Joint Base San Antonio selected to host AFIMSC headquarters

By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Command Information, / Published January 21, 2015

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, was selected as the host base for the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC) Headquarters.

Air Force officials chose the installation after analyzing operational considerations, installation attributes, economic and environmental factors at four candidate locations.

“Following site surveys at the four candidate locations, we ultimately selected Joint Base San Antonio because almost 50 percent of AFIMSC's subordinate unit personnel currently reside at the installation,” said Timothy Bridges, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations. “In fact, two of AFIMSC's primary subordinate units will share the same building with the headquarters. We believe co-locating AFIMSC with a large percentage of its subordinate staff will allow the Air Force to harness operational synergy as the headquarters matures into full operational capability."

The Air Force expects the first personnel assigned to AFIMSC will begin reporting by summer 2015 with most of the staff expected to be in place by fall of 2016.

The decision culminates a deliberate process that included a review of environmental impacts. During detailed, on-the-ground-site surveys of each candidate base, a site survey team led by Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command evaluated the bases against operational requirements, potential impacts to existing missions, housing, infrastructure and manpower.

The site survey teams also developed cost estimates to bed down the center for each candidate base. The results of the surveys were briefed to the Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, who made the selection.

“The new AFIMSC aligns Air Force-wide installation support authorities, responsibilities and resources under one accountable commander. The consolidation will drive standardized processes, reduce overhead and drive down costs,” said Timothy K. Bridges, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Installations. “It makes good business sense to centralize installation support the way we already centralize other support functions such as science and technology, test and sustainment.”

AFIMSC, which reports to AFMC, will consolidate installation management functions currently being performed at every major command and will serve as the single intermediate-level headquarters for the delivery of installation support capabilities.

On Oct. 1, AFMC became the parent organization for several primary subordinate units (formerly field operating agencies) to include the Air Force Security Forces Center, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Air Force Financial Management Center of Expertise, Air Force Financial Services Center and the Air Force Services Activity. These entities are currently attached to AFIMSC (Provisional).