Photo By Keri Soliz | Army Materiel Command leaders met with Rock Island Arsenal – Joint Manufacturing and...... read more read more
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. –U.S. Army Materiel Command Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Kevin Meisler, Command Sgt. Maj. Jacinto Garza and Starlisha Anderson, deputy chief of staff for AMC G-1, highlighted the importance of rapid modernization during a March 4 visit to Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center.
The command team met with members of the workforce and reviewed ongoing modernization efforts. The group also received briefings from multiple production areas and toured locations that demonstrate the breadth of RIA-JMTC’s industrial capability, including the foundry, Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence, machining operations, plating lines, the Heavy Equipment Transporter Urban Survivability Kit line, the welding area and Heat Treat.
Throughout the visit, Meisler emphasized that the Army must support Soldiers with greater urgency. He stressed the importance of shortening acquisition timelines, removing administrative barriers and ensuring the Organic Industrial Base can respond rapidly to operational requirements.
Col. Eloy Martinez, RIA-JMTC commander, highlighted the visit's significance for the workforce and the mission.
“Our people take tremendous pride in what they do,” Martinez said. “Every improvement we make in automation, advanced manufacturing or process efficiency directly supports the warfighter.”
At the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence, the leaders reviewed RIA-JMTC’s progress in additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping and digital engineering. They discussed how these technologies reduce lead times, increase design flexibility and support low-volume or complex component production.
The team also examined how advanced manufacturing helps RIA-JMTC rapidly design and produce replacement parts for field units, which strengthens the Army’s ability to repair equipment quickly and return it to the fight.
During a tour of the machining, plating and automated production areas, Meisler and Garza asked operators targeted questions about working alongside robotic systems. They explored how automation improves precision, increases throughput and enhances worker safety. Supervisors and technical experts briefed the command team on current production efforts, modernization challenges and opportunities to streamline processes. The leaders recognized the workforce’s expertise and adaptability, stating that RIA-JMTC’s ability to integrate new technologies while maintaining high production standards is essential to meeting Army readiness requirements.
The visit concluded with a message of appreciation for the RIA-JMTC workforce and a reaffirmation of the center’s critical role in supporting Soldiers around the world.
RIA-JMTC, the Army’s only vertically integrated metal manufacturer, shapes how the Army builds, repairs and sustains equipment for the future force. It plays a central role in producing critical components, modernizing legacy systems and supporting rapid-response requirements across the Organic Industrial Base.
| Date Taken: | 03.19.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.18.2026 08:46 |
| Story ID: | 560791 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 231 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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