REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (Army News Service, June 16, 2011) -- The culmination of years of hard work was marked June 15, 2011, with the cut of a ribbon at the U.S. Army Materiel Command's touchdown ceremony here.
AMC was among those affected by the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission, or BRAC. The changes of BRAC resulted in the relocation of approximately 11,000 of AMC's more than 70,000 employees to various locations across the United States.
"Back in 2005 with the BRAC announcement, AMC faced one of the largest and most complex challenges in our history," said Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, commander, AMC. "We had to accomplish this move seamlessly while supporting two wars, while supporting contingency operations, disaster response, and operations around the globe."
AMC has more than 70,000 personnel providing support in all 50 states and 155 countries globally and recently strapped on its boots in support of relief efforts in Japan, Haiti and Chile.
"The incredible folks at AMC took this challenge with the professionalism and the energy of a winning team," Dunwoody said. "They did so without missing a beat and without any reduction in support to our warfighters on the battlefield."
Dunwoody reminded attendees at the ceremony that the nearly 700 mile relocation took a lot of hard work, planning, and commitment from the command and the Army.
"It's hard to believe we began this journey six years ago -- way back on the first yard line. Today we are about to cross the goal line together. This is both a victory and a historic moment for AMC," Dunwoody said.
"For AMC, BRAC wasn't only about moving people and an organization, BRAC was an opportunity to transform and adapt ourselves," Dunwoody continued. "For the first time in our history, we'll have a shared common operating picture across the command and across the world; giving us the ability to reach out to the commanders in the field and respond to ever changing requirements in the field from our warfighters."
In September 2008, AMC and USASAC broke ground on a 400,000 square foot facility that will house the 1,770 employees that now call Huntsville "home".
Dunwoody told the assembled crowd that Redstone and the Tennessee Valley are now the center of gravity for AMC's global command, and that the move would not have been possible without the support and commitment of the Huntsville Madison communities and the entire Tennessee Valley region.
"I have had the good fortune of living in many great communities all over the world, but there is truly something special about this one," she said. "There is a unique spirit here -- a spirit that encourages the people to work together across city limits, across county boundaries, and across state lines."
Dunwoody went on to say the move marks a new era for AMC.
"An era where AMC will truly become a globally networked materiel enterprise -- better able to support our nation's warfighters and meet the demands of the future," she said.
Related Links:
STAND-TO!: U.S. Army Materiel Command – Logistics Support Activity, Logistics Information Warehouse
Social Sharing