AMC celebrates 62nd birthday, Army Superior Unit Award

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – Army Materiel Command celebrated its 62nd birthday in style with a cake-cutting ceremony and presentation of the Army Superior Unit Award, Aug. 1 at AMC headquarters.

Army Materiel Command was established Aug. 1, 1962, absorbing the material roles of the former six technical services, which were the Quartermaster, Ordnance, Chemical, Signal, Engineers, Transportation Corps and the Surgeon General, with one medical depot. The command’s first headquarters was in what is now the car rental location of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Today, 62 years later, AMC has more than 165,000 Soldiers, civilians and contract employees across 10 major subordinate commands with a $300 billion portfolio and an impact in all 50 states and more than 150 countries around the world.

Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, AMC’s deputy commanding general and acting commander, noted that while the world has changed since AMC was founded during the Cold War, the command’s role in sustaining the Army and supporting warfighters remains as important as ever.

“Our role and our mission has not changed – which is to be prepared and to support in a training environment, in competition, in crisis and in conflict,” Mohan said. “We are on the line at the point of the X around the world every single day, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of this organization.”

Speaking on AMC’s relevance at its founding 62 years ago and continuing in today’s ever-changing world, Mohan quoted Gen. Frank S. Besson Jr., AMC’s first and longest-serving commander, who said, “‘As we go about our business of seeing that our Army gets the best weapons this country can produce, let us never lose our sense of urgency.’”

Following his remarks, Mohan was joined by Command Sgt. Maj. Jimmy Sellers, AMC command sergeant major, for the presentation of the Army Superior Unit Award and to affix the SUA streamer to the unit colors.

The SUA was established by the Secretary of the Army April 8, 1985, to recognize outstanding meritorious performance by a unit during peacetime of a difficult and challenging mission under extraordinary circumstances. Circumstances may be deemed to be extraordinary when they do not represent the typical day-to-day conditions under which the unit normally performs, or may reasonably be expected to perform, its peacetime mission.

The Army Superior Unit Award was awarded to Army Materiel Command for outstanding meritorious service providing timely and urgent mission essential duties in support of the coronavirus response, the Afghan resettlement mission, and support to allies and partners in Europe, including Ukraine, from Aug. 1, 2021, to Aug. 31, 2023.

Some of the accomplishments AMC was cited for include:

• Coordinating more than 700 shipments totaling nearly 1.5 million personal protective items to Army units and military treatment facilities worldwide;

• Mobilizing contracting teams to provide DoD support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 14 locations across the country;

• Providing support to the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security for the movement, temporary housing, sustainment and essential services for more than 75,000 displaced persons from Afghanistan;

• Supporting dozens of Presidential Drawdown Directives of DoD equipment and services in support of Ukraine and synchronizing the movement of equipment from the U.S. to Europe.

In addition to the streamer, the SUA lapel pin is also authorized for issue and wear by Army Civilians employed by AMC. Those individuals employed by AMC during the award citation period may wear the pin permanently, and all others may wear it on a temporary basis while they are employed at AMC headquarters. Similarly, military members who are assigned to the unit can wear the award on their uniform while assigned. However, those who were assigned to AMC headquarters during the award citation period can continue to wear the award even after they are no longer assigned to the unit.

Following the SUA presentation, Mohan, Sellers and Burnie Coats, an Army Civilian with more than 50 years of government service, cut a birthday cake and led the workforce in the singing of the Army song.

Mohan concluded by thanking the AMC team for their hard work and dedication.

“I really appreciate being a part of this team. I look forward to another 62 years, at least, of AMC support to our wonderful nation,” he said.