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US Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC)

The US Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC) is headquartered in Alexandria, VA. Its mission is to implement approved US Army security assistance programs, including foreign military sales (FMS) of defense articles and services to eligible foreign governments. The command manages approximately 5,700 FMS cases valued at $47 billion. It coproduces Army materiel and develops the Army position on commercial license applications for exporting munitions, services, and technology. Security assistance is a national program that involves policy, strategy, and programs. Centered in the White House and administered by the State Department in coordination with Congress and the Treasury Department, it executes DOD military programs.

Security assistance supports US and allied defense interests by promoting regional stability, deterring aggression, maintaining alliances, and disseminating democratic values. In carrying out the Army security assistance mission, USASAC calls on all AMC MSCs, other Army and DOD agencies, and US industry. USASAC manages FMS cases from development to execution, financial management and accounting, and financial settlement. Each equipment sale to overseas customers comprises the same "total package" of quality materiel, spare parts, training, publications, technical documentation, mainte-nance support, and other services that AMC provides to US Army units. In addition to its traditional FMS mission, the command increasingly responds to requests to support United Nations (UN) peace-keeping and humanitarian operations around the globe. It also has installations at New Cumberland, PA, and Office of the Program Manager, Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization, Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. Army Security Assistance Command provides materiel, training, education, and support for combating terrorism and illegal drugs, among other services, to over 100 friendly and allied countries. The command plays a significant role in major military operations. At the end of June 1994, the command's 750 employees were working on some 5,750 open cases valued at $47.5 billion.

Security assistance has been part of international relations for as long as man has been engaging in war. Even the American War of Independence was supported by military assistance from France. Initially, the United States only focused on foreign relations for commercial interest, but the safety of the country and its neighbors needed a policy of greater scope. In the Twentieth Century, our security was challenged and we found ourselves participating in international munitions trade.

The Truman Doctrine, in 1947, set the pattern for security assistance. To help war-ravaged nations economically and foster democratic ideals, Congress passed the Marshall Plan in 1948, which became a model for distributing foreign aid. The U.S. Army played a major role in that effort.

Prior to the 1962 reorganization of the Army-including the formation of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC)-the Ordnance Corps' Mutual Security Division had overall responsibility for the Corps's foreign aid programs. The reorganization placed the foreign aid functions of the Army technical services into the Mutual Security Agency. AMC's role in security assistance crystallized in 1965 when the Logistic Control Office of the Supply and Maintenance Command (SMC) and the Mutual Security Directorate of the SMC Logistic Control Office, New York, were transferred to the New Cumberland Army Depot, Pennsylvania. In 1965, the U.S. Army SMC International Logistics Center (ILC) was established as a separate activity at New Cumberland. This growing organization was redesignated the U.S. Army International Logistics Center (ILC) on 15 May 1966, just before SMC was discontinued on 1 July. In 1966, elements of the Mutual Security Agency and the Mutual Security Field Offices for the European, Far East and the Southern Command were placed under ILC's administrative control and redesignated International Logistics Field Offices.

Security assistance was elevated to AMC major subordinate command status, in 1975, when the U.S. Army International Logistics Command (USAILCOM) was formed at HQ, DARCOM (formerly AMC and redesignated AMC in 1984) through a merger of elements of the HQ, DARCOM ILC Directorate and the ILC. In 1976, the international logistics functions of the Logistic Assistance Offices in the Pacific and Europe were reassigned to USAILCOM, and Customer Relations Teams in Europe and the Pacific were established under operational control of the Washington Field Office.

An expanded and reorganized USAILCOM was redesignated as the U.S. Army Security Assistance Center (USASAC) in 1977, reflecting its mission as the Department of the Army Executive Agent for Security Assistance Matters. USASAC gained approximately 200 employees in 1979 when the Saudi Arabia National Guard Modernization Program was transferred from DARCOM.

Consolidation of the Army security assistance mission underwent a quantum leap in 1985 when USASAC, in conjunction with HQ, AMC, developed and implemented the Army Centralized Case Management System to ensure total integration of financial and logistics processes. USASAC was designated the Army point of contact for managing each Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case.

In 1986, USASAC was reorganized as the U.S. Army Security Affairs Command. AMC directorates for International Programs and the standardization groups for the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia were transferred to USASAC. A subsequent HQ, AMC reorganization, however, restored those directorates and standardization groups to HQ, AMC control. In 1990, to more accurately reflect its mission responsibilities USASAC was redesignated U.S. Army Security Assistance Command.

In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD would realign Fort Belvoir, VA by relocating Army Materiel Command (AMC) and the Security Assistance Command (USASAC, an AMC major subordinate command) to Redstone Arsenal, AL. The Army Materiel Command (AMC) and the Security Assistance Command would relocate to Redstone Arsenal in order to collocate with one of AMC's major subordinate commands, the USA Aviation and Missile Command. The relocation of AMC and USASAC to Redstone Arsenal would result in the avoidance of future military construction costs; this future cost avoidance would not be reflected in the payback calculation because it was planned for post-FY05. This military construction would provide for a new headquarters building for AMC and USASAC on Fort Belvoir; the majority of AMC's current space on Fort Belvoir was in temporary structures.