FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont and Executive Officer Capt. Randy J. Berti greeted the MDMC representatives, including Commanding Officer Col. Kirk M. Spangenberg and Deputy Commander Vincent Hutcherson. During the two-day visit, the MDMC party had the opportunity to discuss manpower considerations, including recruiting and retention; financial management using the Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) program, an integrated business management capability that modernizes and standardizes Navy business operations; and facilities and process modernization projects, including warehouse automation.
“I firmly believe that collaboration across the Department of Defense only helps us improve in our mission to support the Fleet,” said FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont. “I’m excited we had the chance to host our counterparts from Marine Depot Maintenance Command and benefit from their lessons learned while also sharing the great things our workforce here at FRC East is doing in terms of problem-solving and forward thinking.
“Our team of professionals is known for their skill and expertise throughout the Department of Defense and among our global allies, and we often partner with sister depots like MDMC and the Coast Guard Air Logistics Center to share information, processes and procedures,” Belmont continued. “Relationships like these mean that when one of us solves a problem, we all profit by not having to reinvent the wheel. That, in turn, benefits our nation’s warfighters.”
MDMC, which provides worldwide maintenance support for rebuild, repair, modifications, manufacturing and technical services for about 80% of the Marine Corps’ ground equipment portfolio, could be thought of as FRC Ground, Spangenberg noted. Because the two commands share similar missions, they also face similar challenges and have the opportunity to work together the find solutions.
“This visit was primarily about benchmarking: learning from what the other depots are doing and sharing best practices,” Spangenberg said. “FRC East has gone after some of the challenges we also face at MDMC relating to advancements in modernization and technology, manpower and financial concerns – really, it’s about how FRC East is doing its mission and getting better in ways that we can learn from.”
FRCE’s partnership with the state of North Carolina, which led in the depot’s UH-1N line moving to a new facility at the North Carolina Global TransPark in Kinston while freeing up much-needed hangar space at the depot, was especially exciting, Spangenberg added.
“It was really interesting to hear about funding facilities in a more responsive way than with traditional military construction funding, and we might explore that further, as well,” he said.
Another takeaway for both FRCE and the MDMC team was the power in sharing experiences with other commands, which can lead to greater success in elevating potential issues for resolution.
“We learned that we’re all trying to attack similar problems individually and separately, with the perception being that we’re all by ourselves,” Spangenberg explained. “But we had a discussion about what happens if we all band together; maybe our collective voice gets louder and maybe we can come together in a larger venue, and perhaps get a little more responsive support to some of the challenges that cost us productivity, time and money.”
Collaboration between military maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, which are considered part of the Defense Department’s organic industrial base (OIB), can lead to improvements that increase depot efficiency and efficacy, Spangenberg said.
“The organic industrial base is a critical capability for the services and for the Department of Defense, and it’s vital that we do everything we can to be a good operation, a good business, and get a good return on the Navy and Marine Corps’ investment by returning readiness to the enterprise,” he explained. “Getting the best readiness at the best cost is extremely important.
“What the OIB brings to the table is velocity in terms of meeting urgent needs,” Spangenberg continued. “We fill the gap from urgency of need until the defense industrial base can catch up, and the reason we can do that is because we have that healthy industrial base capability that’s kept alive through the flow of maintenance activity. It’s vital to broaden the understanding of what the OIB brings to the fight through commands like MDMC and FRC East.”
Belmont agreed the service provided through the military’s organic depots is critical to national defense. FRCE, MDMC and other commands are much more than just brick-and-mortar maintenance bays, he added.
“We see FRC East as a capability, not a location,” Belmont explained. “With engineering support, deployable in-service repair teams and depot maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft and components, the services we provide the Fleet span the globe and serve as a vital strategic asset for the Navy and Marine Corps team, and the nation.
“It’s truly an honor to host colleagues like our guests from MDMC, who come to FRC East to see how we’re doing business and take that back to commands – and allow us to do the same with their best practices,” Belmont continued. “It just cements our reputation as one of the Defense Department’s premier industrial facilities, with a forward-leaning, problem-solving workforce that truly understands the importance of our mission.”
FRCE is North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.