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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Al. -- Experts from around the Army and industry will come together to address the current state and future plans for the force during the Association of the United States Army’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition Oct. 14-16 in Washington, D.C. During the three-day forum, Army and industry leaders will highlight how the force is “Transforming in a Complex World.”
A key piece to this transformation is how the Army Sustainment Enterprise is bringing critical capabilities to the point of need.
Kicking off a Contemporary Military Forum on “Bringing the OIB to the Tactical Edge,” Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, deputy commanding general and acting commander of Army Materiel Command, will highlight the capabilities of the OIB outside of the traditional U.S.-based 23 depots, arsenals and ammunition plants. The panel will take place Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. EDT.
“At any given time, there are about 600 to 1,000 OIB artisans outside the fence lines of their installations,” said Mohan. “These are specialized teams of technical experts that are shoulder to shoulder with our units, assisting with maintenance and training, and saving the Army time and money.”
In one example, a team from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command deployed to Korea to support the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade. They completed repairs to a Chinook helicopter in 13 days, verse the projected 222 calendar days if the helicopter had been sent back to Corpus Christi Army Depot, Texas, which saved the Army 1.8 million dollars.
“Our ability to get equipment back into the fight quickly is crucial to our nation’s ability to project strength,” said Mohan.
Along with the expeditionary capabilities of the OIB, a key piece to the rapid repair and return of equipment is harnessing the capabilities of advanced manufacturing technology, which can revolutionize how the Army can produce critical components quickly and efficiently.
Panelist, Maj. Gen. Michael Lalor, commanding general for U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, oversees the Army’s Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, which is leading the way in the Army’s advanced manufacturing capabilities. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, RIA-JMTC is ensuring that the OIB is responsive and capable of supporting Soldiers in any environment.
“As we prepare for large-scale combat operations within a contested environment, we can no longer rely solely on sustainment resupply capabilities provided by forward operating bases,” Lalor said. “RIA-JMTC’s advanced manufacturing capabilities are critical in ensuring that we can sustain our forces in any environment. By leveraging technologies like metal 3D printing, we can produce essential components on demand, reducing our reliance on traditional supply chains.”
Tied with advanced predictive logistics data analytic capabilities, the force is changing the way the Army Sustainment Enterprise will ensure Soldiers have what they need, when and where they need it.
The forum will be moderated by retired Maj. Gen. Clark LeMasters. Panelists include Maj. Gen. Ronald Ragin, commanding general for 21st Theater Sustainment Command; and Dr. Alex Miller, senior science and technology advisor for the Army Chief of Staff.
To view the sustainment panel and other AUSA events, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/AUSA2024.
| Date Taken: | 10.01.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.01.2024 15:13 |
| Story ID: | 482246 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Army to highlight OIB’s capabilities at AUSA 2024, by Megan Gully, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
