REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- From Alaska to Connecticut, from Georgia to Washington, from Kentucky to Arizona, aviators and aviation maintenance Soldiers from across the Army converged at Redstone Arsenal last week for the Aviation and Missile Command's AMCOM 101 for Aviation.
The event consisted of three days jammed packed with everything an aviation maintainer needs to know to make sure aircraft are maintained and sustained for readiness. From presentations by general officers representing Army leadership to break-out sessions on technical, logistical and acquisition issues to tours of Redstone Arsenal aviation support and development capabilities, AMCOM 101 for Aviation delivered in providing Soldiers with knowledge on technologies, resources and problem solving.
"As a battalion commander, I had no clue what AMCOM did for me," AMCOM commander Maj. Gen. Jim Richardson told the Soldiers during the opening session of AMCOM 101 for Aviation.
He committed to ensuring that every Soldier left the event with a "rucksack full" of information, ideas and future opportunities focused on AMCOM and the aviation enterprise, and associated with the Tank and Automotive Command, the Communications-Electronics Command, the Army Contracting Command, Combined Arms Support Command, the Training and Doctrine Command, and the Forces Command.
In the audience for AMCOM 101 for Aviation were Soldiers from all ranks and aviation military occupational specialties along with civilian employees, such as several logistics assistance representatives, who support AMCOM's aviation readiness mission.
"We're represented from specialist to four-star general here. Anybody who has to do with aviation maintenance, we're here," Richardson said. "Every combat aviation brigade in the U.S. Army active duty is here. We have got the who's who of Army aviation here."
While information was the hottest commodity of the event, Richardson also encouraged the more than 300 Soldiers in attendance to make connections with each other and the AMCOM civilians in the audience.
"This is about establishing relationships. It's about knowing who's on the other side of the phone when you need help," he said. "Just to put a name with a face is important. And, you will get to talk, get to ask questions of all these briefers who are prepared to talk to you."
The event's opening ceremony was followed by presentations from general officers and other military and civilian leaders from various Army commands. Topics included the AMCOM Logistics Center, Field Support and Readiness, Conditioned Based Maintenance, Aircraft Survivability, Estimated Cost of Damage, Quality Deficiency Reporting and Theater Equipment Package.
Soldiers were also given tours of AMCOM's Corrosion Lab, and Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Lab; and the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center's Advanced Composites Lab, Product Integration Facility and Software Engineering Directorate.
"This is a learning experience that has permitted me to fill in the blanks," Sgt. 1st Class Andy Shelton said.
"I have a greater depth of knowledge now about the resources available at AMCOM. Although I have 19 years of service, I now have a renewed pride of ownership when I go back to Fort Drum, N.Y., and continue working on equipment in my role as a Production Control non-commissioned officer."
In his comments to Soldiers, Lt. Gen. Gustave Perna, deputy chief of staff for G-4, which oversees policies and procedures used by 240,000 Army logisticians throughout the world, said the shift from civilian support to Soldier support for logistics in the field will make it imperative that the Army's chief warrant officer corps "retake the objective and drive us successfully in supply and maintenance."
As it was when the nation took the Global War on Terrorism to Iraq, Perna said there will be another unknown country somewhere in the world where the U.S. will send troops that will have to build a support network in an austere and remote environment. "It will require decisive action and expeditionary everything. We have to be ready for that," he said.
While G-4 leadership priorities remain focused on leadership development, strategic readiness and the operating concept for the 2025 force, Perna said the Army's expeditionary logistics capabilities must be built up once again to support troops in an austere environment with sustainment and freedom of maneuverability.
The cornerstone of strategic readiness today and in 2025 is to develop leaders and competencies in supply, maintenance and logistics that will make Soldiers "first, fast and best" while reducing commodities and troops on the battlefield, Perna said.
"Logistically, we have to focus on distribution and materiel management. We need to know how to bring equipment in that synchronizes and maintains our maneuvering commanders," Perna said. "What happens when there are no Forward Operating Bases? How do we sustain and maintain?"
Toward that end, the Global Combat Support System-Army will provide company-level leaders with asset visibility, property accountability, total weapon systems cost as well as operational and equipment readiness, Perna said. It is a web-based capability that synchronizes and integrates finance, supply, maintenance and property book into a one enterprise system that is auditable.
"This system will enable the Army to be better," he said.
Leadership development was mentioned across the board by the general officers who spoke at AMCOM 101 for Aviation. Maj. Gen. Michael Lundy, commander of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, speaking via video teleconference, told Soldiers that in a cycle of deployment, reset, preparation and dwell, Soldiers are required to be totally engaged and the importance of developing leaders is heightened.
The Army "has an unbelievable enterprise when it comes to aviation," he said.
The power of the aviation enterprise is what aviation maintainers get when they call back to Team Redstone for assistance, said Brig. Gen. Bob Marion, the program executive officer for aviation.
"We're integrated and we deliver a capability to you," he said.
Marion also expressed the need for effective leadership in the warrant officer ranks of Army aviation.
"The power and reliance of our formations are warrant officers. I should know because my father -- Lee Marion -- was a master warrant officer retired," he said. "You provide supply discipline and accountability. We rely on our senior NCOs and our senior warrant officers to take the best 20 percent of our Soldiers and train them.
"Now, more than ever, we need your leadership and experience in this time of diminishing resources, this era of constrained resources. We need to get together and make relationships so we can all be successful in the Army."
In a review of the capabilities of the Tank and Automotive Command, its commanding officer Maj. Gen. Gwen Bingham said it is important for aviation Soldiers to have an understanding of commands like TACOM and the Communications-Electronics Command because "it is a global enterprise of core competencies. Life cycle management commands are truly a partnership, a team of teams between the different commands to enable sustainable readiness from cradle to grave."
Lane Collie, director of the Logistics and Readiness Center at the Communications-Electronics Command, told the aviation Soldiers that CECOM equipment is "literally all over the place. There are 10 different boxes on a helicopter platform that are CECOM managed, and there are 30 systems that CECOM mangers in support of the aviation fleet. We are literally across everyone's portfolio. There is a heavy emphasis of CECOM across all your platforms."
The leaders who spoke at AMCOM 101 for Aviation emphasized that their mission is to serve and support aviation Soldiers. AMCOM's Richardson said he appreciates that commitment to the aviation community.
"I didn't realize the power that AMCOM brought to aviation brigades when I was a brigade commander," he told the aviation Soldiers. "This is about educating you. I came from you. I am an Army aviator who asked to come here to give back because of what AMCOM has done for me."
Back in 2009 and 2010, Maj. Gen. Jim Myles commanded AMCOM and Richardson was a brigade commander in Afghanistan. "Maj. Gen. Myles started calling me. At the time, we had 151 hard landings in Afghanistan," Richardson recalled.
With the need to make repairs in theater due to the optempo of the war, Richardson came to rely on Myles and the power of AMCOM and his LAR Bobby Allgood to keep helicopters flying.
"Just like I had to when I was in Afghanistan, you've got to learn what we do, you've got to ask questions. We want you to leave smarter than when you got here. Our mission is to enable your readiness. We can do everything but turn the wrenches."
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