During the two decades between the end of World War I and the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States withdrew into a strong protective shell consisting of isolationist, protectionist, and nativist sentiments. This urge to remain aloof from foreign entanglements had a decidedly adverse affect on the U.S. military, particularly the Army. The period between the world wars was a time of seemingly endless constraints on money, manpower, and materiel. By 1939, the U.S. Army was ranked nineteenth worldwide, behind Belgium and Greece.
The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) was formed on a provisional basis on 17 July 1997 by merging the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM) and the U.S. Army Aviation and Troop Command (ATCOM). By Permanent Orders 344-1, dated 9 December 1996, the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) directed that AMCOM be established at Redstone Arsenal on a permanent basis effective 1 October 1997.
AMCOM encompasses the missions and organizations of MICOM and ATCOM. These two AMC major subordinate commands had previously exercised their respective responsibilities in missilery and aviation in joint efforts to develop certain airborne missile systems to support the soldier in the field. MICOM was officially established on 23 May 1962, but was not fully staffed and operational until 1 August 1962. ATCOM was created on 1 October 1992, with the merger of the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command (AVSCOM) and the U.S. Army Troop Support Command (TROSCOM). Predecessors of these organizations had served as AMC major subordinate commands since August 1966. Below are chronological highlights leading to the establishment of AMCOM.
1941 - Redstone Arsenal (RSA) established as one of two U.S. Army arsenals on a 40,000-acre tract near Huntsville, Alabama, for the production of rounds of conventional chemical ammunition.
October 48 - The Chief of Ordnance designated RSA as the center for Ordnance research and development in the field of rockets.
1 June 49 - The Chief of Ordnance officially activated the arsenal as the site of the Ordnance Rocket Center.
28 October 49 - In the interest of economy and efficiency, the Secretary of the Army approved the transfer of the Ordnance Research and Development Division Sub-Office (Rocket) at Fort Bliss, Texas, to RSA.
22 October 52 - The Transportation Corps Army Aviation Field Service Office (TCAAFSO) established at St. Louis, Missouri, as a Class II Activity under the jurisdiction of the Chief of Transportation.
March 55 - TCAAFSO and the Transportation Materiel Command located in Marietta, Pennsylvania, which had logistical responsibility for rail and marine equipment, consolidated into the Transportation Supply and Maintenance Command (TSMC), headquartered at St. Louis, Missouri.
1 February 56 - The U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) established at RSA.
31 March 58 - The U.S. Army Ordnance Missile Command (AOMC) established at RSA. Subordinate elements of the command included ABMA; the U.S. Army Rocket and Guided Missile Agency (ARGMA), activated on 1 April 58; the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); White Sands Missile Range (WSMR); and RSA.
3 December 58 - JPL transferred to the newly created National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
1 Oct 59 - TSMC redesignated the U.S. Army Transportation Materiel Command (TMC).
1 July 60 - AOMC/ABMA lost all of its space-related missions, along with 4,000 civilian employees and $100 million worth of buildings and equipment at RSA and Cape Canaveral, Florida, to NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, which officially opened on this day at RSA.
11 December 61 - ABMA and ARGMA abolished as separate organizations, and their functions and personnel merged with AOMC Headquarters. WSMR removed from the command's jurisdiction on 1 January 62 and placed directly under the Chief of Ordnance.
23 May 62 - MICOM officially established, but was not fully staffed and operational until 1 August 62.
1 August 62 - TMC placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Mobility Command (MOCOM), a major subordinate command of AMC.
1 November 62 - TMC redesignated the U.S. Army Aviation and Surface Materiel Command.
28 February 64 - The U.S. Army Aviation and Surface Materiel Command redesignated the U.S. Army Aviation Materiel Command (AVCOM).
1 August 66 - The assignment of AVCOM to MOCOM terminated, and AVCOM established as a major subordinate command of AMC.
23 September 68 - Effective this date, AVCOM redesignated the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command (AVSCOM).
31 January 77 - Missions and people of MICOM split between the U.S. Army Missile Materiel Readiness Command (MIRCOM) and the U.S. Army Missile Research and Development Command (MIRADCOM).
1 July 77 - AVSCOM discontinued and its readiness mission combined with that of the U.S. Army Troop Support Command (TROSCOM) to form the U.S. Army Troop Support and Aviation Materiel Readiness Command (TSARCOM). AVSCOM's aviation research and development mission assigned to the newly established U.S. Army Aviation Research and Development Command (AVRADCOM).
1 July 79 - AMC decided that the most logical and efficient way to meet the requirements of the Army missile program was under the single command concept. Consequently, MIRCOM and MIRADCOM disestablished and their organizational elements, missions, functions, manpower spaces, and people combined in place under the reinstituted MICOM.
1 March 84 - AVSCOM reestablished and all missions and activities of AVRADCOM and the aviation related missions and activities of the Troop Support and Aviation Materiel Readiness Command transferred to AVSCOM.
1 May 87 - Management of the aviation and missile programs both at AVSCOM and MICOM changed significantly with the provisional establishment of the concept of Program Executive Offices (PEOs) at both locations. The primary mission of the PEOs was to direct and control the accomplishment of all assigned programs, including the development, production, fielding, product improvement, and follow-on support of assigned programs/systems.
1 October 92 - ATCOM established, consolidating the existing missions of AVSCOM and TROSCOM less those missions and organizations transferred to other commands.
8 September 95 - Congress approved the Base and Realignment Commission (BRAC) 95 List, disestablishing ATCOM and transferring its mission and organizations to RSA to help form AMCOM.
17 July 97 - AMCOM is provisionally established.
1 October 97 - AMC Permanent Orders 344-1, dated 9 December 96, formally established AMCOM.
