US Launches Army Sustainment Command

On Sept. 22, 2006, a ceremony marked the launch of U.S. Army Sustainment Command at Rock Island Arsenal, IL, under US Army Materiel Command. It will be commanded by Maj. Gen. Jerome Johnson, who said at the ceremony that “Our mission is clear-cut and crucial: improve Soldier support at the tactical level… rapid research solutions, quicker acquisition and faster delivery to the battlefield…. sustaining, maintaining and accounting for materiel, freeing Soldiers to fight with better equipment to protect them and be more lethal to our enemies.”

ASC will continue the missions of the former Army Field Support Command (AFSC), including Army Prepositioned Stocks management, administration of the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program and the Logistics Assistance Program. Key emerging ASC missions include Reset synchronization (see DID coverage of RESET and related programs), distribution and materiel management services, contingency contracting and training equipment management. Seven deployable Army Field Support Brigades (AFSBs) are assigned to the ASC in strategic locations around the world including Iraq, Kuwait, Korea, and Europe as well as in the U.S. at Forts Bragg, Lewis and Hood. See full story at ARMY.MIL; the US Air Force also launched a dedicated sustainment command recently.