REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. –
U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command leaders reported continued improvements in readiness during a June 5 quarterly report to its higher headquarters.
AMCOM’s briefing room was limited to those who were scheduled to present information, maintaining COVID-19 preventive measures by ensuring ample distance between seats.
Even with much of its workforce teleworking to minimize the spread of COVID-19, AMCOM achieved gains in many program areas, AMCOM Commander Maj. Gen. Todd Royar told U.S. Army Materiel Command leaders, Lt. Gen. Edward M. Daly, deputy commanding general, and Lisha Adams, executive deputy to the commanding general, who attended via video-conference.
Fielding of the Combat Aviation Brigade Common Authorized Stockage List (C-ASL) remains on track for delivery to all 11 CABs by the first quarter of 2021, said AMCOM’s Director Supply Chain Management Debbie Daniel.
A C-ASL is a containerized, mobile maintenance supply system containing the high-demand parts units need to maintain readiness. The first two C-ASLs were fielded to the 101st Airborne Division CAB and 1st Armored Division CAB. Fielding of a C-ASL to the 16th CAB at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington is in progress.
“Planners are working with the eight other CABs identified to receive the C-ASL, flexing schedules as needed to accommodate COVID-19 preventive measures in place at their locations,” Daniel noted. “The current trend is increased performance of demand satisfaction and fill rates. We’ll continue to monitor these metrics and make sure that we remain on track.”
Daly noted the AMC commander, Gen. Gus Perna was supportive of this effort.
“The positive customer satisfaction results are what we expected from fielding an aviation-specific list,” Daly said, noting the rates that were once considered unattainable are on track to be surpassed.
Tod Glidewell, AMCOM aviation analyst, highlighted progress made in the UH-60L helicopter digital twin endeavor with Wichita State University, where researchers at the National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR) are creating a virtual model of the Black Hawk.
“Since the delivery of two Black Hawks in mid-May for researchers to work with, we’ve been engaged in coordinating data-sharing from Sikorsky, the Program Executive Office Aviation’s Utility Helicopter Project Office (UHPO) and the Combat Capabilities Development Center’s Aviation Missile Center (AvMC) to the university, which will assist with calibrating the digital models,” Glidewell said. “We’ve also started a joint load data study with Sikorsky, UHPO and AvMC, so we can use that updated loads data to further calibrate our models.”
Glidewell discussed how the digital twin data would remain up to date as modifications are likely to be made to the UH-60 as time goes on. “The UH-60L digital twin models and data will be linked to our logistical enterprise, so as we send, receive and exchange data, the master data set for those digital models will remain updated,” he explained. “We anticipate the first delivery of digital twin data from the university in about eight to nine months.”
“AMCOM drives the efforts into sustaining that equipment – whether it’s printing parts using the digital models, or addressing data obsolescence concerns,” said Adams.
Fred Pieper, AMCOM’s acting executive director for the AMCOM Logistics Center, presented good news across several key performance areas:
• Readiness drivers – common maintenance indicators -- were doubled over the past year, better enabling fleet managers to anticipate needed maintenance and repairs.
• Supply availability – the percentage of demands placed on the wholesale echelon of supply that are not backordered, excluding future material obligations – reported one-year averages of 81.5% for aviation and 83.6% for missiles.
• Back-order rates during the past year were reduced for both aviation and missiles.
• Performance-to-Promise – a measurement of how an organization holds itself accountable to the commitment to meet worldwide customer required delivery dates – improved at both depots over the past year, with Letterkenny Army Depot at 94% and Corpus Christi Army Depot at 85%.
AMCOM’s Resource Management Division (G-8) Director Dale Smith announced significant progress on reconciling undelivered orders and unliquidated obligations on the financial books. A team of AMCOM’s G-8 finance experts and Army Working Capital Fund accountants, nicknamed “firefighters,” have cumulatively identified and cleared almost a thousand invalid lines since February, and are on track to achieve zero invalid lines by June 30, said Smith.
“This group has been hitting it out of the park ever since they stood up,” Smith noted. “So far, their efforts have returned over $53 million in contract authority and almost $50 million in obligation authority.”
Top-performing employees from throughout AMCOM were also recognized during the meeting:
• Joshua Velasquez, G-4 Protection and Property Branch, who ensured organizations followed regulatory guidance for physical security inspections.
• Teresa Williams, Security Assistance Management Directorate (SAMD), who rectified critical sustainment challenges with a foreign military sales partner’s HAWK program.
• Liane Vaugh, SAMD, whose coordination with a NATO partner country enabled a successful sensor field trial.
• Clyde Wilder, AMCOM Logistics Command’s (ALC) Demilitarization Program Office, who led demilitarization program process-improvement efforts, and identified and realigned more than 12,000 classified assets.
• Steve Clark, ALC’s Provisioning Division, whose team completed 76 supply support requests for the Utility Provisioning Division.
As the quarterly update came to a close, Daly expressed his appreciation for AMCOM’s continued focus on providing outstanding support to the Army’s warfighters.
“AMCOM’s collaboration efforts across aviation and missile enterprises and with stakeholders continue to yield excellent results in support of our Soldiers, enabling them to remain ever-ready to fight and win,” said Daly.