CRANE, Ind. - Crane Army Ammunition Activity held a ribbon cutting and dedication for its new Logistics Modernization Program facility April 15, enabling the activity to be better prepared for the upcoming LMP deployment and meet its future training needs.
CAAA Commander Col. Charles Kibben cut the ribbon with CAAA LMP Director Mark Helms in front of an enthusiastic crowd of CAAA employees. During the ceremony, Kibben stated he fulfilled a promise he made when the LMP Cadre had been established the previous year.
"I promised that I would give you a nicer place to stay and as we stand here today, I will tell you that I think I delivered on that promise," Kibben said. "I have been through the building and I think we really do have a great facility."
The building has three classrooms that hold up to 56 students. There are also two conference rooms that allow CAAA to connect over the internet with other LMP sites in order to share lessons learned and ask questions of the contractor who is implementing LMP. CAAA can also offer training over the internet to our LEMC teammates.
"I think it is really fitting that we all come together to dedicate the new Logistics Modernization Program facility this year," Kibben added. "This is a milestone in the history of Crane. I say that because 20-some years ago a system was brought in that was the standard depot operating system. And for 20 years this activity has operated under that system, but today I will tell you that we are living a new dream. A new system is coming forth that will fundamentally change the way we do business at Crane."
The new building was actually a part of a renovation project. The 10,000 square-foot renovation included adding office and training areas, modernizing restroom and break areas, adding access control to the building, increased parking and renovations to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The total cost of the project is more than $1,900,000 and the work was completed by Old Veterans Construction, Inc., from Chicago.
Since the CAAA LMP Cadre was established the previous year, the members have worked in different office spaces wherever there was space available. During the ceremony, Helms thanked the LMP Cadre for their efforts in getting CAAA prepared.
He said, "There has been a lot of work done already for the LMP deployment and it is only going to get more accelerated. LMP is going to touch everyone at Crane. So I thank you for your hard work."
The importance of the new building and how it will help the LMP team was immediately evident to members of the team. CAAA LMP Cadre member Scott Emery said, "Prior to this, the Crane LMP Cadre team had one training room and whichever extra desks they could find at another building. When the LMP Expert User training started, we had various classes competing for the one classroom. And all the Cadre members had to move out of the classroom, carrying all their materials around in boxes. Now each Cadre member has a permanent desk and a phone. And we now have room for the Cadre and Expert Users to meet and plan and test new processes that LMP will bring about."
He added, "Additionally, this facility doubles the number of general purpose computer classrooms at Crane, and adds two more conference rooms, one of which has a VTC capability."
Echoing those remarks, LMP Cadre member Melanie Deckard said, "The layout of the building is extremely conducive as a training environment. It allows the LMP Cadre to either sit down one-on-one with an individual and give them individualized training or to use the classroom environment. By having the office area separate from the classrooms it keeps us from disturbing those who are teaching or working on a project."
Deckard added that once CAAA goes live with LMP, the facility will not only be a training environment but a command center. She said, "The Cadre team will be available to assist CAAA in the transition from our current SDS/Legacy system into LMP. With anything that is new there are going to be problems once the switch has been flipped. We are aware of what has happened in the past deployments of LMP and we are trying to work those issues prior to our going live. However we do know you can't be prepared for everything."
CAAA was established in Oct. 1977 and is a tenant of the Navy Region Midwest, Naval Support Activity Crane. The Army activity maintains ordnance professionals and infrastructure to receive, store, ship, produce, renovate and demilitarize conventional ammunition, missiles and related components.
Social Sharing