FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- When U.S. Army Installation Management Command became a subordinate command to U.S. Army Materiel Command in March 2019, AMC nearly doubled its size, bringing in more than 75 installations and growing its workforce to more than 190,000 Soldiers and Civilians. This expanded the four-star command's mission focus to include delivering critical base support and quality of life services that enable readiness on Army installations around the globe.
Nearly one year after this merger, Gen. Gus Perna, commanding general, U.S. Army Materiel Command, visited San Antonio for his third quarterly update with IMCOM leadership at IMCOM Headquarters, here, Feb. 18. All the topics discussed pointed at making all Army installations a place every Soldier and Family would want to live and work.
"It's our job to determine what it's going to take to make every installation a Soldier's and Family's number one choice," said Perna during the update. "If we operationalize this as our mindset, it will be the key that keeps our Soldiers in our Army. We need to lead this change."
Since the last quarterly update in November, IMCOM has continued to improve quality of life for Soldiers and Families in four priority areas: housing, child care, PCS moves, and spouse employment.
IMCOM and AMC are also leading the integration and development of an Army wide facilities investment strategy that focuses on quality of life through 2030, applies funding to installations in support of modernization, and aligns responsibility, authority and resources to execute Army priorities. The strategy will fix all barracks (permanent party, training and transient training), child development and youth centers on all installations, and improve power projection at seven locations.
"We're setting new standards in execution with these initiatives. It's about innovation and expanding the realm of possibilities," said Perna.
Lt. Gen. Douglas Gabram, who took command of IMCOM in January, told Perna and the other assembled leaders that IMCOM is doing these things to rebuild trust. He went on to add that "IMCOM is working these problems hard now in order to move us out of the tactical quicksand and into deep operations where we can really make positive strategic impacts that will sustain the trust we are rebuilding now."
In full agreement, Perna added "garrison commanders need to focus on the things that will gain trust with our customers."
Gabram emphasized to the group the "power of the patch." This refers to the AMC patch, symbolizing the 190,000 teammates across the globe all working together to solve Army problems. IMCOM and other commands within AMC are driving to the same end state, where every installation has the infrastructure, services, quality of life, training areas and power projection capabilities to make it a Soldier and their Family's number one choice to live.
"This is new muscle memory, and if we get it right, we can do anything," Perna said regarding the work IMCOM is doing to improve quality of life for Soldiers and Families. "Press!"
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