DETROIT ARSENAL, Michigan -- Located in the outskirts of Michigan's largest city -- home to the Tigers, Pistons, Red Wings and Lions -- is Detroit Arsenal.
This arsenal, situated in the suburb of Warren, serves in part high-ranking civilians and about 250 Army personnel who promote, support and sustain the research, development and total life cycle management of ground vehicle systems for warfighters.
It's here where Logistics Readiness Center-Detroit carries out the base operations logistics support necessary to keep this arsenal of five major organizations operating. LRC-Detroit's mission statement includes providing customers "with a vision of global reach -- local touch."
"Because we're in the Motor City and there is a lot of automotive industry support industries around here, we can find that most of those products that we use to support our customers," said Sandy Segura, LRC-Detroit director. "We can find [the products] here locally, which allows us to have quick turnaround, meet their requirements quickly with the most cutting edge technology that's available to the auto industry."
Their customers include the U.S. Army Garrison-Detroit; U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command; Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center; Program Executive Office/Ground Combat Support; and the Program Executive Office/Combat Support & Combat Service Support.
LRC-Detroit is one of the 70-plus LRCs worldwide that fall under the U.S. Army Sustainment Command, whose higher headquarters is the U.S. Army Materiel Command. This LRC reports to the 404th Army Field Support Brigade, headquartered in Washington state.
LRC-Detroit supports 7,500 personnel at the arsenal, nearby Selfridge Air National Guard Base, and four other off-site locations. The average hand receipt holder is a Department of the Army civilian with the pay grade of GS-14.
Its area of responsibility covers four states and Canada from an arsenal only 177 acres in size.
This arsenal has roots going back to 1817. During World War II, it produced 22,234 tanks and refurbished 2,825 armored vehicles.
"The mission here is very complex. We have engineering going on to modifying vehicles to make weapons systems better and more forceful for the Soldier," said Art Fortin, LRC-Detroit Plans & Operations and Supply chief.
"Then you have item managers, weapon system managers and program managers that are fielding all this massive equipment to the Soldiers to better defend themselves," he said.
Fortin has spent his entire 27-year career at Detroit Arsenal.
"Detroit Arsenal is probably the most underrated installation we have," he said. "I'm proud to do the job I'm doing here. The crew I have is very good. They're very productive, they're very knowledgeable and they're very professional."
One mission of LRC-Detroit is providing transportation services.
"In the transportation world, anything that rolls, anything that has wheels, they'll bring it to you. For me, getting phone calls from everybody, I am obligated to make sure their needs are met. And that's what we are here for," said Patrick Adomako-Twum, LRC-Detroit Transportation chief.
"And not just only for Detroit Arsenal, we also support the National Guard when they come to us. And also the Reserve Components in the state of Michigan when they come to us," he said. "We have to support them and we have to guide them in the right direction where they need to get their support."
One facet of the transportation mission is LRC-Detroit's van pool service for employees.
"We are proud to say that this installation has fully utilized this program," said Adomako-Twum. "And we have eliminated about 1,045 parking spaces on this installation because people van pool."
This program -- the Mass Transit Benefit Program -- has a 19 percent workforce usage participation involving 209 vans, 1,209 riders, with $2 million distributed to fund to rides, he said.
Mandated by a presidential executive order in April 2000, MTBP is a federally subsidized program which assists military, civilian and non-appropriated fund federal employees with transportation services to/from the duty station.
Adomako-Twum said this program -- only second in users of the program to Washington, D.C. -- also reduces emissions and congestion on the local highways and roads.
LRC-Detroit's capabilities include maintaining six property books valued at $250 million; central receiving point and supply support; warehouse operations and freight; transportation and SATO (Scheduled Airline Ticket Office) travel; personnel property shipping office with receiving and counseling; motor pool, dispatch and fuel management; maintenance and licensing; hazardous materials and waste operations; packaging, crating, carpentry services and furniture repair; equipment/furniture re-use programs; and the van pool.
One ongoing challenge for this LRC is managing the disposal of excess equipment.
"We support the R&D community here," director Segura said, explaining that excess items comes from projects, new equipment and programs.
"We end up accruing excess equipment that may not be used after a project is completed. Invariably it comes back to this small arsenal and gets parked in a motor pool until we can get a disposition on it to turn it in," she said.
The equipment, Segura said, is not suitable for public use. In some cases, the equipment is adapted for some other use in the military.
Ultimately, the equipment is disposed of through demolition, auction or used elsewhere, she said.
"Because our customers are senior ranking and they're used to good support, my folks really have to be on their toes and have to make sure that they're always professional and always thinking about the customer support aspects of it," said Segura.
"The things that they develop here keep Soldiers alive, and our folks know that. They know it's important to the Soldier down range what they do here," Segura said.
"Maybe they're just doing some small maintenance, maybe it's a small railhead, maybe they're just providing support to the senior commander and her staff. But I think they feel that what they do is truly important and it makes a difference to the Soldiers and the guys on the ground," she said.
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