Anniston Army Depot, Alabama
Transition from backwoods forest to a high-density industrial complex defines the life span of Anniston Army Depot. But it only hints at the diverse and wide-ranging missions that have marked over a half century of patriotic service to the Nation and to the men and women of our Armed Services.
In March 1940, the War Department began planning construction of an Army Ordnance Depot in northeast Alabama. In June 1940, preliminary steps were taken to establish a depot in the Anniston area. An initial 10,640 acre tract was acquired on 7 November 1940. This and subsequent land acquisitions increased the depot to its present size of 15,000 acres.
Then, in February 1941, construction began on the first 500 ammunition storage igloos, along with six standard magazines, 20 warehouses, and several administrative buildings. The installation was officially designated the Anniston Ordnance Depot (AOD) in accordance with War Department General Order No. 11, dated 14 October 1941.
From an initial work force of four in September 1941, it grew to 4,339 by November 1942. The land area expanded from 10,040 acres to 15,000 and the cost rose from $12 million to $14 million.
In 1952, the depot was assigned a maintenance mission for the overhaul and repair of combat vehicles. This mission continued to expand until it covered the repair, overhaul and modification of anti-aircraft and mobile artillery, including the 280mm cannon, fire control material, and the many and varied aspects of the tank repair program.
By the mid-50s, the depot had come of age. But the missions were rapidly changing as the Army upgraded its older weaponry and developed new weapon systems.
With the advent of the ‘60s, the depot was involved with the M47, M48, M48A1 and M48A2C tank programs. Reconditioning programs also included the M48A1, M56, M59, M42, M19, M47 and the M38A1-D vehicles.
On 1 August 1962, the installation was renamed Anniston Army Depot, a Class II installation under the jurisdiction of the Army Materiel Command (AMC).
The maintenance and storage of chemical munitions began in 1963 and will continue until all the munitions are disposed of in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
Beginning in the early ‘70s, overhaul of the M551 Sheridan tank commenced. In 1975, the depot was selected to overhaul and convert the M48A1 to the M48A5 model, and in 1979 the depot started the M60A1 to M60A3 conversion program.
Then in 1976, Anniston Army Depot, along with all other Army depots, became a part of the U.S. Army Depot System Command (DESCOM). Subsequently, in 1995, another merger occurred which abolished DESCOM and established the Industrial Operations Command (IOC) which, at that time, became the depot’s next higher headquarters and a major subordinate command (MACOM) of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC).
Because of our highly industrialized operations, we also generate a significant amount of hazardous materials. Long before many of today’s environmental regulatory requirements were put into effect, the depot, of its own volition, began to seek more environmentally safe ways of doing business. In recent years, over $60 million dollars has been spent on environmental restoration and environmentally-improved facility projects and programs. Substantial additional dollars will be spent in the years ahead.
As the decade of the ‘80s began, missile maintenance was an added mission, as was the M1 Abrams tank – the newest addition to the Army’s inventory.
In August 1992, our General Supply Mission was assumed by the Defense Distribution Depot, Anniston (DDAA), under the command of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The DDAA became a major tenant organization on the depot.
Beginning in 1993, Partnering with Industry efforts were undertaken with the depot becoming the forerunning in this new arena throughout the Department of Defense (DoD). Workload partnerships involve the M1 Family of vehicles (FOV) as well as the M58, M109, M113, M577 and M1064 FOVs.
In August 1994, the Center of Military History (CMH) Clearing House was established as a tenant organization at ANAD.
Then in April 1995, the depot’s chemical mission was placed under the Chemical and Biological Defense Command (CBDCOM) and a tenant organization – the Anniston Chemical Activity (ANCA) – was established. Subsequently, on 1 October 1998, CBDCOM’s name was changed to SBCCOM (Soldiers and Biological Chemical Command.) On 1 October 2003, the Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) was established and ANCA and the Anniston Chemical Disposal Facility (ANCDF) are now under the CMA umbrella.
In August 1998, the 722nd Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal – EOD) relocated from Fort McClellan, Alabama to Anniston Army Depot under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) auspices.
On 1 October 1998, operational control of Anniston Army Depot was transferred from the Industrial Operations Command (IOC) to the Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM).
Also on 1 October 1998, the conventional ammunition mission became a tenant organization function of the newly established Anniston Munitions Center (ANMC) (previously the depot’s Directorate of Ammunition.) In June 2004, the name was changed to the Anniston Defense Munitions Center (ADMC).
Under a partnership agreement between ANAD and General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), production of the Army’s latest combat vehicle – the STRYKER – began on 1 April 2001.
In August 2003, the safe and secure destruction of the depot’s obsolete stockpile of chemical munitions began at the Anniston Chemical Disposal Facility (ANCDF).
In December 2003, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Anniston Army Depot (along with other TACOM installations) was given the task of fabricating the Armor Survivability Kits (ASK) for installation on HMMWVs to better protect the military members using these vehicles in the OIF conflict.
In recent years, the depot has continued to expand its partnerships with private industry and at this time is the leader within the Department of Defense in the public-private partnership arena.
Then in October 2006, the depot was designated as the U.S. Army’s organic depot maintenance facility for the Stryker Family of Vehicles (FOV)
The combined total inventory of the depot and its tenant activities amounts to over $7.6 billion and includes the shipping and receiving of over 500,000 tons of supplies, equipment and ammunition and the production of over 600 combat vehicles annually.
The depot’s yearly economic impact on the local community is estimated to be about $1.1 billion which indirectly supports a total of 18,346 jobs in the area. Our estimated operating budget for this fiscal year is $1+ billion