Chief of Ordnance of the United States Army

The Chief of Ordnance of the United States Army is a general officer who is responsible for the Army Ordnance Corps and serves as the commandant of the U.S. Army Ordnance School at Fort Lee. The Chief of Ordnance is primarily focused on the doctrine, training, and professional development of Ordnance officers and soldiers. The position was created simultaneously with the establishment of the United States Army Ordnance Department on May 14, 1812.

History 18th century The American Revolution established the general outlines of the future Ordnance Department. The Continental Congress' Board for War and Ordnance created the Commissary General for Military Stores to establish and operate ordnance facilities in an effort to alleviate the dependence on foreign arms and munitions. Colonel Benjamin Flower led the Commissary from his appointment in January 1775 until his death in May 1781. Ordnance facilities were established at Springfield Armory, Massachusetts, and Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, for the production of arms, powder, and shot. After the war, the logistic elements were disbanded and the authority for procurement and provision of all things military was transferred to the Office of the Purveyor of Public Supplies located within the Treasury Department.

19th century By the dawn of the War of 1812, the Secretary of War recognized the need for a distinct branch to manage the procurement, research, and maintenance of Ordnance materiel. Decius Wadsworth, previously superintendent of West Point, was appointed a colonel and given the title Commissary General of Ordnance, later changed to Chief of Ordnance. His ambition, during the war years and afterward, was to simplify and streamline Ordnance materiel management. His staff worked to reduce the variety of small arms and artillery pieces to a few efficient models. In addition, he aimed to develop a cadre of highly trained Ordnance officers who could dedicate their inventive ingenuity to their profession.

20th century Between 1906 and 1915, Chief of Ordnance Brig. Gen. William Crozier attempted to introduce scientific management systems into his department. With industrial productivity receiving national attention through the efforts of Frederick Winslow Taylor and others, Crozier sought favorable comparisons with private industry in his Congressional relations. Strikes at the Watertown Arsenal and Rock Island Arsenal limited the use of time studies and piece rates in the department, but at Springfield Arsenal a century's development of piece rates precluded the need for such studies or conflict. New Armory practices borrowed or influenced by Taylorism included centralized planning for better routing of tasks and components, improved accounting systems for tools and raw materials, introduction of high-speed tool steels, and reorganization of shop floors. By 1915, Armory managers also obtained substantial amounts of new equipment and completed direct rail links from the Armories to trunk lines. Better on-site transportation, along with increased use of electrical power and rebuilt power transmission systems, removed most of the Armory's long-standing geographic and power supply limitations. Capital improvements, and new accounting practices to control manufacturing materials purchases, had significant effects in reducing production costs, but still left the Army with a limited capacity to respond to a major conflict. But Crozier had problems obtaining budget too.

Ordnance Department supply failures during the first months of formal American involvement in the First World War cost Crozier his job, despite several attempts at wholesale departmental reorganization along functional lines with decentralized districts. In part by delegating more authority to district civilian managers, Crozier's successor, Maj. Gen. Clarence C. Williams (Chief of Ordnance, 1918-30), succeeded in gaining on ordnance supply problems as the war ended, by which time the department's reputation remained clouded.

Following the massive reorganization of the Army in 1962 based on the Hoelscher Committee Report, the Ordnance Corps and the office of the Chief of Ordnance was disestablished. The Ordnance branch continued under the direction of the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics. Army Materiel Command assumed responsibility for many of the Ordnance Corps historical functions; research, development, procurement, production, storage and technical intelligence.

In 1985, the Ordnance Corps became the first of the Army's support elements to re-establish itself under the branch regimental concept. The Office of the Chief of Ordnance was reestablished and regained responsibility for decisions concerning personnel, force structure, doctrine, and training. This change gave the opportunity for Ordnance officers, soldiers, and civilians to identify with their historical predecessors in their mission of Ordnance support to the U.S. Army.

21st century In accordance with the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission, the U.S. Army Ordnance School and the Chief of Ordnance moved from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland to Fort Lee, Virginia.

In Fiscal Year 2024, all sustainment commandants were reduced on the Tables of Distributions and Allowances (TDA). The Chief of Ordnance was reduced from brigadier general to colonel. The current Chief of Ordnance is Colonel Robin (Rob) Montgomery.

List of Army Chiefs of Ordnance NamePhoto Term began Term ended1.Colonel Decius Wadsworth July 2, 1812 June 1, 18212.Colonel George Bomford May 30, 1832 March 25, 18483.Brevet Brigadier General George Talcott March 25, 1848 July 10, 18514.Colonel Henry K. Craig July 10, 1851 April 23, 18615.Brevet Brigadier General James Wolfe Ripley April 23, 1861 September 15, 18636.Brigadier General George D. RamsaySeptember 15, 1863 September 12, 18647.Brevet Major General Alexander B. Dyer September 12, 1864 May 20, 18748.Brigadier General Stephen Vincent Benet June 23, 1874 January 22, 18919.Brigadier General Daniel W. Flagler January 23, 1891 March 29, 189910.Brigadier General Adelbert R. Buffington April 5, 1899 November 22, 190111.Brigadier General William Crozier November 22, 1901 December 19, 1917ActingBrigadier General Charles B. Wheeler 20 December 1917 19 April 1918ActingBrigadier General William S. Peirce 19 April 1918 2 May 191812.Major General Clarence C. Williams May 2, 1918 April 1, 1930ActingBrigadier General Colden Ruggles April 2, 1930 June 2, 193013.Major General Samuel Hof June 3, 1930 June 2, 193414.Major General William H. Tschappat June 3, 1934 June 2, 193815.Major General Charles M. Wesson June 3, 1938 May 3, 194216.Major General Levin H. Campbell Jr. June 1, 1942 May 31, 194617.Major General Everett S. Hughes June 1, 1946 October 31, 194918.Major General Elbert L. Ford November 1, 1949 October 31, 195319.Lieutenant General Emerson L. Cummings November 1, 1953 April 2, 195820.Lieutenant General John H. Hinrichs April 2, 1958 May 31, 196221.Major General Horace F. Bigelow June 1, 1962 July 31, 196222.Major General William E. Potts October 28, 1985 June 13, 198623.Major General Leon E. Salomon June 13, 1986 August 12, 198824.Major General James W. Ball August 12, 1988 July 13, 199025.Brigadier General Johnnie E. Wilson July 13, 1990 June 30, 199226.Major General John G. Coburn June 30, 1992 June 20, 199427.Major General James W. Monroe June 20, 1994 August 11, 199528.Major General Robert D. Shadley August 11, 1995 July 10, 199729.Brigadier General Thomas R. Dickinson July 10, 1997 September 18, 199830.Major General Dennis K. Jackson October 20, 1998 July 25, 200031.Major General Mitchell H. Stevenson July 25, 2000 August 15, 200332.Brigadier General William M. Lenaers August 15, 2003 September 10, 200433.Major General Vincent E. Boles September 10, 2004 October 30, 200634.Brigadier General Rebecca S. Halstead October 30, 2006 June 26, 200835.Brigadier General Lynn A. Collyar June 26, 2008 July 29, 201036.Brigadier General Clark W. LeMasters Jr. July 29, 2010 March 21, 201237.Brigadier General Edward M. Daly June 12, 2012 May 17, 201338.Brigadier General John F. Haley May 17, 2013 June 12, 201539Brigadier General Kurt J. Ryan July 10, 2015 June 1, 201640Brigadier General David Wilson August 10, 2016 May 8, 201841Brigadier General Heidi J. Hoyle May 8, 2018 May 21, 202042Brigadier General Michelle M.T. LetcherJune 16, 2020June 21, 202143Brigadier General Michael B. LalorJuly 13, 2021July 6, 202344Brigadier General Steven L. AllenJuly 6, 2023June 4, 202445Colonel Robin (Rob) MontgomeryJune 5, 2024Present

Acting Chiefs The following individuals have served as acting Chief of Ordnance:

Major Charles Shaler. Shaler served from 29 March to 5 April 1899, after the death of Daniel Flagler and before Adelbert Buffington. Colonel Rogers Birnie. Birnie served while William Crozier served as President of the Army War College during the 1912–1913 academic year. Brigadier General Charles B. Wheeler. Wheeler served from 20 December 1917 to 19 April 1918. Brigadier General William S. Peirce. Peirce served from 19 April until 2 May 1918. Brigadier General Colden L'Hommedieu Ruggles. Ruggles served from 1 April to 3 June 1930.

References

Bibliography

External links

U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Official Website