REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – From the outside, the headquarters looks like just an office building, but behind the curtains, Army Materiel Command is working nonstop to get Soldiers what they need, when they need it.
From bullets and bandages to Bradleys and Black Hawks, AMC delivers supplies and equipment around the clock to Soldiers across the globe. The hub of this logistical network directing these actions is at the headquarters building on Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. AMC is currently the only four-star headquarters in the state.
“AMC delivers logistics support, sustainment and materiel readiness from fort, depot and arsenal to the tactical edge, worldwide,” said Gen. Ed Daly, the Army’s senior sustainer and commander of AMC.
With a workforce of about 175,000 Soldiers, civilians and contractors, if AMC was a company, it would be about number 62 of the Fortune 500 list based on its revenue and budget. AMC has the manufacturing, maintenance, distribution and engineering might of the country’s top shipping, motor and defense companies. The work done by the AMC team enables Army readiness and supports Soldiers’ ability to complete their missions.
“Army sustainers are like the offensive and defensive lines in football, so to speak: the unsung heroes who are essential to fighting and winning on Army battlefields, now and in the future,” Daly said.
The work these sustainers complete is assigned, monitored and assessed by AMC leaders from the AMC Operations Center in the headquarters. This 24/7 center is the nucleus of the command, with different orders passing through from the basement to major subordinate commands, installations and stations across the globe.
Generals and other top leaders from around the world call into the center, ready to give updates on supplies, equipment, quality-of-life issues and more. Daly and other AMC leaders are able to view near-real time data supporting the updates and give direction. These leaders synchronize, integrate and deliver sustainment support to the force.
“This is about mission command,” said Daly. "We give our major subordinate command leaders the direction, and they take the initiative to get the mission done.”
The fruits of this labor can be seen in different areas. Artisans at depots, ammunition plants and arsenals across the country maintain and repair equipment. Commanders all over the world work with partners to enhance quality of life, improving housing, providing access to affordable and available child care, supporting the hiring of Army spouses and improving the permanent change of station moving process.
From the AMC Operations Center, leaders hear updates on a variety of topics, including ongoing combatant command exercises and missions. Recently, AMC had a role in the 2021 presidential inauguration. From the AMC headquarters building, leaders planned and coordinated with major subordinate commands to supply equipment and execute contracts to support Soldiers in the National Capital Region.
AMC is also supporting vaccination augmentation teams by providing personal protective equipment, or PPE. AMC is working in conjunction with U.S. Army North, the Army G3/5/7 and Department of Defense entities to support a Federal Emergency Management Agency-led effort to vaccinate 100 million Americans in 100 days. The AMC team sent thousands of supplies, including gloves, N95 respirators, safety glasses and cloth face masks. The decisions of how to best support, what supplies to send, how and where to send it were made from the AMC headquarters building.
From supporting the whole-of government response to the COVID-19 pandemic or sustaining Soldiers stationed around the world, AMC provides the equipment and supplies needed.
“AMC is making huge readiness impacts for the Army,” Daly said. “I am absolutely proud to lead our great materiel enterprise and serve shoulder-to-shoulder with our tremendous Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians.”
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