Anniston Army Depot workers are scheduled to deploy to Iraq in late April to begin work on an M1A1 sustainment maintenance program for the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq. Work is being performed in partnership with General Dynamics L...

ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala.--An agreement signed March 12 between the depot and General Dynamics Land Systems set the stage for depot workers to deploy to Southwest Asia in support of Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq and its M1A1 combat vehicle program.

Depot workers are scheduled to begin maintenance on 22 vehicles by the end of April. Work on the vehicles, which are to be used by members of the MNSTC-I, will be conducted at a forward operating base in Iraq. MNSTC-I was established in 2004 to help Iraq organize, train and equip its military and police forces.

This direct sales contract, priced at more than $1.1 million, is a public-private partnership where the depot serves as a subcontractor to GDLS, the defense contractor hired by the Army's TACOM Life Cycle Management Command to put the armored vehicles back into use for the coalition forces there.

Depot civilians assigned to this program include heavy mobile equipment mechanics and small arms repairers. They are expected to be overseas for 179 days up to a year.

The depot has had a valuable presence in Iraq since 2003 with the planning and construction of maintenance depots there that play host to much of the repair work being performed on military equipment, especially wheeled and tracked combat vehicles.

"The work environment over there (Iraq) is not like what these mechanics are used to seeing in the depot's industrial complex; it will be field conditions, working alongside the military," said Tommy Carlisle, chief of depot fielding operations.

The industrial complex Carlisle referred to is the hub of depot maintenance at Anniston where damaged or worn combat vehicles are fully disassembled and rebuilt to like-new condition.

At present, depot workers are fielded to nearly five sites in and around Iraq where they repair and service equipment for U.S. troops and allies. Fielding operations in Southwest Asia have given the depot experience with programs like the TUSK, or Tank Urban Survivability Kit, and other vehicle enhancement packages.