AMC Leadership to RIA-JMTC: Accelerate Modernization to Equip the Future Force
By Keri Soliz, Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – Rock Island Arsenal’s Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (RIA-JMTC) shapes how the Army builds, repairs, and sustains equipment for the future force. RIA-JMTC is the Army’s only vertically integrated metal manufacturer and plays a central role in producing critical components, modernizing legacy systems, and supporting rapid-response requirements across the organic industrial base.
On March 4, Army Materiel Command (AMC) Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Kevin Meisler, Command Sgt. Maj. Jacinto Garza, and Ms. Starlisha Anderson, Deputy Chief of Staff for the AMC G-1, visited RIA-JMTC to meet with the workforce and review ongoing modernization efforts.
Briefers from multiple production areas updated the command team, who also toured the Foundry, Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AMCOE), machining operations, plating lines, the Heavy Equipment Transporter Urban Survivability Kit (HUSK) line, the welding area, and Heat Treat, demonstrating the breadth of RIA-JMTC’s industrial capability.
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.
The leaders’ family connections to military service shape their commitment to improving readiness. This experience drives their determination to remove barriers, speed production, and ensure every Soldier receives the equipment required to train, fight, and return home safely.
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 their tour of 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.