Photo By Kelly Haux | Tooele Army Depot (TEAD) Fire Fighter Chief Steve Griffith briefs former Stockton...... read more read more
TOOELE ARMY DEPOT, Utah – When Mayors and City Council members from six surrounding cities visited Tooele Army Depot (TEAD) on April 7 they witnessed the Depot providing readiness and operational reach to our nation’s Joint Warfighters.
TEAD hosted the mayors and city council members from Tooele, Grantsville, Rush Valley, Vernon, and Erda. Before visiting the operational areas of the Depot, local leaders met with the Base Commander, Col. Steven Dowgielewicz, for an overview of the Depot and its rich history and linkage to the community.
“For many years, the Depot was the community, at its peak of almost 5,500 employees most of Tooele County either worked at the Depot or knew someone who did” said Dowgielewicz, “The Depot is a little smaller today, but no less connected to the community. We are essentially another town in the Tooele Valley and rely on our neighbors and they rely on us.”
Local leaders had the opportunity to see all four functions of munitions operations: production, storage and surveillance, distribution, and demilitarization. They saw what it takes to run a depot, including being able to operate when an adversary may attempt to cut utilities to delay or stop operations. Dowgielewicz explained that the visiting dignitaries had the opportunity to see, up close, what is only previously seen from a distance. As they drive by, the Depot looks like 1,100 dirt mounds, but as you move closer those dirt mounds become the earth covered magazines, which are essential to the safe storage of munitions.
A high point of the tour was visiting the TEAD-South open pit detonation site where they were able to observe the live detonation of explosives from a blast proof shelter. Invited to participate, the civic leaders eagerly accepted the opportunity to ‘press the button’ after receiving instructions and guidance from TEAD’s professional staff. Once all safety, environment, and weather checks were clear they were given the green light and each local leader pressed the button. Many of them have fielded calls from their constituents for years concerned about the noise from these detonations. Understanding why the Department of Defense needs to demilitarize munitions and the safety of open detonation helps them explain this purpose. The Depot employeesalso shared the emerging technologies for demilitarization as part of the Depots modernization planning.
“This is the best part of the day” said Thomas Karjola, former Stockton City Mayor, “This makes it very clear as to what goes into these detonations, nothing is left to chance.
“I feel more connected to the Depot,” said Tooele Mayor Debbie Winn. “The commander has provided an excellent opportunity to understand their mission, strengthen our ties and deepen our relationship.”
TEAD was established in 1942 as the Tooele Ordnance Depot and for seventy-nine years has committed itself to readiness and rapid munitions response for America’s Joint Warfighters and their allies. TEAD provides storage, maintenance and logistics capability under the Army’s Joint Munitions Command (JMC). The Depot specializes in storage and shipping of ammunition. The Depot develops innovated Ammunition Peculiar Equipment (APE) used for demilitarization, as well as completing renovation, modification, modernization and maintenance of conventional-type munitions. Generations of families have worked and continue to work as part of the TEAD team; it is this unique connection to the adjacent cities which is a lead factor in TEAD’s unique strength, character and influence to the civic community as it continues to lead in modernization and readiness as America’s Depot.
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2022 11:35 |
| Story ID: | 418766 |
| Location: | TOOELE ARMY DEPOT, UTAH, US |
| Web Views: | 180 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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