TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- A three-phase asset recovery, disposal and training mission has resulted in millions of dollars of work for Tobyhanna while recycling more than 750,00 pounds of scrap metal. The mission was completed last month at Red River Army Depot (RRAD) in Texarkana, Texas.
More than 15 depot employees spent four months at RRAD alongside Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) subject matter experts. Prior to their arrival, RRAD had accumulated thousands of C4ISR assets in need of proper recovery and disposal. In response to this accumulation, Tobyhanna and CECOM organized a mission to recover usable C4ISR assets for future repair, train RRAD personnel on how to properly store and dispose C4ISR equipment, and dispose unwanted assets that had been compromised due to improper outdoor storage.
C4ISR stands for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.
Bonnie Donley, electronics worker in the Communications Systems Directorate's Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS) Branch and Tobyhanna's site lead for the mission, said the initiative was a huge undertaking.
"Planning for this mission started way back in 2011 and continued to develop until we began recovery efforts in April of this year," she said. Donley met with CECOM and RRAD personnel in January to lay the groundwork for each phase of the mission.
The first phase resulted in the recovery of more than 3,500 C4ISR assets, totaling in excess of $30 million. This included recovery of nearly 3,000 Harris radio antenna couplers, providing significant cost savings resulting in serviceable work for the depot.
"The savings generated from this aspect of the mission alone cannot be overstated," said Bryant Anderson, CECOM Liaison and Assistant Project Manager. "These couplers were critically needed for Harris radio repairs and CECOM was prepared to execute a multi-million dollar purchase of them. As a direct result of this recovery, a $24 million acquisition was averted."
The second phase of the mission focused on training RRAD personnel on the proper handling, disposition and storage of C4ISR equipment, including controlled cryptographic items. A smart book was created to identify all C4ISR equipment in use at RRAD. The team also provided training on statements of work and SINCGARS installation kits. The TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, Warren, Mich., and RRAD worked with the team to verify and validate SINCGARS kit installation instructions across various vehicle platforms.
More than 750,000 pounds of compromised assets were disposed as a result of the mission's third phase. Of this total, half was credited to Tobyhanna's recycling fund, resulting in more than $100,000 in savings.
Curlen Richardson, CECOM site team lead, said depot personnel remained focused and driven to succeed despite the effort required to complete each aspect of the mission.
"They jumped right in and got the job done," he said. "Everyone was motivated and worked well together. I enjoyed working with Team Tobyhanna."
Several challenges throughout the mission threatened to derail progress, one of which was an issue with the availability of material handling equipment. Anderson said due to quick thinking and an all-hands-on-deck effort, the team was able to procure their own rental equipment from a local vendor and remain a completely self-sufficient operation. The ability to overcome challenges helped the team complete recovery operations ahead of schedule.
"It is always a pleasure working with Tobyhanna employees," said Anderson. "Their professionalism and dedication to the mission really stood out on this project. Many times RRAD employees expressed how impressed they were with what the team was able to accomplish in the short amount of time they were there." The mission wrapped-up on July 25, ahead of the anticipated completion date of Sept. 30.
Donley and Anderson both credited the relationship between depot and CECOM personnel in successfully carrying out the mission.
"The Tobyhanna and CECOM teams worked together seamlessly to handle the various aspects of this mission from start to finish," said Anderson.
"Cooperation was key in understanding the mission and its expectations," added Donley. "I couldn't say more about the effort of everyone involved."
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C4ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna's unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, technology insertion, modification, and global field support to warfighters.
About 3,300 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., the command's mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.
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