Sierra Army Depot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sierra Army Depot |
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| Herlong, California | |
Reserve Component Hospital Decrement for USAMMA
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| Type | Military depot |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander |
LTC Russell E Henry (preceded by LTC Benjamin G. Johnson) |
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Amedee Army Airfield
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | US Army | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Sierra Army Depot, California | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 4,007 ft / 1,220 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°15′58.19″N 120°09′09.43″W / 40.2661639°N 120.1526194°W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | Sierra Army Depot | ||||||||||||||
| Runway | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration data for Amedee Army Airfield/AHC
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The Sierra Army Depot (also called SIAD) is a special place for the United States Army. It's a big storage area for military equipment. You can find it near Herlong, California. It was built in 1942. The idea was to have a safe place for ammunition. It was far from the coast to protect it from attacks. But it was still close enough to send supplies easily. The area was also chosen because it is dry and isolated.
Contents
What Sierra Army Depot Does
The Sierra Army Depot (SIAD) is a very important place for the Army. It helps make sure the Army is ready for anything. SIAD is known for handling all kinds of fuel and water systems. It also manages special equipment for military projects.
Keeping Equipment Ready
SIAD does many jobs to keep military gear in top shape. This includes receiving equipment and keeping track of it. They also store equipment for a long time. They even repair and update Army fuel and water systems.
SIAD works under the US Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM). It helps solve problems with military supplies. The depot manages equipment that is no longer new. This helps the Department of Defense save money. It also makes sure valuable equipment is reused.
Special Jobs at SIAD
SIAD is very good at several tasks. They can fix and update equipment. They also put together new kits and supplies. They train people and store special project items. SIAD also sends out Class VII (major equipment) and Class IX (repair parts) items.
They have a special "End-of-First Life Center." This center handles combat and non-combat vehicles. It helps manage equipment that has been used for a while.
SIAD also handles clothing and personal gear for soldiers. This is called Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE). They receive, sort, and record clothing for many groups. These groups include the Defense Logistics Agency and the US Air Force.
The depot can process extra OCIE from different places. This includes items returned from places like Southwest Asia. This helps SIAD be a main place for sorting and sending out clothing. They also fix special body armor plates. This saves the Army a lot of money.
Supporting Air Force and Marines
SIAD is the main storage site for parts used to build Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor jets. It holds over 30,000 parts and tools. These are used for building and fixing F-22s that are still flying. They are also kept for any future needs.
The depot also stores tanks and armored vehicles for the United States Marine Corps. This is part of a plan called "Force Design 2030." The last tanks arrived at SIAD in July 2020. They came from the Marine Corps base at 29 Palms in California.
How Sierra Army Depot Works
Sierra Army Depot started in 1942. Back then, it was a place to store weapons and general supplies. Over the years, SIAD has changed. Now, it is a key place for military projects. Today, SIAD offers many special ways to help the military.
Key Abilities of SIAD
- It has more than 36,000 acres of land for building.
- It has a 10,000-foot runway. This runway can handle military and commercial planes.
- Experts here are good at putting together kits. They also know how to package military systems.
- SIAD always tries to improve how it works. This helps them get better at logistics and quick deployments.
- They receive, track, store, and fix many military items. This includes Army Prepositioned Stocks.
- It is a main place for managing military supplies. They receive, store, and ship materials. They also keep track of everything.
- SIAD has a modern transport system. It can use planes, trains, and trucks. This helps them send supplies anywhere in the world quickly.
- They can create new ways to protect and package items.
- It is the Army's largest place for equipment coming back from units. They manage many items that are returned. These items can then be reused.
- They manage most of the Army's special Nonstandard Equipment (NSE). They receive, identify, store, and ship these items worldwide.
- They also handle a lot of the Army's OCIE items. They receive, identify, store, and ship these items around the world.
- SIAD manages extra large military items. These are stored in its End-of-First Life Center. More than 20,000 vehicles are stored here. They can also take parts from these vehicles. These parts are used for new production or other Army units.
Buildings and Skills at SIAD
SIAD has over 1,000 buildings. These include special storage igloos, warehouses, and repair shops.
Putting Things Together
The depot can put together kits and supplies. This includes designing new kits. They also check and test returned items. They package things and get them ready for shipping.
Container Rotator
SIAD uses a special machine called a container rotator. This machine helps turn large shipping containers. It makes moving containers much faster and easier. It can reduce the time from hours to just 20 minutes. It also needs fewer people to do the job.
End-of-First Life Center
SIAD's End-of-First Life Center handles combat vehicles. They check and store equipment. They also manage inventory. They can update and redistribute items. They also put together or take apart systems.
Maintenance and Repairs
The workers at SIAD can do many types of repairs. They fix mechanical problems. They also control rust and make metal parts.
Reusing and Sending Out Items
The largest group at SIAD handles returned materials. They receive items from places like Southwest Asia and Europe. They also get items from bases across the US. These items are then reused or sent to new places.
Transportation Hub
SIAD is known for its great transportation. It has an airfield and trains. This helps them move supplies quickly to soldiers around the world.
Images for kids
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The Long-Term Storage section of Sierra Army Depot. Hundreds of M113 vehicles stretch far into the distance. In the front, you can see M60 main battle tanks.
