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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (Huntsville Center) is undergoing a restructuring of personnel and programs in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) enterprise.
The move reflects Headquarters USACE’s deliberate analysis to streamline program execution, reduce redundancy, and preserve cost-effective structures that enable enterprise readiness.
The changes will affect 10 programs at Huntsville Center and one program operated external to Huntsville Center, all of which provides technical, specialized, and non-geographic support to military and federal agencies around the world.
According to a July 28 memo from Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, USACE Deputy Commanding General for Military and International Operations, the changes are designed to improve mission execution and better align responsibilities between Huntsville Center and other Corps districts. Some programs are expected to grow, others will shift coordination responsibilities, and several will be divested from Huntsville Center altogether.
Huntsville Center leadership emphasized that all employees would retain positions as part of the transition, although some staff will shift programs or supervisors.
"All Huntsville Center employees have a position and a mission to continue to support,” said Arthur Martin III, the Center’s Programs Director.
“While we plan for the future, I appreciate all of your continued focus and support to execute the FY25 work and ensure we meet our commitments.”
Supervisors will coordinate closely with affected staff across the next fiscal year to ensure a smooth transition. Part-time program support employees will not experience position changes.
In addition to the changes supporting optimization, Huntsville Center leadership conducted an internal review of supervisory ratios, realignment opportunities, and positions lost due to Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) departures.
As a result, effective Oct. 5, several programs and branches will be consolidated or realigned.
The Ordnance and Explosives (OE) Directorate Demolition Program will absorb the Installation Support and Programs Management (ISPM) Facilities Reduction Program (FRP). Additionally, the Range and Training Land Programs (RTLP) of OE and ISPM will be aligned under the OE Global Operations Program.
The ISPM Program Support Division will divest the personnel from Center of Standardization (COS), Standards and Criteria (SCP), and Special Projects (SPP) programs and they will report to OE Global Operations Program leadership as well.
Within ISPM, the rest of the Program Support Division personnel will merge with the Energy Division, consolidating two supervisors and approximately 14 employees.
The ISPM Fuels Program is moving to the ISPM Energy Division to better align our energy-centric programs.
One position supporting IT Asset Management will transfer from the ACE-IT to the Logistics Office and another ACE-IT asset, a visual information position, will transfer to the Public Affairs Office.
Huntsville Center is absorbing the USACE Power Reliability Enhancement Program (PREP), a small team of technical experts focused on ensuring the reliability of utility systems and critical facilities under the National Command Capability (NLCC) Program and the Department of Defense (DOD). The PREP team operates from an office located on Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Hank Thomsen, Engineering Directorate chief, said the PREP re-alignment makes sense as the PREP matches some of the type of technical missions prominent at Huntsville Center.
“Their actions help advance energy resilience and security at military installations worldwide,” Thomsen said. “They align well with Huntsville Center because they are very specialized and support critical infrastructure that crosses boundaries.”
PREP will become the Center’s third satellite office. It joins the Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise (EMCX) in Omaha, Nebraska, with more than 70 positions on the rolls of HNC and the Medical Facilities Mandatory Center of Expertise (MCX) with more than 25 positions in Alexandria, Virginia. The PREP office has 23 positions on the staff.
Martin said these realignments ensure mission readiness while maintaining a strong focus on employee support.
“My commitment to taking care of people and executing the mission remain unchanged,” he said. “You are making a difference.”
Huntsville Center is unique within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Unlike USACE divisions and districts that manage civil works and military construction in defined geographic regions, Huntsville Center is not bound by geographic boundaries.
Instead, it delivers centralized, specialized engineering and technical services to USACE, Defense Department, and other federal agencies worldwide. Programs span energy resilience, environmental restoration, facility repair and renewal, operational technology, cyber infrastructure, medical facility design and explosive ordnance disposal.
With more than 1,000 employees, Huntsville Center manages over $2 billion in annual obligations, making it one of the Corps' most complex and dynamic organizations.
“The old saying at the Center is, ‘as the needs of the Nation change, so does the mission of Huntsville Center,’” Martin said.
“Historically speaking, the one consistency within the Center is change.”
Huntsville Center's role as a national engineering organization was cemented through changes during decades of high-impact program oversight.
One of its earliest major missions was managing the SAFEGUARD Anti-Ballistic Missile complex in North Dakota during the 1970s. This advanced Cold War missile defense system established the then-appointed Huntsville Division’s expertise in large-scale, high-priority projects.
In the early 1980s, Huntsville Division pioneered environmental compliance and restoration programs following the passage of federal environmental laws. It piloted hazardous waste and contamination mitigation projects that would later transfer to other USACE districts, demonstrating its value as an incubator for USACE-wide innovation.
Another landmark mission was the Chemical Demilitarization Program, which began in the late 1980s. Huntsville Division played a critical role in designing and managing facilities across the U.S. that safely destroyed the U.S. stockpile of chemical weapons.
Over time, the Huntsville Division's mission expanded to encompass a broader range of specialized technical support for USACE.
In 1994, Huntsville Division became Huntsville Center under a broad USACE reorganization. This shift was more than just a name change; it reflected a change in focus from a geographically-defined Division to a Center with specialized projects and programs requiring unique technical expertise, centralized management, and standardization across different geographic locations.
After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Huntsville Center oversaw the Captured Enemy Ammunition (CEA) Program, which destroyed more than 346,000 tons of ordnance. Its expeditionary work force operated alongside coalition forces and contractors in hazardous conditions. The mission was one of the largest munitions clearance efforts in U.S. military history.
In the last two decades the Center grew in its focus on by managing the design, construction, and outfitting of military medical treatment facilities worldwide, and energy programs helping installations maintain energy resilience to maintain readinessw.
Officials say the current restructuring positions Huntsville Center for long-term mission success while remaining agile in a rapidly changing defense and federal support environment.
“Huntsville Center has always led the way with innovative approaches and world-class technical solutions,” said Col. Sebastien Joly, Huntsville Center commander.
“These changes ensure we continue to provide unmatched value to our partners and to the Nation.”
| Date Taken: | 08.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.19.2025 10:01 |
| Story ID: | 545929 |
| Location: | HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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