For Immediate Release:
Friday, May 13, 2005

WASHINGTON D.C - U.S. Representative Dan Boren, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, today announced that the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant (McAAP) could gain new missions before the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process ends.

The long awaited BRAC list was made public Friday morning, revealing that some of Oklahoma’s major bases will experience personnel changes, but none will be closed.  

 

At a press conference yesterday in McAlester, Boren said he was relieved to hear the news, but was not surprised – citing extensive preparation for this round of BRAC.  “The hard work and devotion of the good people at the ammunition plant has made this base an asset to our nation’s military arsenal,” Boren said.    

 

Boren says McAAP stands to gain new missions, and along with them - jobs.  As many as 159 civilian contractor jobs could be added to McAAP if the BRAC recommendations are implemented as they appear today. 

 

“The additional missions and contractors would be gained from closed or realigned Army depots and ammunition plants,” said Boren.  The number of jobs up for grabs will depend on how many contractor jobs are associated with the missions that McAAP will pick up. 

 

The new contractor jobs would likely come from the Sensor Fuzed Weapon/Cluster Bomb function and Missile warhead production at the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, which has been recommended for relocation to McAAP.  Demilitarization functions at the Red River Army Depot, TX; Sierra Army Depot, CA; and, the Lone Star Ammunition Plant, TX have also been recommended for relocation to McAAP, but it does not appear that there are any new jobs associated with them.

 

Boren plans to testify before the BRAC Commission in July.  “We will continue to fight for Oklahoma’s bases and educate the commissioners on their importance to our national security and operations abroad,” Boren said.  

 

Facilities recommended for closure/realignment:

 

Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, KS

 

Recommendation: Close Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (AAP), KS. Relocate Sensor Fuzed Weapon/Cluster Bomb function and Missile warhead production to McAlester AAP, OK.

 

Justification: Capacity and capability for Artillery, Mortars, Missiles, and Pyro/Demo exists at numerous munitions sites. There are 8 sites producing Artillery, 5 producing Mortars, 9 producing Pyro/Demo, and 13 performing Demilitarization. To reduce redundancy and remove excess from the Industrial Base, the closure allows DoD to create centers of excellence, avoid single point failure, and generate efficiencies.

 

Red River Army Depot, TX

 

Recommendation: Close Red River Army Depot, TX. Relocate the storage and demilitarization functions of the Munitions Center to McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, OK.  Relocate the munitions maintenance functions of the Munitions Center to McAlester AAP, OK, and Blue Grass Army Depot, KY.

 

Justification: This recommendation supports the strategy of minimizing the number of

industrial base sites performing depot maintenance for ground and missile systems. The

receiving depots have greater maintenance capability, higher facility utilization and greater opportunities for inter-service work-loading.  This recommendation relocates storage, demilitarization, and munitions maintenance functions to McAlester AAP, and thereby reduces redundancy and removes excess from Red River Munitions Center.

 

Sierra Army Depot, CA

 

Recommendation: Realign Sierra Army Depot, CA. Relocate Demilitarization to McAlester AAP, OK.

 

Justification: Capacity and capability for storage exists at numerous munitions sites. To reduce redundancy and remove excess from the Industrial Base, the realignment allows DoD to create centers of excellence and remove inefficiencies.

 

Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant, TX

 

Recommendation: Close Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant, TX.  Relocate the Storage and Demilitarization functions to McAlester AAP, OK

 

Justification: Capacity and capability for Artillery, Mortars, Missiles, Pyro/Demo, and Storage exists at numerous munitions sites. There are 8 sites producing Artillery, 5 producing Mortars, 9 producing Pyro-Demo, 15 performing storage, and 13 performing Demilitarization. To reduce redundancy and remove excess from the Industrial Base, the closure allows DoD to create centers of excellence, avoid single point failure, and generate efficiencies. Goal is to establish multi-functional sites performing demilitarization, Production, Maintenance, and Storage. Lone Star primarily performs only one of the 4 functions.

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