Guide
What is an inventory control point (ICP)?
points are the organizations that manage the military departments' and the Defense Logistics Agency's items of supply. Their item managers set requirements and stock levels, buy and distribute materiel; for they supply pricing for Letters of Offer and Acceptance and fill the purchaser's requisitions from stock or by procurement.
What is an inventory control point?
The primary organizations in the DoW wholesale system are the , i.e., Army Life Cycle Management Commands (LCMC), the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and Air Force Sustainment Center, the Navy and Marine Corps and systems commands, and the various supply centers and depots. play a major role in satisfying both the U.S. and foreign military requirements placed on the DoW logistics system.
Each stock numbered item is controlled by an , usually located at the . The IM’s functions include: determining requirements, establishing stock levels, initiating procurements, and providing distribution. For secondary items, IMs also manage overhauls and disposals. While the participate in the management of /systems, i.e., tanks, aircraft, ships, etc., they do not have primary responsibility for determining the MILDEP quantities for these items.
An ’s role in / begins with the receipt of taskings from agencies that write for those items managed by the . help develop by providing pricing information for items sold on defined order cases/lines, such as ammunition and support equipment.
require a recommended list of repair parts to be stocked in support of the purchasing country. The ’ develop the list which includes recommended quantities and the cost for each item.
Upon acceptance and implementation of the , the and the supply centers are the supply activities responsible for satisfying the international partner’s requisitions for items that they manage. Within guidelines established by the DoW, they may either issue items directly from available stocks or, when necessary, procure the materiel.
References
SAMM
- SAMM GLOSSARY/inventory-control-point-icp — Inventory Control Point (ICP)
- SAMM GLOSSARY/item-manager-im — Item Manager (IM)
Related
Inventory Control
That phase of military logistics which includes managing, cataloging, requirements determinations, procurement, distribution, overhaul, and disposal of materiel.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Foreign Military Sales (FMS)
A process, authorized by the Arms Export Control Act, through which eligible foreign governments and international organizations may purchase defense articles, services, and training from the United States Government.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Materiel Management
Direction and control of those aspects of logistics which deal with materiel, including the functions of identification, cataloging, standardization, requirements determination, procurement, inspection, quality control, packaging, storage, distribution, disposal, maintenance, mobilization planning, industrial readiness planning, and item management classification; encompasses materiel control, inventory control, inventory management, and supply management.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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ICP — Inventory Control Point
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Item Manager (IM)
An individual within the organization of an inventory control point or other such organization assigned management responsibility for one or more specific items of materiel.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Major End Items
Any end item that is Significant Military Equipment or Major Defense Equipment or where control over the programming of these items is required. See also "end item."
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Inventory Control Point (ICP)
The organizational element within a DoD system which is assigned responsibility for materiel management of a group of items including such management functions as the computation of requirements, the initiation of procurement or disposal actions, distribution management, and rebuild direction.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Security Assistance (SA)
A group of programs authorized by federal statutes by which the United States provides defense articles, military training, and other defense-related services by grant, lease, loan, credit, or cash sales in furtherance of national policies and objectives, and those that are funded and authorized through the Department of State to be administered by Department of Defense/Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which are considered part of security cooperation.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Security Cooperation
Activities undertaken by the DoD to encourage and enable international partners to work with the United States to achieve strategic objectives. It includes all DoD interactions with foreign defense and security establishments, including all DoD-administered security assistance programs, that: build defense and security relationships that promote specific U.S. security interests, including all international armaments cooperation activities and security assistance activities; develop allied and friendly military capabilities for self-defense and multinational operations; and provide U.S. forces with peacetime and contingency access to host nations.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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FMS — Foreign Military Sale
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
LOA — Letter of Offer and Acceptance
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
CLSSA — Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Glossary entry →Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Arrangements (CLSSA) →