Photo By Shawn Eldridge | Brig. Gen. Ronnie Anderson Jr. (center), the Joint Munitions Command’s commander,...... read more read more
Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, deputy commanding general and acting commander of the Army Materiel Command, and other AMC senior leaders, listened intently during a virtual briefing with the Joint Munitions Command’s senior leaders on Nov. 5.
JMC, one of 10 major subordinate commands of AMC, provides precise and predictive conventional munitions sustainment and life cycle management to an expeditionary global force from 17 arsenals, depots and ammo plants in support of the Joint Force.
The update focused on how JMC, headquartered at the Rock Island Arsenal, is aligned with AMC’s strategic objectives.
When it comes to data and analytics, JMC is leading the way among other MSCs regarding the advancement of command projects.
The Army has allocated $50 million to fund artificial intelligence and machine learning innovations from smaller, emerging companies, and JMC has embraced the use of data and analytics, as well as the integration of AI and ML.
JMC has also developed a Quarterly Resupply Model, which is based around ML. Various studies analyzed the gap between forecasts and needs, and the QRM will alleviate the problem. Unit forecasts have led to depot inefficiencies and higher transportation costs, and the QRM will help JMC be more fiscally responsible.
The QRM establishes reorder points to support out-of-cycle shipment decisions, and the future state includes simulations to assist in needs and depot planning. In almost 27,300 total forecasts with QRM, between January through August 2024, there was a 74% prediction accuracy rate, while the Total Ammunition Management Information System’s accuracy rate was 25%.
“We chose September, October, and November for transition time because of the cycle of training,” said Ryan Senkbile, chief of JMC’s Munitions Logistics Distribution Division. “There’s less risk for transitioning at this time of the year.”
The QRM was in development for a year, and it will help JMC reduce the frequency of shipments to locations in the contiguous United States and position enough training ammunition at locations to sustain training over a quarterly period. Once the model is fully deployed, measurement of its success will allow for adjustments to account for differences in forecasting.
“There are a lot of different ways we can look at a model like this for application,” Mohan said of QRM. “This is great work; and because you’ve been able to pin a number to it, people can understand it easier and wrap their hands around it.”
In FY25, JMC is also exploring the use of AI for X-ray or CT image inspection of ammunition, and for streamlining operations and enhancing ammunition inspections by identifying the most common defects found by inspectors historically and reassessing the relevance of current inspection points.
“Using AI for this function can increase safety and improve reliability,” said Cindy Brock, JMC’s director of Organic Industrial Base Support. “AI can assist in recognizing risks and help commanders express those risks in the future.”
AMC's senior leaders also gained insight into various ongoing missions of JMC that provide support to Joint Warfighters and allied partners.
The Mobile Ammunition Renovation Inspection and Demil Team serves as a rapid response unit which can be deployed CONUS or outside the continental United States to meet urgent ammunition operation requirements for the Department of Defense and the JMC’s enterprise.
In FY24, the team executed eight missions and several of those were OCONUS for Army Aviation and Missile Command security assistance where JMC recovered missiles from allied countries. In FY23, the MARID Team executed seven missions.
“This is operational capability all the way down to the tactical edge, and this is what we do,” Mohan said.
JMC’s Logistics Assistance Representatives and Quality Assurance Specialists (Ammunition Surveillance) support exercises and training and respond swiftly to support contingencies or emergencies across the globe.
“They act as liaisons for JMC with operational and tactical units,” said Dan Brown, the director of the Quality Assurance Directorate for JMC. “Their duties include supporting the priorities of AMC, JMC, and the Army Field Support Brigade and Battalion. They deliver actionable intelligence along with pertinent reports. They are an essential part of our workforce.”
The Letterkenny Munitions Center, a subordinate of JMC, has a mobile missile maintenance team, and they perform precision-guided missile maintenance sustainment activities on location, CONUS and OCONUS, for every branch of the military and foreign partners.
As the briefing ended, Mohan expressed his gratitude and admiration for the JMC team's forward-thinking approach and dedication.
“The work you're doing is not just about improving processes, it's about ensuring the readiness and safety of our warfighters,” he said. “Keep up the outstanding work and remember that every innovation we make today builds a stronger Army for tomorrow."
| Date Taken: | 11.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2024 10:28 |
| Story ID: | 485933 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL , ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
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