Military

Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg
Naval Inventory Control Point
Defense Supply Depot

The Mission of the Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) is to provide program and supply support for the weapons systems that keep our Naval forces mission ready. This mission is carried out by a single command organization operating as a tenant activity of the Naval Support Activities in Mechanicsburg and Philadelphia. NAVICP's primary mission is to procure, manage, and supply spare parts for Naval aircraft, submarines and ships worldwide. NAVICP is responsible for over 400,000 items of supply, $15.5 billion of inventory and annual sales of $3.2 billion. It has two locations, one in the Lawndale section of Philadelphia and the other in Mechanicsburg, just outside Harrisburg, PA. On October 2, 1995, the Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) was established with the merging of the former Aviation Supply Office (ASO) in Philadelphia and Ships Parts Control Center (SPCC) in Mechanicsburg. The purpose of this merger was to bring together all of the Navy's Program Support Inventory Control Point (PSICP) functions under a single command.

Naval Sea Logistics Center (NAVSEALOGCEN / NSLC) Mechanicsburg serves as the Naval Sea Technical Agent for developing, maintaining, assessing, and executing life cycle logistics support products, processes, information systems, and policies that enable customers to meet their stated operational objectives and maintain readiness. They combine logistics, engineering, and information technology expertise to produce logistics tools which can be utilized by Acquisition Managers and Logistics Element Managers in an Integrated Data Environment.

The history of SPCC dates back to 1944 when the Naval Supply Depot, Mechanicsburg, was directed to form a master control for ships' parts. In July 1945, SPCC was established as the single worldwide manager for ships parts, i.e. the mechanical components that are put together to make a ship and its engines. The official commissioning of SPCC took place on July 24, 1953. Submarine and reactor support moved to SPCC in the 1960's and were consolidated by 1985. As a result of these and other mergers, by the 1980's ASO and SPCC became the two remaining inventory control points providing logistics support to the Navy Fleet. Support for hull, electrical, mechanical, and electronic components and repair parts for ships, submarines, and weapon systems are among the duties performed by the Mechanicsburg personnel. There are 2,000 civilians employed at the Mechanicsburg site.

Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna, Pennsylvania was created in 1991 with the merger of New Cumberland Army Depot and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Defense Depot Mechanicsburg into a single site. Comprised of over two thousand employees, DDSP operates a campus in Mechanicsburg and New Cumberland and is the largest Department of Defense wholesale distribution depot in the United States. DDSP is the eastern DLA Primary Distribution Site with its administrative headquarters, the Defense Distribution Center (DDC), located in Fairview Township at New Cumberland, PA. DDSP provides military and commercial repair parts, clothing and textiles, medical supplies, and industrial and electronic components to military customers throughout the United States and the world.

Greater Harrisburg Pennsylvania Area military establishments include Mechanicsburg NAVICP Naval Depot, New Cumberland Army Depot, Carlisle Barracks and War College. The nearby Three Mile Island facility was site of a nuclear accident in 1979.

The Naval Supply Systems Command is headquartered at Mechanicsburg, PA, in south-central Pennsylvania across the Susquehanna River from the state capitol, Harrisburg. Interstate 81, running north-south, is to the west of the installation. Pa. 581, a feeder road connecting I-81 and I-83, has an exit by the front gate. You will use this road if coming from New York and New England. Interstate 83, also running north-south,is to the east of the installation. Pa. 581, a feeder road connecting I-81 and I-83, has an exit near the front gate. You will use this road if coming from the Baltimore area, via York, Pa. Interstate 76, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, has 4 exits, from Carlisle in the west to Harrisburg East in the east, which are convenient to the installation. You will use this road if coming from the Philadelphia or Pittsburgh areas. If coming from the east, use Harrisburg East or Harrisburg West. If coming from the west, exit at Carlisle. U.S. 15, a north-south divided highway, passes both the Pa. Turnpike Gettysburg exit and Pa. 581, the road from I-81 and I-83. You will use this road if coming from the Washington, D.C., area, via Gettysburg, Pa. If you are traveling to NAVSUP from Harrisburg International Airport, follow RT 283 from the airport (follow signs toward Harrisburg). Take Route 83 toward Harrisburg. You will pass the city of Harrisburg and cross the Susquehanna River. Follow the signs for Route 581. After that, follow the signs for Carlisle Pike (stay in the right lane). At the intersection at Gateway Plaza shopping center, go straight through the red light. Past the shopping center is the Main Gate. The front gate to U.S. 11 and Pa. 581, has limited hours; the gate on Sporting Hill Road, on the south side of the installation, is open 24 hours daily.

BRAC 2005

In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to realign Naval Support Activity, Mechanicsburg, PA, by relocating the supply contracting function for packaged petroleum, oils, and lubricants to the Inventory Control Point at Defense Supply Center, Richmond, VA, and disestablishing all other supply functions for packaged petroleum, oils, and lubricants. This recommendation would achieve economies and efficiencies that would enhance the effectiveness of logistics support to forces as they transition to more joint and expeditionary operations. This recommendation would disestablish the wholesale supply, storage, and distribution functions for all tires; packaged petroleum, oils and lubricants; and compressed gases used by the Department of Defense, retaining only the supply contracting function for each commodity. The Department would privatize these functions and would rely on private industry for the performance of supply, storage, and distribution of these commodities. By doing so, the Department could divest itself of inventories and eliminate infrastructure and personnel associated with these functions. This recommendation would result in more responsive supply support to user organizations and would thus add to capabilities of the future force. The recommendation would provide improved support during mobilization and deployment, and the sustainment of forces when deployed worldwide. Privatization would enable the Department to take advantage of the latest technologies, expertise, and business practices, which translates to improved support to customers at less cost. It centralizes management of tires; packaged petroleum, oils, and lubricants; and compressed gases and eliminates unnecessary duplication of functions within the Department. Assuming no economic recovery, this recommendation could result in the maximum potential job reductions of 31 total jobs (16 direct and 15 indirect) in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, Metropolitan Statistical Area over the 2006-2011 time period (less than 0.1 percent).