BRAC to the Future IV

By Ms. Cherish Washington (AMC)December 3, 2010

BRAC to the Future
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BRAC to the Future
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Mellinger, AMC’s command sergeant major, engaged in a brief media interview with WHNT news immediately following the BRAC to the future event Friday at the Von Braun in Huntsville, Ala. U.S. Army photo by Cherish Washington,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
BRAC to the future
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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Leaders, elected officials, business owners and the general public from across the Tennessee Valley gathered at the Von Braun center here Friday to discuss BRAC and its impact to the community.

Col. John Hamilton, garrison commander, kicked off the presentations of the morning covering the key milestones of growth on Redstone Arsenal and beyond the end date of BRAC, September 2011.

"The history of Redstone Arsenal is quiet growth and quiet change," said Hamilton. "Today as we discuss BRAC specifically I ask that we think bigger. The growth going on at Redstone Arsenal is much larger than what BRAC law dictated."

The 2005 BRAC law dictated that the U.S. Army Materiel Command is to relocate its headquarters from Fort Belvoir, Va. to Redstone Arsenal, Ala. by September 2011, which sparked not only the moving of employees but their families as well.

Hamilton reminded the audience that there are a lot of second, third and fourth order effects, positive effects, that happen because of BRAC but not necessarily dictated in BRAC law such as Army Contracting Command, a component of AMC, relocating to Redstone Arsenal, and the new Redstone Gateway, an enhanced use lease project.

Brig. Gen. John Wharton, chief of staff for AMC, briefed the audience on AMC's transition to Redstone Arsenal.

Wharton explained that AMC is still conducting spilt-based operations with approximately 620 personnel at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. and the remainder of the headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va.

Wharton also announced the arrival of Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, AMC's commanding general, to Huntsville in the early spring timeframe and the arrival of Lt. Gen. James H. Pillsbury, AMC's deputy commanding general, in January 2011.

"You don't just get a four-star general when we [AMC] come [to Redstone Arsenal]. You get a command that has a global mission," Wharton said.

AMC has a presence in 49 states and 144 countries worldwide that provide direct support the warfighter.

"What I want to leave you with is we're [AMC] excited about the move to Huntsville and BRAC is on schedule," said Wharton. "Our goal is a seamless transition and continuity of operations."

"Thank you for everything you are doing to make our transition easier and seamless," said Wharton.

Other presenters included Harvey Player, Missile Defense Agency, and Derrick Boegner, vice president of asset management for Corporate Office Properties Trust.

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