The Lance missile was maintained here until the mid-1980s by the depot's Directorate of Ammunition, which reorganized in 2000 under Kentucky's Blue Grass Army Depot but remains on the installation as a tenant activity called Anniston Defense Munition...

ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- While World War II was ongoing in the 1940s, planning phases were underway right here in northeast Alabama to construct an Army Ordnance Depot. As the decades progressed, this thriving multi-mission installation grew and Anniston Army Depot proved to be a valuable asset to the community, the Army and the Department of Defense. Oct. 14 marks 69 years of the depot\'s existence.

With a vast undertaking of repairing, modifying and upgrading all heavy and light combat vehicles, wheeled and tracked (except for the Bradley), towed and self-propelled artillery, assault bridging systems, and small caliber weaponry for America's defense forces and her allies, the depot is also providing direct support for the Stryker vehicle assembly and repair programs.

Amid a highly skilled workforce, the installation was designated as the Army's Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence. But, there is a recipe for this unrelenting success.

"Anniston Army Depot has an incredible reputation not only across the Army but across the entire Department of Defense," said Col. Timothy Sullivan, depot commander. "And our dedicated employees who add to our success at home and abroad are a huge part of that feat."

ANAD has made massive accomplishments making it a premier facility. While restoring more than 1,600 combat vehicles and 36,000 small arms equipment to like-new condition in FY10, the depot took additional steps to ensure its employees have the best possible facilities as they support the men and women in uniform.

Contributing to the success are aggressive development plans:

Aca,!Ac Last October, depot officials broke ground for a small arms repair facility that will replace the one that has been utilized for more than four decades in the refurbishment of rifles, machine guns and other weapon-related hardware.

Aca,!Ac In April, construction began for a 109,824-square-foot facility that will provide the capability for repairing all transmissions for the Army's current fleet of combat vehicles as well as the Stryker family of vehicles, replacing warehouses that have been around for 60 years.

Aca,!Ac In the few months, officials will cut the ribbon for the new Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is designed to double the existing gallons per day of wastewater processed, in compliance with regulatory discharge requirements.

As for where the depot is headed, Sullivan says "we will continue to plunge forward by constantly striving to exceed the customer's expectations. The opportunities are endless. And during my tenure, it is my desire to see that the depot remains a viable part of the community for generations to come."