He may have not been there in person, but Army Materiel Command Commanding Gen. Gus Perna made a significant impact during his quarterly visit with top leaders from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command on May 15.

"I am ready to have these conversations," said Perna. "The whole reason we have these meetings is to get things where they need to be."

As the Army’s senior logistician, Perna made clear the focus of the discussion was to both identify and remedy current infrastructure concerns as part of an overarching effort to simplify the continued absorption of key parts of USAMRMC under AMC.

"We are going to change the rules," said Perna, imparting what promises to be a signature guiding principle of that effort. "From this point forward, the metric I care about is performance output."

In an attempt to install ends-driven performance goals across the entire command, Perna stated his desire to shift from previous, more algorithmically-based models of readiness to a more direct method of preparation; an arrangement he has previously called "real readiness."

"We are not going to constrain ourselves based on dollars or models or this or that," said Perna. "We are going to concern ourselves with performance."

Finer points of the meeting touched on the current supply-line status of USAMRMC affiliates in Europe, the Korean Peninsula, and the upcoming planned transition of the USAMRMC to the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command.

"Preparation is the biggest thing for us," said USAMRMC and Fort Detrick Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Barbara R. Holcomb. "We want to make sure the proper planning takes place."

For Perna, a clear and continued focus on goals, personnel, and capability will fulfill the mission and –ultimately– carry the day.

"It is about what we need to do and when we need to do it," said Perna. "And we need to adjust our risk accordingly."