United States Army Materiel Command
Encyclopedia
The U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) is the primary provider of materiel
to the United States Army
.
The Command's mission includes the research & development of weapons systems as well as maintenance and parts distribution.
AMC operates research and development engineering centers; Army Research Laboratories; depots; arsenals; ammunition plants; and other facilities, and maintains the Army’s prepositioned stocks, both on land and afloat.
The command is also the Department of Defense
Executive Agent for the chemical weapons stockpile and for conventional ammunition.
AMC is responsible within the United States Department of Defense
for the business of selling Army equipment and services to allies of the United States and negotiates and implements agreements for co-production of U.S. weapons systems by foreign nations.
AMC is currently headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, AL, and is located in approximately 149 locations worldwide, including more than 49 American States and 50 countries. AMC maintains employment of upwards of 70,000 military and civilian employees.
The U.S. Army Materiel Command was established on 8 May 1962 and was activated on 1 August of that year as a major field command of the U.S. Army. Lieutenant General Frank S. Besson, Jr.
, who directed the implementation of the Department of Army study that recommended creation of a "materiel development and logistics command", served as its first commander.
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure
decision relocated AMC to Redstone Arsenal
, Ala
. Personnel began relocating to Redstone in 2006 and the command will be completely relocated by summer 2011.
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
The Command's mission includes the research & development of weapons systems as well as maintenance and parts distribution.
AMC operates research and development engineering centers; Army Research Laboratories; depots; arsenals; ammunition plants; and other facilities, and maintains the Army’s prepositioned stocks, both on land and afloat.
The command is also the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
Executive Agent for the chemical weapons stockpile and for conventional ammunition.
AMC is responsible within the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
for the business of selling Army equipment and services to allies of the United States and negotiates and implements agreements for co-production of U.S. weapons systems by foreign nations.
AMC is currently headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, AL, and is located in approximately 149 locations worldwide, including more than 49 American States and 50 countries. AMC maintains employment of upwards of 70,000 military and civilian employees.
The U.S. Army Materiel Command was established on 8 May 1962 and was activated on 1 August of that year as a major field command of the U.S. Army. Lieutenant General Frank S. Besson, Jr.
Frank S. Besson, Jr.
Frank Schaffer Besson, Jr., CBE was born on May 30, 1910 in Detroit, Michigan. His father was a West Point graduate and an officer in the Corps of Engineers . Frank S. Besson, Jr. graduated seventh in his class from the United States Military Academy in 1932. In 1935, he received a master's...
, who directed the implementation of the Department of Army study that recommended creation of a "materiel development and logistics command", served as its first commander.
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
decision relocated AMC to Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal is a United States Army base and a census-designated place adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area...
, Ala
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Personnel began relocating to Redstone in 2006 and the command will be completely relocated by summer 2011.
Past Commanders
| Commander | Date assumed command |
|---|---|
| Lieutenant General Frank S. Besson, Jr. Frank S. Besson, Jr. Frank Schaffer Besson, Jr., CBE was born on May 30, 1910 in Detroit, Michigan. His father was a West Point graduate and an officer in the Corps of Engineers . Frank S. Besson, Jr. graduated seventh in his class from the United States Military Academy in 1932. In 1935, he received a master's... |
2 April 1962 |
| General Ferdinand J. Chesarek Ferdinand J. Chesarek Ferdinand Joseph Chesarek was an American army general.He graduated from the United States Military Academy and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the field artillery in 1938... |
10 March 1969 |
| General Henry A. Miley, Jr. Henry A. Miley, Jr. Henry Augustine Miley, Jr. was a United States Army four star general who served as Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Command from 1970 to 1975.-Military career:... |
1 November 1970 |
| General John R. Deane, Jr. John R. Deane, Jr. John Russell Deane, Jr. was a United States Army general and served as commander of the United States Army Materiel Command.Deane was born in San Francisco, California on June 8, 1919. In 1937, he enlisted in the 16th Infantry. After one year, he entered the United States Military Academy... |
12 February 1975 |
| Lieutenant General George Sammet, Jr. | 1 February 1977 |
| General John R. Guthrie John R. Guthrie John Reiley Guthrie was a United States Army four star general who served as Commanding General, U.S. Army Development and Research Command , from 1977 to 1981. In the 1980s, DARCOM was renamed United States Army Materiel Command.-Military career:Guthrie was born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, on... |
May 1977 |
| General Donald R. Keith Donald R. Keith General Donald Raymond Keith was born January 31, 1927 in Ludington, Michigan. During World War II, he served in the Army as an enlisted soldier. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1949 and was commissioned a field artillery 2nd lieutenant... |
August 1981 |
| General Richard H. Thompson Richard H. Thompson -Biography:He was born on September 24, 1926 in New York City, New York. He entered in the Army in November 1944 and advanced to the grade of staff sergeant before being commissioned a second lieutenant. He served first at Fort Hamilton and then was assigned to Japan, where he performed duties as... |
29 June 1984 |
| General Louis C. Wagner, Jr. Louis C. Wagner, Jr. General Louis Carson Wagner, Jr. is a retired United States Army four star general who served as Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Command from 1987 to 1989.-Military career:... |
13 April 1987 |
| General William G.T. Tuttle, Jr. William G.T. Tuttle, Jr. General William Gilbert Townsend Tuttle, Jr. is a retired United States Army four star general who served as Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Command from 1989 to 1992.-Military career:... |
27 September 1989 |
| General Jimmy D. Ross Jimmy D. Ross General Jimmy Douglas Ross is a retired United States Army 4-star general and member of the board of two corporations.-Education:... |
31 January 1992 |
| General Leon E. Salomon Leon E. Salomon General Leon E. Salomon was born in Chicago, Illinois on 27 April 1936. On completion of Infantry Officer Candidate School he was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1959. General Salomon has Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and biology from the University of Florida and a Master of Science... |
11 February 1994 |
| General Johnnie E. Wilson Johnnie E. Wilson General Johnnie Edward Wilson is a retired United States Army four-star general who served as Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Command from 1996 to 1999.-Military career:... |
27 March 1996 |
| General John G. Coburn John G. Coburn General John Gordon Coburn is Chairman and CEO of VT Systems, Inc. , a global company, which he joined in November 2001 and grew from 61 million dollars to 1.3 billion dollars. Prior to joining VT Systems, he served as the Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command . He assumed the duties of... |
14 May 1999 |
| General Paul J. Kern Paul J. Kern General Paul John Kern became President and Chief Operating Officer of AM General LLC on August 1, 2008. His unique career blends technical expertise, combat operations, program management, policy development, and advisory roles to senior political leaders.Kern held numerous leadership positions... |
30 October 2001 |
| General Benjamin S. Griffin Benjamin S. Griffin Benjamin S. Griffin, was a four-star general in the United States Army. He served as the Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Command from November 5, 2004 to November 13, 2008. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Department of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8... |
5 November 2004 |
| General Ann E. Dunwoody Ann E. Dunwoody General Ann Elizabeth Dunwoody, USA , is the current Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command. She previously served as Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command from June 17, 2008 to November 13, 2008. On June 23, 2008, U.S. President George W. Bush nominated her to serve as the... |
14 November 2008 |
Major Subordinate Commands
- United States Army Contracting Command
- United States Army Sustainment Command
- United States Army Aviation and Missile CommandUnited States Army Aviation and Missile CommandThe United States Army Aviation and Missile Command is primarily responsible for life cycle management of army missile, helicopter, unmanned ground vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle weapon systems. The central part of AMCOM's job involves acquisition and sustainment support for aviation and...
/ United States Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command - United States Army Communications-Electronics Command
- United States Army Chemical Materials AgencyUnited States Army Chemical Materials AgencyThe United States Army Chemical Materials Agency is a major sub-command of the United States Army Materiel Command and a reporting element of the United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology. Its role is to enhance national security by securely storing...
- United States Army Joint Munitions Command
- United States Army Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command
- United States Army Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
- United States Army Research, Development and Engineering CommandUnited States Army Research, Development and Engineering CommandThe U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command is a major subordinate command of the Army Materiel Command, and is charged with "creating, integrating and delivering technology-enabled solutions to our Soldiers." With its headquarters at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, RDECOM...
- United States Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command
- United States Army Security Assistance CommandUnited States Army Security Assistance CommandThe U.S. Army Security Assistance Command – "The Army's Face to the World", implements Army security assistance programs, including Foreign Military Sales of defense articles and services to eligible foreign governments. USASAC is responsible for life cycle management of FMS cases, from...