Missile Defense Division

Branch Chief: 256-895-1206

Huntsville Center
Published Oct. 9, 2015
Updated: Oct. 29, 2024

History and Purpose:

The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville Ordnance and Explosives Directorate supports Missile Defense Programs. In 1998, the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System Program Manager, then Brig. Gen. Willie B. Nance, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Director of Military Programs, Maj. Gen. Milton Hunter, signed a charter formally linking the National Missile Defense Joint Project Office and USACE as partners. Huntsville Center was designated to be the Ballistic Missile Defense Systems (BMD) Mandatory Center of Expertise (MCX) for USACE on September 30, 2016.

USACE Mission/Charter, Engineering Regulations (ER):

ER 10-1-22, Mission: provide Ballistic Missile Defense Centralized Program Management for acquisition planning, design and engineering in support of the DoD BMD program.
ER 1110-2-8163, Charter: the BMD-MCX provides technical expertise and serves as the mandatory center of expertise for BMD projects to ensure standardization of design where applicable; to maintain technical expertise; to leverage technical knowledge; and to assure consistency and efficiency in delivery of BMD facilities and infrastructure.

Highlighted Capabilities and Services Provided

Efforts of the Missile Defense Division include the following:

  • Conducting special studies and site surveys
  • Environmental Studies and Multi-State-Coverage Impact Statements
  • Constructability and Construction Trade Studies
  • Housing Studies
  • Power and Utility Studies
  • Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) and Failure Mode Effects Criticality Analysis Studies (FMECA)
  • Economic Analysis Studies
  • Geotechnical investigations and Topographical mapping services
  • Site-specific ground motion studies 
  • Programmatic support services
  • High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) Shielding
  • Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding
  • Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP)
  • Explosive safety site plans including support to DoD Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) submissions
  • Prediction of explosive effects
  • Protective construction to mitigate explosive effects
  • Extreme environmental conditions study
  • Telecommunication Electronics Material Protection from Emanating Spurious Transmissions (TEMPEST) or Emission Security (EMSEC) design standards
  • Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Contamination Survivability (NBCCS)
  • Secret Compartmentalized Information Facilities
  • Physical and electronic security systems
  • Intrusion detection
  • Engineering and design during construction support

Missile Defense Division supports the DoD BMD stakeholder and responsible USACE geographic districts by providing technical expertise and contract support in development and rehabilitation of tactical/non-tactical facilities and infrastructure:

  • Missile Control Facilities, Missile Fields, Radar Facilities and Radar Support Facilities, Launch Facilities, Launch Control Facilities, Power Plants including Shielded Power Plants, Shielded Back-up Power Generators, Missile Assembly Facilities, Communications Facilities
  • Mission Support Facilities, Industrial Workshops, Administration Buildings, New and Rehab Road Work Utility work, Building Systems Work

Missile Defense Division Points of Contact:

  • Tara Clark, Branch Chief, tara.clark@usace.army.mil, (256) 895-1206
  • Bret Styers, Sr Program Manager, bret.a.styers@usace.army.mil, 938-900-7451
  • Derek Beck, Sr Program Engineer, derek.a.beck@usace.army.mil, (256) 895-1762

Download the BMDS fact sheet (PDF) HERE. (updated September 2022)