Photo By Scott Wakefield | One of 30 new hand sanitizer stations set up at Watervliet Arsenal to help combat...... read more read more
Coronavirus Disease 2019 has changed the way people act and interact with others, which has significant impact on how the United States Army operates to protect the safety and security of the country.
Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, along with its six arsenals and depots, has adapted to the guidance set up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense to help prevent the spread of the disease. These guidelines include maximizing teleworking where possible, following social distancing recommendations, and providing masks and gloves where social distancing is more difficult or impractical.
Maj. Gen. Dan Mitchell, TACOM Commanding General said, “Commanders and leaders at all levels are empowered to balance risk with mission.
While attempting to maintain these safety guidelines, the arsenals and depots continue the heavy lifting in TACOM’s maintenance and supply chain management responsibilities to support ongoing Army readiness. Some of the depots have had only minor impacts on mission.
To help mitigate these impacts, some of the arsenals and depots have gone to alternate and shifted work schedules to help protect the workforce, while accomplishing Army Materiel Command’s current priorities of protecting workers, combating the spread of COVID-19, and executing the readiness mission of the Army.
According to the Watervliet Arsenal Public Affairs Office, the arsenal is currently in one of their best performing months for Performance to Promise and the workforce has really stepped up under these alternate working conditions. Performance to Promise is a measurement of how the arsenals and depots hold themselves accountable to a commitment to meet customer delivery requirement dates.
Two of the installations, the Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center and Sierra Army Depot have continued to work their current programs, while at the same time adapting to provide support to help fight COVID-19.
RIA-JMTC received a request that was transmitted through the Army Medical Logistics Command to use their Advanced and Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence to produce ventilator housings through their 3-D printing capabilities and then assemble the parts and ship them to where they are needed.
Col. Jimmy Hendrix, RIA-JMTC Commander said, “The Advanced and Additive Center of Excellence is also prototyping other possible products that may assist in the fight [against COVID-19].”
The center is also being considered to use their technology to help research and produce swabs for new testing kits needed to detect the virus.
Along with RIA-JMTC efforts, Sierra Army Depot is engaged in providing the Medical Materiel Readiness Program support to combat the virus.
This includes staging, preparing, and shipping 150 ventilators and four mobile hospitals to be deployed on the orders of the Army Surgeon General. They are also preparing to receive, store and distribute approximately $53 million worth of personal protective equipment and test kits.
TACOM’s current plan is to continue with COVID-19 alternate operation practices until at least mid-May, and commanders at all levels will evaluate their unique working environments to develop further guidance to handle the situation as it develops.
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2020 08:54 |
| Story ID: | 368373 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Adapting the Organic Industrial Base to help fight COVID-19, by Scott Wakefield, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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