TOBYHANNA, Pa. — Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) received high praise in a recent independent safety and quality audit, emphasizing its commitment as a mission-first, people-always organization providing the very best products to American warfighters.
Two external auditing bodies visited Tobyhanna from April 28 through May 2 in a wide-ranging examination of Tobyhanna’s adherence to the Aerospace 9100/9110 Standard (AS) and ISO 45001 standard. ISO 45001 is regarded as the benchmark for workplace safety, while AS 9100/9110 provides enhanced quality measures to support TYAD’s aerospace and defense workloads. Both certifications place Tobyhanna on par with private industry expectations and position it as a leader within the Department of Defense.
Keith Beaulieu and Andy Bullock, representatives from National Quality Assurance (NQA) U.S.A., Inc., conducted the AS audit.While Beaulieu has inspected TYAD’s quality management system before, Bullock was making his first visit to the installation. He said the experience was more than surprising.
“I didn’t know what to expect, and I could have never anticipated the variety of what goes on here operationally,” he said. “The range of activities was overwhelming.”
During the examination of Tobyhanna’s quality management system, Beaulieu and Bullock identified several best practices, including comprehensive risk assessments during the pre-production planning process and Tobyhanna’s expansive use of business intelligence.
“When I saw the planning dashboards, I was blown away. They are amazing,” said Beaulieu.
The AS audit was highly successful with a 66% decrease in documented nonconformances and zero repeat findings. One opportunity for improvement related to documentation was identified. Quality Assurance Division personnel noted that it was easily rectified and praised auditors for their professionalism.
“Andy and Keith are stern, but fair. They want us to succeed, and they make these audits good learning opportunities,” said Wayne Daniels, quality assurance specialist.
Closing out the audit, NQA’s auditors praised Tobyhanna’s mature quality management system and dedicated workforce.
“This [Tobyhanna] is a consistent and organized facility with no weak spots. Team Tobyhanna was easy to work with, helpful, and receptive to our perspectives,” noted Beaulieu.
The ISO 45001 safety audit was conducted by Leigh Brand and Jeri Ann Schlemmer from Government and Military Certification Systems, Inc (GMCS).Brand leads the highly regarded organization and has audited Tobyhanna’s safety management system twice in the past – as well as the safety practices of the tenant activities and contractors operating on post. He emphasized that the entire installation continuously improves.
“Tobyhanna Army Depot has a lot to be proud of, especially its very effective safety management system. The buildings here are clean, and everyone I encountered was well prepared.”
In their audit, Brand and Schlemmer also highlighted best practices across Tobyhanna’s operations, including knowledgeable and engaged safety personnel, low accident/injury rates and the business intelligence-fueled safety dashboard. They also lauded the depot’s Fire and Emergency Services Branch, noting the team’s comprehensive and detail-oriented safety practices. Opportunities for growth were included ensuring all depot safety policies fully encompass the interests of tenant and contractors as well as strengthening inspections of emergency preparedness devices.
The ISO 45001 audit had an added layer of surveillance this year, as GMCS is currently going through its own recertification examination. As a result, the third-party audit activities were overseen by Igor Erenburg, a lead technical assessor for the International Accreditation Service. A first-time visitor to Tobyhanna, Erenburg said the experience was edifying.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the depot,” he said.“This is an amazing operation.”
Chief of the Safety and Occupational Health Office Dana Bilotta said the audit’s success was attributable to all members of the depot workforce, not just those supporting safety measures on a daily basis.
“A safety management system can only be successful if it is supported up, down and across the organization. The high level of success in this audit is thanks to every member of Team Tobyhanna – and our tenant teammates – who make workplace safety a priority,” she said.
Director of Quality Management Christopher Musso shared a similar sentiment when reflecting on the AS audit.
“Our successful surveillance audit was a collaborative effort and reflects Team Tobyhanna’s commitment to excellence and our systematic approach to quality management.”
Tobyhanna has maintained certification to the ISO 45001 standard since 2019, when it was the first organization within the Department of Defense to obtain the accreditation. Tobyhanna first earned the AS certification in 2011, the first military installation and third organization of any type in the world to achieve certification to AS 9100 Revision C and AS9110 Revision A.
Auditors will return to Tobyhanna in 2026 for subsequent evaluations, guaranteeing that the depot continues to meet – and exceed – the standards of world-class organizations.
External, industry-standard certifications like AS and ISO 45001 ensure Tobyhanna Army Depot remains a DOD leader in providing readiness to the joint warfighter, keeping the force ready, modern, prepared and lethal.
Employee safety and product quality are fundamental parts of Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035. The plan aligns with the depot's four strategic focus areas: Investing in Our People, C5ISR Readiness, Shape the Future and Strategic Communications; and aims to posture the organization for future success.
TYAD is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated workforce and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, cyber support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters.
About 3,100 personnel are employed by Tobyhanna. While the organization’s headquarters is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, Tobyhanna’s worldwide workforce includes employees in 43 fixed locations across the globe.
Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to deliver integrated C5ISR weapon systems, business systems, and medical sustainment to enable full spectrum combat operations at the point of need.
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