United States Army Security Assistance Command

Before the 1962 reorganisation of the U.S. Army which created the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), the Mutual Security Division of the United States Army Ordnance Corps was response for the foreign aid programs. AMC's role in security assistance was established in February 1965 when the Logistic Control Office of the Supply and Maintenance Command (SMC) was assigned from the U.S. Army Terminal Command, Atlantic to the New Cumberland Army Depot in Pennsylvania. That same year, the Mutual Security Directorate of the SMC Logistic Control Office, New York was transferred to New Cumberland and on 1 August 1965, the U.S. Army SMC International Logistics Center (ILC) was established as a separate activity at New Cumberland.

In 1966, the growing ILC was re-designated the U.S. Army International Logistics Center, and the SMC was discontinued and its functions were assumed by AMC. The ILC continued to expand to support the Vietnam War as elements of the MSA were transferred to New Cumberland and Mutual Security Field Offices for Europe, the Far East, and the Southern Command were transferred to administrative control of the ILC.

Army security assistance was elevated to Major Subordinate Command status on 1 November 1975 when the U.S. Army International Logistics Command (USAILCOM) was formed at Headquarters, U.S. Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command (DARCOM, formerly AMC, re-designated AMC in 1984), Alexandria, Virginia. An expanded USAILCOM was reorganised in 1977 and re-designated the U.S. Army Security Assistance Center (USASAC), reflecting its mission (delegated by the CG DARCOM) as the Department of the Army Executive Agent for Security Assistance materiel programs.

USASAC gained 200 employees in 1979 when the Office of the Project Manager, Saudi Arabia National Guard modernization was assigned to USASAC. The army's security assistance mission was further consolidated in August 1985 when USASAC and Headquarters AMC developed and implemented the Army Centralised Case Management System, under which USASAC was designated the US Army as the single point of contact for managing Foreign Military Sales (FMS). On 1 April 1990, USASAC was re-designated as the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command to reflect its expanded responsibilities.

During the Gulf War, USASAC supported U.S. forces' management of Saudi Arabia's helicopter assets and parts and equipped Kuwaiti civilians with combat uniforms as they accompanied U.S. in-theatre combat forces during the Liberation of Kuwait.

The 1995 Khobar Towers bombing terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia killed seven and injured dozens of USASAC employees.

On 1 October 2001, USASAC relocated its headquarters to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, completing a planned move onto government-owned property. Due to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission report, both Army Materiel Command and USASAC headquarters were relocated to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

The USASAC has served 140 allies and friendly countries and multinational organizations, with support by AMC, other DOD agencies, and in partnership with U.S. industry, USASAC provides materiel, training, education and, other services to help our allies strengthen their defensive capabilities, deter aggression, achieve regional stability, and promote democratic values.

U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization (USASATMO) that facilitates deployment of training teams throughout the world in support of equipment purchased through FMS.^[3]

Office of the Program Manager - Saudi Arabian National Guard (OPM- SANG) and the Ministry of Interior - Military Assistance Group (MOI-MAG) operate out of Saudi Arabia to provide on-the-ground support to Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia.^[3]

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