AMC reflects on successful year with global impact

Photo By Megan Gully | Gen. Dennis L. Via, Army Materiel Command commanding general, receives a tour of the AMC-managed European Activity Set during his trip to Germany. The EAS, expanded from a battalion-sized set of equipment to a brigade-sized set this year.  

ANNISTON, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES

12.07.2015

Story by Megan Gully 

U.S. Army Materiel Command   

ANNISTON, Ala. - “As our Army remains forward-engaged and deployed around the world, so does the Army Materiel Command,” said Gen. Dennis L. Via, AMC’s commanding general.

This was especially true of 2015, a year which saw the Army engaged on several continents across the globe. In a complex and increasingly uncertain world, AMC provided agility and flexibility to the six Combatant Commands, Via said.

Among the many ways AMC enables Army readiness is through Army Prepositioned Stocks and Activity Sets.

These strategically positioned sets allow units to quickly deploy and fall-in on equipment, rapidly responding to contingencies and operations around the world.

A focal point of that capability in 2015 was the AMC-managed European Activity Set, or EAS. This year, the EAS expanded from a battalion-sized set of equipment to a brigade-sized set. It is drawn by rotational units in support of multinational training exercises across Europe and can be issued in 96 hours for rapid deployment capability.

"The EAS represents the most modern and ready equipment available," said Via, who in September spoke with Soldiers drawing the equipment in Mannheim, Germany.

In addition, AMC increased its ability to support regionally aligned forces in Africa and Europe with the command’s first liaison officers to U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Europe Command. The LNOs serve as a direct line between the COCOMs and AMC.

AMC also ramped up its presence in the Pacific this year. In July, AMC uncased the colors of the 402nd Army Field Support Brigade in Hawaii. The 402nd AFSB will expand the command’s direct reach and act as AMC’s face to the field in support of U.S. Army Pacific and the Pacific Command theater. The command also supported Pacific Pathways training deployments to Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia, providing logistics and sustainment base support.

To provide for the force of the future, AMC emphasized innovation throughout the year by kicking off the Innovation Campaign. Inspired by the Army Operating Concept, it examines the Army's materiel development and sustainment processes to determine more efficient and effective ways to operate across the materiel life cycle.

“We are looking for new ways to adapt the systems that we have today to meet the needs that we see for tomorrow,” Via said at the inaugural Innovation Summit in November. “We live in a very complex world and we need to ensure that our Soldiers have the latest technology to meet their requirements."
To ensure that AMC is ready to quickly react to conflicts and contingencies with the necessary equipment, Via distinguished the Army's Organic Industrial Base as a "national security insurance policy" for the Army and nation.

The OIB, managed by AMC, includes 23 geographically-dispersed facilities, each specializing in a core competency. From small arms, explosives and cannon tubes, to trucks and tanks, the OIB provides depot maintenance work and supply support across all DOD services. Together, they are the centerpiece of Army readiness, Via said.

"The OIB builds readiness for our Soldiers and Brigade Combat Teams, provides critical surge capabilities in support of global contingencies and ultimately ensures our warfighters have the best equipment possible," he said.

To maintain and recruit future civilian leaders, AMC launched a command-wide initiative called “AMC 1,000” in 2015. AMC seeks to ignite a passion for federal service by providing 1,000 internships or outreach opportunities across the command each year for the next five years. The internships introduce college and high school students to opportunities available to them in the Army and AMC. In 2015, AMC exceeded their goal with over 1,200 opportunities provided, Via said.

Potential interns often lack information about federal service opportunities and the application process. To bridge that gap and strengthen relationships with career counselors at universities, colleges, trade/vocational schools and other academic institutions, AMC began hosting Academia Days throughout the command’s Centers of Excellence.
The first Academia Day was held in March in Huntsville, Alabama, and brought together more than 40 post-secondary institutions for a daylong event to provide internship information and give counselors the tools and information to assist their students in finding and applying for federal jobs. The second Academia Day was held in October at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with more than 80 post-secondary institutions represented.

"The most important part of a building is the foundation; then as each layer of brick goes on top, it strengthens the building so it can withstand the storms of life," said Via. "We're building the next generation of AMC leaders from the ground up, and we need to hear from you to strengthen the intern program for tomorrow."

AMC’s top leader said at a recent town hall that he’s confident in the command’s future.

“The Army Operating Concept envisions a future Army that has adapted to be expeditionary, tailorable and scalable, serving as the enabling foundation for the joint force,” said Via. “From aviation to ground combat vehicles, communications to contracting, munitions to research and development, and installation logistics support to the destruction of chemical weapons, AMC is developing and delivering global readiness solutions every day and in every theater.”

• Date Taken: 12.07.2015
• Date Posted: 12.07.2015 16:03
• Story ID: 183730
• Location: ANNISTON, ALABAMA, US