LONE STAR ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT, Texas - The Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant, officially deactivated Sept. 30 completing its mission of providing ammunition to soldiers and warfighters for almost 70 years.
"The ammunition items produced throughout the history of Lone Star AAP have been a critical factor in our nation's success on the battlefield," said Col. Arnold P. Montgomery, commander of McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, McAlester, Okla.
Established in 1942, Lone Star AAP was one of 84 Army ammunition plants constructed during World War II, and at the height of its employment the plant had more than 12,000 contractor, military and government personnel. During the Korean War, it produced more than 495,000 105mm howitzer rounds in one month.
Recognized in the ammunition community for its melt pour operation for artillery shells and hand grenades, press loading operations for submunition grenades, detonators, booster pellets, primers and tracers, Lone Star AAP ceased production last month.
"The M67 fragmentation hand grenade, family of scatterable mines, the 155mm improved conventional munitions artillery round, 81mm explosive mortar rounds and 105mm high explosive artillery round produced at Lone Star AAP are still in the hands of soldiers today," Montgomery said.
Day & Zimmerman will become the caretaker contractor and will continue ammunition operations. It will provide security, safety, and maintenance at the plant.
The Army plans to transfer ownership of the property in three parcels - - one to the Red River Redevelopment Authority, one to Day & Zimmermann and one to be retained by the Government for environmental cleanup, property disposal and subsequent transfer.
The plant was a subordinate installation of the Joint Munitions Command. JMC provides bombs and bullets to America's fighting forces - - all services, all types of conventional ammunition from 500-pound bombs to rifle rounds.
The deactivation of Lone Star AAP is the third JMC facility closed as a result of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure actions. Kansas AAP, Parsons, Kan., and Mississippi AAP, Stennis Space Center, Miss., closed earlier this year.
The plant has been reassigned to the Army Installation Management Command's Fort Hood effective Oct. 1. LSAAP's government personnel are retiring or registered in DoD's Priority Placement Program.
The 2005 BRAC Commission recommended closure of another JMC ammunition production facility: Riverbank AAP, Riverbank, Calif. The commission also ended ammunition storage missions at Sierra Army Depot, Herlong, Calif., and Red River Army Depot, Texarkana, Texas. All BRAC closures and realignments must be completed by 2011.
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