ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- Anniston Army Depot graduated 12 individuals from its Depot Leadership and Management Program Oct. 5. This was the first class in the program's history to complete the course in its entirety while on depot property.

From 2006 to 2010, Jacksonville State University hosted the program, utilizing some of the depot's resources, but training the depot's future leaders primarily through the school's civilian contacts.

By bringing the training completely within the confines of the installation, the depot saves money and is able to give DLAMP students a broader view of ANAD's mission.

"The participants gain knowledge and a form of networking," said Bryant Mathis, a training administrator in the Depot Training Office. "They meet a lot of people on the depot and find out what this installation really does, not just what happens in their own little section."

Mathis said the networking is developed over the course of the class will aid these current and future leaders during their career.

"They need to know other people on the depot and work with other people, not just the coworkers in their own shop," said Mathis.

Throughout the four-week course, good communication is stressed, beginning with discussions with each of the depot's directors as they explain their leadership style and how it works for them.

The second week of the course is spent in online education as the students complete courses in the Army's Civilian Education System.

Week three takes participants through leadership and management training as well as Lean principals and how the three areas can and should work together.

The students spend week four learning from the depot's current leadership as they shadow a senior leader for several days.

"The DLAMP students learn that you can't do it all. You have to rely on other people to handle things sometimes," said Mathis.

DLAMP graduates now have a year in which to receive follow-up training through the Army's education system.

The follow-up course, a two-week residency at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., will take the students through a series of team building exercises and reinforce the knowledge gained in the depot's class.

"I think the class turned out extremely well after the transition from our partnership with JSU," said Thyris Banks, chief of the Depot Operations Office. "ANAD personnel developed a program that is comparable to the program at JSU and the various proponents who provided training and briefings were exceptional."