Merger plan could cut 400 jobs at Arsenal

The jobs and work on the Rock Island Arsenal are vital to the Quad Cities, and need to be protected from potential budget cuts and a merger plan. That’s the message community leaders delivered Tuesday morning, May 13, during a brief news conference at the Kone Building in downtown Moline. “This is a community effort […]

The jobs and work on the Rock Island Arsenal are vital to the Quad Cities, and need to be protected from potential budget cuts and a merger plan. That’s the message community leaders delivered Tuesday morning, May 13, during a brief news conference at the Kone Building in downtown Moline. “This is a community effort to protect and sustain the Rock Island Arsenal. … This is an opportunity for everyone in the Quad Cities to collaborate and come together,” said Davenport Mayor Mike Matson, who is also chairman of the Rock Island Arsenal Defense Alliance (RIADA). The alliance is a community-led, Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce affiliated nonprofit corporation that is dedicated to the support and promotion of the Rock Island Arsenal and Quad Cities region's defense industry.  (The Arsenal is one of the top employers in the region, employing about 6,200 people and contributing more than $1.2  billion to the local economy, according to the chamber.)

About 20 members of the community – including RIADA members, four area mayors, chamber members and other local leaders –  gathered Tuesday to vow their support for the Arsenal. They also were critical of plans to merge two arsenal entities – the Army Sustainment Command (ASC) and the Joint Munitions Command (JMC). That possible merger would eliminate up to 400 arsenal jobs, hurt the local economy and hurt the valuable work being done on the island to safeguard the nation, according to information provided by the chamber. Officials also asked the public to join the fight to save local jobs by signing an online petition to show support for the arsenal. Go here to sign the petition. The possible merger was proposed just a few days ago in a memo from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to Pentagon leadership. A copy of that memo, dated April 30, was given to the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal on Tuesday.

The four-page memo does not mention the arsenal by name, but does state: “The Army must transform at an accelerated pace by divesting outdated, redundant and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems.” A portion of the memo states that the Army must downsize, consolidate or close redundant headquarters. It added:  “Restructure the sustainment enterprise by consolidating and realigning headquarters and units within Army Material Command, including the integration of the Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command, to optimize operational efficiency and streamline support capabilities.” The memo does not mention any timelines and deadlines for the proposed merger. “But, it’s supposed to be very quick. That’s why we are concerned,” Mr. Matson told the QCBJ. He added that the proposed merger might be just the start of possible job and budget cuts at the Arsenal. Mr. Matson told the crowd that “this is just the beginning.” That is, he said that a second effort to cut jobs and merge entities at the Arsenal has already been introduced in Washington, D.C. He could not give any details on that newest plan. Mr. Matson and other community leaders said that the proposed merger is a bad idea on many levels. It will not only hurt the local economy, it will also disrupt the important work being done on the island. The  ASC and the JMTC have two different missions that should not be merged.  ASC helps deliver everything from fuel, food, vehicles and parts across the world. The JMC is responsible for the entire munitions lifecycle – production, storage, quality assurance and distribution. It manages the industrial base of ammunition plants, depots across the country, according to the chamber’s information.

“Merging these organizations risks diluting the specialized knowledge critical to both missions. Budget cuts may be achieved by reducing overhead, but if readiness declines, the military may pay far more in lost operational effectiveness. … These are not redundant jobs. The ASC and JMC workforces serve different functions and require unique certifications and experience,” the chamber said in a statement made available on Tuesday. Trish Huber, vice chairman of the RIADA, also urged the military leaders not to merge the ASC and JMC. She said the merger “will be disruptive” to the Arsenal and hurt the work of protecting the nation. “This is our time to be very aggressive” in defending the Arsenal from the merger plan, added Ms. Huber, who worked on the Arsenal for 32 years before retiring in 2015. Several leaders said they support plans to make the federal government more efficient, but the Arsenal merger is not the way. In fact, Peter Tokar III, president and CEO of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, said the Arsenal has been a great leader in developing ways to save money, be efficient and still get important jobs done. After the news conference, U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, whose 17th Congressional District includes the Rock Island Arsenal, also supported efforts to fight the proposed merger plan. “Recent reports that the Army is considering cutting hundreds of jobs from the Rock Island Arsenal have been very concerning to me, which is why I have been working with Republicans and Democrats to protect these critical national security positions,” Mr. Sorensen said in a separate news release. “The Arsenal is essential to our military’s readiness, and I will continue to advocate for the thousands of my neighbors who help keep our nation safe and demand that the Department of Defense stop these cuts.”  Mr. Matson added: “This is all about unity for the Rock Island Arsenal.”