REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command and its leader now have a new duty for the Army.
During a town hall at the command's Redstone Arsenal headquarters Oct. 7, Lt. Gen. David L. Mann, USASMDC/ARSTRAT's commanding general, announced to the workforce that the command will now be the Army's air and missile defense lead integrator.
"The combatant commands put together yearly what's on their wish list of what they would like to have to be able to execute operations in their different areas of responsibility," Mann said. "At the top of that list almost every single year is space and missile defense forces.
"Gen. (Raymond T.) Odierno (chief of staff of the Army) is concerned that we get all of these demand signals from the COCOMs, but there really isn't an overarching strategy that takes into account risk," Mann said. "There's always going to be a lot more threat missiles out there than we are going to have interceptors. So, where do we assume risk? Where do we allocate resources to give us the biggest bang for the buck?"
Mann met with Odierno and several other Army leaders Sept. 8 to discuss the Army's air and missile defense strategy.
"During the meeting, Gen. Odierno turned to me and said, 'SMDC, I want you to be the Army's air and missile defense integrator,'" Mann said. "That means that anything that has anything to do with integrated air and missile defense will come to this command.
"That doesn't mean we have additional authorities over the Fires Center of Excellence or Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space or any other organization, but we are charged with getting the community together to provide the Department of the Army with recommendations and options on how to address all these demand signals and requests we are getting and to lay out to the chief the risks," Mann said. "We will work collaboratively to get the best solution for the Department of the Army."
This new responsibility for the command will help synchronize communications, organize the Army's strategic air and missile defense efforts, and coordinate across the Army's generating and operating forces.
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