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Shelters O Preparing for the Unknown O MRAP Sustainment Materiel Handling Equipment O Depot MX O Net Zero

The Publication of Record for the Military Logistics Community

Materiel Handler

Gen. Dennis L. Via CommanderU.S. Army Materiel Command

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U.S. ARMY MATERIEL COMMAND

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October 2013Volume 7, Issue 9

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Exclusive Interview with:MAj. GEN. LYNN A. COLLYARCommanderU.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command

U.S. Army mAteriel CommAnd SpeCiAl pUll-oUt SUpplement

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General Dennis l. Via commander

u.S. army materiel command

21

october 2013Volume 7, issue 9

Departments Industry Interview2 eDitor’s PersPectiVe4 loG oPs/PeoPle18 suPPly chain28 loG leaDershiP lessons35 resource center

larry lanzillottaSector Vice president and capture manager for land Forces programsnorthrop Grumman

MILITARY LOGISTICS FORUM

36

1 Major General lynn a. collyar commanderu.S. army aviation and missile command

7 eaGlethe enhanced army Global logistics enterprise program is designed to reduce redundancy and excess capacity through improved oversight of service contracts.By Melanie Johnson and Jody Fasko

exclusiVe interView with

6the arMy’s aPProach to net zeronet Zero is a holistic strategy for managing existing energy, water and solid waste programs with goals of exceeding minimum targets where fiscally responsible; providing greater energy and water security; and increasing operating flexibility. By kristine kingery

10touGher, sMarter sheltersSheltering troops and gear in the field is always a tough challenge. Defense customers increasingly demand better shelter performance.By henry Canaday

26PreParinG for the unknownFaced with ongoing funding uncertainties, threats of government shutdowns and the effects of sequestration, this generation of warfighters is entrenched in one of the most complex readiness dilemmas our nation has ever encountered. By MaJ. gen. kevin leonard (Usa, ret.)

29Materiel hanDlinG equiPMentthe last piece of equipment during the loading process and the first piece during the offloading process.By sCott nanCe

14DePot Maintenanceu.S. army depots play an important and diverse role in maintaining and sustaining equipment and systems on behalf of warfighters. each depot has its own areas of expertise and each develops its own relationships with contractors.By Peter BUxBaUM

32MraP sustainMent anD loGisticspurpose-built to meet specific operational requirements, the challenge is to keep the right-sized fleet operational.By sCott nanCe

It’s not often when the inspector general comes for a visit, followed by the inevitable report, that it’s good news. But the Marine Corps Blount Island Command (BICmd) contracting office was recently audited to determine if they used appropriate processes and procedures to award task orders to meet mission requirements for prepositioning and logistics support.

The maritime prepositioning ships program was started in 1979 to make Marine forces more responsive—basically being able to support an entire Marine expeditionary force, about 15,600 Marines, for 30 days.

The DoD Inspector General reviewed three task orders. Under task order 62, the contractor performed maintenance and material management of the equipment loaded aboard the Military Sealift Command ships at BICmd and performed limited equipment maintenance. Task order 66 provided logistics support for the Marine Corps ashore prepositioning site in Kuwait. Task order 67 required the contractor to provide logistical services in support of principle end item rotation, management of combat replacements and sustainment principle end item retrograde/redeployment.

Valued at more than $73 million, the IG found that the contracting offices and associated commands verified that requirements were valid, that they appropriately priced the task orders, they obtained legal and contract reviews for acquisition strategies, and that they prepared business clearance memoranda before the issuance of task orders.

Turning to other news—have you heard about the furloughs, debt crisis and gridlock? I should really drive by Capitol Hill more often; if I did, I probably would have seen the moat being built by the leaders and lawmakers of government to insulate themselves from the common sense of good governance. Otherwise, how could the budget and debt ceiling have snuck up on them so badly? How could they not have seen the massive catastrophe (the deadlines on the calendar that everyone else seemed to be aware of) hurtling at them at light-ening speed, yet not take any action until there is virtually no time left for resolution? Would such an esteemed group do something so sinister just to chalk a victory up for their party on the board—despite the cost to the economy and citizens of the country? I pray not—but I think so!

Jeffrey d. mcKaughaneditor-in-ChieF

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Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) are an effective

solution in improving military readiness while saving

billions. Under Boeing PBL programs, the Apache

Longbow has exceeded readiness targets by 19.3%,

the F/A-18 Super Hornet by 17.5%, while C-17 flying

hour costs have been reduced by 26% since 2004. An

AIA study estimates PBL savings to be $25-$30 billion

per year. That’s performance we can’t afford to lose.

Compiled by kMi Media group staffLOG OPS

Rear Admiral (lower half) David F. Baucom, who has been selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as director, strategy, policy, programs, and logistics, TCJ5/4, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Baucom is currently serving as commander, Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.

Brigadier General Duke Z. Richardson, vice commander, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, has been assigned to director, Logistics and Sustainment, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command,

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Colonel Shaun Q. Morris, who has been selected for the grade of brigadier general, senior materiel leader, KC-46 System Program Manager, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air

Force Base, Ohio, has been assigned to director, Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Air Force Major General Samuel D. Cox has been nominated for appointment to the grade

of lieutenant general and for assignment as deputy chief of staff, manpower, personnel and services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Cox is currently serving as director, operations and plans, Headquarters U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

Compiled by kMi Media group staffPEOPLE

New Deputy Commander at DLA Distribution

Current Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Director Twila Gonzales will assume duties as deputy commander of DLA Distribution, DLA Director Navy Vice Admiral Mark Harnitchek recently announced.

“Twila’s many years of experience in distribution and disposi-tion services will serve her well as we face the challenge of increased demand for operational efficiencies and effectiveness,” Harnitchek wrote in an email to the agency’s senior leaders.

Gonzales, who assumes her new position this fall, will assist Brigadier General Susan Davidson in all aspects of leading DLA Distribution and the nearly 7,000 men and women that perform the global distribution mission for the Department of Defense.

Prior to serving as the director of DLA Disposition Services, Gonzales served as deputy commander of the Defense Distribution Center, now known as DLA Distribution, from March 2007 until March 2008.

Gonzales began her career in 1979 as a summer intern with the Army and transferred to DLA in 1990. She has worked in numerous positions in the planning and resource management fields and holds a master’s degree in human resource and organization management She was inducted into the Senior Executive Service in 2006.

More Marine RFID TagsThe Department of Defense recently announced that Savi Technology

had been awarded a nearly $7 million contract under RFID-III to support the Marine Corps Total Force Information Technology Services. The contract is for the procurement of the active radio frequency identifica-tion tags in support of Marine Corps Total Force Information Technology Services.

RFID-III was established in 2008 with a $428 million contract ceiling to provide a full range of state-of-the-art hardware and integration services for logistics tracking, locating, and monitoring commodities and assets. The active RFID equipment is required to meet worldwide DoD and U.S. Coast Guard, NATO, coalition partners and other federal agencies needs in various CONUS and OCONUS locations.

Rapid Response Third GenerationVSE Corporation has been awarded a task order under its Rapid

Response Third Generation prime contract to continue a significant portion of the support services to the U.S. Army Reserve Command for its Equipment, Engineering, Maintenance and Logistics Readiness Program.

This program provides sustainment-level refurbishment services and overhaul of tactical equipment. VSE completes 1,000-1,200 major refur-bishments annually, with an acceptance rate of more than 99 percent over the last three years. VSE personnel work with government counter-parts to maintain construction and engineering equipment, tactical and non-tactical wheeled vehicles, automotive, ground support equipment, small-engine driven devices, heavy transporters, communications and electronics gear, small arms, and generators.

“We are very pleased that the dedicated employees of our Federal Group will be able to continue their equipment sustainment services in field locations across the United States,” said Federal Group President Donnelle Moten. “This award reflects the level of trust that we have built with our customer for many years by providing high-quality, rapid-response service to maintain some of the Army Reserve’s most important assets. We are dedicated to ensuring that the men and women who rely on this equipment will have what they need on time, every time.”

Afghan C-130H Contractor SupportThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization Air Training Command–

Afghanistan has undertaken the mission to develop and establish an Afghanistan Air Force (AAF) C-130H airlift operational capability.

To support that mission the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center has released a draft RFP seeking a contractor logistics support to support and sustain up to four C-130H aircraft at the main operating base in Kabul, Afghanistan, and as needed, provide on-call support at forward operating locations. This PWS also contains requirements to train, mentor and build AAF capability that enables the AAF to maintain the C-130H.

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JLG is proud to provide fl exibleGSA and DLA programs to assistin the purchase of equipment.

The Army is leading by example with its Net Zero Initiative. A number of federal mandates, rising fuel costs, over-reliance on fragile commercial power grids and aging water and wastewater distribution systems, coupled with the risk of compliance penal-ties, have challenged the Army to step up.

The Net Zero concept is built on long-standing energy effi-ciency and sustainability practices.

Net Zero is a holistic strategy for managing existing energy, water and solid waste programs with goals of exceeding mini-mum targets where fiscally responsible; providing greater energy and water security; and increasing operating flexibility.

Net Zero applies the principles of integrated design and incorporates emerging best practices in facility operations and management. Net Zero also supports the Army’s efforts to create a culture that recognizes the value of sustainability measured not just in terms of financial benefits, but also in terms of main-taining mission capability, quality of life and positive relation-ships with local communities.

The Army launched the Net Zero Pilot Installation Initiative in April 2011 with the identification of 17 pilot installations and one statewide energy pilot, all striving towards Net Zero Energy, Water, Waste, or all three.

The pilot installations vary in population, are geographically diverse, and include representation from all Army Commands. They range in physical acreage from Fort Bliss, Texas, with more than 1 million acres, to Fort Detrick, Md., with less than 1,500 acres. They also support a wide range of Army missions, from research and testing at Kwajalein Atoll, to education at West Point, N.Y., to innovation at Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pa., and to training, deployment and sustainment of units and teams for combat at Fort Carson, Colo.

These pilot installations are serving as test beds to improve technical analysis, develop roadmaps, identify best practices and lessons learned, and construct a solid foundation to transition and institutionalize the Net Zero concept throughout the Army. The pilot installations have and continue to serve as model com-munities for sustainability and quality of life.

Net Zero ImplemeNtatIoN HIerarcHy

The Army has developed three hierarchies of strategies an installation should employ as part of their existing programs, plans and processes to strive towards Net Zero. The Net Zero Implemen-tation Hierarchy guides installations as they develop and prioritize activities aimed at Net Zero.

Strategies for Net Zero Energy start with minimizing demand for electrical and thermal energy by reducing overall energy use, maximizing energy efficiency and implementing energy recovery and cogeneration opportunities. Once these avenues have been pursued, installations then offset the remaining energy demand with the production of renewable energy from on-site sources, such that the Net Zero Energy installation produces as much renewable energy as it uses over the course of a year.

Well-designed Net Zero Energy projects can support greater energy security for the installation’s critical facilities and their functions through these steps as they reduce the reliance on out-side fuel sources.

Strategies for Net Zero Water include reducing overall water use, regardless of the source; increasing the use of technology which uses water more efficiently; shifting potable water use to non-potable sources as much as possible; and minimizing inter-basin transfers of any type of water, potable or non-potable, such that a Net Zero Water installation recharges as much water back into the aquifer as it withdraws.

The Net Zero Water strategy balances water availability and use to ensure sustainable water supply for years to come. This concept is of increasing importance since scarcity of clean potable water is quickly becoming a serious issue in many countries around the world. The continued drawdown of major aquifers results in significant problems for our future. Strategies such as harvesting rain water and recycling discharge water for reuse can reduce the demand while desalination can be utilized to convert briny, brack-ish or salt water to fresh water so it is suitable for human consump-tion or irrigation. Net Zero Water projects should support overall water security for the installation’s critical facilities and functions.

army joINs a HolIstIc approacH to maNagINg eNergy, water aNd solId waster programs.By KrIstINe KINgery


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Strategies for Net Zero Waste include reducing, reusing, recycling, composting and recovering solid waste streams by converting them to resource values such that a Net Zero Waste installation has zero landfill disposal.

Every day, more recycling strategies are developed that move beyond metals, paper and cardboard to include waste materials such as: mattresses, glass, plastics, batteries, computer printers and motor oil. The best strategy is to consider the waste stream when purchasing items, reduce the volume of packaging, reuse as much as possible, and recycle the rest. A true cradle-to-cradle strategy considers the end state at the time the purchase deci-sion is made. A Net Zero Waste strategy eliminates the need for landfills, protects human health, and optimizes use of limited resources

Common to all Net Zero efforts is the need to increase awareness and modify behavior. The perspective that resources are abundant and plentiful must change, and with it associated behavior that does not protect and preserve these resources.

projects aNd progress to date

Baseline Assessments and Roadmaps to Net ZeroThe Army conducted baseline assessments and developed

roadmaps to guide the installation’s Net Zero initiatives. The Net Zero Roadmaps describe the strategy for achieving an installa-tion’s Net Zero goals. The roadmap process compares the current

energy use (derived from baseline data), water use (established with the water balance), and waste generation (based on waste characterization and disposal rates) with the desired end-state. Using information about the major resource consumers and associated costs, alternative sources of water and energy, and alternative methods of waste removal and applicable technolo-gies, various actions are described, compared, and placed on draft timelines—or if not prioritized, the actions are simply listed in no particular order. The roadmap assists the installation in plan-ning to reach their goals. Roadmaps also propose potential fund-ing sources and other implementation strategies.

Net Zero Implementation Guide At the end of fiscal year 2013, the Army wrapped up its first

draft of a Net Zero Installation Implementation Guide. The guide provides a practical, step-by-step framework to assist Army installations in striving toward Net Zero. The guide is intended to be used at the installation-level to focus and integrate ongoing management initiatives in the areas of energy, water and waste into existing installation programs, plans and processes. Net Zero is not a stand-alone program and the guide emphasizes that other projects and management systems already deployed across the installation need to be taken into consideration and included in the assessment steps and action development processes out-lined in the guide. The guide also emphasizes that collaboration and innovation are overarching key elements of each of the four major steps in Net Zero: Initiate, Assess, Roadmap, and Imple-ment.

Next Steps: Institutionalizing Best Practices and Instituting ArmyWide

The Army will issue a Net Zero policy in FY2014 to implement Net Zero Armywide. All installations will be directed to evaluate the feasibility of and then implement, to the maximum extent practicable and fiscally prudent, policies, procedures and new technology that advances them to meet their Net Zero goals. O

Kristine Kingery is the director, Army Sustainability Policy, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy and Sustainability (ODASA [E&S]).

WHEN: December 3 – 5, 2013

WHERE: Hilton Alexandria MarkCenter, Alexandria, VA

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FACING THE NEW CERTAINTIES: BUDGETREDUCTIONS & AFFORDABLE LOGISTICS

2013 THEME:

Reductions to FY 2013 Spending Under Sequestration

8% Defense discretionary $42.6 billion

8% Defense mandatory $0.1 billion

5% Nondefense discretionary $25.8 billion

5% Nondefense mandatory $5.5 billion

2% Medicare $11.3 billion

Adapting To New Global Challenges In A 21st Century Reality

IQPC-WBR Defense Log KMI Quarter Ad 1.1:Layout 1 13-10-04 11:52 AM Page 1

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

at www.mlf-kmi.com.

Kristine Kingery


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Sheltering troops and gear in the field is always a tough challenge. Defense customers increasingly demand better shelter perfor-mance.

“There is quite a bit going on in this area,” summarized Amy Klopotoski, contingency basing science and technology lead at Natick Soldier Systems Center. “We need to oper-ate contingency and temporary expeditionary bases, and energy is a big challenge today.”

Temporary shelters are powered by diesel generators, so fuel must be delivered, which costs money, exposes convoys to risk and makes bases vulnerable when vehicles enter. The less power consumed, the less cost and risk.

A habitation shelter requires a 5-ton envi-ronmental control unit (ECU) of up to 10 kW capacity. “It’s one of the largest power con-sumers on the battlefield,” Klopotoski noted. “What can we do to make it more energy efficient?”

Thermal insulation with heavy batting means extra weight, so is not a frequently used solution. “Can we make fabric with good thermal protection?” Klopotoski asked. “We look for advanced thermal materials, even three-dimensional materials with honeycomb pockets.” These would trap insulating air when installed, but collapse flat and light for shipping.

But putting advanced insulating materi-als into shelters encounters challenges: dirt, durability and materials flapping in breezes.

Solar shades over shelters can exclude radiant heat. “You’d be surprised how much this helps,” Klopotoski said. Adding photovol-taic panels could generate energy.

But U.S. forces are leaving the desert for other places, such as the Pacific region. Solar shades and photovoltaic panels may not be useful. New technologies will be needed. Horizontal-axis wind turbines are too large and impractical for temporary camps. But Klopotoski said small, vertical-axis turbines can be efficient in light winds and might be practical.

Reducing size and weight of shelters is always a priority.

Natick also works on temporary hangars, often rigid with hard panels. Preparing the ground and setting these up can take seven to 10 days.

Another technique is inflatable airbeam hangars, made of textiles that fold and roll up. These are inflated with air compressors and do not need cranes. Set-up takes just eight hours. Natick built an airbeam hangar for the joint strike fighter.

HDT Global’s Expeditionary Systems Group makes AirBeam, Base-X and Base-Xpress shelters for rapid set up. All are suited for expeditionary deployments and excel in harsh environments, said Marketing Vice President Greg Miller.

The 32- and 40-foot airbeams are the only shelters of this size offering rapid setup for vehicle maintenance, unmanned vehicles, hangars, logistics or storage. A 20-foot air-beam can be used for billeting or command and control operations.

HDT’s new AirBeam RaDome, for radar dome, provides superior protection for anten-nas from weather, wind and debris. RaDome comes in small, medium and large sizes.

HDT’s newest Base-X model is the ArctiX, designed for deployment in austere, cold-weather environments. It handles sustained winds up to 50 miles per hour, gusts up to 55 mph and snow loads up to 4 pounds per square foot. The ArtiX’s liner is breathable, weatherproof, lightweight and blackout-capa-ble. The shelter comfortably accommodates 15 prone personnel, cold-weather clothing and equipment and a heater.

Miller said HDT’s newest shelters, Base-Xpress, are the most cost-effective and easiest to set up on the market. Using an articulating frame, the shelter provides simple, rapid setup in a lightweight, easily transportable package. The frame and outer cover of Base-Xpress 402 weighs 125 pounds and the liner package 40 pounds. Two people can deploy this 15-by-12 foot shelter in 90 seconds.

Accessories available for Base-Xpress include lights, flooring, medical items, hygiene showers, power generation, heat and air conditioning environmental control units,

command and control setups, ruggedized furniture and waterproof cases.

HDT also makes heaters, power options and energy-efficiency solutions. Its energy-efficient ECUs range from 2.6 kW for a two-man shelter to 35.2 kW for a 40-foot airbeam. The firm also offers radiant barriers, solar shades and integrated renewable microgrid power distribution options to further improve efficient use of power in its shelters.

Cocoon sells shelters made by the Rubb Group of companies, said Vice President of Sales and Marketing John Vitale. These include both deployable military shelters and steel-frame re-locatable shelters.

Rubb deployable shelters have aluminum frames and are lightweight. They can be eas-ily packed for ship transport and erected and taken down quickly. Yet these shelters are still supported by a frame. Vitale said most deployable shelters are supported by tension of fabric. If there is a tear, the shelter can fall. “If ours tears, there is not a safety issue.”

Vitale said Rubb makes the only deploy-able hangar that has a crane mechanism, and a 2.5-ton crane can be hung on the hangar’s frame. “That saves floor space,” he noted.

These deployable hangars can be used for maintenance of fixed- or rotary-wing air-craft, for warehousing or other purposes. This Expeditionary Forces Aircraft Shelter System line has a flat door in front, where most deployable hangars have a clamshell door that Vitale said wastes space.

Rubb deployable shelters have been exten-sively used by the U.S. military. They come in diameters of 11.1, 20.4 and 25 meters, and can be extended to any length.

Rubb’s re-locatable steel-frame shelters are designed to provide a clear span of 250 feet with no pillars. The exterior is made of polyvinyl fabric cladding. These structures are built to international building standards, very sturdy in harsh environments. Yet they can be taken down and re-erected to serve several purposes. It takes 10 to 12 weeks to put one up, less time to take it down.

Rubb re-locatable shelters have been used at many U.S. Air Force bases overseas.

sHelters for lIvINg aNd worK are more tHaN frames aNd caNvas tHese days.By HeNry caNaday, mlf correspoNdeNt


They are used for large aircraft, warehouses and storage. They have also been used by the Army, and Vitale sees interest from the Marines and Navy.

Rubb re-locatable shelters can bear col-lateral loads for fire-suppression and dehu-midification equipment on the roof. “Others can’t handle those loads,” Vitale said. They are customized for local conditions, such as snow, wind and seismic activity.

For the future, Cocoon is focusing on energy efficiency, working with Rubb and other partners on this goal.

Seabox makes some highly flexible tem-porary shelters, according to director of mod-ular shelters Bill Begley. Its Shelter Pack is an insert that fits inside a standard shipping container. It can be erected in half an hour and taken down in two hours. Developed for humanitarian purposes, Shelter Pack is available to the military. It is 8 by 20 feet and comes with all necessary installation tools.

The shelter retails for $3,995, but Seabox offers discounts for large orders and can pro-duce up to 5,000 units per month.

Seabox’s Flat Pack consists of four shel-ters compressed into an 8-by-20-by-9-foot cube. Users need a forklift to stand up the walls. Begley said many manufactures make this kind of shelter, priced for $3,000 to $25,000, and “you get what you pay for.” The military uses Seabox and other firms’ flat-pack shelters all over the world. Begley said his company maintains its reputation for excellent quality by assigning a quality-control person to each Flat-Pack manufactur-ing site.

Seabox also makes a proprietary Col-lapsible Re-locatable Shelter (CRS) that is shipped like a Flat Pack, but can be set up or taken down in 15 to 25 minutes. “You could do that five times a day for 20 years; it really is reusable,” Begley said. He believes CRS is a natural for temporary berthing of U.S. mili-tary personnel.

A CRS can be used singly, assembled in line for any length, or mounted on top of other CRSs up to four stories high. It can thus make hospitals or large rooms, command centers “or anything you want,” Begley said. CRS have been sold to two major military contractors, and Begley is confident that, once CRS advantages are understood, mili-tary customers will follow.

Seabox recently built a new latrine and shower for the U.S. Air Force, said Nick Catanvariti, vice president of sales. The fall 2012 award called for 88 systems, each with 12 latrines, 12 showers, changing tents for

privacy and connectivity water, sewer systems and electric generators.

The Seabox system can be set up fast until permanent hygiene facilities are avail-able. And, using two rather than three bicon containers, the Seabox design consumes only two-thirds the space of a similar Army system. “The Air Force looked at the Army systems, there was lots of pressure for joint procure-ment, but they still decided to get ours,” Catanvariti said. “It costs less maintenance, less footprint and less money to deploy, and can be set up in minutes.”

Utilis makes soft-walled shelters, mostly for quartering troops and workshops. The company has developed a new line, taller than standard shelters, allowing for two more feet of head room, noted Business Development Manager Adam Bement. He said this TM Tall series is ideal for command posts and workshops and has been hugely successful in the field-hospital market because it provides more height for taller medical equipment. The Air Force expeditionary medical support, health response team recently announced it will change shelter inventory from Quonset-shaped tents to Utilis USA TM Tall.

Bement said Utilis is extremely fluid in responding to customer requirements. “We hear other companies offer limited styles of tents and customers have to change opera-tions due to shelter limitations. We add doors, partitions, windows and so forth to enhance the versatility for military units.”

Utilis is now working on a single-skin col-lective protection shelter system. Testing at Eglin Air Fore Base was successful. Warfight-ers can now deploy a normal shelter and then chemically harden this shelter in a matter of minutes. “In the old system they would have to add an additional liner, taking longer than erecting the shelter,” Bement explained. “Now the chemical barrier and shelter skin are the same.” He said it is revolutionizing military views on chemical protection of structures.

DRASH’s deployable military tents are available in 52 models ranging from 109 to 1,250 square feet in size. A line of specialty shelters includes control points, hygiene sys-tems and arctic tents. Setting up a DRASH shelter requires no special tools. Double lay-ers of fabric provide a naturally temperature-controlled environment.

Titanite, with 2.7 times the strength to cross-section ratio of aluminum, is used on most of a DRASH shelter’s frame. The shelter fabric is fire retardant, mildew resistant, water repellent and highly resistant to abrasion and ultraviolet rays.

DRASH’s Utility Support Transport (UST) trailers provide mobility, power and environ-mental control to DRASH shelters. Output varies from five to 60 kW, and many UST trailers have 5-, 8-, or 12-ton ECUs. ECUs include supply ducts for soft-walled shelters and provide a light-tight, weather-tight air seal.

In addition to shelters and power, DRASH offers intelligent power technology, smart power management that connects trailer-mounted generators to form a net-worked power microgrid. Power manage-ment reduces fuel use and maintenance requirements substantially.

AAR Mobility Systems offers shelters with the lightest weight rugged aluminum designs on the market, according to Mark Pickett, vice president sales, marketing and business development.

AAR’s 20-foot ISO shelter has detent rails for direct loading on 463L aircraft-cargo sys-tems and retractable corner blocks for move-ment on truck or ship. AAR’s shelters also include air mobile shelters, vehicle mounted shelters and a new 20-foot ISO lightweight common container.

AMS fits single or double pallet positions when stowed and is offered with hard or soft-walled expandable configurations. VMS is appropriate for a wide range of military vehicles and trailers and can also be deployed on the ground. Popular VMSs are the FMTV [Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles] 1087, the 1079 shopvan and a lightweight multi-purpose shelter.

AAR newest shelter is the Hardwall Expandable Redeployable Container (HER-Con), a modular, rigid-walled, stackable, energy-efficient shelter that uses a standard 20-foot ISO shipping container footprint. Ideal for temporary housing, one, two, or three HERCons can ship within a 20-foot ISO footprint. The stowed HERCon Mini is one-third the width of a 20-foot con-tainer and deploys as three shelters. The stowed HERCon Junior takes up one half the 20-foot width and deploys as two shelters. HERCon Senior stows in full width of 20 feet and deploys as a shelter with expanded walls. Picket said HERCon is suited for both humanitarian and military applications. O


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U.S. Army depots play an important and diverse role in maintaining and sustaining equipment and systems on behalf of warfighters. Each depot has its own areas of expertise and each develops its own relationships with contractors. These relation-ships often take different shapes within the same depot, depend-ing on the nature of the project at hand.

All of the depots have one thing in common, however. They are expecting, and some already are experiencing, a falloff in their workload as a result of the end of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Equipment removed from theaters of opera-tions is transferred by the Army Materiel Com-mand to one of its depots in the continental United States, for maintenance, repair, refurbish-ment or upgrading. Trucks that have been trans-ported stateside will usually find their way to the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas, or at the Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, Pa. Tracked vehicles, such as Bradley fighting vehicles, M88 armored recovery vehicles and Abrams tanks, will go for maintenance at the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama. Radios and

other electronic equipment are normally removed from the vehicles and sent to Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania, where they undergo a separate reset operation before being rein-tegrated into the vehicle.

“It is not uncommon for the military to keep weapons sys-tems in its inventory for 30 or 40, sometimes, 50 years,” said Frank Zardecki, deputy to the commander at Tobyhanna. “Exam-ples include the B-52 bomber and the Chinook helicopter. These platforms require maintenance as well as technology insertions and upgrades. Performing these activities at depots represents a

good value for the military and the taxpayer.”What is particularly valuable to taxpayers, pol-

icy makers and budgeters alike is that the depots are run much like a business, noted Colonel Ger-hard P.R. Schröter, the Tobyhanna commander. “The funding is tied into the Army working capital fund,” he explained. “The key point is that we get no appropriations directly. It is all based on the workload we receive. This drives efficiencies and drives us to operate as a business. Costs have been the focus of our culture since 1996. It has proved to be a very effective business model.”

repaIrINg aNd reBuIldINg equIpmeNt to maxImIZe wHat tHe warfIgHter Has at tHe ready.By peter BuxBaum

mlf correspoNdeNt

Frank Zardecki


“Our focus has been supporting the Army by repairing and remanufacturing the Army’s assets that have been used during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Jamie Bass, director for the busi-ness management office at Red River Army Depot. “Quite honestly, all of the fleets that Red River sup-ports have been used extensively and we have been called upon to bring them back to an operational condition. With the reduction of forces in Iraq, the requirements for repair of tactical wheeled vehi-cles has maintained steady requirement, while the requirements for combat assets such as the Bradley has been reduced.”

“It’s clear we’re going to have a reduction in combat operations,” said Colonel Billingsley G. Pogue III, commander of the Corpus Christi Army Depot. “In support of the war on terror, the depot has been producing remanufactured components and recapitalized aircraft at a record pace. As the fiscal drawdown continues and as our deployed forces come home, the consumption of material will slow down at a rate similar to the reduction in hours flown by our fleet. This is an opportunity to concentrate on items that are in less than optimal stock-on-hand positions. Fiscal year 2014 will be our opportunity to balance available spares against consumption for all of the Department of Defense.”

It should come as no surprise that as the nation has retrograded its forces out of theater, there has been a corresponding reduction in maintenance requirements and for the assets used to support those efforts. “The depot has seen a steady reduction in the direct labor hours worked at the depot since 2011, and we expect that to continue into 2015,” said Bass.

Anniston Army Depot expects its mix of work to stay the same, but its workload has been steadily coming down.

“At the high point in 2008, we had 6.8 million direct labor hours,” said Michael Burke, deputy to the commander at Anniston. “That came down in 2011 to 2.4 million hours. This year we may end up with 3.3 million hours but we expect that rate to decline and level off at 2.5 million hours in the coming years.”

“By 2014 or 2015, we expect to see a pretty significant drop of about 20 percent to 25 percent in our revenues,” said Schröter. “This year we had $850 million in revenue. Next year we expect $620 million. The reason is the sizable drop in Army C4ISR requirements.”

“It’s natural to be going through this,” added Zardecki. “It happens after every war. That’s part of the value of the Army depots. Nobody can surge like the depots to meet the requirements of a conflict. We can respond rapidly by hiring folks as regular employees, temps and contractors.”

Three types of partnerships prevail between the depots and their contractors, explained Phillip Dean, chief of logistics and business development at Anniston. “In a work share environment, a project is funded through normal government channels but the work is split between the depot and the contrac-tor,” he said. “In the case of a direct sales contract, we become a subcontractor to the contractor. They pay us directly, usually to perform touch labor such as the painting of vehicles. In a facilities-use arrangement, a private contractor can come in and pay for the use of our facilities.”

How the relationship is framed is usually deter-mined locally and is based on what is in the govern-ment’s best interests. “In our contract with General Dynamics for resetting the Stryker, we split the workload 50-50,” said Dean. “In other cases, we

provide all the touch labor while the contractors provide other

Col. Billingsley G. Pogue III

jamie Bass

Col. Gerhard P.R. Schröter

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services such as the engineering work and supply chain manage-ment.”

The Corpus Christi Army Depot has commercial partnerships with Sikorsky, Boeing, GE and Honeywell and has a touch labor contract with L-3. “With the four primes, it’s a public-private partnership and we gain efficiencies in supply chain management and engineering in return for partnering with those businesses to produce components and aircraft at the depot,” said Pogue. “The L-3 contract is a standard labor contract that provides contractor augmentees to our Department of the Army civilian workforce.”

A visitor to a work center or on the shop floor will find it dif-ficult to distinguish an Army civilian employee from a contractor, according to Pogue. “Typically, they are all wearing Corpus Christi Army Depot t-shirts,” he said. “They’re typically veterans working side-by-side to produce readiness for the Army. The Department of the Army civilians are required by law to keep the capacity of the Army aviation depot warm, to be ready to respond to conduct our core mission no matter what. Contractors allow us to flex and surge when necessary, to meet workload requirements.”

Anniston hired 1,000 temporary workers from a local contrac-tor when its workload surged. It has since released most of them and is now down to 80 temporary workers.

Red River enjoys several different types of relationships with private contractors. “We have contractors that support our day-to-day requirements related to our mission and we also have public-private partnerships with several private contractors,” said Bass. “Our public-private partnerships are particularly important to the depot.”

At River River the work share between the depot and private industry depends upon the workload requirement. “What the depot brings to the table in these partnerships is our touch labor,” said Bass. “Our team members are artisans at their jobs. Many have been working at the depot for over 30 years and are extremely experienced on the platforms we support. That fits nicely with private industry as they typically bring their expertise to bear by supporting the supply chain management, program management and technical engineering aspects of the endeavor.”

It is possible for a depot to have different types of contracts with industry partners on the same vehicle. Anniston has had a work share agreement with General Dynamics to upgrade and reset the tanks for the Marine Corps and a direct sales agreement for paint and repair work. It has a direct sales agreement with Gen-eral Dynamics for the assembly of the Stryker and a work share agreement with the same company for the painting and repair of the vehicle.

While the relationships between depots and contractors are usually a local matter, sometimes headquarters weighs in on what it thinks the best arrangement would be for a specific project. Anniston’s M1 contract, in which the depot does some of the work locally before shipping the tanks off to a General Dynamics plant in Lima, Ohio, is an example of the latter.

“Partnerships are perfect for taking the strengths of the dif-ferent partners and bringing them to bear on the requirement,” said Bass. “There have been many benefits over the years due to the public-private partnerships that are in place with the depot and private industry. First and foremost has been the development of extremely strong relationships. The depot gains in terms of general knowledge as our partners share their processes and ideas with the depot. Quite often, partnerships also bring facilitization

to the depot. As part of the partnership, private industry will agree to purchase and install the equipment at the depot to allow the partnership to execute the mission. That equipment remains at the depot and becomes part of our overall capacity for years to come.”

Over the years, Red River has taken some innovative ideas and processes from private industry and incorporated them into the depot’s operating system. “Probably the most significant thing that Red River Army Depot brings to a partnership is our Lean processes,” said Bass. “We have become an organization that incorporates the tenets of Lean manufacturing into everything we do. Continuous improvement is not just a catch phrase here. It is part of our culture.”

At Anniston, work share agreements are favored because they are funded through normal government channels and because they represent a three-way partnership that includes the program office. The chief benefit of a direct sales contract is that it brings in work to the depot it might not otherwise get. A facilities use contract, for its part, utilizes depot capacity than might otherwise lie idle.

“It takes advantage of the infrastructure already in place that the government has already bought and paid for,” said Burke.

Contractors also benefit from partnerships with depots, noted Pogue. “They are involved with depot maintenance that they might not otherwise be involved with in a period of less military spending,” he said. “Engine manufacturing lines are very similar to how we do it here because we share best business practices—through a continuous improvement process, that is immediately shared. The fact they are here, participating and coordinating here, it’s a win-win. You have open lines of communications with the prime vendor that you wouldn’t otherwise have. The response time is typically days, not months.”

“Twelve months ago we were at a transition point in the busi-ness cycle that comes about when conflicts scale down,” said Schröter. “The depot has expanded over the last 10 years for over-seas operations and now we are going through an internal review to reduce overhead and related costs to meet our future work load requirements for the next 10 years.”

“Our hope at Red River is that these relationships grow,” said Bass. “We all understand that the overall defense budget will decrease in the coming years. We also understand that there will continue to be a requirement to maintain our nation’s equip-ment. Finally, we understand that there must be a capable organic and commercial industrial base to meet those requirements. We believe that the best way to achieve this is through public-private partnerships. Rather than compete against private industry we need to find ways to partner to ensure that our nation’s mainte-nance needs are met and also ensure that the entire industrial base remains viable in the future.”

“I expect,” said Pogue, “that the relationships will continue to improve, continue to glean efficiencies out of taxpayer dollars and to meet our nation’s requirement for equipment that is well maintained and ready to deploy.” O


Steve Zink leads Mack Defense,

LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Mack Trucks, Inc. and a member

of the Volvo Group’s Governmental

Sales division. Steve has a long

history in executive management,

delivering several major defense

vehicle programs of record during

his career. Most recently he was

appointed President & Managing

Director of Mack Defense, where he

holds a position on their Board of

Directors, which includes chairman

Paul Hollowell, LTG (ret) Charles

Mahan, and LTG (ret) William

Mortensen.

Q: What can you tell us about Mack Defense?

A: Mack Defense has a long history with the military that many may not be aware of. We manufactured over 4,000 trucks to support the Allied Forces during WWI and over 30,000 during WWII. Our corporate symbol was earned during WWI, given by British soldiers who found our trucks to have the same look and tenacity of their country’s mascot, the bulldog. The famous hood ornament has adorned nearly every Mack since then, a nod to our heritage and a promise to keep the same philosophies intact that earned it in the first place. The military also provided us the first opportunity to be part of an armored program, with the Buffalo A1 MRAPs built on Mack chassis.

Mack Defense in today’s world is a fast-growing, fast-moving part of the Volvo Group- the world’s largest producer of heavy trucks and transportation systems. Mack Defense is responsible for all federal-level programs, including military, security, emergency, and armored customers, both domestically and abroad. Our customers include the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, with active GSA, DLA, and FMS contracts.

Q: How does your association with the Volvo Group benefit Mack Defense and your customers?

A: The sheer global size of the Volvo Group is a huge advantage to Mack Defense. It allows us to utilize the major manufacturing operations we have in 18 countries and leverage the existing service and support network of dealers and parts distribution centers to keep our products supported in the over 190 markets that we supply today.

With a global defense organization, the size of our portfolio is enhanced which provides access to other brands and products within the Group, preventing historical barriers to entry such as engine emissions, and local vehicle safety/legal standards.

Q: From your perspective, what are some trends in the defense vehicle market?

A: With defense vehicle sales down from historical numbers, we see many manufacturers in a position where downsizing is required due to the large overhead once required to meet capacity demands. We are very fortunate at Mack Defense to be in a growth cycle, increasing our team and capabilities organically as the market demands it. The Volvo Group is committed to Mack Defense and the military industry as shown by our recent growth and acquisitions in Europe of Panhard, further increasing the size and portfolio of our team.

An increased focus on export markets is another strong trend as US-based programs decrease. European OEMs are now paying attention to opportunities in the Western Hemisphere and the same can be said for North American companies looking East. Local manufacturing requirements in many cases go hand-in-hand with exporting, and can be a challenge to meet for export clients, but having embedded manufacturing capabilities in many regions already is an enormous benefit to Mack Defense.

Q: What does the future hold for Mack Defense?

A: Numerous Canadian programs are a major area of focus right now, along with the continued development of our export business in the historically strong markets we inhabit of Central/South American, Africa, and the Middle East. Our leadership in the vocational truck market puts us in a great position to pursue the upcoming US Army Heavy Dump Truck (HDT) program, a project we are excited to be a part of. I look forward to a strong future for Mack Defense as we continue to grow and expand our operations.

Mack Defense, LLCAllentown, PA [email protected]

Steve ZinkPresident & Managing DirectorMack Defense

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Refrigerator Trucks to Afghanistan

Navistar Defense LLC, already a key supplier to the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, has received an order from the U.S. Army (Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command) for 75 refrig-erator vehicles designated for service with the Afghan National Security Forces.

The award, for $10.2 million, accounts for 75 vehicles as well as parts and support. The vehicles are based on the International WorkStar 7300 series 4x4, and are consistent with the Navistar Medium Tactical Vehicle fleet. They will be used to transport

refrigerated goods such as meat and fresh vegetables.“We are pleased to continue to provide and

support International products for the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police,” said Bob Walsh, vice president and general manager, Navistar Defense. “Our refrigerated vehicles are an excellent continuation of our vehicle base in country, and will go a long way to provide for our warfighters in the heat and climate conditions of Afghanistan.”

Navistar Defense has supplied refrigerator vehi-cles since 2004. The vehicles will be delivered in the first part of 2014.

Compiled by kMi Media group staffSUPPLY CHAIN

Depot Level Support for Super Cobra NTSElbit Systems of America LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd., has been awarded a $44.8

million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for the ongoing depot level service and support of the U.S. Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter’s night targeting system (NTS). Elbit Systems of America’s Merrimack facility received the contract for services and support to be performed over the next five years. Separate delivery orders will be issued to satisfy each year’s requirements of the nine weapons replaceable assemblies that make up the NTS.

“The award is representative of more than 20 years of successful performance and customer satisfac-tion on both the NTS and successor NTS upgrade programs,” stated Raanan Horowitz, president and chief executive officer of Elbit Systems of America. “Our mission is to provide systems and services that protect and save lives. We look forward to the opportunity to provide rapid, quality support for our men and women in uniform.”

Protective Covers Pass Navy MusterTranshield Inc., a manufacturer of high-

tech protective covers for commercial and indus-trial markets, has announced that their patented Armordillo protective covers have successfully completed evaluation with the U.S. Navy. The evalu-ation of Transhield Armordillo advanced protective cover technology occurred over a nine-month period onboard several surface combatants and at the Naval Research Lab. As a result of the evaluation, Naval Sea Systems Command released a message to all Naval commands stating it has approved Armordillo protective covers for use by the surface ship fleet to help reduce corrosion of weapons systems and other topside equipment.

“Based on our own extensive testing we have always been confident in the ability of our high-tech protective covers to provide superior corrosion protection in extreme environments. To have that confirmed through this U.S. Navy evaluation is deeply gratifying. We are very excited that Transhield can deliver to the U.S. Navy a next-generation cover

technology that is much lighter, easier to install and significantly less expensive than current covers,” said James Glick, Transhield’s president.

Continued Glick, “The saltwater environment is among the harshest and provides a significant chal-lenge for maintaining equipment. We developed our Armordillo technology in response to the U.S. Navy’s need to effectively protect equipment in these types of onboard conditions. Our employees take a great deal of pride in the fact that we are supporting the war fighter at sea with a product that helps ensure mission readiness.”

The company’s patented technology is integrated throughout its protective covers. It reduces corrosion by 85 to 95 percent by wicking away moisture from metal while simultaneously disrupting the electro-chemical reaction that causes corrosion. The compa-ny’s protective covers are tested using ASTM standards for breathability, ultraviolet blockage, tensile strength and yield strength. They are lightweight, 100 percent waterproof and provide years of use.

First F-35 Welcome to Ogden ALC

Several hundred people gathered in hangar 237 to witness the first F-35A Lightning II which arrived for depot level maintenance during a ceremony hosted by the Ogden Air Logistics Complex commander, Major General H. Brent Baker Sr.

The ceremony addressed Hill’s key role in the depot repair and the F-35’s role in national defense by several different speakers, which included Senator Mike Lee; Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin’s execu-tive vice president and general manager of the F-35 Lightning II Program; Rear Admiral Randolph Mahr, DoD F-35 Deputy Program Director; Lieutenant General Bruce Litchfield, Air Force Sustainment Center commander; and Senator Orrin Hatch.

Baker was the final speaker and gave the order to open the doors and unveil the aircraft to the capacity packed hangar’s attendees. Other dignitaries at the ceremony included local mayors, Utah Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell and members of the Utah State House and Senate.

The first F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant is from the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev., and is in a prototype configuration. The Ogden ALC will modify the aircraft with a series of structural and systems modifications to enhance critical capabilities needed during operational test and evaluation testing.

“For decades the shared partnership between Lockheed Martin the Ogden ALC team has taken our legacy platforms, the F-16, C-130 and F-22, to the next level, and the same will hold true for the F-35 Lightning II,” said Martin. “This aircraft was designed from its inception to evolve through modifications and upgrades so that our warfighters can continually outpace their opposition. I look forward to what the future holds for the F-35 and am excited to see that evolution unfold.”

Litchfield also talked about this historic day in the history of the ALC.

“The F-35 found the right home for sustainment,” he said. “Team Hill will deliver cost-effective modifications for this aircraft.”

By George F. Jozens, 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs


Compiled by kMi Media group staffSUPPLY CHAIN

Support for Army UAS/Fixed Wing and for Air Force Life Cycle Management Center

Wyle has been awarded an $18.5 million contract to support U.S. Army unmanned aircraft systems and fixed wing programs including the Gray Eagle, Sky Warrior, Hunter, Shadow, Hawker Beechcraft, Cessna, Gulfstream, Viking Air, de Havilland and all small unmanned aircraft systems.

The three-year award is a task order from the Reliability Information Analysis Center and supports the Army’s Project Manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Project Manager, Fixed Wing, both based in Huntsville, Ala.

Wyle will provide the Army project offices at Redstone Arsenal with engineering, analysis and testing programs to identify approaches for reliability and supportability improvements. This research and development work will include aircraft-associated support and produc-tion systems as well as vulnerability studies leading to increased equipment reliability and a reduction in support costs.

These fielded unmanned aircraft systems and the manufacturing equipment used to support them are aging faster than originally expected because of high use in the Afghanistan and Iraq war zones. Reliability, maintainability, quality, supportability and interoper-ability issues have become more apparent because of the high use.

Wyle will support the development of reliability improvement processes and successful implementation of these processes to enhance readiness while reducing life cycle costs for the two programs.

In other news, Wyle has been awarded a $15 million task order to provide specialized system assurance and engineering product analyses for the U.S. Air Force’s Life Cycle Management Center through its Engineering Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Under this task order Wyle will provide engineering, airworthiness, system security and assurance, risk management and safety analyses in developing, imple-menting and executing product logistics, sustainment and acquisition strategies across the portfolio of aeronautical weapon systems for the Air Force.

Through the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Engineering Directorate Wyle will perform and document analyses and strategies, logistics management, program management, life cycle and cost analysis prod-ucts to refine and improve initiatives across the center.

“Wyle was selected due to its extensive reputation for thorough and independent analysis, and testing capabili-ties,” said Gary Konnert, Wyle’s program lead.

UCAS-D Testing Program Continues with Air-to-Air Refueling Concept DemoThe Navy continues to demonstrate

multiple technologies that promise to signifi-cantly increase the endurance and range of carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

As part of the Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) program, the Navy and industry partner Northrop Grumman completed another phase of its autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) test.

“The AAR segment of the UCAS-D program is intended to demonstrate technologies, repre-sentative systems, and procedures that will enable unmanned systems to safely approach and maneuver around tanker aircraft. We are demonstrating both Navy and Air Force style refueling techniques,” said Captain Jaime Engdahl, Navy Unmanned Combat Air System program manager. The Navy, Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have been working closely since 2001 to develop technologies and mature operating concepts for AAR, according to Engdahl.

In preparation for this phase of the AAR testing, Calspan Aerospace developed, built and tested an inert refueling probe that they installed on the nose of a surrogate unmanned aircraft, a Learjet inflight simulator. In August, the AAR UCAS-D team arrived at the Calspan facility and while a team from Northrop Grumman installed the X-47B’s navigation, command and control, and vision processor

hardware and software on a Calspan Learjet aircraft, the government team installed the government-developed Refueling Interface System and Tanker Operator Station on an Omega 707 tanker aircraft. The team then conducted initial ground and taxi tests, which culminated in the first AAR test flight August 28. The team then conducted a series of flights using the surrogate aircraft equipped to fly autonomously behind an Omega K-707 tanker.

The AAR test was designed to assess the functionality of final X-47B AAR systems and navigation performance, as well as to test the government tanker refueling interface systems. The AAR program is using similar digital messaging, and navigation processes that have been demonstrated by the UCAS-D team aboard the aircraft carrier.

“Demonstrating AAR technologies and standard refueling procedures is the next logical step for our demonstration program. The team has shown that we can use the same systems architecture, Rockwell Collins TTNT datalink, and Precision Relative GPS algorithms to extend the concept of distrib-uted control of autonomous systems from the aircraft carrier to the airborne refueling environment,” said Engdahl. “The initial tests showed excellent system integration as well as good navigation and vision system perfor-mance.”

DLA IT Support

Tista Science and Technology Corporation, a service-disabled veteran-owned small busi-ness and 8(a) IT and engineering company, has won its first contract to provide information assurance support services for the Defense Logistics Agency. This prime contract has one base year with two one-year options.

The company will support DLA’s Enterprise Architecture with solutions for information assurance operations, DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process, vulnerability management and DoD 8570 certification compliance. Tista will also focus on the security functions in the software development life cycle, which includes requirements, architecture, design, coding and deployment.

“We will leverage our CMMI accreditation and ISO certification for a structured approach to meet DLA’s information assurance needs,” said Ahmed Ali, president and chairman of Tista. “Our institutional knowledge and cybersecurity expertise will give DLA the ideal support required to help it meet its mission.”

The company has performed similar work for the Defense Information Systems Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.


General Dennis L. Via assumed duties as the 18th commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command August 7, 2012. AMC is the Army’s premier provider of materiel readiness to ensure dominant land force capability for the U.S. warfighter and our allies.

Via’s prior assignment was as AMC’s deputy commanding general. He deployed to Southwest Asia in October 2011 as the commander, AMC Responsible Reset Task Force, with the mission of leading the strategic integration of the Materiel Enterprise for the retrograde of equipment and materiel out of Iraq at the conclusion of Operation New Dawn. Prior to that, he served as director for command, control, communications and computer systems, J-6, the Joint Staff, Wash-ington, D.C.

A native of Martinsville, Va., General Via was commissioned on May 18, 1980, in the Signal Corps after graduating as a Distinguished Military Graduate from Virginia State University. He holds a master’s degree from Boston University, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (class of 1991) and the U.S. Army War College (class of 1999).

The general’s command assignments include the 82nd Signal Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; 3rd Signal Bri-gade, III Armored Corps, Fort Hood, Texas; 5th Signal Command, United States Army Europe and 7th Army, Mannheim, Germany; and the United States Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Man-agement Command and Fort Monmouth, Fort Monmouth, N.J.. His key staff assignments include aide-de-camp to the Chief of Staff, Allied Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy; Operations Officer, J-6, Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, Washington, D.C.; Division Chief, Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, United States Army, Washington, D.C.; principal director for operations, Defense Information Systems Agency/deputy com-mander, Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations, United States Strategic Command, Arlington, Va.

His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster; Defense Merito-rious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters; Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Joint Service Achievement Medal; and the Army Achieve-ment Medal. He is authorized to wear the Master Parachutist Badge, Joint Staff Identification Badge, and Army Staff Identification Badge.

Q: You have been in command of AMC for a little more than year now—how does the AMC of today compare to the AMC of a year ago?

A: It has been a remarkable year for the Army Materiel Command. As our Army transitions from more than a decade of combat and enters a period of prolonged fiscal uncertainty while supporting increasing

contingency requirements around the world, AMC is in the midst of adapting its commands and organizations to remain the premier provider of readiness for the Army and the joint force. My first year of command provided me an opportunity to visit all of our subordinate commands, and the majority of our facilities and our employees. I also traveled extensively to talk to our customers—our warfighters. In the past 13 months, I have traveled to all corners of the U.S., from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Albany, N.Y., and Concord, Calif., to Sunny Point, N.C., from Alaska to Florida, and overseas from Germany to Korea to Afghanistan.

Everywhere I’ve visited, I have been tremendously impressed with the complexity and the volume of activities, support and capabilities that AMC is involved with, both here in the United States and around the world. That is particularly clear in our support to the forces for-ward deployed in the Central Command area of operations, and in other theaters of operations.

We continue to meet the mission in spite of budget challenges. Every single day our soldiers, civilians and contractor teammates in the CENTCOM theater of operations—as well as other theaters around the world—are providing support to forces deployed in harm’s way and to those preparing to deploy. They are continuing to sustain our prepositioned stock of materiel and equipment in various sites around the globe, ensuring that we are prepared to meet any future

General Dennis L. Via Commander

U.S. Army Materiel Command

Materiel HandlerMaintaining Materiel Readiness to Support a Trained and Ready Force

Q&AQ&A


contingencies, whether that’s a kinetic fight or in support of a humanitarian assistance or disaster relief operation.

Our organization and command has trans-formed and operationalized over the last 12 years of war. Being operationalized has been positive for the command, as it caused us to take a holistic look at the capabilities we provide. Our warfighters trust the AMC patch. They know we will be there when they need us to be there.

That trust from the warfighter is a tremen-dous asset for the command. However, we must work hard every day to continue to garner that trust.

Q: Last year the Air Force Materiel Command instituted a fairly significant reorganization of its structure to reduce costs and increase efficiencies. You have been in the command for some time now; are you considering any reorganization of the overall organization or any of its elements?

A: The ongoing discussions and reports about the reshaping of the Department of Defense and the Army are no secret. We know that across the board reduc-tions in federal spending imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act and sequestration will significantly limit the Army’s budget in the foresee-able future. Per direction from Headquarters, Department of the Army, we are currently reviewing how to reduce Army Headquarters [institu-tional and operational, at the 2-star and above levels] in the aggregate by 25 percent.

This is not the first time our Army and AMC have faced this level of strategic change. We must adapt to ensure our warfighters’ needs are always met. To do that, we are taking a comprehensive look across the command, examining organization structure, mission and functions.

We are also reviewing all of our command structures. Our goal is to reduce duplication, eliminate redundancies, and lower our overhead. However, no final decisions have been made.

As the commanding general of AMC, I have to ensure we have a clear and coordinated vision of our path forward. Our priority going in will be to take care of our people while meeting our mission. We must seize this opportunity to reshape AMC for the future—and remain capable of providing combat readiness for a smaller, more capable Army.

Q: How do you see the role as the Army’s lead materiel integrator [LMI] evolving over the next few years?

A: AMC continues to lead the way in the provision of life cycle logistics information and supporting automation capabilities for the Army. These efforts are critical to execution of the Army LMI role, and directly support our core competencies to equip, sustain and integrate materiel to enable an Army decisive force.

The mission of the LMI is to effectively and efficiently distribute and redistribute materiel to support the generation of trained and ready forces. LMI provides a new approach to materiel distribution and redistribution that will foster open communication, improve collabo-

ration and eliminate redundancies in materiel management. The first goal of the LMI approach is to integrate and synchronize distribution of Army materiel consistent with the goals in the Army’s equipping strat-egy in support of the Army Force Generation [ARFORGEN] concept. Synchronizing distribution of all materiel across the Army will allow a more efficient use of scarce materiel, which will, in turn, drive an improvement in readiness. The LMI approach includes the transition to an enterprise approach to materiel management, allowing the Army staff the freedom to focus on its primary missions rather than con-ducting the day-to-day functions of directing the distribution of Army materiel. It also provides for the elimination of redundant capabilities for producing materiel distribution solutions at various materiel man-agement touch points throughout the Army.

AMC’s designation as the lead materiel integrator by the Depart-ment of the Army was the right decision, delegating to AMC the mission to synchronize the distribution and redistribution of Army materiel in accordance with Army priorities and directives.

As the LMI, AMC has the mission to synchronize the efforts of multiple materiel stakeholders to source Army materiel demand sig-nals, using best business practices to ensure the right materiel, in the right quantity and condition, is delivered at the right time and place. LMI allows AMC and other logistics and materiel stakeholders to use an automated Decision Support Tool [DST] that interfaces with the ARFORGEN Synchronization Tool and Logistics Information Ware-house to better optimize supply against demand. The DST assists in the production of an Armywide materiel sourcing solution at the unit iden-tification code AA-level that meets the demands of both operating and generating forces in accordance with Army priorities and directives.

As our technical capabilities increase due to the collaboration between systems, we are now able to see and track materiel across the globe. Leveraging the power of automation offered by DST, we can inform Armywide equipping decisions that in the past took two to three months of manual searches. The systems incorporated through LMI

As the lead materiel integrator, AMC’s task is to “effectively and efficiently distribute and redistribute materiel to support the generation of trained and ready forces.” [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/By Robbin Duuck, Civilian 3-401st Army Field Support Brigade]


allow us to do that in minutes/hours. It saves a tremendous amount of time.

An example we use is that at Fort Hood, in 2012, we had more than 10,000 lateral transfers of equipment on the same installation. It appeared we were just moving piles of equipment from one location to another because of our lack of total asset visibility. Today, with the tools we have in place, such as the DST, we will move that equipment once, and we will base that move on the priorities and directives that the Department of the Army has established. We will save the Army and AMC millions of dollars by reducing second destination transportation costs. Serving as the LMI allows us to involve logisticians down to the unit/installation level, who can also see and access the DST. That pro-vides them a better opportunity to see their own equipment and deter-mine where they need to move equipment to meet shortages based on priorities within their unit.

As we transition from a primary wartime support focus to a CONUS-based expeditionary Army, our logistics processes must adapt. With responsibility for logistics from the national to the installation level, AMC will continue to take proactive measures to ensure consis-tency in critical logistics capabilities, while optimizing our industrial and organic maintenance and sustainment capabilities.

Q: How concerned are you that with the budget belt being pulled ever tighter, future R&D money may be sacrificed for current procure-ment and O&M funding? What are your strategies to make the case for keeping a strong R&D investment?

A: The AMC team includes nearly 11,000 scientists and engineers across the country who play a vital role in the research, design and development for every item a soldier wears, eats, drives, flies, com-municates with, or operates on the battlefield. Science and tech-nology [S&T] and research and development [R&D] are critically important to our force and will continue to be critically important to the future force.

Today, we have a technological advantage that far exceeds any current or future adversary we may face and helps ensure we maintain the most powerful Army the world has ever known. S&T and R&D allow us to maintain that technological advantage and continue to deliver that decisive edge.

During a time of declining resources, we must synchronize and align our investments in S&T and R&D with the Army’s top chal-lenges. We need to continue to resource and develop leap-ahead technologies to ensure we maintain the Army’s technological advan-tage and meet the needs of the warfighter, ready to support all cur-rent and future contingencies. We never want to deploy our soldiers to an even fight. We want them to always have the technological advantage to defeat any foe.

Q: What does AMC’s forward-deployed footprint look like as you prepare for the drawdown from Afghanistan?

A: AMC has been involved in the global deployments for the past 12 years. The major effort now is to make a smooth and efficient transition from supporting active combat engagement to reset and sustaining equipment to provide readiness for future contingencies.

We are heavily engaged today, and we will be in the future as we continue to retrograde equipment out of Afghanistan, reset that equipment, return it to a future state of readiness, and deliver it back to our warfighters’ formations. In the last few years, we have developed tremendous systems and capabilities and processes that enable the command and Army to see Army equipment from the time that it leaves the forwarding operating base in Afghanistan until it arrives in one of our arsenals or depots, where that equip-ment is reset and then returned to the Army. We’ve executed this process for nearly 3.5 million pieces of equipment since the war began. It has been a huge undertaking, and we have more work to do during the remainder of this year and as we continue toward the presidential mandate of December 2014 to have our forces returned out of Afghanistan. We have to ensure we are prioritizing the equip-ment that we are bringing out in an expeditionary manner and at least cost.

At the same time, we are well-aware of the requirements to reduce our footprint. As the ISAF commander closes bases, we continue to determine how we can reduce our presence as well. Contracts are under constant review to ensure we have the right numbers and the right types of people on the ground to success-fully meet our retrograde mission, while continuing to successfully support our contracting and logistical obligations. As we get closer to the official withdrawal date, those numbers will diminish, based on the needs of the COCOM commander and of the Army. Bottom line—AMC will maintain a footprint as long as the need exists, and within the standards set by our Army leadership.

Q: As one area draws down, how are you changing your focus to support the increase in responsibilities and tasking to support efforts in Asia-Pacific and in Africa?

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A: AMC is regionally aligned with our geographic combatant commanders, with capabilities forward deployed in each of the geographical areas of responsibilities. As the Army moves to the regionally aligned force [RAF] concept, those forward deployed capabilities permit AMC to be well-postured to support the RAF concept. Our Army Sustainment Command’s Army field support brigades [AFSB], serving in every theater across the Army, provide us a valuable logistics foundation. They are AMC’s face to the field, allowing our warfighters to have a single point of interface to the Army Materiel Command.

Moving forward, AMC must remain globally engaged and regionally responsive to our combatant commanders and shape our presence by strategically positioning and regionally realigning our personnel and equipment to provide optimal support. As the effort shifts to Asia-Pacific and Africa, we will ensure we are situated to assist in that transition, through forward-basing of our AFSBs, through the use and positioning of Army prepositioned stocks, and in whatever way necessary.

Q: Earlier this year AMC hosted an industry forum, bringing in business leaders to meet. Did that forum meet your expecta-tions—and what were those expectations? Do you plan more?

A: The industry forum brought together CEOs, primarily from defense, to meet with AMC leaders and staff to discuss warfighter and industry needs and concerns. It was a great opportunity to openly discuss issues, identify areas of concern, and collaborate on future initiatives important to sustaining the joint warfighter. These forums provide a vital venue for collaboration between AMC and industry, with a focus on partnerships. They allow us to continue to demonstrate AMC’s commitment to the industrial base, and to keep an open line of communications with the CEOs of industry. The discussions allow us to jointly collaborate on how to tackle problems which could have a detrimental impact on the joint warfighter. I plan on hosting three forums a year, with two focused on larger companies, and one with a small business focus.

AMC relies on the industrial base to provide innovation and the best technology and support services for our warfighters. Integrating the Army, AMC and industry is the right thing to do for our nation, and these forums provide an excellent venue to build on relationships. We welcome interaction from CEOs of large and small companies that believe they can be good partners with defense. I encourage those who wish to do business with AMC and the Army to visit www.amc.army.mil/amc/partnershipopportunities.html for more information.

Q: What is the command doing to attract the best and the bright-est minds to come and do research and development work for the Army? Are you pursuing partnerships with universities around the country?

A: We have more than 1,000 agreements with academia, from single-investigator agreements to multi-party research consortia. We also have active intern programs where students can work with research, development and engineering centers and the Army Research Laboratory during summer and other breaks, which can lead to job offers. On the military side, we have cooperative pro-grams with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. We also run the Army Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program for

ASA [ALT]. All the RDECs and ARL have active local STEM pro-grams. All these efforts are geared toward developing and attracting the next generation of talent for AMC and our Army.

Q: Any closing thoughts on the men and women of AMC?

A: We have incredible people at the Army Materiel Command. We have a tremendous workforce both in our officers and non-com-missioned officers, soldiers, warrant officers, civilians, and con-tractor teammates. We deliver incredible capability to the United States Army and to the joint force every day, and we will continue to do so in the future. My primary focus is to build on the trust we have earned and the strategic relationships we’ve built; we want to continue to increase our partner capacity through foreign military sales. We want to preserve the capabilities of the organic industrial base, those one-of-a-kind capabilities that are a centerpiece to Army readiness.

Over the past year, I’ve been able to witness first-hand how much the warfighter trusts AMC, how much they value what we bring to the fight and what we contribute to their mission and their success

At the end of the day, our mission at AMC remains to provide, and our vision is to remain the premier provider of Army and joint readiness to sustain the strength of the nation—the soldier! I’m enormously proud. I’m honored, and feel very fortunate and blessed to be able to serve as AMC’s commanding general. O

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As we bring more than a decade of war to a close, our nation’s military leaders continue to grapple with the challenge of maintain-ing readiness while drawing down personnel strength and managing shrinking budgets. Faced with ongoing funding uncertainties, threats of government shutdowns and the effects of sequestration, this generation of warfighters is entrenched in one of the most complex readiness dilemmas our nation has ever encountered. Now more than ever, the military must look to its industry contractors to provide long-term strategic solutions. In turn, industry must look long and hard at our own strategies to ensure we are positioned to support this new military landscape with scal-able, responsive and efficient support.

The military and defense industry need to work in cadence to define “what looks right” for the future industrial base. In order to be truly successful, contractors will need to be aligned with future military strategies. This will require contractors and military personnel working shoulder to shoulder in crisis plan-ning, pre-deployment vetting, vigorous exer-cises and readiness reporting for each of the combatant commanders. In essence, the con-tractor must be considered a true partner—on par with other readiness reporting elements within the Pentagon’s total force structure. A joint contractor-military planning team at each of the major and combatant commands can then determine the levels of support ser-vices, equipment and logistics requirements necessary for mission successes. In addition to planning for contingencies, their efforts must include outlining what inorganic industrial base structures are necessary, how contractors will be included as on-call force multipliers, and how industry can achieve requirements without excessive costs to the taxpayer.

Like most joint-business ventures, suc-cessful partnerships are built by agreeing to honest expectations on the part of all stake-holders. Continuous collaboration between military and industry to define these expecta-tions is critical. For its part, industry must continue to develop and deliver solutions for the evolving operating and budget challenges faced by our military customers. In order to

do that, we require an understanding and appreciation for the commercial realities we must live by.

Today’s military logisticians understand the importance of thinking about unit sus-tainment over days as opposed to months; they understand intricate lines of communica-tion and supply chains, and the need to con-sider diverse transit routes and transportation modes when faced with complex geographical and political terrains. Logisticians understand that having the ability to reverse or adjust plans at a moment’s notice is critical while waging wars or supporting humanitarian efforts in volatile, unconventional and ambiguous areas. However, a military logistician’s ability to solve these issues is predicated on a robust capabil-ity to respond accordingly. It is the partnership with industry that enables a solution.

Army Strategic Planning Guidance 2013 calls for the Army to “develop the right set of capabilities so that the president and combat-ant commanders have relevant and flexible options to apply.” Both relevant and flexible options will undoubtedly require industry’s global experience and footprint as our armed forces continue to draw down. Candid, ongo-ing conversations regarding the military and industry’s capabilities, requirements and expectations for existing and future partner-ships are vital to the necessary evolution of those partnerships. Both sides must prepare themselves for stretched supply lines, logistics operations in austere environments, and doing everything necessary to maintain the U.S. mil-itary’s ability to go in “en masse” when needed.

In a U.S. Army memorandum released this August, Secretary John McHugh and Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno called on Army leaders to do their part to help the Army adjust to ongoing budget constraints, to “seize this opportunity to re-shape our Army.”

We should not consider this a call to action for Army leaders alone, nor should we consider it a call to action over the short term. We should consider this a call to action for leaders both within Department of the Defense and industry to do what is necessary to strengthen the partnerships that enable military readiness.

The U.S. military’s job is to protect our nation and its interests, and industry’s role is to effectively supplement military capa-bilities whenever needed. Industry is prepared to be the force multiplier our nation and military require, but success will demand a cultural shift in how we treat partnerships. Contractors must be considered on par with other readiness reporting elements within the Pentagon’s force structure, and contracting processes must reflect this new way of think-ing. Together, military and industry must be prepared for anything, anytime, anywhere. By adjusting our approach to partnerships, we will be better postured to answer whatever challenges lay ahead. Our warfighters, peace-keepers and nation builders deserve nothing less. O

Maj. Gen. Kevin Leonard

Major General Kevin Leonard (USA, Ret.) is the vice president, contingency operations, for Fluor Government Group.


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Compiled by kMi Media group staffLOG LEADERSHIP LESSONS

As a young major I signed into the G4 (Logistics) Directorate on the 24th Infantry Division staff, Fort Stewart, Ga. I spent my first weeks learning about the division, the capabilities of our units, and the processes that the staff executed in supporting decision making by the leaders.

As I gained confidence in my knowledge of the division and its capabilities, and experience as a member of an extremely tal-ented group of majors on the division staff, I realized that I was not able to accomplish all of the tasks and actions of a division staff officer. The more staff work that I accom-plished, the more I received. One evening as I was working late, our G4 operations non-commissioned officer stuck his head into the office and checked out for the day. As he was departing, he turned and sug-gested something that was one of the best lessons that contributed to my ability to achieve success. He pointed to the paper on my desk and said, “Sir, you need to master the third drawer.”

The third drawer was a description in the Army before computers of the bottom drawer of a desk. The third (or bottom) drawer was where veteran officers and NCOs placed actions and tasks for a period of time, having made the decision that priority action was not required. It would have to wait. Nor-mally, these third drawer actions were those not high on the commander’s priority list or critical to mission success and troop safety.

I have used this concept for more than 25 years, from the third drawer of metal desks in the 1980s; to credenzas and laptops in the 1990s; to laptops, pads and personal comput-ing and data devices in the past decade. At every level and in both military and industry leadership positions, I have had to continu-ally evaluate the actions that are placed into the third drawer. There is always too much busy work by subordinates—who are focused on inputs versus outputs. I actually worked

in several units in the Army where it was a badge of honor to show your superiors how late you could stay. Often times, the smartest and brightest mastered the third drawers early in their careers yet often worked for superiors who had not. One of those subor-dinates, it further shaped my own leadership style when I became a senior leader.

By effectively managing the risk associ-ated with prioritizing the enormous volume of required inputs from higher headquarters’ and departmental regulations, I became able to better maneuver through the challenges that confronted my organizations and better resource the organization’s important objec-tives and desired outcomes.

In essence, what the sage sergeant was really telling me was that it wasn’t the drawer that had to be mastered, but the concept of knowing your business and understanding the environment/situation—then, making a risk assessment when prioritizing the work at hand.

Moreover, I learned that mastering the third drawer didn’t come without a price. On several occasions I prioritized the wrong action, or forgot to circle back and re-assess a third drawer action when the priority had been changed by superiors. This led to my being dressed down and corrected. But that is what leadership is all about. Obvi-ously, I worked for some great leaders who assessed me with the correct priorities and was focused on the right actions the great majority of the time.

Leaders should be careful in how or when they delegate third drawer tasks. If the action or task isn’t important to you, then you should not burden your subordinates with it while they execute your priority tasks and missions. This practice occurred in my military and in my post-military industry career.

During an officer professional development session I delivered as a flag

officer, one major asked me how I had been able to accomplish all of the actions and requirements that came across my desk. He lamented that he was unable to accomplish the tasks he received. His task list was growing larger by the day. I shared the third drawer concept with him. He asked if I ever got in trouble for not completing a task that I had placed in the third drawer. “Sure,” I responded. But, I reminded him, “If you demonstrate sustained excellence in your decisions and actions, your superiors will gain confidence in your definitive judgment.”

In Good to Great, an excellent book on building great organizations, Jim Collins describes how great leaders spend as much time thinking and deciding what their orga-nizations aren’t going to do as they do decid-ing what they are going to do. My operations sergeant would tell Jim Collins that he had mastered the third drawer!

Today’s military and its industrial part-ners have lived the past decade in a resource friendly environment. Military leaders in the past decade seldom had to use the term “weight the main effort” and “economy of force” because all programs and activities were funded to historically high levels. Mili-tary and industry leaders increased the num-ber of people, added contractor capabilities and increased funding for training and readi-ness. For the first time in years, leaders didn’t have to choose—they executed. However, given our nation’s present economic chal-lenges, tough choices lie ahead for leaders at all levels.

Leaders will have to assess the greatest value in the decisions that they must make. In both industry and the professional mili-tary and civilian force, leaders will have to link the truly important actions to achieving the intent of senior leaders.

There will be a whole lot of mastering the third drawer going on at every level. O

[email protected]

Mastering the Third Drawer

Lieutenant General Robert T. Dail, USA, retired from the Army in 2008 after 33 years of service culminating in his assignment as deputy commander, USTRANSCOM and director, Defense Logistics Agency. He now serves as president, Supreme (USA) LLC; is a member of the board of trustees, LMI Government Consulting; and serves as an advisor to ADS Technologies.


Whether it’s moving supplies on-base stateside, loading and offloading C-17s and C-130s, or supporting warfighters in the heat of combat, materiel-handling equipment like forklifts, wheel-loaders and telescopic handlers play a crucial role in logistics.

The all-terrain lifter Army system (ATLAS) by JLG, a subsid-iary of Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Corp., has found great success in stateside load handling, but has been particularly useful in deployed environments like Iraq and Afghanistan.

The ATLAS II is designed to reach into trucks or shipping containers, lift loads over obstacles, and pick up loads from both above and below grade. The versatile lifter can lift loads up to 10,000 pounds up to 17 feet. A low center of gravity and wide wheel track—including a frame leveling system—allows the ATLAS to operate in all load handling scenarios from airport operations to load/off load mission at forward operating bases.

In early 2013, JLG was awarded a $56.6 million con-tract from the U.S. Army for ATLAS platforms. The contract is due to run through the end of December.

This follows a mid-2012 $633 million, five-year contract with the DoD to supply a range of material handling equipment to the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines as well as to several federal agencies.

“The workhorses of the Army, Marine Corps and the Navy ground operations materiel-handling equipment are its wheel-loading shovels [and] telescopic handlers. Ninety-nine percent of the work that’s done is done with one of those two platforms,” said Chris Saucedo, vice president of parts, service and military products at JCB, a manufacturer of heavy equipment.

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machines are working to introduce the latest technologies designed to make them more reliable, deployable, and safer to use in the midst of battle—while also laboring behind the scenes to support existing fleets.

Often the military employs the same commercial machines as industry, for many of the same functions.

“Terex is primarily a commercial company, but we sell a lot of our commercial equipment to the military and the U.S. federal government,” said Thomas Manley, vice president of government programs at Terex, a Westport, Conn.-based heavy-equipment supplier.

Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar, too, provides the military with commercial equipment. Sometimes the company repaints for military use. “But a lot of times, when they buy these pieces of equipment, they’re going on a base some place, and they are not really that concerned about the color because it’s on a base,” said Rick Sharp, Caterpillar’s machine division manager for defense and federal products.

Saucedo said that JCB breaks its military sales into three cat-egories. The first is commercial off-the-shelf, or yellow, machines. Next is military off-the-shelf, or yellow-to-green, which are essen-tially commercial products on which JCB customizes certain aspects for military, such as paint or electrical systems, or cold-weather start capability, he said. “It’s essentially a machine that’s coming off a commercial platform,” he added.

The third category comprises machines fully designed specifi-cally for the military and military applications, Saucedo said.

While it sells many commercial machines, Terex also provided a heavy maintenance crane for military use under contract to Naval Air Systems Command, to help perform general maintenance on helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, Manley said.

JBT AeroTech, of Orlando, Fla., particularly is known for its Halvorsen 25K loader, which is used by the military to load, unload and transport cargo as well as vehicles on both military and com-mercial aircraft.

“It is the first piece of equipment to touch the ground and the last to leave the theater,” said Rodrigo Nardelli, JBT Aerotech’s global business development director. “The fact that it has a high reach capability allows it to support all commercial aircraft. This provides a significant flexibility for the warfighter, as we are seeing more and more of the military airlift being provide by commercial cargo aircraft, like the Boeing 747. We also have Halvorsens being used by special [forces] to give them the ability to handle materiel in a fast, effective manner all over the world, without the need to be in a base.”

Air transportability is another military-specific requirement that the Halvorsen supplies, Nardelli said.

“Without any tools, two men can get the Halvorsen ready to be loaded inside a C-130 in less than 10 minutes,” he said. “When you get to your destination, the loader can be ready to do its job in even less time.”

crew survIvaBIlIty

Designing machines for the military also involves providing equipment that can survive combat situations as the equipment comes into use in-theater, JCB’s Saucedo said.

“Crew survivability is a big thing for us. One of the things that we share with our team, quite frequently, is what we’ve done in terms of saving soldiers’ lives,” he said.

Saucedo said he knew of two situations which resulted in a “catastrophic event where a machine was completely totaled.”

“In both of those situations, the soldiers returned to duty the next day because the systems we put into the machines saved their lives,” he said. “We have, on an almost daily basis now—especially with units operating in Afghanistan—ballistic events, small-arms fire that [require] changing out panels or glass on vehicles. All of those things are designed to save the soldiers’ lives. There are a lot of different technologies that are available, and we’re looking to inte-grate, as we continue to develop the survivability of the machines.”

Not only do these large machines help in the removal of threats like improvised explosive devices, they bring a greater logistical capability to the battlefield as well, Saucedo said.

“If you look at a wheel-loading shovel, or you look at a telescopic handler, the advantages that those types of machines bring to the battlefield is you reduce the manpower footprint because you’re no longer manually loading water, or food, or ammunition, or fuel. You’re able to move larger quantities around, in a more efficient manner,” he said.

The fact that materiel-handling equipment often can perform multiple roles serves as a force multiplier, Saucedo said, citing their use in building U.S. bases in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“It reduces the logistics footprint, and it reduces the man-power footprint, and ultimately, it probably also saves lives

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because you’ve been able to create a defensive posture in a much more expeditious manner,” he said.

New tecHNologIes

Incorporating the latest technologies into the equipment they supply the military is a key goal for manufacturers.

“We are constantly looking for ways to improve and make our equipment better. This is true in terms of quality and durability, but also in terms of mission performance and flexibility,” said JBT Aerotech’s Nardelli. “We also try to leverage what we learn from our military customer and commercial products to continually develop new solutions. We have products like aircraft proximity detection systems, which can reduce or eliminate the incidents of [materiel-handling equipment] running into an aircraft. An incident like this not only generates a significant cost, but it also impacts the mission readiness. This is just one example of the many projects we have going on.”

Delivering materiel-handling equipment from the air is one area of focus at JCB, to ensure its machines are light and strong enough to be transported underneath existing helicopters or the V-22 Osprey, and inside C-130s and C-17s to be deployed via low-velocity air drops, Saucedo said.

“We’ve done a lot of work in that arena over the last four or five years as the requirements change and the allied nations find themselves moving more toward expeditionary-type operations, where there are no improved road surfaces, there’s no improved airstrips—and they’re basically dropping things into areas in order to operate,” he said.

JCB also is developing such high-tech systems as telemetry and robotics for the machines it delivers to the military, Saucedo said.

Receiving telemetry data from the equipment provides advan-tages in terms of logistics, such as getting information from the machine like fuel consumption, how long it can run, and how much productivity can be attained from it before it needs to be refueled or requires scheduled maintenance, he said.

When the German army invaded Belgium and France in World War II, they made it to about the 750-mile mark before they had to stop—and, decades later, when coalition forces invaded Iraq in 2003, they also had to pause at about the same distance, Saucedo said.

“The reason why they stopped is because they basically were running out of fuel and water—the logistics trains couldn’t keep up. When you get into understanding your fuel consumption and your ranges, and that kind of stuff, you have a tremendous tactical advantage,” he said. “Those things such as telemetry, which help us do prognostics, diagnostics and preventive maintenance in advance of failure are really, really crucial as we merge into the modern battlefield.”

Meanwhile, the incorporation of robotics in materiel-handling equipment is a technology bleeding over from other platforms within the military, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, Saucedo said.

“There are certain functions in counter-IED operations, or even in some cases, repetitive-motion operations, where, in theory, you could use a vehicle remotely and be very, very efficient in terms of stacking materials and moving materials around,” he said. “There is a lot of developmental research going into those areas in our business now as well.”

Not only could the services benefit through robotics by removing troops from dangerous situations, they also could gain the same efficiencies with automated equipment performing repetitive tasks seen every day in factories worldwide, Saucedo said.

“You see that technology in warehouses already. It’s not dif-ficult to see it in military applications as well, in field environ-ments,” he said. “All you’re doing is going from a warehouse to a rough-terrain setting.”

servIce aNd support

The mission-critical nature of materiel-handling equipment today is reflected in the attention the manufacturers put into supporting those machines—wherever they may be deployed.

JBT Aerotech, for instance, supports 20,000 pieces of equip-ment at 800 locations in more than 100 countries, Nardelli said.

One of the key reasons the military acquires equipment from Caterpillar is for the level of support the company can provide the warfighter, Sharp said. The company has “dealers in every country in the world” with the exception of the rogue, sanctioned nations where the U.S. government doesn’t allow it, he said.

“That’s why the military likes Caterpillar, because if they need a part, or they need help with service, we have someone who is in the country that speaks the language. Everybody speaks English, but they also speak the language of the country,” Sharp said.

Caterpillar has a unique parts contract with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), referred to as corporate-to-corporate, Sharp said.

“Anyone in the U.S. military can go on their system and order a Cat part, and it automatically, through data interchange, goes through the DLA system straight to our commercial system and we fill it,” he said. “As soon as they see it’s got our [Commer-cial and Government Entity] code … it automatically switches to the Cat system. Caterpillar gets the order, and then we fill it and our dealer delivers it to the base. It’s automatic.”

Because of the advanced electronics onboard materiel-handling equipment today, “we have the ability to troubleshoot machines right in the cab,” Sharp said. “A lot of times, the operator will see a problem before it actually occurs.”

Caterpillar provides the military with a higher degree of diagnostic information than it shares with most of its other customers, he said.

“The military is one of the only customers that we allow to get that information. We don’t let our commercial customers do it because they don’t have the ability to manage that,” Sharp added. “But, the military, when they deploy to places where they’re getting shot at, our dealers can’t necessarily go in there. The military has maintenance technicians who know how to use Caterpillar diagnostic software. They can diagnose problems as they’re occurring.” O


The mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles that the U.S. military has fielded in recent years to protect troops from deadly improvised explosive device attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan aren’t likely to disappear just because operations in Afghanistan are winding down.

The companies that manufacture and support the variety of MRAP variants see a long-term future to sustain the MRAP fleet—

even as they continue to support the vehicles both in-theater and stateside, according to representatives with those firms.

The military ramped up its fleet of MRAPs very quickly—buying them in a variety of configurations from a number

of different manufacturers. “We’re definitely in the parts busi-

ness, and now that the vehicles are going back to get to a standard config-

uration and get reset after a decade of war, we’re engaged in that pretty aggressively,” said Michael O’Neil, director of sustainment for Gen-

eral Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), which manufactures

and supports several MRAP variants, including the

Buffalo, Cougar and RG-31.

That’s also the case at Oshkosh Defense, which manufactures and supports the MRAP all-terrain vehicle (M-ATV), one of the lighter MRAP variants.

“As the [original manufacturer] of a platform, we’re engaged in the total life cycle support specifically for our M-ATV. As operations in theater wind down somewhat, our support is somewhat evolving,” said John Bryant, senior vice president of defense programs at Oshkosh.

Oshkosh has continually upgraded the M-ATV to meet evolving threats and evolving customer requirements in the-ater, Bryant said.

“We’ve upgraded the armor and protection capabilities of the vehicle. We’ve applied those upgrades in an austere environment in-theater. We provided battle-damage repair in-theater, and continually refined our design and refined the vehicles,” he said.

“As we transition out of theater, Oshkosh’s focus is really twofold. One is to continue to support the existing fleet with parts and services, while at the same time evolving the design even further.”

upgrades aNd a staNdard coNfIguratIoN

Oshkosh has a series of upgrades that the company developed under independent research and development, which are available to improve the mobility and safety of the vehicles, Bryant said.

“We continue to innovate to provide more upgrades for the M-ATV, to make it a better platform throughout its life cycle,” he

said. “At the same time, we continue to provide field-service representatives both in [the United States] and in theater. We provide a reset-and-rebuild capability at our service centers and our main campus in Oshkosh. And we provide system technical support through our existing contract with the Army, to provide government-directed upgrades to the platform.”

The entire MRAP fleet went through a “rapid equipping force process” and although the services bought multiple configurations, now the military program managers decided to go to a “standard configuration,” O’Neil, of GDLS, said.

“We are working with them to provide, if you will, kits of parts that will take all the vehicles to a standard configuration—also a lot of the technical configuration and data required to do that,” he said, adding: “We have very methodically and deliberately worked configuration management on these things as they were fielded. Why? Because we realized that at some time we were going to have to go back and work with our clients in order to get to a standard configuration on these vehicles and life cycle management.”

The transition now is from rapid fielding of protection upgrades in theater to the long-term life cycle support, said Bryant.

As Oshkosh was ramping up production of the M-ATV in 2009 to 1,000 vehicles per month, “we were also, right at that time, prepar-ing for fielding and long-term sustainment of the vehicles as they were being shipped to Afghanistan,” he said.

“For example, we were delivering hundreds of parts kits … in tandem with the vehicle deliveries,” Bryant said. “We were doing that right from the moment we began fielding the vehicles. That may not sound like much, but to give you an idea, just one M-ATV [authorized stock-list] kit requires about three semi-trucks to transport. So it was a considerable support effort that was involved in the total-package fielding in a very rapid manner in response to an urgent need for M-ATV.

“With such a large increase in materiel flow, we were doubling our warehouse square footage in-theater, [and] we were increasing our staffing so that vehicles would arrive with their support in-theater during combat operations,” he added.

In addition to the M-ATV, Oshkosh Defense also installed its TAK-4 independent suspension on MRAPs made by other contractors, including a “significant portion of the Cougar fleet,” Bryant said.

john Bryant

purpose-BuIlt to meet specIfIc operatIoNal requIremeNts, tHe cHalleNge Is to Keep tHe rIgHt-sIZed fleet operatIoNal.By scott NaNce, mlf correspoNdeNt



at www.mlf-kmi.com.

“When U.S. operations shifted from Iraq to Afghanistan, there was a much greater need for a robust off-road capability, and that’s what our TAK-4 independent suspension provides,” he said.

In what the company considers a considerable accomplish-ment, Oshkosh was able to provide its upgrades in the austere environment of Afghanistan “with production-line quality,” Bry-ant explained.

“We took our production processes from our flexible, inte-grated manufacturing capability and deployed them into a very austere environment for both repair and upgrades of vehicles in a very rapid fashion in-theater, in a difficult environment,” he said. “While it was a great challenge, it was also kind of a unique capability that Oshkosh brought to the table.”

mrap uNIversIty

MRAP support in-theater has fallen not only to the vehicles’ original manufacturers, but also various service providers such as DynCorp International, a large defense contractor headquar-tered just outside Washington, D.C.

DynCorp International works directly with the military, both stateside and in-theater, to provide a “wide variety” of mainte-nance functions that include both day-to-day support as well as installation of vehicle upgrades, said Thomas Fite, the company’s program director of vehicle maintenance support.

DynCorp representatives work on all MRAP variants, and those field service representatives based in Afghan-istan have been through “MRAP University,” Fite said.

“That’s a government program where they’re taught and educated on all the variants,” he said. “Therefore, when those people were out at forward operating bases, no matter what variant came in, they had the ability to work on them.”

Contractors, even those who usually are com-petitors back in the United States, have worked together closely in Afghanistan to support MRAPs, Fite said.

“The thing that I noticed when I traveled in Afghanistan was that all of the companies put warfighter needs first. I’ve rarely seen such camaraderie between competing com-panies … back in the states,” he said.

Fite said he expects that collaboration in Afghanistan to con-tinue, especially with the drawdown of U.S. forces.

“There is going to be fewer of us, so we’re going to work closely together. Plus, that’s still really what we consider a front-line area, and warfighter support is our main objective,” he said.

tHe future of tHe mrap

MRAPs will be in the U.S. inventory long after the retrograde from Afghanistan is complete.

The IED threat will not disappear even after current combat operations cease, GDLS’s O’Neil said. “If the IED continues to be used by the adversaries, the U.S. will continue to see the need for the MRAP vehicle as we do military operations,” he said.

The budget constraints currently pinching at the military also means the MRAPs probably will continue to see service into the future, Fite said.

“We’ve seen that the purchase of large-ticket items has been reduced over the past several years. Therefore, the sustainability of the MRAPs and their long-term viability to our force structure becomes extremely important,” he said.

Also, the United States will leave a number of MRAPs in Afghanistan even after combat operations end, and others will be procured by U.S. allies in the region, Fite said.

“We are in the position to assist both of those … for long-term sustainability,” he said. “We already do some of that work in the UAE. We also have some individuals in Kuwait to do some of that work.”

Other MRAPs will return home and remain in the force struc-ture, Fite said.

“We have individuals currently located at about 18 bases throughout the country that actually work on those units right now. … We see that as a long-term solution, or direction, that the government’s going to go [in],” he said.

full-motIoN mrap traINer

Meanwhile, San Diego-based contractor Cubic Corp. has developed its reconfigurable MRAP virtual trainer as a full-motion training system, according to Brooks Davis, sales and marketing manager of simulation systems for Cubic.

The trainer consists of a simulated MRAP driver’s cab and passenger’s seat in which users are surrounded by high-definition

displays, Davis said.“The driver has a steering wheel, gas pedal, brake

pedal—everything a driver would have, [including a] shifting console. We’ve taken the driving charac-teristics of the MRAP as far as center-of-gravity, top speed, braking, you name it, and have integrated that into the system,” he said.

Users can choose from a variety of training scenarios, including from those in Iraq and Afghani-stan, Davis said.

“They physically have to drive down a road, they have to avoid what they perceive might be IEDs, they have to navigate bridges, rivers and other

obstacles. Being that it’s full motion … it really immerses them,” he said.

The driver’s station within the Cubic trainer is generic, and doesn’t mimic any specific MRAP variant.

“But what that allows us to do is simulate multiple vehicles,” Davis said. “With different size vehicles, you will have a different center-of-gravity, different driving characteristics, different accel-eration characteristics, different top speeds.”

Cubic built its full-motion MRAP trainer on a “you build it and they will come” approach, but has not sold any units, Davis said.

“Military spending’s been cut back, but the need for training is always going to be there,” he said, adding: “We have a full-size working copy at our plant in Orlando that we’re able to show to customers, and we show it off as often as we can. We don’t have the first order yet, but we’re far from giving up on the program.” O

Brooks Davis


FeaturesFuel & energy Innovations

supply Chain efficiencies

Deployed Logistics

Integrated Logistics support

aMCOM Initiatives

November 2013Vol. 7, Issue 10neXtiSSUe

The Publication of Record for the Military Logistics Community

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Special pUll-OUT SUppleMeNT

MLF RESOURCE CENTER

Cover and In-Depth Interview with:GeN. WILLIaM M. Fraser IIICommanderU.S. Transportation Command


Larry Lanzillotta is responsible for U.S. domestic and international opportunities that involve maintenance, sustainment, logistics and modernization of ground and rotorcraft vehicles. Before joining Northrop Grumman, Lanzillotta served in various positions of increased responsibility in the Department of Defense.

Q: How would you describe Northrop Grum-man’s position within the DoD logistics enterprise?

A: Northrop Grumman is a recognized leader in the global systems logistics and support services marketplace.

Logistics has been a central focus of Northrop Grumman since its inception. Our mission is to be the sustainment, moderniza-tion, training and deployment provider of choice for domestic and international defense customers. Northrop Grumman has been a leader in logistics support for more than 70 years and will continue this support well into the future.

We understand that our customers not only expect quality in our services, but also affordability. We’ve helped our customers save money without sacrificing results by pioneering logistics processes designed to enhance cost savings.

Currently, we provide tactical vehicle maintenance and sustainment at OCONUS and CONUS facilities and training centers, where we’ve earned a strong reputation for excellent performance. In addition, we pro-vide deployed operational support services for unmanned systems in Europe, the Pacific and the CENTCOM AOR.

Q: What are Northrop Grumman’s strengths and how best can you partner with the mili-tary to meet logistics objectives?

A: It takes a combination of superior pro-gram performance, a focus on affordability, partnering with our customers and invest-ments in products and services that support our customer’s mission to accomplish their logistics objectives. We’ve focused on deliver-ing innovation that enables affordability and global mission readiness for our customers.

As an example, at the Army training cen-ters we look for areas where we can reduce processing time required for vehicle turn-in and we’ve reduced the flow time for the issu-ing equipment, giving the Army back these days for additional training or time with fam-ily before deployment.

Similarly, at Fort Polk, we’ve applied the lessons learned from Fort Irwin to the unique JRTC requirements and effectively reduced processing time while greatly increasing vehicle fleet availability and first pass quality. These rates are well above U.S. Army stan-dards and are especially impressive given the high usage of the vehicles.

These examples are processes developed on-site that take a customer challenge and improve logistical processes while generating customer savings.

Q: What are the primary challenges fac-ing Northrop Grumman’s military logistics operations?

A: Meeting the needs of the 21st-century warfighter takes planning, foresight and com-mitment. We remain focused on these chal-lenges. One of the major challenges is to continue working with the government to provide quality support to the warfighter in a timely manner given ever-changing require-ments. The warfighter’s needs must be satis-fied, so there’s a requirement for both parties to remain agile in developing and implement-ing solutions to meet these needs.

Q: What do you bring to the table in help-ing DoD meet their efficient and budgetary challenges?

A: Challenging times have a tendency of generating the most innovative and practical

solutions. Northrop Grumman is rethink-ing the way we do business as we enter into another period of declining budgets. We’re challenging ourselves to look for new ways of accomplishing missions at an affordable price.

With the services being limited as far as new acquisitions, there is an underlying need to reset current assets coming out of theater or legacy equipment that is staying in the force structure. We, as a company, can team with other companies to provide the neces-sary capability at a much lower cost.

Equipment does not need to go back to depots or original equipment manufacturer [OEM] for reset or modernization. Instead of bringing equipment back to a central loca-tion, allow the service provider and OEM or depot team to perform the engineering and building of the kits and take those kits to the vehicle location for installation. This brings the strengths of industry and the depots together and lowers cost while increasing operational readiness rates. Indirectly, the customer maintains the industrial base while capitalizing on the skills of the OEM or depot to ensure high-quality work.

Q: How is Northrop Grumman positioned to move forward and grow in the coming year?

A: We continue to focus on program perfor-mance and innovation with a relentless focus on innovation that enables affordability for our valued customers. We also continue to leverage the strength of the Northrop Grum-man enterprise while prudently exploring international growth opportunities.

Q: Do you see industry partnerships as a part of your strategic plan?

A: Partnerships with our industry peers, stra-tegic suppliers, depots and our valued cus-tomers are paramount in our strategy. These partnerships allow us to deliver superior capa-bilities at lower costs. They also require a new way of looking at the problem to provide the innovative solutions required to meet the warfighter’s needs. Most importantly, we always partner with the local commander whom we support. Program performance is our top priority! O

Larry LanzillottaSector Vice President and Capture Manager for Land Forces Programs

Northrop Grumman

INDUSTRY INTERVIEW Military Logistics Forum


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At its best between a rock and a hard place

© Leidos. All rights reserved.

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New Perspectives for Affordable Readiness

LEIDOS IS YOUR PARTNER FOR LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS

The U.S. military needs reliable operational availability at a low life-cycle cost. To provide this affordable readiness, Leidos delivers a wide range of logistics, product support, and supply chain management solutions. Readiness is complex, and our tailored, affordable solutions make it easy to focus on what’s important — your mission.

Leidos, a company that started with the proud traditions of SAIC, now forges a new path with the same people making integrated logistics easy.

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