REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Supporting two wars, contingency operations and relocating nearly 11,000 employees was the 'norm' for employees in the U.S. Army Materiel Command during the 2000s.
From the moment tragedy rocked our nation Sept. 11, 2001, AMC was there to support the all-volunteer force that fought and is still fighting for the United States of America.
For every Soldier deployed, AMC provided everything from clothing, food, bullets, HUMVEEs to helmets and beyond.
For all the equipment that went into Iraq and later Afghanistan a plan had to be created to remove it all. The answer to that question was the Responsible Reset Task Force, also known as R2TF, lead by AMC.
R2TF enabled the Army to track, repair, redistribute and/or return equipment that had been sent to support to the troops.
It was stated that, if one put all the equipment that was in Iraq in a single convoy, it would stretch more than 2,000 miles and if every container were stacked it would pile 51 miles high.
In addition to supporting troops in two locations simultaneously, moving was added to the task list.
In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, or BRAC, recommended headquarters AMC for relocation from Fort Belvoir, Va. to Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
Around the command, roughly 11,000 employees across 25 states - one out of six people employed -were faced with the decision to relocate their spouses, children and belongings.
It was the largest BRAC round in Army history.
The part many people miss is the relief efforts that were needed during this decade.
AMC provided humanitarian support to Indonesia after the Tsunami in 2004, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Pakistan after an earthquake in 2005, Haiti's 2009 earthquake and Japan's 2011 earthquake.
Gen. (ret.) Ann E. Dunwoody, former AMC commander, previously stated, "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."
From assisting a nation at war, giving a helping hand after disaster to helping a colleague relocate, AMC was there to provide for its troops, employees and beyond.
Editors Note: This is part ten of AMC's 50th anniversary series which will include insight from each decade and comments from people who worked with AMC throughout the years.
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