From Herald Staff
CRANE – Col. Gavin Gardner, commander of Joint Munitions Command, visited Crane Army Ammunition Activity facilities on March 22 and 23 to assess ongoing modernization efforts and observe how the warriors are performing in a COVID-19 environment continues to offer conventional ammunition readiness.
Colonel Stephen Dondero, commander of the Crane Army Ammunition Activity, used Gardner’s two-day visit to familiarize himself with the details of the Crane Army’s modernization strategy as state-of-the-art facilities prepare for opening and routine operations streamline. In the future, these upgrades will enable the CAAA to provide improved ammunition readiness and warfighters’ position for the battles of today and tomorrow.
“Right now the army is focused on adapting our soldiers’ struggle,” said Gardner. “When modern problems require modern solutions, the most important thing the crane army can do is make sure they adapt and modernize to support the warfighter.” . “
The Crane Army’s new coating facility will replace an aging facility from WWII. The visit enabled Gardner to assess any updates to the construction project that have taken place since it was last viewed in 2020.
The facility has a new air conditioning system that protects the equipment from heat damage and has been equipped with reliable technology that eliminates frequent failures or problems that delay the mission.
Gardner and Dondero also made various visits throughout the facility, including one to the MK20 Rockeye conversion facility, where bomblets are removed from unusable ammunition and converted into leaflet dispensers. After a tour of the new dispatch and receiving facility for the activity, which is due to go into operation this summer, they took a train from the crane army to the standby magazines.
The dispatch and receiving facility will include internal inspection bays, modern book doors and docks, and improved security functions. Once operational, the facility will streamline reception processes by inspecting ammunition as soon as it arrives and sending it straight to the warehouse.
“It is the culmination of modernization for our activities. This facility will make operations smoother, safer and more central than ever, ”said Dondero. “It will allow Crane Army to prepare ammunition earlier for delivery to the warfighter.”
For CAAA, modernization doesn’t just mean having the most conspicuous facilities. It means improving working conditions, improving safety measures and always fulfilling the mission of providing ammunition for the US military.
“Crane Army modernizes by pursuing the right projects,” said Gardner. “However, operating efficiency requires not only new facilities and technology, but also the right people in the right place to achieve that efficiency. Crane also puts people first, and the effort I see at Crane today are the modern solution to the modern problems of the army. I look forward to my next visit. “
Crane Army Ammunition Activity ships, stores, demilitarizes, and produces conventional ammunition in support of the U.S. Army and Joint Force readiness. It serves as the Army’s second largest ammunition depot and holds roughly a quarter of the US Department of Defense’s conventional ammunition. CAAA is a subordinate command of the Joint Munitions Command and the US Army Materiel Command, which include arsenals, depots, activities and ammunition factories. It was established in October 1977 and is located on the Naval Support Activity Crane.
