Today, Reps. Blake Moore (UT-01) and Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Co-Chairs of the bipartisan House Military Depot, Arsenal, Ammunition Plant and Industrial Facilities Caucus, led a call for the Organic Industrial Base (OIB), or military arsenals, depots and ammunition plants, to be included in President Joe Biden’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the nation’s supply chains.
In a letter, the Caucus Co-Chairs respond to the President’s February 24, 2021, Executive Order requiring a 100-day review of several critical domestic supply chains, including the defense industrial base. They note that the OIB is a key part of the defense supply chain through its work sustaining current missions and carrying out research and development of future systems.
“These national treasures are insurance policies on our readiness, with the flexibility to respond to current and future challenges. The early complications with employing the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the importance of ensuring that the institutions our nation relies on in times of need are kept strong and agile, serving as a cautionary tale for what can happen when we do not harden our assets,” the letter states.
“The OIB is carrying out exciting research and development of future systems needs and sustainment of existing critical systems. For example, the Rock Island Arsenal houses the services’ only Advanced and Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence and is carrying out work that will redefine the supply chain from design to delivery. The Ogden Air Logistics Center is supporting the Air Force’s most critical platforms from the F-22s to F-35s to our nuclear strategic deterrent. There are many more examples across the OIB of innovation to support the warfighter. Better understanding these capabilities and how they support the broader military industrial base is important to the successful implementation of this Executive Order.”
Full text of the letter is below:
Dear President Biden:
Thank you for your leadership in addressing the security of America’s critical supply chains by issuing Executive Order on February 24, 2021. The security of our industrial base, particularly our military industrial base, is critical to our success as a nation. We appreciate the opportunity to work with you in a bipartisan fashion to address these critical issues in the coming years.
We write as the co-Chairs of the bipartisan House Military Depot, Arsenal, Ammunition Plant and Industrial Facilities Caucus. Our caucus advocates for the Defense Department’s network of Arsenals, Depots, and ammunition plants which continue to play a key role in both military and domestic production capability. These national treasures are insurance policies on our readiness, with the flexibility to respond to current and future challenges. The early complications with employing the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the importance of ensuring that the institutions our nation relies on in times of need are kept strong and agile, serving as a cautionary tale for what can happen when we do not harden our assets.
As the respective agencies and departments conduct their reviews pursuant to this Executive Order, we ask the Department of Defense to pay particular attention to how the Organic Industrial Base (OIB) supports the broader defense industrial base. We hope that such a review will better inform what resources or authorities are needed to ensure that the OIB is aligned to support the Department of Defense’s strategic priorities. Ensuring that there are sufficient and flexible hiring authorities, as well as a sustainable workload, is critical to ensuring the long-term viability of the OIB.
The OIB is carrying out exciting research and development of future systems needs and sustainment of existing critical systems. For example, the Rock Island Arsenal houses the services’ only Advanced and Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence and is carrying out work that will redefine the supply chain from design to delivery. The Ogden Air Logistics Center is supporting the Air Force’s most critical platforms from the F-22s to F-35s to our nuclear strategic deterrent. There are many more examples across the OIB of innovation to support the warfighter. Better understanding these capabilities and how they support the broader military industrial base is important to the successful implementation of this Executive Order.
As these reviews are conducted, we urge the relevant departments and agencies to clearly consider how new and disruptive technologies can address supply chain vulnerabilities in the broader industrial base. The Executive Order specifically addresses the criticality of rare earth minerals to our defense base. New and disruptive technologies like additive manufacturing using organic materials have the potential for reducing our reliance on rare earth materials to supply semiconductors and other critical capabilities. We hope that a full analysis of how these evolving technologies can shore up our industrial base is carefully considered, with special attention on how the OIB can fill particular capability gaps.
Again, we appreciate your attention to and consideration of these critical matters and appreciate your efforts to strengthen our nation’s supply chains. The impacts of the COVID-19 crisis have laid bare the challenges we face as a nation to making our supply chain, particularly our military supply chain, more secure. The bipartisan House Military Depot, Arsenal, Ammunition Plant and Industrial Facilities Caucus looks forward to working with you on the successful implementation of this Executive Order and on a range of issues in the coming years.
Respectfully,
Rep. Cheri Bustos
Rep. Blake Moore
