1978
1978 Deployment of the basic TOW to all active Army units was completed during this year.
1978 Phasedown of the M551 SHERIDAN began. The reduced force of M551 vehicles resulted in a corresponding decrease in the requirement for SHILLELAGH major and secondary items.
1978 With deliveries for this year, the TOW missile became the most heavily produced Army guided missile.
1978 Deployment of the TOW missile system to all active Army units was completed early this year.
January 78 The Secretary of the Army authorized a design change to the GSRS rocket to achieve standardization with the German AT-11 Scatterable Mine requirements.
January 78 The Alcohol and Drug Control Office was officially renamed the Human Resources Development Office. The Alcohol Drug Dependency Council recommended the name change to reduce the stigma involved and perhaps make individuals more comfortable with voluntarily seeking help for themselves.
January 78 The MIRCOM and MIRADCOM Commanders approved a 1-year test of flexitime that began on 5 March 78. During the test, continuous fixed times of employee arrival and departure were replaced by core time and flexible time. The first was the time in which all employees had to be present, while the latter was the time within which employees could choose their time of arrival and departure.
February 78 The COPPERHEAD Technical Management Office was provisionally established.
February 78 The first successful firing of the U.S. ROLAND was accomplished at WSMR.
February 78 The threatened shutdown of schools in Madison County, Alabama, was averted with a loan of 1,000 tons of coal from RSA. County officials requested the loan after all other avenues of relief had been exhausted, heating in schools had been cut drastically, and the education of more than 10,000 local students had been threatened with disruption.
March 78 Redstone Arsenal's WW2-era storage igloos were used as the setting for scenes filmed for the first major motion picture shot in Alabama. The Ravagers, released in 1979, was a postapocalyptic vision of the future starring Richard Harris. Swamp and mountain scenery on the arsenal was also filmed.
13 March 78 The Enterprise space shuttle orbiter and its 747 transport landed at Redstone Army Airfield for the first time.
7 April 78 President Jimmy Carter announced his decision to defer production of the enhanced radiation warhead.
28 April 78 EPA approved RSA's plan to clean up its DDT problem. Effort on the long-term solution began in the summer of 1978.
May 78 Deployment of the non-nuclear LANCE system began.
9 June 78 A Quadrilateral Statement of Position for the GSRS program was signed by the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France, stating a desire to achieve standardization/interoperability and avoid costly duplicative developments for similar tactical missions. The group would also pursue common logistics support concepts.
11 June 78 The COPPERHEAD Technical Management Office became permanent.
11 June 78 The former Comptroller's Office was reorganized and redesignated as the Resource Management Directorate.
16 June 78 The Special Projects Office was provisionally established under MIRADCOM to exercise staff coordination over all aspects of the weapon system development program.
July 78 The new Fox Army Hospital officially opened on RSA. It was named for BG Leon Alexander Fox (1891-1965), a Birmingham native whose long, distinguished career as an Army doctor spanned more than 30 years. He served in two world wars and earned 16 medals and decorations, including awards from the British and Italian governments.
5 July 78 The Secretary of the Army approved the initial charter for the Kuwait/Jordan Missile Systems Project Manager.
21 July 78 MIRADCOM established the High Energy Center (Provisional).
August 78 RASA's Morale and Welfare Division instituted the Outdoor Recreation Program, which was located in Building 5127. The Rod and Gun Club, which had previously occupied this site, was liquidated due to insolvency.
7 August 78 The Readiness Intelligence Center was redesignated as the Readiness Evaluation Center.
15 August 78 BG(P) Frank P. Ragano, former PM for the U.S. ROLAND Project Office, became MIRADCOM's third commander.
September 78 Congress lifted the arms embargo on grant aid shipments to Turkey.
25 September 78 The first programmed HELLFIRE missile was fired at Redstone Arsenal.
October 78 The first three breakout contracts for STINGER components were awarded: one for missile round containers as a small business set-aside; one for weapon round containers through formal advertising, and one for adaptation hardware for moving target simulators by competitive small business set-aside.
18 October 78 The Special Project Office (Provisional) was organized on a permanent basis effective this date.
November 78 The first improved MIM 72-C CHAPARRAL missiles were deployed to USAREUR.
November 78 Texas Instruments delivered the first AN/TAS-4 TOW production night sight.
November 78 MICOM first used an associate contractor arrangement for low rate production of the U.S. ROLAND missile system where Hughes Aircraft Company and Boeing Aerospace Company would function as prime contractor for their specific areas, but system integrity would be assured by integrated responsibilities. This arrangement also reduced the hardware price to the government by eliminating the payment of fees to Hughes for managing Boeing.
December 78 EPA and TVA repeated a public health announcement warning people about the high levels of DDT found in fish caught near RSA.
December 78 With the diplomatic recognition of mainland China, direct commercial relations by the United States and Taiwan were abolished. The two governments no longer conducted direct transactions for the sale or purchase of services and equipment. Instead all such transactions had to be channeled through independent contractors.
Excellence in Missilery:
Introduction,
1962,
1963,
1964,
1965,
1966,
1967,
1968,
1969,
1970,
1971,
1972,
1973,
1974,
1975,
1976,
1977,
1978,
1979
