Photo By Adrienne Brown | The audience joins in during the national anthem at the 20-year celebration for Red...... read more read more
RED RIVER ARMY DEPOT, Texas – In a display of enduring collaboration, Red River Army Depot and BAE Systems celebrated two decades of partnering for the Soldier during a ceremony Nov. 20 at the depot.
The celebration commemorates the long-standing partnership between the two organizations as they continue to rebuild and remanufacture the Bradley Fighting Vehicle System.
“True partnership and collaboration between our organizations is how we’ve reached today’s milestone, more importantly making a difference for the Soldier,” said Aaron Bandow, Bradley program director for BAE. “One of those Soldiers is my son, Kurt Bandow, who is a first lieutenant in the Army and spent time with the Bradley A3 in Bulgaria as a platoon leader. That’s one time when my work life and family life paired closely together.”
Established in August 2004, the partnership began and remains a joint effort to maintain all variants of the Bradley providing the best equipment and value to the customer. To date, Red River and BAE have completed over 7,000 vehicles and over 29,000 components.
“We are here to honor the collaboration that has breathed new life into our Bradley Fighting Vehicles, ensuring they continue to protect and serve our Soldiers on the front lines,” said Col. Denis J. Fajardo, commander for Red River. “The Bradley Fighting Vehicle System has played a crucial role in safeguarding soldiers' lives on the battlefield. Its advanced armor and firepower have provided essential protection and mobility in various combat situations.”
Fajardo continued to speak about how essential the Bradley has been since serving in the Army.
“I have ridden into combat on several occasions as a Bradley Commander,” he said. “During OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom), the Bradley Fighting Vehicle allowed my unit to complete its mission with minimal injury. It was during this time that I developed my initial admiration for the capability and safety that the Bradley provided my Soldiers.”
During production of the Bradley, Red River handles the overhaul of major subassemblies while BAE completes vehicle assembly, testing and integration.
“The fact is heavy maintenance mechanics (both hull & turret), electronics, track, paint and prep, transportation, parts expediters, quality, safety, many without even knowing, are saving lives every day by providing the support necessary to conduct missions in a platform that keep our Soldiers, allies and partners safe,” Fajardo said.
Fajardo continued by mentioning that Ukrainian Soldiers have credited the Bradley with saving their lives during intense battles.
“These conflicts that have tested the Bradley over time and speak to the vitality of the partnership between Red River and BAE,” he said. “Our alliance to modernize the Bradley Fighting Vehicle has been the backbone of our ground forces for decades.”
Red River and BAE are currently working on the latest variant of the Bradley, the A4.
“It’s because of partnerships like this, we’ve been able to deliver over 500 A4 (variants) to the Soldier,” Bandow said. “The Bradley A4’s firepower, mobility and survivability greatly improve Soldier’s safety and ability to dominate no matter the terrain, temperature or threat. The Bradley is now safer than ever.”
Since the partnership inception, both the Red River and BAE teams have achieved a 100% on time delivery rate for vehicles. Since 2006, Red River has maintained the same 100% on time delivery for reconditioned components. Both organizations have supported production rates as high as 25 vehicles per week.
| Date Taken: | 11.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.21.2024 12:37 |
| Story ID: | 485845 |
| Location: | TEXARKANA, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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