WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio -Air Force officials have announced the activation of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (Provisional) at Joint Base Andrews, Md., and named Maj. Gen. Theresa Carter as its provisional commander. The provisional center activated Aug. 8. AFIMSC will align as a center under Air Force Materiel Command.

Carter has served as the special assistant to the commander of AFMC, developing the strategy and implementation plan for the center.

This location will serve as a temporary headquarters for AFIMSC(P) until the Air Force makes a basing decision and formally activates the permanent center. The Air Force will use its standard Strategic Basing Process over the next several months to evaluate potential candidate locations and select a permanent location that best serves the mission of the center.

In 2013, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel directed service secretaries and chiefs to find efficiencies 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 A. Welsh III 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.

AFIMSC, as the single intermediate-level staff performing major command-level installation and mission support activities, will consolidate functions now performed at 10 MAJCOMs and two direct reporting unit staffs.

Also, the center will become the parent organization for several existing field operating agencies to include the Air Force Security Forces Center, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, the Services Directorate of the Air Force Personnel Center and other FOAs providing installation support capabilities.

“This challenging fiscal environment requires us to think differently about how we deliver installation and mission support capabilities for the Air Force and the combatant commanders,” said Carter. “With this center, we’re creating a single organization focused on supporting commanders at the installations and MAJCOMs and we are committed to building a responsive, mission-focused organization.”