REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- The culmination of years of hard work occurred with the cut of a ribbon at the U.S. Army Materiel Command’s touchdown ceremony here June 15.
AMC was among those affected by the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission, or BRAC, resulting in the relocation of approximately 11,000 of AMC’s more than 70,000 employees to various locations across the United States.
"Back in 2005 with the BRAC announcement, AMC faced one of the largest and most complex challenges in our history," Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, AMC's commanding general, said. "We had to accomplish this move seamlessly while supporting two wars, while supporting contingency operations, disaster response, and operations around the globe."
AMC has more than 70,000 personnel providing support in all 50 states and 155 countries globally and recently strapped on its boots in support of relief efforts in Japan, Haiti and Chile.
"The incredible folks at AMC took this challenge with the professionalism and the energy of a winning team. They did so without missing a beat and without any reduction in support to our warfighters on the battlefield," Dunwoody said.
Dunwoody reminded the audience that the nearly 700 mile relocation took a lot of hard work, planning, and commitment from the command and the Army.
"It's hard to believe we began this journey six years ago. Way back on the first yard line. And today we are about to cross the goal line together. This is both a victory and a historic moment for AMC," Dunwoody said.
"For AMC BRAC wasn't only about moving people and an organization, BRAC was an opportunity to transform and adapt ourselves," Dunwoody continued. "For the first time in our history, we'll have a shared common operating picture across the command and across the world; giving us the ability to reach out to the commanders in the field and respond to ever changing requirements in the field from our warfighters."
September 17, 2008 AMC and USASAC broke ground on a six story and three story facilities respectively. The 400,000 square foot facility with a shared lobby will house 1,770 employees who now call Huntsville "home".
Dunwoody told the assembled crowd that Redstone and the Tennessee Valley are now the center of gravity for AMC's global command, and that the move would not have been possible without the support and commitment of the Huntsville Madison communities and the entire Tennessee Valley region.
"I have had the good fortune of living in many great communities all over the world, but there is truly something special about this one," she said. "There is a unique spirit here --a spirit that encourages the people to work together across city limits, across county boundaries, and across state lines."
"That spirit is why the men and women of AMC couldn’t be more proud to call this great community our home," Dunwoody said. "I believe we really have scored a historic touchdown. And I believe it will be the first of many."
"Although today marks the end of a six year journey, just importantly it marks the beginning of a new era for AMC," Dunwoody said. "An era where AMC will truly become a globally networked materiel enterprise: better able to support our nation’s warfighters and meet the demands of the future."
Building facts:
•Over 834,000 man hours worked with no lost time accidents
•The building was designed to meet the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, LEED, Silver standards for GREEN building construction
•Total occupancy for both buildings is 1,777 personnel
•Construction began September 17, 2008 and was completed March 15, 2011
•1,543 parking spaces including: 40 handicap, 78 fuel efficient, 78 carpool, 20 motorcycle, 88 bike
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