J. Randall Robinson, right, IMCOM West Region Director, welcomes Chris Tillman, Tooele Army Depot Garrison Manager, to the IMCOM family during the IMCOM Pilot Study Kickoff event held April 14 at TEAD. Robinson and several other IMCOM West Region mem...

A ceremony welcoming Tooele Army Depot (TEAD) into the Installation Management Command (IMCOM), West Region, took place April 14, as part of a kickoff event for the IMCOM Special Installation Pilot Study.

In order to explore alignment of functions and capitalize on the Army Materiel Command's (AMC) core competency of running industrial operations and the Installation Management Command's core competency of running installations, the Army is exploring realigning installation management responsibilities for AMC's 21 special installations (depots, plants and arsenals) to IMCOM. The Army is conducting a pilot program that will look at the feasibility of transferring certain installation support functions and real property accountability at four test installations from AMC to IMCOM.

The pilot program will take place at TEAD and Anniston Army Depot in Ala., which are both government owned/government operated installations. The pilot also includes Hawthorne Army Depot, Nev., and Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Tenn. The pilot study began April 1 and will end no earlier than September 30, 2011.

IMCOM will assume operational control of real property accountability and selected installation support functions. No dollars or personnel will transfer during this study.

Col. Yolanda Dennis-Lowman, depot commander, appointed Chris Tillman as the garrison manager during this pilot study.

"This study will be fully supported by TEAD," Dennis-Lowman said. "It will not result in any job losses and will be transparent to all. This study should improve how we do our business: reduce costs, eliminate duplication, improve efficiency and effectiveness."

During the welcoming ceremony J. Randall Robinson, IMCOM West-Region Director, San Antonio, Texas, said there would not be any negative impacts or interruptions to the work force during the pilot study.

"The headquarters' intent is to have it be transparent and hopefully will turn out to be a benefit with advantages to the depot such as reducing the rate," Robinson said. "The Commander, Colonel Dennis-Lowman, will remain in charge and will set tasks and priorities. The Army expects they will similarly transfer from AMC to IMCOM using the results of the pilot as lessons learned. These phased transfers will take place during the period (fiscal 2014 to fiscal 2019)."

If the data indicates a value added, then the realignment concept supports the Army's Instructional Adaption goals for reducing costs and improving effectiveness and efficiencies by centralizing control and increasing visibility of all resources dedicated to these functions in support of the Warfighter. If this pilot program proves successful, the Army intends to conduct similar transfers of function from AMC to IMCOM.