It has been more than 67 years since the first 250 pound bomb was transported and stored here at Sierra Army Depot, thus beginning the main mission for storing all classes of ammunition and explosives, except chemical ammunition.
On Sept. 18, SIAD employees loaded the last of the conventional ammunition onto a truck destined for storage at another military facility ending an era that represented what Sierra was all about.
In fact from 1959 through 2001, SIAD was the world's largest site for open burn/open detonation of ammunition. However, in 2001, after a lawsuit was filed by surrounding residents, the Army made the decision to cease these types of operations and for the Depot to store only the small amount of ammunition as directed by the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
The Depot's ammunition mission has undergone many transformations due to recommendations from the 1995 and 2005 BRAC Commissions. The 2005 BRAC decision ultimately removed SIAD from the ammunition business; hence, requiring the Depot to transfer all ammunition items by September 2011. With the dedication of civilians and using Soldiers through Golden Cargo exercises, this task was accomplished one year earlier than directed.
Since 1991, SIAD has hosted a number of Golden Cargo exercises as a means to move ammunition from one military installation to another. Golden Cargo is a national military exercise which trains Army Reserve, Army National Guard and active component Army Combat Service Support (CSS) personnel in multifunctional logistics. Golden Cargo, an exercise that aids in training soldiers to handle and transport ammunition, was brought to life in 1991. Since then, Golden Cargo participants have safely trucked over 54,000 tons of ammunition and general cargo over 7.5 million miles.
With the ammunition completely gone from SIAD, the storage igloos have allowed more useable space to accommodate the Depot's current mission workload.
Sierra Army Depot serves as an Expeditionary Logistics Center that provides the full range of logistics support for the defenders of our Nation through: Long-term sustainment storage; Maintenance; Care of Supplies in Storage; Equipment Reset; and Container Management while embracing the Army values. It serves as a Strategic Power Projection Platform providing logistics support for asset receipt, classification, management, storage, distribution, maintenance, assembly & containerization, and the rapid worldwide shipment of material in support of the war fighter.
Missions include Equipment Reset, new assembly & kitting operations, training support, maintaining of Medical readiness stock and other Operational Project stocks, a redistribution mission for Class II and IX items and the Depot has established an End-of-First Life Cycle Center for excess combat vehicles. Sierra has been designated as the Army's consolidated and distribution center for the Clothing Management Office (CMO), supporting Brigade-level Organizational Clothing & Individual Equipment (OCIE) RESET Operations.
SIAD also performs similar-type functions on clothing to receive, identify, classify and bring to record new OCIE directly from Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), "excess" OCIE from Clothing and Issue Facility (CIF's) as well as returned items from SWA (e.g., posts/camps/stations). SIAD embraces continuous improvement, has Private-Public Partners and provides critical life cycle management support for equipment and supplies.
So after 67 years, the shakes, rattles and large booms associated with Sierra Army Depot, are finally all quiet. For all those employees that spent time working within the ammunition mission or providing support, we thank you!
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