Pueblo Depot Activity
Encyclopedia
Pueblo Depot Activity , formerly known as Pueblo Army Depot, was a military facility originally used to store and supply ammunition for the U.S. Army. Responsibility for the depot fell upon the Army Ordnance Corp and the first civilian
s were hired in 1942 as operations began. The mission quickly expanded to include general supplies as well. It is a 24202 acres (97.9 km²) site located 14 miles (22.5 km) east of Pueblo
, Colorado
. In 1945 they began to receive mass amounts of equipment returning from the combat theaters
of WWII. Therefor the mission expanded yet again to include the maintenance and refurbishing of artillery
, fire control
, and optical material. In 1951 the depot assumed responsibility to distribute U.S. Air Force ammunition for an eight-state area, as well as storage of strategic and critical materials for the General Services Administration
(GSA). They were also tasked to rebuild and provide on-site maintenance support for guided missiles, insure calibration and maintenance of electronic test equipment and radio-controlled aerial targets. They would also provide specialized training for new Army equipment as needed. In 1952, Rocky Mountain Arsenal
in Denver, Colorado transferred chemical agents and chemical munitions to Pueblo Army Depot for secure storage. In 1974 Pueblo Army Depot was redesignated as Pueblo Depot Activity. Upon this redesignation the missile maintenance mission was transferred to Letterkenny Army Depot
in Pennsylvania
, and responsibility for the Activity was shifted from Army Ordnance, to Tooele Army Depot
in Utah
. The Defense Secretary's Commission on Base Realignment and Closure recommended realignment for Pueblo Depot Activity in its 1988 report. This realignment transferred most of the previous responsibilities to other installations. The only remaining mission for the Depot was the secure storage of the chemical agents already there. Responsibility for the Depot shifted from Tooele, to the US Army Material Command headquartered at Fort Belvoir
, Virginia
. The empty bunkers and warehouses which used to store the non-chemical munitions and other supplies as well as repair and manufacturing
facilities were turned over to the Pueblo Depot Activity Development Authority who currently offer these properties for civilian
lease purposes.
in Denver, Colorado. Upon receipt of these munitions for secure storage, PUDA became one of eight installations within the United States where chemical weapons are stored. The depot created an exclusion zone within its bounds specifically for this purpose. It was rather like a depot within a depot. It was designated as the Chemical Depot, of Pueblo Depot Activity. These actions would prove to save the installation from closure when it was considered in 1988. Because of the chemical stockpiles it was realigned rather than closed. Where it would have closed completely in 1988 it remains active to this day. It is scheduled for closure in 2017 when it completes what will be its last mission, the safe elimination of all remaining chemical stockpiles. This process will be done by on-site incineration.
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
s were hired in 1942 as operations began. The mission quickly expanded to include general supplies as well. It is a 24202 acres (97.9 km²) site located 14 miles (22.5 km) east of Pueblo
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. In 1945 they began to receive mass amounts of equipment returning from the combat theaters
Theater (warfare)
In warfare, a theater, is defined as an area or place within which important military events occur or are progressing. The entirety of the air, land, and sea area that is or that may potentially become involved in war operations....
of WWII. Therefor the mission expanded yet again to include the maintenance and refurbishing of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, fire control
Fire-control system
A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
, and optical material. In 1951 the depot assumed responsibility to distribute U.S. Air Force ammunition for an eight-state area, as well as storage of strategic and critical materials for the General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
(GSA). They were also tasked to rebuild and provide on-site maintenance support for guided missiles, insure calibration and maintenance of electronic test equipment and radio-controlled aerial targets. They would also provide specialized training for new Army equipment as needed. In 1952, Rocky Mountain Arsenal
Rocky Mountain Arsenal
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a United States chemical weapons manufacturing center located in the Denver Metropolitan Area in Commerce City, Colorado...
in Denver, Colorado transferred chemical agents and chemical munitions to Pueblo Army Depot for secure storage. In 1974 Pueblo Army Depot was redesignated as Pueblo Depot Activity. Upon this redesignation the missile maintenance mission was transferred to Letterkenny Army Depot
Letterkenny Army Depot
Letterkenny Army Depot, the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Air Defense and Tactical Missile Systems, was established in 1942. The depot is under the command structure of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and responsibility for the Activity was shifted from Army Ordnance, to Tooele Army Depot
Tooele Army Depot
Tooele Army Depot is a United States Army post located in Tooele County, Utah. It serves as a storage site for war reserve and training ammunition. The depot stores, issues, receives, renovates, modifies, maintains and demilitarizes conventional munitions...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. The Defense Secretary's Commission on Base Realignment and Closure recommended realignment for Pueblo Depot Activity in its 1988 report. This realignment transferred most of the previous responsibilities to other installations. The only remaining mission for the Depot was the secure storage of the chemical agents already there. Responsibility for the Depot shifted from Tooele, to the US Army Material Command headquartered at Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The empty bunkers and warehouses which used to store the non-chemical munitions and other supplies as well as repair and manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
facilities were turned over to the Pueblo Depot Activity Development Authority who currently offer these properties for civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
lease purposes.
Lethal Unitary Chemical Agents and Munitions
In 1952 Pueblo Depot Activity received its first shipment of chemical agents. These agents were trucked from Rocky Mountain ArsenalRocky Mountain Arsenal
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a United States chemical weapons manufacturing center located in the Denver Metropolitan Area in Commerce City, Colorado...
in Denver, Colorado. Upon receipt of these munitions for secure storage, PUDA became one of eight installations within the United States where chemical weapons are stored. The depot created an exclusion zone within its bounds specifically for this purpose. It was rather like a depot within a depot. It was designated as the Chemical Depot, of Pueblo Depot Activity. These actions would prove to save the installation from closure when it was considered in 1988. Because of the chemical stockpiles it was realigned rather than closed. Where it would have closed completely in 1988 it remains active to this day. It is scheduled for closure in 2017 when it completes what will be its last mission, the safe elimination of all remaining chemical stockpiles. This process will be done by on-site incineration.