CRANE, Ind. -- Crane Army Ammunition Activity celebrated its anniversary Oct. 4, marking 35 years since the U.S. Army activity was organized and given the responsibility of all conventional ammunition activity at then Naval Weapons Support Center, Crane.
CAAA is celebrating its anniversary with a series of events throughout the month of October. It kicked off the celebration with its traditional employee picnic at the Crane ball field Oct. 4 and a homecoming luncheon for retired employees at Crane Club Lakeview Oct. 10. It will also hold an all-hands briefing for employees later in the month and a dedication of a production complex later in the year.
The theme of the celebration, "35 years of Ammunition Excellence," focuses the efforts of Crane Army's workforce in peace and war time to ensure all branches of the military would have ammunition safely and on time.
"Today we celebrate CAAA's 35th Anniversary as an activity and JMC subordinate command. I know many of you have been here since the Navy transferred responsibility to the Army under the Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition concept," CAAA Commander Col. Linwood Clark wrote to the workforce on the day of the picnic. "In our 35 year history we have supported many worldwide operations, Desert Shield/Storm, major Joint Force deployments in the Balkans and two near simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan all with great success,"
CAAA began with its administrative offices located in the now destroyed Building 13. The ammunition work CAAA was charged with taking over in 1977 matched the original mission of the Navy base in 1941. At the time of the activation, 700 employees transferred from the Navy to the Army, allowing for a seamless transfer of effort and ensuring the four branches of the military did not experience problems in service.
The Army activity mission is to maintain ordnance professionals and infrastructure to receive, store, ship, produce, renovate and demilitarize conventional ammunition, missiles and related components.
At the brief ceremony formalizing the activation, CAAA's first commanding officer, then Lt. Col. George Connor, Jr., said, "Our quest is to make continued, dedicated efforts to provide constant service, without disruption, and to support the National Defense effort."
For the next 35 years, CAAA would hone its skills and position itself as a leader among Ammunition Activities. Adapting to the needs of a nation in war and peace time, and constantly seeking to improve itself through technology and smarter processes, CAAA continues to be a vital part of America's ammunition pipeline. It continually refines its ability to receive, store, ship, produce, renovate and demilitarize conventional ammunition, missiles and related components.
CAAA has made a mark for itself by achieving goals such as becoming the second installation in the Army Materiel Command to reach Voluntary Protection Program Star Status and reached a safety milestone of more than 4.3 million hours worked without a Days Away Case.
"It has been my privilege to command CAAA and to share with you my thanks for the continued success and support you provide each day to our Joint Forces," Clark wrote about the hard work of the Crane Army employees over the years. "Each of you should feel proud of your contributions to CAAA, the Joint Munitions Command, our Army, and most importantly, the Joint Force."
Social Sharing