MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga. -- To enhance support and be more responsive to customer needs, Marine Corps Logistics Command’s commodity divisions within the Program Support Center have created program support manager billets to provide dedicated support to program executive officers and program management.
The program support managers serve as logistics chain integrators, leading the efforts of LOGCOM’s program support teams to address issues and concerns from both the acquisition community and LOGCOM to ensure integrated logistics solutions.
“We have moved one step closer to institutionalizing our relationship with Marine Corps Systems Command,” said Michael T. Madden, executive deputy, LOGCOM. “Effective coordination comes through organized coordination that is present and engaged each and every day. Many, many events and requirements happen each day in our core functional responsibilities of supply, maintenance and distribution. There must be an over watch maintaining the ‘tactical’ picture. Program support managers maintain that big picture and ensure effective LOGCOM engagement with the programs.”
As part of the LOGCOM’s alignment, the Program Support Center was stood up to serve as the LOGCOM focal point for logistics support integration management, focused on program level total life cycle management in support of ground weapon systems and future opportunities.
“To enhance support and be more responsive to our customers’ needs, the commodity divisions within the center have program support manager billets that were created to provide dedicated support to program executive officers and program management,” said Patricia Shaw, director, Combat Systems Division, Program Support Center. “These managers serve as the logistics chain integrators, leading the efforts of LOGCOM program support teams addressing issues and concerns from both the acquisition community and LOGCOM to ensure integrated logistics solutions.”
The program support management concept was founded on the principle of teamwork and employs a staff of logistics and technical product/data experts who are dedicated to the highest standards of customer support to program management teams focused on achieving the program-level total life cycle management.
According to Shaw, LOGCOM’s program support team is the key to success. Working under this concept ensures that LOGCOM utilizes all of the resources, capabilities and competencies available in the form of a LOGCOM multi-functional matrix team which is providing integrated logistics support solutions such as supply, maintenance, distribution, prepositioning, logistics information/analysis and logistics contracting for Marine Corps ground weapon systems. Other Marine Corps, and Department of Defense components and support contractors are ad hoc members, as required.
Program support managers are dedicated logisticians leading LOGCOM’s program support team to perform program life cycle logistics functions in support of program management teams to assist in the planning and execution of the product support, logistics strategies and sustainment solutions of ground weapon systems.
Program support managers and LOGCOM’s program support teams early engagement and continued coordination with the acquisition community affords LOGCOM an opportunity to influence decisions that are being made in the acquisition process and throughout the life cycle to ensure that what is being fielded to the warfighter is supportable, affordable and operationally effective, Shaw explained.
Program support managers have direct interface with the Program Support Management Team in support of Marine Corps ground weapon systems as the focal point of contact at LOGCOM for their respective programs.