Management Portal/CAPPMIS. There were 58eligible applications for the Key Billet Announcement, 41LTC/GS-14 and 17 COL/GS-15. For more information,contact Catheryn L. Johnston, HRC/AMB, at (703) 325-2764/DSN 221-2764 or at [email protected].

SPRDE Career Field NewsEffective Oct. 1, 2007, a new Acquisition Career Field(ACF) was established called Systems Planning, Research,Development and Engineering-Program Systems Engineer(SPRDE-PSE). Army AL&T Workforce members who, onSept. 30, 2007, were certified Level I or Level II in theSPRDE-Systems Engineering (SE) will receive a correspon-ding level certification for the new SPRDE-PSE ACF. Theletter designation for this new ACF is “W” and will be dis-played in Section X of the ACRB and will also be capturedin the official CAPPMIS database.

AL&T Workforce members who, on Sept. 30, 2007, pos-sessed a Level III certification in SPRDE-SE (code S) willreceive a Level II certification in SPRDE-PSE (code W). Tobe certified at the next highest level in the SPRDE-PSEACF, individuals must comply with the SPRDE-PSE certifi-cation standards as posted in the DAU catalog athttp://www.dau.mil/.

In closing, my congratulations to the 2007 AAC AnnualAward winners and nominees. Thank you for a job well-done. For a list of award winners, along with ceremonyhighlights, please see the article published in our sister pub-lication Army AL&T Online Monthly November 2007 issueat http://asc.army.mil.

Craig A. SpisakDirector, U.S. Army

Acquisition Support Center

Competitive Development Group/Army AcquisitionFellowship Program (CDG/AAF) — Developing Future Civilian Senior Leaders

Richard A. King

In August 2000, the first year group of 21 Army acquisitioncivilians graduated from a new program called the CDG.This program was an Army Acquisition Executive/AssistantSecretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Tech-nology (ASAALT) and Army Acquisition Corps (AAC) ini-tiative to transform staff-level Acquisition, Logistics andTechnology (AL&T) Workforce members into successfulsenior leaders. Since that time, more than 100 additionalacquisition leaders have graduated from the program, andthere are 34 currently enrolled. Among the graduates areProject/Product Managers (PMs), Deputy PMs, DivisionChiefs, a U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC)Regional Director and the USAASC Director/Deputy Direc-tor for Acquisition Career Management.

What is the CDG/AAF Program?Established in 1997, the CDG (renamed in 2006 toCDG/AAF) is a 3-year Acquisition Program Management Se-nior Leader Position development program. The program’s pri-mary purpose is to develop civilian leaders for the future Army.With the “graying” of the AL&T Workforce, the Army is facingthe reality of losing a large percentage of its most experiencedleaders to retirement. The CDG/AAF program offers a cross-functional work experience opportunity, as well as a priority sta-tus on many leadership education and training courses, to de-velop the leaders that will fill the gaps in the AL&T Workforce.

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Program members, known as Acquisition Fellows (AFs), rotatethrough at least three different developmental assignmentschosen specifically to broaden their scope of the Army’s acqui-sition processes. Numerous positions are available — from As-sistant PMs (APMs) to logisticians, business officers, contractspecialists, program integrators and others. By selecting posi-tions in career fields outside of their current knowledge bases,AFs will develop into stronger, more-rounded leaders.

In addition to the experiencial opportunities, members are re-quired to complete developmental curriculums designedspecifically to increase their acquisition knowledge and leader-ship skills. These curriculums include the Program Manage-ment Office course (PMT 352 A and B), two executive lead-ership courses, the Intermediate Qualification Course, Con-gressional Operations, National Training Center and theCivilian Education System courses. By combining thesecourses with varied work experiences, the CDG/AAF programis committed to producing acquisition civilians fully capableof leading product teams and eventually becoming PMs.

Time for a ChangeASAALT Military Deputy LTG N. Ross Thompson III statedin his vision statement that the AAC should “develop flexible… civilian leaders who possess diverse and well-rounded back-grounds.” Army officers entering active duty are providedtimelines that lay out their career expectations. From develop-ing leadership skills as platoon and company commanders, tobroadening their acquisition knowledge as project officers andAPMs, and finally culminating their progression as PMs, Armyofficers have a clear path in their acquisition careers.

In contrast, most of the civilian workforce has spent a largeportion of their careers caught up in stovepipes that limittheir progression, and fail to develop the broad skills re-quired to be effective senior acquisition leaders. While thisscenario would quite assuredly produce employees who arehighly competent in their specific fields, it falls short in cre-ating diverse and well-rounded leaders.

When the selection boards convene to determine who willfill Critical Acquisition Positions such as program managers,the decisive advantage will usually be in favor of the Armyofficer. Rarely will a civilian’s work history and developmen-tal progression be capable of rising above that of numerousArmy officers.

The CDG/AAF Program is for the EmployeeThe program was created to attract the most elite acquisi-tion professionals who wish to advance their careers in pro-gram management and Army senior staff fields. AFs areboard-selected from this group of highly qualified profes-sionals to maintain the program’s integrity and protect itsreputation for producing successful leaders.

However, selecting these highly qualified individuals is onlythe beginning of the process. Transforming the potentialthese members already possess into well-defined skills thatwill advance them into senior leadership positions is theprogram’s endgame. The CDG/AAF program has excelledat determining what these steps are and incorporating theminto the program while continually evolving to meet theArmy’s needs.

Upon entering the program, AFs are assigned to a centrallyfunded training position for 3 years. This, in combinationwith rotating developmental assignments, is very beneficialto members. While most organizations might balk at allow-ing one of their best and brightest employees to attendtraining of 6 weeks to 3 months, the CDG/AAF programcan easily schedule the longer-term training between rota-tional assignments. Not only is it possible, but it is requiredfor members to attend the 6-week Defense Acquisition Uni-versity PMT-352-B course, 5 weeks of Civilian EducationSystem courses, 1 week of Congressional Operations, twoweek-long Executive Leadership courses at the DardenSchool of Business at the University of Virginia and the 4-week Intermediate Qualification Course at the University ofTexas-Austin. This training is scheduled by the CDG/AAFprogram’s manager — in conjunction with the Regional Directors and Acquisition Career Managers — either in between or within individual assignments.

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The CDG/AAF program offers AFs cross-functional work experienceopportunities, executive leadership training and intermediate coursework aspart of the 3-year training curriculum. (Army AL&T Magazine file photo.)


In addition to the training provided to the AFs, the develop-mental assignments have a great deal to offer. Most civilianemployees, even AAC members, will spend an entire careerattempting to progress within a single acquisition careerfield. Whether they are working in business/financial, engi-neering, contracting or logistics, very few employees are“cross-trained.” The CDG/AAF program opens the doors,allowing AFs to cross the boundaries between career fields,thereby becoming better-qualified program managers. Suc-cessful senior leaders should understand the functions andpurpose of each division within their respective organiza-tions, and there is no better method of gaining that under-standing than through actual work experience.

The CDG/AAF Program is for the OrganizationThe benefit to the receiving organization is highly qualifiedtemporary support at no cost. With developmental assign-ments of only 6 months to 1 year, some organizations arehesitant to rely on AFs and refrain from placing too great anamount of responsibility on them. The fact is, however, ifmembers were not capable of accepting that amount of re-sponsibility, they would not have been board-selected intothe CDG/AAF program. For example, the PM for ApacheSensors has been using an AF as an APM for the Fire Con-trol Radar and Radio Frequency Interferometer for morethan 4 years. In this position, the APM was given responsi-bility to manage the budget, inventory, production scheduleand upgrades, and to lead the Integrated Product Team forthe Apache radars. He will be the government interface

with the prime contractors and take the lead during negotia-tions for new production contracts. In attempting to fore-cast the future requirements for the radar based on battlelosses and scheduled fieldings, a previous AF effected changein the program by convincing Army Headquarters to in-crease the Army Acquisition Objective allowing for increasedApache radar production. The Apache PM Office is reapingthe benefits of effectively using an AF as an APM when itdoes not have a position on its table of distribution and al-lowances to fulfill this requirement.

In addition to receiving the efforts of an effective and as-sertive acquisition employee, the organization is also com-plying with the ASAALT Balanced Scorecard by helpingshape a high-performing AL&T Workforce.

The CDG/AAF Program is for the ArmyThe Army realizes that a shortfall is approaching. Whetherit is called “critical mass,” “the perfect storm” or any othercliché of the day, building an AL&T Workforce capable ofwithstanding the personnel losses associated with the mas-sive “baby-boomer” retirements is certainly an issue causinggreat concern for Army strategic planners. This is not some-thing that was overlooked though, as plans have been for-mulated that include the CDG/AAF program.

By investing 3 years in developing CDG/AAF program mem-bers, the Army will see returns in the form of efficient and ef-fective senior leaders. The ASAALT strategy map’s singleoverarching objective is to “shape a high-performing, agile andethical acquisition workforce.” By enhancing the careers of itscivilian AAC members to create more qualified PMs,CDG/AAF is a key program toward achieving that objective.

Richard A. King is the Executive Officer to the Deputy ProgramExecutive Officer (PEO) Aviation and Staff Assistant to the Assistant PEO for Operations, Redstone Arsenal, AL.

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The CDG/AAF program’s goal is to produce high-performing, agile and ethicalacquisition leaders with a wide range of experience, knowledge and skills.(Army AL&T Magazine file photo.)


People are the heart of an organization,and its most valuable resource. To me,these expressions are more than collo-

quialisms. From the Soldiers in the field de-fending our freedom, to the small businessesentering the defense industry, to the internswe train to succeed us — people are at the

core of everything we do.

When meeting with my staff, I remind them that their workis important, recognized and appreciated, and that theyshould be excited to come to work because their job is im-portant to every Soldier serving on the Frontiers of Freedomand for every American taxpayer.

This column is my opportunity to share with you my appre-ciation for your efforts and dedication. Each of us serving inthe Army contracting community is a valued team member.Starting in this edition, we will highlight members of thecontracting community whose lifetime of service exemplifiesArmy Values — loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor,integrity and personal courage. As you read the inaugural ar-ticle “Dedicated Partners in Acquisition,” reflect upon yourcareer — past, present and future — then consider your im-pact on the lives of the Soldiers we serve. Please take a fewminutes to imagine how different our country, our Army andour lives would be without you — the heart of our contract-ing community and our most valuable resource.

Ms. Tina BallardDeputy Assistant Secretary of the Army

(Policy and Procurement)

Dedicated Partners in Acquisition

Patricia Moore and Charles Comaty are team leaders and con-tracting officers (KOs) at the U.S. Army Research, Develop-ment and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Acquisition

Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. The couple, marriedsince 1983, has accumulated 64 years of combined federalservice, which includes a wealth of contracting experience inkey Army nuclear, chemical and biological (NBC) programs.

During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (ODS),Moore and Comaty’s professional abilities were put to the test.Because of Iraqi military capabilities, chemical and biologicaldefense requirements were urgent and critical. Moore wrotecontracts to acquire simplified collective protection equipment,which allowed warfighters to operate safely in an enclosed en-vironment with protection from chemical and biologicalagents. Comaty executed contracts enabling the Fox NBC Re-connaissance System (NBCRS) deployment to Southwest Asia.The NBCRS detects, identifies and marks NBC hazards onthe integrated battlefield and provides information and warn-ing to other forces. One Fox program contract was to resolvethe issue of which weapon was suitable to be mounted on theFox vehicle because there were difficulties with the standardM60 machine gun. Further research led to the discovery ofthe M240 machine gun used by the U.S. Marine Corps andbuilt by FN Manufacturing Limited Liability Corp., Colum-bia, SC. At the conclusion of ODS, Moore and Comaty re-sumed their more routine contracting duties.

Comaty served as the KO for the Assembled ChemicalWeapons Assessment (ACWA) program from May 1997 untilDecember 2002. A unique program, the ACWA Dialoguewas formed in 1997 to ensure that the concerns of all partiesinvolved were integrated into the destruction of chemicalweapons. As this program progressed, a high level of trust de-veloped between the Dialogue and DOD, which had notbeen experienced in previous chemical demilitarization efforts.ACWA’s unique contracting approach was the decision toallow citizen participation in the procurement process.

Moore is the KO for the Joint Chemical Agent DetectorProgram. As former U.S. Army Materiel Command con-tracting interns, Moore and Comaty have a serious interestin training and developing future KOs and acquisitionworkforce leaders. Both work closely with current internsand have served as trainers and mentors. Moore insists thatinterns become proficient in researching acquisition regula-tions. She strongly believes that such research is key to theirfuture career field success. Moore and Comaty rememberthe challenges and rewards of their intern experiences andwant to share their knowledge and expertise with the Army’sfuture KOs. They feel the energizing effects of workingwith the recent college graduates and emphasize the impor-tance of sharing information and experience within the

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workforce, especially with interns. They willingly answerco-workers’ questions and agree the only possible dumbquestions interns can have are the questions they don’t ask.

During their careers in Army contracting, Moore and Co-maty have received numerous awards and citations. Whilethey appreciate the recognition they have received, theiroverriding motivation is to make important contributions tothe Nation’s chemical and biological defense programs.Moore and Comaty have seen remarkable changes in theworkplace and contracting career field as they both entertheir 33rd year of civilian service. What has remained con-stant is their dedication to service and commitment to excel-lence in supporting our Nation, our Army and our Soldiers.

Editor’s Note: This article was submitted by the RDECOMPublic Affairs Office.

Building a Better Future Through the Afghan First Program

COL Michael T. Luft

On March 25, 2006, Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan Commanding General LTG Karl Eikenberry established the Afghan First Program to “leverage the

command’s activities and resources to provide opportunitiesfor economic expansion, increased entrepreneurship andskills training for the people of Afghanistan.” In FY06,DOD awarded 11,829 contracts and invested more than $1billion in Afghan businesses. The Joint Contracting Com-mand-Iraq/Afghanistan (JCC-I/A) and its five Regional Con-tracting Offices (RCCs) in Afghanistan are essential contrib-utors to Afghan First success. As of August 2007, the RCCshave awarded more than 9,000 contracts valued at $600 mil-lion to rebuild Afghanistan. Because of this program, 70percent of contracts and 73 percent of the value remained inAfghanistan. As the head of Afghanistan contracting opera-tions, headquartered at Bagram Air Field, and as the Princi-pal Assistant Responsible for Contracting-Afghanistan(PARC-A), I actively solicit Afghan business participation inthis valuable economic development program.

Afghan First ProgramAfghan First is a fundamental shift to build Afghan business capac-ity by developing values-based leadership, responsibility, authorityand accountability. In the early stages of reconstruction, most ofthe emphasis was on giving unskilled Afghans jobs, but it lackedcapacity for training or building a future once coalition forces leaveAfghanistan. Under Afghan First, emphasis is on businesses to em-ploy and train local employees for higher skilled jobs. Providing ahelping hand in Afghanistan’s skilled labor development infuseseconomic growth, while building new trust and confidence in theAfghan people with their new government. The PARC-A con-tracting operation is building momentum and confidence and pro-moting Afghan business ownership by using the old adage: “Teach-ing a man to fish builds a skill for a lifetime.” Creating opportuni-ties for skills training, long-term employment, increased entrepre-neurship and economic expansion, the program fosters increasedhuman capacity while sustaining economic growth.

Actively Applying “Best Value”Operations orders direct commanders to simultaneously in-crease employment opportunities, skills training, businessgrowth, entrepreneurship and economic expansion inAfghanistan. Contracting officers (KOs) use a best-value ap-proach to evaluate and use Afghan First objectives whenawarding contracts. They evaluate proposals on the plan-ning, training and transfer of knowledge, skills and abilitiesto the Afghan workforce. Using this approach, Afghan Firstis highly incentivized and designed to allow diverse compa-nies worldwide to participate. The five qualifying factors toreceive credit for Afghan First participation are:

• Being an Afghan business owner• Being an Afghan senior or mid-level manager

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The M93A1 Fox NBCRS vehicledetects, identifies and marksareas of nuclear or chemicalcontamination. The NBCRS canalso collect soil, water andvegetation samples for analysis.(U.S. Army file photo.)


• Employing an Afghan labor force • Providing training for Afghan employees• Using Afghan subcontracting

By satisfying one or more of these factors, companies will qual-ify under Afghan First and receive higher consideration foraward. The more factors the bidders meet, the greater chancethey have of winning contracts. The ultimate goals are to builda robust business base, improve performance and encouragecompetition for solicitations in an open market economy.

Building for the FutureFollowing host nation business development command policy,KOs seek out capable Afghan businesses and build educationprograms and business solutions enhancing economic growth.Each KO is tasked to use tools and methods most practical tomake every reasonable attempt to support the Afghan Firststrategy. Where opportunities present themselves and itmakes sense under the circumstances, KOs craft a best-valueapproach to evaluate and use Afghan First criteria in awardingcontracts. Afghan First is to be weighted equally with costand not lower than any other no-cost factors.

Afghan First isn’t finished evolving yet, but the next steps forAfghanistan’s economic future are well underway. Accordingto LTC Tracey Kop, Afghan First Business Office Chief, “ThePARC-A and Combined Joint Task Force [CJTF]-82 havejoined forces to develop Afghan Business Centers as the nextstep in the evolution of the Afghan First Program.” The busi-ness centers offer business training, skills and development,and information via procurement experts and the Internet.The goal is to provide the basic business tool set to under-stand the procurement process and to find and then competefor available contract work. Depending on the area’s needs,centers could offer business assistance training, as well as con-struction, technology and agriculture training. The centers’

intentions are to grow and strengthen the private Afghanbusiness community and provide fair and open business trans-actions with all buyers, including the United States.

LTC David DeVore, the CJTF-82 Deputy for CJ5 FuturePlans, and key proponent for the business centers, acknowl-edges that business center development “is a community af-fair with a variety of participants and models contributing tothe successful planning and development of these centers.”Kop immediately agreed: “It takes an entire village to buildan Afghan business center.” Current operations and futureplanning are continuing the Afghan First Program’s goals —the hopes of connecting the Afghan people to a more pros-perous and secure future.

COL Michael T. Luft, U.S. Air Force, is the PARC-A andDeputy Commander, Afghanistan Contracting Operations,JCC-I/A.

U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) Supports Medical Brigade CT Scanners

David Denton

In the desert heat of Iraq, Army Combat Support Hospitals(CSHs) are using Toshiba™ computed tomography (CT)scanners to diagnose and treat wounded Soldiers. In early2006, three Toshiba CT scanners were shipped to Iraq undera USAMRAA contract, which included terms that mainte-nance be performed by Iraqi Toshiba contractor technicians.The CT scanners are at three CSHs under command andcontrol of the 62nd Medical Brigade, which assumed command from the 3rd U.S. Army Medical Command(MEDCOM) in August 2007.

In August 2005, the Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG)requested that USAMRAA assist the 44th MEDCOM inleasing Toshiba CT scanners that were urgently needed inIraq. OTSG and 44th MEDCOM agreed that the olderCSH CT scanners needed replacing with new cutting-edgetechnology offered by the newer multislice CT scanners.The Toshiba Aquillen 16-slice CT scanner was selected bythe OTSG radiology consultant because it would providephysicians optimal capability for diagnosis and treatment.Along with the medical requirements, logistical concernsdictated the need for a modular and mobile scanner thatcould be easily moved. Addtionally, the Toshiba Corp. in

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Afghanistan has plenty of unskilled laborers as well as highly educated workforcemembers such as doctors and lawyers. The Afghan First Program helps the groupthat falls in between. (U.S. Army photo by SSG Isaac A. Graham.)


Iraq would provide contractor support maintenance by Iraqilocal nationals (LNs). At time of the award, coalitiongeopolitical considerations required that Iraqi LNs betrained to operate and service the CT scanners since theirownership would eventually transfer to the Iraqi governmentwhen the Army redeploys from Iraq.

CT scanners are normally procured by the Defense SupplyCenter-Philadelphia. However, geopolitical considerationsand urgent priorities set by OTSG and 44th MEDCOMmandated that normal procurement procedures could not befollowed. To expedite the procurement and minimize trans-portation and support issues, the CTs were procuredthrough Toshiba’s Middle East representatives in France andJordan. Because of the language barrier, the USAMRAAcontracting officer (KO) negotiated contract terms and pric-ing directly with an English-speaking Toshiba representativein France, who happened to be a retired U.S. Navy radiolo-gist. Without this individual’s cooperation and patriotism,the contract would not have been completed. Negotiationswere completed within a few weeks and a contract awarded

in September 2005. The terms required daily monitoringand coordination among USAMRAA, OTSG, 44th MED-COM, the KO’s representative (COR) and the contractor.The equipment was shipped from Japan to Amman, Jordan,where it was assembled by Toshiba technicians and waitedfor Army-escorted transportation to Iraq. Unfortunately,the deteriorating security situation caused delays, and theCT scanners were not delivered to the CSHs in Iraq untilApril 2006.

Once the initial procurement was complete and all CT scan-ners were operational, the lease period began in May 2006.The 44th MEDCOM COR monitored performance androutinely communicated with the KO to resolve problems.In January 2007, the Army requested that the CT scannerin Mosul, Iraq, be moved to Al Asad, Iraq. Once again, theCOR contacted the KO, who expedited negotiations withthe contractor to make this possible. The Iraqi Toshibatechnicians prepared the mobile CT scanner for movementand reinstalled the equipment after its arrival at Al Asad.Recently, a CT scanner was damaged by indirect fire and be-came disabled, requiring emergency repair. Once again,quick coordination between the COR and KO broughttimely contractor equipment inspection with parts orderedand repairs accomplished as quickly as possible.

The insurgency situation created further security concernsfor the Toshiba Iraqi technicians who were routinely at riskwhen entering and leaving the CSHs. Increasing concernsfor the Iraqi’s safety resulted in the KO negotiating revisedcontract terms that allowed the Army to fly technicians tothe CSHs during heightened security and allowing them ac-cess to Army facilities. These changes allowed the Toshibatechnicians to safely and securely remain on the installationduring maintenance visits to the CSHs.

Since contract awarding, three units have commanded theIraqi MEDCOM and with each change in command, a newCOR was designated. USAMRAA continues a strong work-ing relationship with the COR and contractor, closely moni-toring performance, placing the CT scanners where they’remost needed, maintaining them to manufacturers’ specifica-tion and calibration standard, and making the CT scannerscapable of doing what they were designed to do — diagnoseand treat our wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen.

David Denton is the Administrative KO for the USAMRAAOperation Center/Contract Closeout Branch.

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Here, a CT scanner isused to examine a militaryworking dog wounded inaction. Two Army X-raytechnicians at the Al AsadCSH examine the dog thatwas wounded during animprovised explosivedevice attack on thevehicle driven by a U.S.Marine Patrol. Thehandler (center) was apassenger in the samevehicle. (USAMRAAphoto by CW3 Cynthia J.Dunbar.)

CSHs in Baghdad, Mosul and Tikrit received the CT scanners and were met byIraqi Toshiba technicians who assisted Army technicians in final assembly andtesting before scanning their first patients. Here, SGT Matt Dowling listens asa technician explains the CT scanner’s components at Camp Speicher, TikritCSH. (USAMRAA photo by CW3 Cynthia J. Dunbar.)


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Army Contracting Integrity Panel

Kyoung W. Lee

Signed into law by President George W. Bush in October2006, Section 813, John Warner National Defense AuthorizationAct FY07 (Public Law 109-364), directs the Secretary of De-fense to establish a contracting integrity panel to review con-tracting fraud, waste and abuse (FWA) vulnerabilities; recom-mend changes to regulations and policy, and submit annualreports to the Congressional Defense Committees. TheDeputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technol-ogy and Logistics created the contracting integrity panel onFeb. 16, 2007, and convened the first meeting on June 13,2007. To support this effort, Assistant Secretary of the Armyfor Acquisition, Logistics and Technology/Army AcquisitionExecutive Claude M. Bolton Jr. formed the Army Contract-ing Integrity Panel (CIP) on July 31, 2007.

Chaired by Bolton, the CIP provides an Armywide perspec-tive on procurement operations; provides support to theDOD CIP; and examines contracting FWA vulnerabilitiesidentified by the Government Accountability Office report,GAO-06-838R, dated July 7, 2006. CIP members includesenior leaders of Army contracting activities. The Army’sfocus will mirror the following DOD panel areas:

• Sustained senior leadership • Capable acquisition workforce• Adequate pricing analysis• Appropriate contracting approaches and techniques• Sufficient contract surveillance

The CIP focuses on long-term solutions and cultural change byidentifying and examining root causes of FWA. To achieve thisgoal, CIP looks beyond the traditional contracting community.For example, CIP supports the institutional Army’s awarenessthat everyone is responsible to remain vigilant in deterring FWA.Also, CIP is a 5-year commitment by Army senior leadership toeliminate contracting FWA vulnerabilities. Apart from the pub-lic and media pressures, CIP is dedicated to instilling permanentchecks and balances into the Army contracting integrity system.

Kyoung W. Lee is a Procurement Analyst for the Deputy Assis-tant Secretary of the Army for Policy and Procurement. She canbe reached at (703) 604-7113/DSN 664-7113 or [email protected].

U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) Apache Contracting Team Wins Award

Lisa Stangle

The AMCOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC)Acquisition Center contracting team was selected as the secondquarter Contract Professional of the Quarter Award winner.The team was cited for exemplary accomplishments in support-ing the Apache mission during the first 6 months of FY07 andfor successfully executing numerous contracts valued at $605million for the production and upgrade of 45 AH-64D ApacheLongbow War Replacement Aircraft in direct support of Opera-tion Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The team’s expertise and dedicationensured that the Congressional Supplemental urgent require-ments were accomplished in accordance with Department ofthe Army (DA) expectations. Further, individual undefinitizedcontract actions (UCAs) were issued for additional aircraft en-hancements and definitized in less than 150 days, well belowthe UCA average definitization lead times on Boeing activities.

This team also completed the follow-on remanufacture pro-gram for a joint U.S. government (USG)/foreign military sales(FMS)-United Arab Emirates (UAE) multiple-year firm-fixed-price contract valued at more than $1.1 billion. The criticalcontract included 96 aircraft for the USG and 30 aircraft forthe UAE, a first such joint endeavor for the Apache ProgramManager (PM). The team worked as a joint integrated processteam ensuring timely execution to fill the production gap untilthe Apache Block III program development is complete.

This team’s stamina attests to their exceptional commitmentto the Apache mission. Both programs were top priority to

The AMCOM LCMC Acquisition Center contracting team directly supportsthe U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache Longbow War Replacement aircraft forongoing OIF operations. (U.S. Army photo by SSG Michael L. Casteel, 982ndSignal Co. (Combat Camera).)


the Apache PM, DA and FMS communities, placing a greatamount of pressure on the team. However, they rose tomeet the challenges and demands, quickly executing theseprograms in an outstanding manner.

Lisa Stangle is the Director, AMCOM LCMC Acquisition Cen-ter at Redstone Arsenal, AL. She can be contacted at (256)313-4008/DSN 897-4008 or at [email protected].

Centralized Procurement Automated Data and Document System (PADDS) Clause Management Launched

Susan L. LeGros

In December 2005, the U.S. Army Materiel Command(AMC) formed a team to centralize PADDS clause manage-ment. PADDS is a contract writing system used by AMCat six Major Subordinate Command/Life Cycle Manage-ment Commands (MSC/LCMCs). A part of contract writ-ing is selecting standard provisions and clauses that apply tothe contract type and dollar value. Before centralization,each AMC MSC/LCMC managed its PADDS contractualclauses and provisions database and stand-alone clauseusage guide. This duplicated work and created numerousways of conducting solicitations and contract structuringwithin AMC.

Launched on June 2, 2007, the U.S. Army Tank-automotiveand Armaments Command (TACOM) LCMC-Rock Island(RI) started managing and maintaining contract clauses andthe clause usage guide for all AMC MSC/LCMC PADDS.It was an intricate and complex task to migrate six separatemaintenance functions into one central database. The teamworked extensively on several issues to make this initiative a

reality. Their hard work, innovation and accomplishmentshave brought a more comprehensive improved PADDS andclause guide.

The centralization initiative has other benefits in addition tostreamlining maintenance functions. It improves businessprocesses by providing timely and consistent information,and supports a unified AMC business practice with all sitesusing the same database/strategy in preparing their contrac-tual documents.

Putting PADDS Into PracticeThe team developed the required centralization automationby designing a seamless transition to the new system with noimpact on current PADDS contractual documents. Addi-tionally, they applied a multiple solutions approach wherepossible and practical. The team’s objective was to come upwith solutions that did not eliminate a site’s previous prac-tice. Using multiple solutions affords maximum flexibilityand choice to contracting officers (KOs).

A major initiative innovation is clause version control. Pre-viously, PADDS stored a clause only once — when it waschanged, deleted, overwritten or removed. As such, docu-ments were not saved for future reference. PADDS retrievedthe stored clause document (if not deleted) every time adocument “called” for it. This created a review burden.After receiving offers and making award determinations,contract specialists and KOs discovered that text and dateclauses in the resulting contract could be different from theactual solicitation. To solve this problem, each clause ver-sion is now stored and tracked to the applicable contractualdocuments. The team took this capability one step furtherby including an alert function that signals contract special-ists when a solicitation clause is updated or deleted.

Another PADDS improvement is the central clause guide.This revolutionary feature lets contract specialists use the guideto select clauses, and with the click of a mouse, their selectionsare added to the contract with no manual data entry required.Also, it can be used as an independent tool to research or re-view clauses. Process improvement and workload efficienciesare always good indicators of project success and benefits.With centralized PADDS, AMC has gained process improve-ments and workload efficiencies, as well as achieved a more in-tangible result — establishment of an AMC-wide network ofcontacts. Through this network, the AMC contracting com-munity is sharing ideas and solutions instead of operating in-dependently and duplicating efforts. The centralization proj-ect has served as a catalyst for AMC knowledge sharing and

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Susan LeGros (left) and Catherine Olvera are the multisite AMC centralizedPADDS clause management co-leaders. Along with other team members, theyhave developed and implemented processes that centralize a function previouslyperformed independently at six sites. (TACOM RI photo by Glory Barnes.)


partnering and has opened the door to further collaborationand standardization opportunities.

For more information on PADDS, contact Mary-LouiseMcCarroll at (586) 574-7628/DSN 786-7628 or at [email protected].

Susan L. LeGros is a TACOM LCMC-RI Procurement Analystworking in the Policy Office Procurement Directorate. She canbe reached at (309) 782-4369/DSN 793-4369 or [email protected].

DAR Council Corner

Tom Watchko

Below are recent Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) cases that were published in the Federal Register as interim or final rules.

Security Guard Functions — DFARS Case 2006-D050

Interim rule with request for comments. Effective Sept. 6,2007. This DFARS case implements Section 333, NationalDefense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY07 (Public Law 109-364). This section extends, through Sept. 30, 2009, the pe-riod during which contractor performance of security guardfunctions at military installations or facilities is authorized tofulfill additional requirements resulting from the terrorist at-tacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. There are spec-ified limits to the number of personnel the contractor can em-ploy, by fiscal year, for contracts awarded under this authority.

Limitation on Contracts for the Acquisition of Certain

Services — DFARS Case 2006-D054

Final rule effective Sept. 6, 2007. This DFARS case imple-ments Section 832, NDAA FY07 (Public Law 109-364).This section prohibits DOD from entering into a servicecontract to acquire a military flight simulator, unless the

Secretary of Defense determines that a waiver is necessaryfor national security and provides an economic analysis tothe congressional defense committees at least 30 days beforethe waiver takes effect.

Technical Data Rights — DFARS Case 2006-D055

Interim Rule with request for comments. Effective Sept. 6,2007. This DFARS case implements Section 802(a), NDAAFY07 (Public Law 109-364). This section requires thatDOD program managers for major weapon systems, andsubsystems of major weapon systems, assess the long-termtechnical data and establish acquisition strategies that pro-vide technical data rights to sustain the major systems andsubsystems over their life cycle. This interim DFARS ruleapplies to both technical data and computer software.

Carriage Vessel Overhaul, Repair and Maintenance —

DFARS Case 2007-D001

Interim rule with request for comments. Effective Aug. 28,2007. This DFARS case implements Section 1017, NDAAFY07 (Public Law 109-364). This section requires DOD toestablish an evaluation criterion for obtaining cargo carriageby vessel that considers the offeror’s overhaul, repair andmaintenance on covered vessels performed in shipyards inthe United States or Guam.

Tom Watchko works for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secre-tary of the Army for Policy and Procurement (DASA(P&P)) andis a DAR Council member. He can be contacted at (703) 604-7033/DSN 664-7033 or at [email protected].

Editor’s Note: This column’s former author, Barbara Binney,

has left the Office of the DASA(P&P) for another govern-

ment position. For the past several years, Binney has con-

tributed to Army AL&T Magazine and served the DAR

Council as the Army’s procurement policy representative. We

wish her the very best in her new job.

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Several U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) Customer Service Of-fices have automated phone response systems with 24/7 response capability tocareerists seeking guidance on Acquisition Career Record Brief (ACRB) edits,

certification and Army Acquisition Corps application processes, as well as proce-dures for Defense Acquisition University (DAU) training applications. USAASC is inthe process of expanding this capability throughout the Acquisition, Logistics andTechnology Workforce. Additionally, we have taken the automated response systemone step further by developing a Web-enabled response system entitled Ask AnACM, which will also provide 24/7 response capability via the USAASC Web site.To locate an ACM in your area, go to http://asc.army.mil/organization/regional/default.cfm and click on your home state. Before calling an ACM directly, pleasereview the below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), which are available online at http://asc. army. mil/faqs/ask/default.cfm.

Ask an Acquisition Career Manager (ACM)


ARMY ACQUISITION, LOGISTICS & TECHNOLOGY

ISSN 0892-8657

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• The Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command(JM&L LCMC) Provides the Best Capability to U.S. Warfighters

• Making the Best Quality Ammunition for the Warfighter — An Interview With the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command’s(JMC’s) BG James E. Rogers

• Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition (SMCA) and JointOrdnance Commanders Group Meet Warfighter Needs

• ARDEC — The Army’s Lethality and Armaments Systems Provider forToday’s and Tomorrow’s Warfighters
