A Brief History of the U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command
On July 17, 1997, the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) was formed on a provisional basis by merging the U.S. Army Aviation and Troop Command (ATCOM) and the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM). By Permanent Orders 344-1, dated December 9, 1996, the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) directed that AMCOM be established at Redstone Arsenal on a permanent basis effective October 1, 1997.
On October 1, 1998, AMCOM assumed operational control of Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) in Texas, which maintained aviation systems, and Letterkenny Army Depot (LEAD) in Pennsylvania, which maintained missile systems. Both depots, which had previously been parts of the U.S. Army Industrial Operations Command (IOC), remained at their respective locations, but answered directly to AMCOM. The transition of the depots from IOC to AMCOM was completed on October 1, 1999.
Effective October 1, 2000, the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) was created at Redstone Arsenal on a permanent basis. The AMRDEC director reported to the commander of AMCOM until June 2003 at which time the AMRDEC was assigned to the Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM).
On May 1, 2001, the Army formally inactivated the Charles Melvin Price Support Center (CMPSC) in Granite City, Illinois. AMCOM had inherited the 750-acre center as part of the MICOM-ATCOM merger in 1997.
On October 1, 2002, the Transformation of Installation Management (TIM) plan started as scheduled at Redstone Arsenal. At that time, the Redstone Arsenal Support Activity’s (RASA’s) name was changed to the U.S. Army Garrison-Redstone, and it was no longer part of AMCOM. A year later, on October 1, 2003, the TIM became fully operational at Redstone Arsenal.
On February 1, 2003, AMCOM added to its mission operational control of all aviation logistics management functions at Fort Rucker, Alabama (known as Fort Novosel since 2023). AMCOM took over the maintenance and supply management of Fort Rucker’s aviation fleet. The Aviation Center Logistics Command (ACLC) was formally activated in a ceremony at Fort Rucker on August 5, 2004.
On October 5, 2004, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, and the Commander of the Army Materiel Command, signed an implementation directive that established the Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC). As part of the implementation process, the Program Executive Offices for Air, Space, and Missile Defense and for Tactical Missiles were deactivated on January 13, 2005. At that time, the Program Executive Office, Missiles and Space was activated.
On June 16, 2005, the Aviation and Missile LCMC was formally activated. It comprised all elements of the Aviation and Missile Command, the Program Executive Office for Aviation, and the Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space. The AMCOM Commander assumed command of the LCMC. The Program Executive Officer for Aviation, added the additional duties as LCMC Deputy to the Commander for Aviation, and the Program Executive Officer for Missiles and Space assumed the additional duties as the LCMC Deputy Commanding General, Missiles and Space.
By 2018, AMCOM continued to transform to meet the ever-changing needs of the Soldier in the field. These changes included a renewed focus on how AMCOM conducted business, how the depots assigned to the Command operated to improve throughput, and how other related organizations would interact with AMCOM in the future. The stand-to of the new Army Futures Command in 2018 meant even more changes for AMCOM, as efforts are taken to separate sustainment of current systems from the development of new ones.