DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. - The U.S. Army Garrison-Detroit Arsenal earned the Army Communities of Excellence Exemplary Practice award for the management of Base Realignment and Closure processes in transformation of the Army.
"We are both honored and proud to win this award in our first year of competition," said Brenda Lee McCullough, garrison manager. "Winning ACOE allows us to showcase the work of our team and to make the BRAC process a smooth transition. We hope other installations can benefit from our lessons learned."
The BRAC Commission approved the closure of the Selfridge Air National Guard Base location disposing of 623 acres, 619 facilities and 589 Army housing units. By closing operations three years ahead of schedule, the Garrison saved an estimated $24 million each year.
"The Detroit Arsenal adopted the Baldrige Criteria to drive innovation and continue improvement on our installation," said Carrie Mead, Plans, Analysis and Integration chief. "Through careful planning, space utilization, and a focus on program and customer priorities, the Garrison effectively sustained community services while closing operations as directed by BRAC law."
The implementation plan involved establishing six main objectives to include creating a BRAC closure team, defining a closure milestone schedule, transforming and resetting services to the Detroit Arsenal, ensuring mission readiness, streamlining business processes, and informing staff and customers of change.
With establishment of the Housing Services and Transportation Offices at the Detroit Arsenal and the relocation of Army Community Service and the Child Development Center, vital programs remained operational with no disruption of service.
"Communication of our BRAC team was the key to a successful transition," said Mead. "Strategic communications to our customers kept them informed and engaged in the process."
The Garrison BRAC team consisted of personnel, property, public works, and human resources.
"This award is credited to the collective efforts of the Garrison staff," said Pat Tobianski, BRAC program analyst. "The aggressive approach to close within two years was the result of people who are dedicated to providing exceptional customer support for the Service member, their Families, and Civilians who serve our country."
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