# Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center

The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC), headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (JBSA-Lackland), Texas, is one of six centers aligned under Air Force Materiel Command for the United States Air Force. AFIMSC serves as the single intermediate-level headquarters responsible for providing installation and mission support to 77 Air Force installations, nine major commands and two direct reporting units with an annual budget of approximately $10 billion. The center comprises four directorates, 10 detachments, and four primary subordinate units, or PSUs. The AFIMSC cross-functional team provides globally integrated management, resourcing and combat support operations for Airmen and family services, base communications, chaplain, civil engineering, contracting, logistics readiness, public affairs, security forces and financial management programs.

## History

In 2013, United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel directed service secretaries and chiefs to find inefficiencies across their headquarters organizations that will save 20 percent in total operating budgets. Then-Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Mark Welsh challenged their staffs to identify options to reduce overhead costs, increase efficiencies, eliminate redundant activities, and improve effectiveness and business processes to help meet the 20 percent reduction target.
The center was announced on 11 July 2014 as a result of Chuck Hagel's direction. Joint Base Andrews, Maryland served as the temporary headquarters during the base selection process. Joint Base San Antonio, Texas was selected to host AFIMSC Headquarters in January 2015, in large part due to 50 percent of AFIMSC's personnel resided at that base.
The center was activated on 6 April 2015 and reached initial operating capability on 1 Oct. 2015 and full operational capability in October 2016. The Air Force moved several field operating agencies under AFIMSC, including the Air Force Security Forces Center, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Air Force Services Activity, Air Force Financial Management Center of Expertise, Air Force Financial Services Center, and Air Force Installation Contracting Agency.
Maj. Gen. Theresa Carter was announced as the center's provisional commander. General Carter previously served as the special assistant to the commander of AFMC, developing the strategy and implementation plan for the AFIMSC. As of July 2019, the current commander is Maj. Gen. John T. Wilcox II.
In September 2022, AFIMSC announced it would be transitioning to an A-Staff structure at its headquarters level. It was stated that "adopting an A-Staff at AFIMSC will help the center better integrate across the Department of the Air Force to support broader I&MS policy and strategy implementation, as well as rebalance internally to focus more on strategy and planning." AFIMSC's Installation Support Directorate (AFIMSC/IZ), Expeditionary Support and Innovation Directorate (AFIMSC/XZ), and Resources Directorate (AFIMSC/RM) would make up the new A-Staff Directorates. "Special Staff" such as AFIMSC's Historian and Inspector General, would go unaffected by the reorganization. Notably, AFIMSC kept its Directorate of Personnel (AFIMSC/DP) rather than making it into the more traditional "AFIMSC/A1" in this reorganization. Reasoning for this was, "Our Personnel Directorate is inwardly focused and would not translate to a typical A1, such as at DAF or MAJCOM level".
The emerging directorates would consist of:
* Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Strategic Plans and Requirements Directorate (A2/5/8)
* Operations Directorate (A3)
* Analyses, Assessments, Lessons Learned, and Innovation (A9)
* Financial Management Directorate (FM)
The A-Staff design is slated to have an initial operating capability by Fall of 2023, and to assume a full operational capability by October 2024.

## Units

AFIMSC currently comprises the following units:

## List of commanders

| No. | Commander | Commander | Term | Term | Term | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Ref. |
| 1 | | Major General Theresa C. Carter | 8 August 2014 | 22 July 2016 | 1 year, 349 days | |
| 2 | | Major General Bradley D. Spacy | 22 July 2016 | 25 July 2019 | 3 years, 3 days | |
| 3 | | Major General John T. Wilcox | 25 July 2019 | 12 August 2022 | 3 years, 18 days | |
| 4 | | Major General John J. Allen | 12 August 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 101 days |