United States Army Aviation and Missile Command

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ATACMS missile

The United States Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) is the U.S. Army organization primarily responsible for life cycle management of army missile, helicopter, unmanned ground vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle weapon systems. Located at Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, Alabama, AMCOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC).

1 Mission
2 Facts and Figures
3 History
4 Organizations and facilities
5 Current weapons systems
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Mission

The central part of AMCOM's job involves acquisition and sustainment support for aviation and missile systems throughout their life cycle.

AMCOM works closely with the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) that operates simulation facilities to evaluate missile components, such as seekers, in a variety of flights and countermeasures environments. AMCOM also has access to several wind tunnels to test full-size helicopters, a vertical motion simulator for flight control evaluation and a crash-testing tower used to improve safety.

AMCOM's Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Activity provides worldwide command and control over a broad metrology and calibration program. AMCOM is also the leader in foreign military sales, accounting for over 50 percent of total Army sales to Allied forces and friendly foreign nations.

In addition, AMCOM has operational control of two key Army depots - Corpus Christi Army Depot in Corpus Christi, Texas and Letterkenny Army Depot in Pennsylvania. The Secretary of the Army designated both depots as centers of industrial and technical excellence. In 2003, AMCOM assumed operational control of all aviation logistics management functions at Fort Rucker, Alabama, home of the Army Aviation Center. This means AMCOM oversees the maintenance and supply management of Ft. Rucker's aviation fleet and directs about 100 government personnel and more than 3,000 contractors who perform that work.

(Adapted from public domain AMCOM website.)

[edit] Facts and Figures

Commanding General

Major General James H. Pillsbury, who assumed command on 1 December 2003.

Workforce

Civilian - 7,700
Military - 250
AMCOM also employs a large number of contractor personnel.

(Source: AMCOM website).

[edit] History

The U.S. Army Missile Command was formally established on May 23, 1962 at Redstone Arsenal to manage the Army's missile systems. The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission resulted in the transfer of several Army missions. AMCOM was formally established on October 1, 1997 by the merger of the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM) at Redstone Arsenal and the U.S. Army Aviation and Troop Command (ATCOM) at St. Louis, Missouri, with the combined command located at Redstone Arsenal.

1940's munitions production at Redstone Arsenal

Chronology (adapted from public domain AMCOM web site [1])

1941 - Redstone Arsenal established as one of two U.S. Army arsenals on a 40,000 acre (162 km²) tract near Huntsville, Alabama, to produce of rounds of conventional chemical ammunition.

October 1948 - The Chief of Ordnance designates Redstone Arsenal as the center for Ordnance research and development in the field of rockets.

June 1, 1949 - The Chief of Ordnance officially activates the arsenal as the site of the Ordnance Rocket Center.

October 28, 1949 - In the interest of economy and efficiency, the Secretary of the Army approves the transfer of the Ordnance Research and Development Division Sub-Office (Rocket) at Fort Bliss, Texas, to Redstone Arsenal.

February 1, 1956 - The U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) is established at Redstone Arsenal.

May 23, 1963 - MICOM officially established;, fully staffed and operational on August 1, 1963.

February 28, 1964 - The U.S. Army Aviation and Surface Material Command redesignated as the U.S. Army Aviation Materiel Command (AVCOM).

September 23, 1968 - AVCOM redesignated the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command (AVSCOM).

July 1, 1977 - AVSCOM discontinued and its readiness mission combined with that of the U.S. Army Troop Support Command (TROSCOM) to form the U.S. Army Troop Support and Aviation Materiel Readiness Command (TSARCOM). AVSCOM's aviation research and development mission assigned to the newly established U.S. Army Aviation Research and Development Command (AVRADCOM).

March 1, 1984 - AVSCOM reestablished and all missions and activities of AVRADCOM and the aviation related missions and activities of the Troop Support and Aviation Materiel Readiness Command transferred to AVSCOM.

October 1, 1992 - Army Aviation and Troop Command established, consolidating the existing missions of AVSCOM and TROSCOM less those missions and organizations transferred to other commands.

17 July 1997 - AMCOM activation ceremony

September 8, 1995 - Congress approves the Base and Realignment Commission (BRAC) 95 List, disestablishing ATCOM and transfers its mission and organizations to Redstone Arsenal to merge with the Army Missile Command to form AMCOM.

July 17, 1997- Army Aviation and Missile Command is provisionally established.

October 1, 1997 - AMC Permanent Orders 344-1, dated December 9, 1996, formally establishes AMCOM.

(See Redstone Arsenal Historical Information for extensive official history.)

[edit] Organizations and facilities

Organizations

AMCOM comprises many sub-organizations. Its main organizations are organized into "centers":

Acquisition Center - responsible for contracting support.
Integrated Material Management Center - responsible for logistics support.

The Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center was formerly part of AMCOM, but was moved under the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) in 2003.

Facilities