United States Army Aviation and Missile Command

Last updated

Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command
Sparkman Center Redstone Arsenal.jpg
Headquarters AMCOM at Redstone Arsenal
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Branch United States Army Materiel Command (AMC)
Size7,700 civilian, 250 military, TBD contractors (as of 1996) [1]
Garrison/HQ Redstone Arsenal
Other military installations
Corpus Christi Army Depot
Letterkenny Army Depot
Fort Novosel Army Aviation Center
Website www.amcom.army.mil
Commanders
Current
commander
MG Thomas W. O'Connor Jr. [2]
Notable
commanders
General John Medaris (AOMC, 1958)
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia US Army 50953 AMCOM Logo.jpg

The United States Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) develops, acquires, fields and sustains aviation, missile and unmanned aerial vehicles. AMCOM is primarily responsible for lifecycle management of army missile, helicopter, unmanned ground vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle weapon system. The central part of AMCOM's mission involves ensuring readiness through acquisition and sustainment support for aviation systems, missile systems, and test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment (TMDE) throughout their life cycle. The command is headquartered at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, has a 2019 "budget of more $3.7 billion, and a global workforce of more than 15,000 military and civilian employees". [3]

Contents

AMCOM works closely with The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) [4] which 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. [1] AMCOM's main organizations are organized into "centers":

  • Acquisition Center – responsible for contracting support.
  • AMCOM Logistics Center (ALC) – responsible for logistics support.

LCMC

U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command is an LCMC. [5] Thus it has an associated contracting center. [6] This LCMC Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command was formerly Aviation and Missile Command (1997). This LCMC "purchases about $1 billion worth of aircraft and missile parts each year." [3]

Chronology

The U.S. Army Missile Command was formally established on 23 May 1962 at Redstone Arsenal to manage the army's missile systems.

List of commanding generals

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redstone Arsenal</span> United States Army post

Redstone Arsenal is a United States Army base adjacent to Huntsville, Alabama in the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. It is a census-designated place in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The Arsenal is a host to over 75 tenant agencies including the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and NASA's largest field center, the Marshall Space Flight Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Space Flight Center</span> Rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center

The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), located in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. As the largest NASA center, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo program. Marshall has been the lead center for the Space Shuttle main propulsion and external tank; payloads and related crew training; International Space Station (ISS) design and assembly; computers, networks, and information management; and the Space Launch System. Located on the Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, MSFC is named in honor of General of the Army George C. Marshall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army Ballistic Missile Agency</span> United States Army agency (1956–61)

The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) was formed to develop the U.S. Army's first large ballistic missile. The agency was established at Redstone Arsenal on 1 February 1956, and commanded by Major General John B. Medaris with Wernher von Braun as technical director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PGM-11 Redstone</span> American short-range ballistic missile

The PGM-11 Redstone was the first large American ballistic missile. A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), it was in active service with the United States Army in West Germany from June 1958 to June 1964 as part of NATO's Cold War defense of Western Europe. It was the first US missile to carry a live nuclear warhead, in the 1958 Pacific Ocean weapons test, Hardtack Teak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MGM-29 Sergeant</span> Tactical ballistic missile

The MGM-29 Sergeant was an American short-range, solid fuel, surface-to-surface missile developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The missiles were built by Sperry Utah Company. The Sergeant was the third and last in a series of JPL rockets for the US Army whose names correspond to the progression in Army enlisted ranks, starting with Private and Corporal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Letterkenny Army Depot</span> Military base in Franklin County, Pennsylvania

Letterkenny Army Depot, the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITE) for Air Defense and Tactical Missile Systems, was established in early 1942. Its leadership began recruiting civilian personnel in July 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Ordnance Corps</span> U.S. Army branch charged with the supply of weapons and ammunition

The United States Army Ordnance Corps, formerly the United States Army Ordnance Department, is a sustainment branch of the United States Army, headquartered at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia. The broad mission of the Ordnance Corps is to supply Army combat units with weapons and ammunition, including at times their procurement and maintenance. Along with the Quartermaster Corps and Transportation Corps, it forms a critical component of the U.S. Army logistics system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TACOM</span> Military unit

The United States Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), and its subordinate Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC), headquartered at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan, is part of the United States Army Materiel Command (AMC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Aviation and Missile Center</span> Military unit

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC), formerly known as the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), a part of the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) — now DEVCOM, is primarily a civilian organization tasked to provide research, development and engineering technology and services to support U.S. Army aviation and missile platforms. AvMC conducts research, promotes development, engineering and simulation laboratories and facilities used to develop and improve aviation and missile components, subsystems and systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Materiel Command</span> U.S. Armys primary provider of materiel

The U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) is the primary provider of materiel to the United States Army. The Command's mission includes the management of installations, as well as maintenance and parts distribution. It was established on 8 May 1962 and was activated on 1 August of that year as a major field command of the U.S. Army. Lieutenant General Frank S. Besson, Jr., who directed the implementation of the Department of Army study that recommended creation of a "materiel development and logistics command", served as its first commander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command</span> U.S. Armys provider of nearly all basic and applied R&D services

The Combat Capabilities Development Command, is a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. RDECOM was tasked with "creating, integrating, and delivering technology-enabled solutions" to the U.S. Army. It is headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redstone Test Stand</span> United States historic place

The Redstone Test Stand or Interim Test Stand was used to develop and test fire the Redstone missile, Jupiter-C sounding rocket, Juno I launch vehicle and Mercury-Redstone launch vehicle. It was declared an Alabama Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1979 and a National Historic Landmark in 1985. It is located at NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama on the Redstone Arsenal, designated Building 4665. The Redstone missile was the first missile to detonate a nuclear weapon. Jupiter-C launched to test components for the Jupiter missile. Juno I put the first American satellite Explorer 1 into orbit. Mercury Redstone carried the first American astronaut Alan Shepard into space. The Redstone earned the name "Old Reliable" because of this facility and the improvements it made possible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holger Toftoy</span> United States Army general

Major General Holger Nelson Toftoy was a United States Army career officer instrumental to the development of the United States' early rocketry after World War II, such as the Redstone missile. He persuaded senior officers to bring German scientists to the US after the war, to make use of their expertise, and supervised the relocation of more than 119 scientists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Security Assistance Command</span> U.S. Army command for the implementation of security assistance programs

The United States Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC) – "the 'Army's Face to the World'" - implements security assistance programs, including Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of defense articles and services to eligible foreign governments. In addition, USASAC is responsible for the US Army's security assistance information management and financial policy and provides logistics guidance to the army's security assistance community. The command also supports the U.S. government's emergency assistance, humanitarian relief, and Operations Other Than War, including peacekeeping operations by the United Nations. The USASAC traces its origins to the Army's technical service era, and was designated a major subordinate command (MSC) of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) in 1975. Since its formation, USASAC has supported major US military operations and supported international peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts. The USASAC's motto is "Strength in Cooperation."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology</span> Office of United States Army

The Office of the United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT) pronounced A-salt) is known as OASA(ALT). OASA(ALT) serves, when delegated, as the Army Acquisition Executive, the Senior Procurement Executive, the Science Advisor to the Secretary of the Army, and as the senior research and development official for the Department of the Army. The OASA(ALT) also has the principal responsibility for all Department of the Army matters related to logistics.

Carl Ernest Duckett was the founder of the Central Intelligence Agency's science and technology operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August Schomburg</span>

Lieutenant General (Ret.) August Schomburg was the Commander of the United States Army Ballistic Missile Command, and later Commandant of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He retired from Active Duty military service in 1967, and died in 1972. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His wife Fern Wynne Schomburg died in 1996.

The Pershing Project Manager's Office (PPMO) was the U.S. Army agency responsible for the systems management and engineering of the Pershing missile systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark W. LeMasters Jr.</span> United States Army general

Major General Clark W. LeMasters Jr. is a serving general officer in the United States Army and serves as the 35th Commanding General of the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command. Previously, he served as the 36th Chief of Ordnance for the U.S. Army and Commandant of the United States Army Ordnance School at Fort Lee, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynn A. Collyar</span> United States Army general

Major General Lynn A. Collyar is a retired general officer in the United States Army and served as the Commanding General, U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command between from 2012 to 2014. Prior to this assignment, he served as the 35th Chief of Ordnance and Commandant of the U.S. Army Ordnance School at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland and Fort Lee, Virginia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "AMC Permanent Orders 344-1". 9 December 1996.
  2. Belcher, Katherine (12 August 2022). "Maj. Gen. Thomas O'Connor takes command of AMCOM". U.S. Army. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 U.S. Army (16 December 2019) AMCOM improves readiness in 2019, looks to future
  4. Amy Tolson, Aviation & Missile Center Public Affairs (10 December 2019) CCDC commanding general pays first visit to Aviation, Missile Center (AvMC)
  5. "AMCOM: U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command"
  6. Gen. Dennis L. Via, AMC Commanding General (6 April 2016) AMC announces Mission Command alignment
  7. McCleskey, C.; D. Christensen. "Dr. Kurt H. Debus: Launching a vision" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
  8. "Redstone Arsenal Complex Chronology, Part II: Nerve Center of Army Missilery, 1950–62 – Section B: The ABMA/AOMC Era, 1956–62". Redstone Arsenal Historical Information. United States Army. Archived from the original on 16 July 2006. Retrieved 28 June 2006.
  9. "Rogers Takes Reins of AMCOM and Redstone".
  10. "Huntsville native returns as AMCOM commander".
  11. "AMCOM Change of Command 6-12-2014 MG James Richardson.JPG".
  12. "Major General James Richardson takes over at US Army Aviation and Missile Command". 12 June 2014.
  13. "Gabram takes reins of Aviation and Missile Command".
  14. "U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command welcomes new commander".
  15. Belcher, Katherine (12 August 2022). "Maj. Gen. Thomas O'Connor takes command of AMCOM". U.S. Army. Retrieved 15 August 2022.