Facility Contracting: A Strategy to Bring Life to Inactive Army Ammunition Plants

Abstract

What does the nation do with ammunition production plants after the fighting stops? The U.S. military has struggled with the answer to this question throughout the 20th century. In 1990, the U.S. Army developed and implemented a new and innovative answer - issue facility contracts to operating contractors at inactive government-owned and contractor-operated (GOCO) plants. The objective is to convert mothballed ammunition plants into partially active commercial operations. Facility contracting stands at the forefront of today's defense conversion initiatives. This paper reviews facility contracting, its regulatory underpinnings and evolution, and experience gained at the first plant to make the transition - Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant. In addition to pointing out obstacles which have impeded implementation thus far, ongoing political and military initiatives to overcome these problems are explored. Finally, this paper offers recommendations and guidance for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army as they reshape and expand the implementation of facility contracting during the next few years.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1993
Accession Number
ADA276765

Entities

People

  • Harry J. Sawyer

Organizations

  • Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ammunition
  • Artillery Ammunition
  • Cold War
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Market Economy
  • Munitions
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Political Systems
  • Procurement
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Defense Financial Management and Audit.
  • Environmental Remediation and Restoration.
  • Strategic Security Studies