Original Date: 04/06/1998
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) legislation of 1995 resulted in transfer of maintenance missions to the Anniston Army Depot (ANAD). From Red River Army Depot came the medium/light combat vehicle systems, and from Letterkenny Army Depot came the maintenance missions for towed/self-propelled artillery. ANAD had to develop a transition plan that would ensure the successful transfer of these functions.

The transition plan consisted of three main phases: planning, transition, and production. The planning phase involved determining funding requirements, identifying construction requirements, developing moving schedules, identifying equipment to be moved, determining personnel requirements, acquiring technical documentation, and identifying certification requirements. The transition phase started after funding was received. The transition phase consisted of constructing facilities, training personnel, moving and installing equipment, and establishing processes and production lines. The last phase of production was the beginning of the production programs. Pilot overhauls were done to certify the process. First article inspections and testing were performed to make sure requirements were met. Once it was known that the processes resulted in a product that met the requirements, the transition of the maintenance missions was complete.

Although the transfer of these maintenance missions resulted in work for ANAD, many challenges need to be faced. During the planning phase, there was little precedence to go by. Technical data was slow to arrive, determining funding was difficult, transition efforts were accelerated, manpower was limited, and the identification of tools and fixtures was very detailed. During the transition phase, ANAD had to deal with untimely equipment moves and trying to establish capability at the gaining facility while workload continued at the transferring facility. The production phase was challenging due to technical data being out of date, and dealing with the customer who did not expect any increase in cost. ANAD is meeting the challenges through persistent efforts and effective planning. The medium/light combat vehicles and towed/self-propelled artillery maintenance missions are being successfully transferred to ANAD.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.