REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- From the technology it maintains on helicopters to the missiles it sustains in theater and at home, the Aviation and Missile Command had a banner year in 2015.
But, while its employees maintained success as usual in supporting aviators and air defenders, changes in leadership made it an exciting year of growth and opportunity. The following leaders were new to AMCOM in the past year: Bill Marriott, deputy to the commander; Col. Todd Royar, chief of staff; Maj. Curt Schultheis, commander, AMCOM Headquarters and Headquarters Co., and AMCOM HHC First Sgt. Lee Dalton; Dr. Myra Gray, director of the Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Activity; John Smith, director of the AMCOM Logistics Center; Brian Wood, director of AMCOM G3 (Operations) and Donna Ragucci, director, Office of Small Business Programs.
AMCOM directorates took steps toward celebrating AMCOM's employees and its success by hosting the first Organizational Day in recognition of the organization's 17th birthday. Other AMCOM employee milestones included celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Leader Investment for Tomorrow leadership program coordinated by AMCOM and offered to employees throughout Team Redstone; hosting a Team Redstone Protection Day and hosting the National American Indian Heritage Month observance.
Several awards were presented to AMCOM and its employees during 2015. Among those, the AMCOM Logistics Center received a Department of Defense Value Engineering Achievement Award in recognition of the organization's value engineering projects during fiscal year 2014. Corpus Christi Army Depot, Texas, received a value engineering award in the team category for their work on value engineering projects for the Army's fleet of helicopters. John Jensen won the Management/Executive Award at the 24th annual Ernest A. Young Logistics Achievement Award ceremony. This year's Professional/Technical Award winner was Romulo "Rom" Ordonez, an AMCOM logistics assistance representative at Fort Hood, Texas. And, Ed Iannone was presented a Gold Order of St. Michael and J.D. Webster was presented a Bronze Order of St. Michael, both recognized for their commitment to aviation Soldiers throughout their military and civilian careers.
Two headline grabbing events of the year included the Lance Demil Project overseen by AMCOM G-3 (Operations) and Letterkenny Army Depot's growing role with the Multi-Mission Launcher.
During 2015, AMCOM G-3 employees worked with several Arsenal organizations to disassemble and de-tank 27 Lance missiles long stored on Redstone Arsenal. The missiles were identified and planned for demilitarization as part of an on-going process to reduce ordnance that had been identified as obsolete. From the time that AMCOM got the mission to demil the 27 missiles, it was determined that it would be a sizable effort requiring the expertise of employees from several Arsenal organizations.
The Multi-Missile Launcher made news for AMCOM employees when it was announced that its Engineering and Manufacturing Demonstration Phase will transition from its developer -- the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center -- to Letterkenny Army Depot. Manufacturing and logistics employees from Letterkenny traveled to Redstone Arsenal in the fall of 2015 to participate in system level manufacturing and integration procedures in preparation for the transition.
AMCOM G-4 (Logistics) and G-8 (Resource Management) also took huge steps in bringing the command in line with the Army's overall mission for audit readiness. AMCOM reached 87 percent audit ready by the end of fiscal 2015, and is well on its way to meeting the required 95 percent audit ready as required by the Army in fiscal 2017. That readiness is important for an organization that manages 52 percent of the Army's working capital fund's inventory assets. Members of the G-8 along with members from the G-4 and the Internal Review and Audit Compliance offices received honors for improving AMCOM audit readiness testing passing rates to more than 95 percent for more than 90 days during 2015.
Other highlights for AMCOM G-8 included the submission and approval of ACLC Concept Plan that included 37 additional Department of the Army civilian requirements for contract oversight and logistics functions for the aviation maintenance operation that supports aviation training at Fort Rucker and for the helicopter maintenance contract oversight mission at Fort Benning, Ga. The aviation maintenance contract maintains nearly 600 aircraft for the Army's aviation training program, expending $630 million annually and utilizing almost $4 billion in government property.
The backbone of effective strategic planning is for the detailed Program Objectives Memorandum requirements that add up to the big picture to be adequately reviewed and understood as they become the Army's plan for the future. As part of the 18-22 POM process, AMCOM G-8 instituted a multi-functional Requirements Validation Team chartered with ensuring all command requirements were thoroughly vetted. The RVT worked to ensure AMCOM POM submissions were comprehensive, accurate, defensible, current and synchronized.
The AMCOM Logistics Center's logistics assistance representatives continued to have a positive impact on Army aviators and air defenders around the world by providing the technical expertise to keep helicopters flying and missiles ready for launch. During 2015, AMCOM LARs assisted with the unloading of multiple CH-47 Chinook helicopters for the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade in Kuwait. The Chinooks flew in on C-5 Galaxy aircraft, a heavy lift strategic airlift plane, but not even the C-5 can carry a fully assembled Chinook. Maintenance team members spent a few days reassembling each aircraft before handing them over to test pilots. LARs and aviation maintainers from the 90th Aviation Support Battalion and 603rd ASB inspected the aircraft to see how well they traveled.
The AMCOM Fleet Management Office at Joint Base Langley/Eustis, Va., modified and upgraded UH-60 A/L/M CAT B Blackhawks in C-Company-1-210th Aviation Battalion, B-Company-2-210th Aviation Battalion and 128th Aviation Brigade. Modifications, which occurred over a year, entailed "M" model upgrades to produce high-fidelity training aircraft that met the Platform of Instruction for training tasks of the 128th Aviation Brigade.
In the area of gaming technology, ALC employees are members of a team coordinated by the Lower Tier Project Office, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space, to use motion capture and video game-based technology in the development of sophisticated virtual simulators for the PATRIOT Missile System. The Patriot Multiplayer Training program uses motion capture technology to create "avatars" or virtual service members, which can help in the training of several military personnel as they work through a real world scenario. The cost-effective program builds its virtual work with video game software and uses technology to train a digitally centric generation of Soldiers and to prevent the use of actual hardware systems.
SAMD worked 978 cases in 2015. Major foreign military sales were made to: Saudi Arabia National Guard, Blackhawk, $3.26 billion; Saudi Arabia National Guard, Apache, $2.3 billion and Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command, Patriot, $1.29 billion. AMCOM had a total of 48 percent of all Army foreign military sales.
The Army Primary Standards Laboratory, the Army's highest standard for metrology and calibration, received ISO 17025 accreditation for another two years, marking the 17th consecutive year for formal accreditation from the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation. USATA continues to provide calibration and measurement standards in support of Army missions worldwide while also solidifying working relationships with other government customers.
In 2015, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center transferred over 2,400 automated metrology/calibration software procedures to the Army Primary Standards Laboratory. The transfer of technology will dramatically increase the number of automated procedures performed at the APSL and represents a potential savings to the government of just over $3 million in duplication of research.
USATA also provided on-site training to the Emergency Management Radiological Team and the Army's Radiological Advisory Medical Team on the operation of the portable Optically Stimulated Luminescence dosimetry reader, which are used by first responders during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or natural disaster. And, a new state-of-the-art neutron spectrometer system was installed in the Nucleonics Lab to provide calibration support of instruments and detectors used at Army reactors and weapon facilities for detection of neutrons.
USATA's Army Dosimetry Center successfully underwent the initial proficiency testing audit of the DT-236A tactical dosimeter for the neutron radiation testing category, which is part of the accreditation process of the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. The DT-236A is the only accredited tactical dosimeter currently in use by any of the Services and can measure radiation from a nuclear detonation. The center also established on-site dosimetry measurement capability in support of the decommissioning of the MH-1A nuclear power station, a floating station on a converted Liberty ship now located in the Panama Canal Zone.
Employees with AMCOM's Office of Small Business Programs SBP Director met face-to-face with 386 small business firms to discuss their capabilities and how those capabilities meet AMCOM requirements. Through a teaching and training effort, OSBP led to an exceptional increase in contract awards to small business, small disadvantaged businesses, and service disabled veteran owned small business concerns.
AMCOM met three of the five Army Materiel Command mandated Small Business Goals. In the 4th quarter of FY15, AMCOM saw the largest percentage increase in women-owned small business awards, obligating over $197 million or 1.62 percent. Although overall obligated dollars have decreased over the last three years, AMCOM small business obligated dollars grew to over $1.1 billion. Many of the 4th quarter awards, upwards to $1 million, were reserved for 8(a) firms, increasing the goal performance from 798 8(a) actions in 3rd quarter ($3 million) to a total of 931 8(a) actions in the 4th quarter ($5 million).
AMCOM's successful 2015 began and ended with the celebration of employees committed and dedicated to the mission.
To better assist employees, AMCOM G-1 (Human Resources) consolidated organizational HR functions into G-1 for a "one stop shop" of HR issues related to recruiting, performance, awards and classification. The team consolidated with G-1 will be trained as professional HR Specialists, thereby improving the advice and assistance provided to managers. The team will also be responsible for interface with the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center, along with the supervisors to gain efficiencies in the HR area. As part of the reorganization, the training function for both civilian and military training within AMCOM left G-1 and moved to G-3.
And, in an effort to recruit new AMCOM employees, G-1 participated in several activities, including the HQAMC-hosted Academia Day to provide North Alabama/Tennessee colleges/universities information about the AMC mission. All major support commands presented information about their command's mission and types of positions open to civilians.
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