FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. – On May 24, personnel from Letterkenny Army Depot gifted computers and other peripheral equipment to support local school districts per the Computers for Learning, or CFL, program. In total, 110 and 65 desktop computers, along with various computer mice and keyboards, were donated to the Shippensburg Area School District and the Waynesboro Area School District, respectively.
The U.S. Army and its installations adhere to a lifecycle management system designed to ensure the efficacy and security of the department’s computers, servers and other related equipment. A recent push for software upgrades coincided with ongoing maintenance, creating an obsolescence of specific computer hardware at LEAD.
Michael Rhodes, director, Directorate of Information Management, explained, “We received surplus computers from another Army depot for free. However, the computers no longer met the requirements to support our systems due to recent software modifications.”
Military services send excess equipment past its lifecycle to the Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services for either sale or disposal. However, the computers LEAD had received were in mint condition. Upon deliberation between staff members, personnel from the Directorate of Supply and Transportation and DOIM sought other options to better utilize the surplus equipment.
The U.S. General Services Administration formed the CFL program to encourage federal agencies to donate computers and other peripheral equipment deemed excess property to schools and educational non-profit entities. The program’s mission is to provide students across the country with the necessary resources for their education and learning.
After hearing about the CFL project during a GSA training course, Tina Diaz, chief, Property Accountability Branch, wanted to utilize the program to support school districts.
“Schools need additional computers to support both in-class and online learning due to growing dependence on digital platforms,” Diaz stated. “Donations like these help schools already struggling to make ends meet put money toward other essentials, like teachers or extracurricular activities.”
In Jan. 2024, Diaz, Rhodes and their teams started executing the reallocation of the excess equipment through the CFL program. Once posted for transfer, local school administrative staff seized the opportunity and began coordinating directly with LEAD personnel.
After months of coordination, Diaz, Rhodes and staff transported and offloaded all the equipment to the district offices in Waynesboro and Shippensburg on May 24 at no expense to the schools.
“The district staff’s excitement and gratitude were evident as we transferred the equipment,” Diaz remarked. “Seeing the positive impact the donation had on them was heartwarming.”
Col. Donald Santillo, commander, LEAD, arrived at the SASD office later that afternoon and met with district representatives to discuss the depot’s commitment to the local community.
Diaz echoed Santillo’s remarks as she recounted the experience.
“The CFL donation is a reminder of the positive impact we can have on our community and a reinforcement of our commitment to supporting local education,” Diaz stated. “This initiative is not just about giving away surplus equipment; it’s about investing in the future of our communities.”
Letterkenny Army Depot is the Army’s premier professional organic maintenance facility that provides overhaul, repair and modifications for tactical missile air defense and space systems, power generation equipment and various military vehicles, support systems and protection programs. LEAD is a subordinate of U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command and is the Air and Missile Defense and Long-Range Precision Fires depot, supporting systems for the Department of Defense, foreign partners and industry. Letterkenny Army Depot was established in 1942 and is a government-owned and -operated industrial installation located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
For more information about LEAD, visit https://www.letterkenny.army.mil/
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Date Taken: | 07.22.2024 |
Date Posted: | 07.22.2024 16:22 |
Story ID: | 476762 |
Location: | PENNSYLVANIA, US |
Web Views: | 562 |
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