Managing Risk During the Consolidation of Operations
Abstract
During World War II, the United States constructed 84 new ammunition plants. Many of the plants were built before the United States officially entered the war. Because the government lacked sufficient management expertise to run all the plants, private industry was contracted to operate them, creating a new system of government owned, contractor operated (GOCO) ammunition plants. Many of the plants were closed after the war, never to reopen. Others were activated for the Korean conflict, Vietnam, or both, only to be laid away to be ready for some future conflict. The end of the cold war and the absence of credible enemies has caused the United States to once again pare down its ammunition production capability. The production base is supporting a much smaller force than it did in the 1980s. Budget figures for 1996 indicate that active Army strength is down to 495,000 soldiers. The total planned strength for the entire Department of Defense is 1.45 million active duty personnel, down 33 percent from 1987 levels. A smaller active force means less ammunition will be consumed in training and less is needed in the event of war, since ammunition needs are based on the number of weapons available.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA513819
Entities
People
- David M. Pojmann
- Robert M. Bachman
Organizations
- Olin Corporation