AMCOM 101 links aviation readiness to enterprise support

Official Statements

• U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, November 13: “The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command brought together Soldiers, civilians and aviation enterprise partners Nov. 4-5 at Bob Jones Auditorium for its fall AMCOM 101 Aviation Conference, a biannual forum focused on connecting unit readiness challenges with the people and resources that support Army aviation.”

• U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, November 13: “The two-day program gave attendees a closer look at the organizations and systems behind Army aviation readiness. Panels covered operational logistics and maintenance support, including logistics assistance representatives, the Systems Readiness Directorate, liaison engineers and the U.S. Army Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic Equipment Activity. Additional sessions addressed materiel readiness, supply support activity management, parts distribution, product-quality deficiency reporting and field-level maintenance. Don Nitti, AMCOM executive director, said the forum reflects the interdependence of organizations responsible for sustaining Army aviation.”

• U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, November 13: “We call it AMCOM 101, but this is really an enterprise look because we operate as an enterprise,” Nitti said. “There’s nothing that AMCOM can do on their own without the assistance of partners on the left and right.” This fall’s agenda also emphasized the Army Aviation Transformation Initiative and the transition from Program Executive Offices to Portfolio Acquisition Executives, making the PAE Maneuver Air update a timely focus for participants. Rodney Davis, a PAE Maneuver Air presenter, underscored the importance of balancing timely engineering support with deliberate risk management.”

• U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, November 13: “We have a very defined process of how we characterize risk,” Davis said. “It’s not one organization. It’s multiple organizations that come up with risk assessments, and it’s elevated to the appropriate level for that risk to be accepted. Given the option between fast and safe, we’re going to pick safe every time.”

• U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, November 13: “Beyond the PAE Maneuver Air update, attendees heard from Army aviation staff and Defense Logistics Agency representatives. Day two included a senior aviation maintenance warrant officer discussion and panels on aviation information systems - including Aircraft Notebook, TAMMS-A and MCDS - as well as Theater Aviation Support Maintenance Group operations. Training opportunities through Corpus Christi Army Depot, Letterkenny Army Depot, LAR University and the AMCOM Corrosion Program Office were also featured.”

• U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, November 13: “Together, the panels gave attendees both an enterprise-level view of aviation readiness and practical information they could apply at their home stations. “The biggest takeaway is the points of contact for the individual programs,” said Joshua Gomez, quality control noncommissioned officer in charge for the 404th Aviation Support Battalion. “Now, to have all these other resources and access to this information, that’s what needs to be taken back home.”

• U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, November 13: “The event also showed how personnel outside the maintenance and supply communities contribute to readiness. Stephanie Sanderson-Garrett, AMCOM deputy chief counsel, said the operational context gained during AMCOM 101 strengthens legal advice. “A delay in a contract review or a specific legal interpretation doesn’t just stall paperwork - it can have downstream consequences that directly impact supply chains and aircraft readiness,” Sanderson-Garrett said. Nitti closed the event by encouraging participants to use the relationships developed during the conference to seek support after returning to their units and organizations.”

• U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, November 13: “It doesn’t take an AMCOM 101 for you guys to reach out and get help,” Nitti said. “We’re here all the time.” “There are 12,000 AMCOM employees across the world and they are here for you,” he said. “Let us know what your challenges are, because I guarantee you, we have people with 30, 40, 50 years of experience and they are here to make your life easier and enable your success.”