Naval Ammunition Depot Celebrates 75th Anniversary
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS090508-01
Release Date: 5/8/2009 7:16:00 AM
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (AW) Eric J. Cutright, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Det. Hawaii
PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Navy Munitions Command, East Asia Division celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot, Oahu, Hawaii, May 1.
"In 1934, the Navy and Hawaii were in the midst of great growth," said Capt. Debra Bodenstedt, commanding officer, Navy Munitions Command, East Asia Division, who presided over the ceremony. "Approximately 42 million dollars were spent on the development of Pearl Harbor. That would be about one billion dollars of today's money. The Naval Ammunition Depot had gone from being under the control of a Naval operation base in 1928 to Naval Ammunitions Depot on May 1, 1934."
Records indicate that in 1934 there were 6,400 people that worked at the depot. The command was comprised of 1,400 civilians and 5,000 military personnel.
Today the command only has 24 military, 10 government service, and 76 contracted personnel. With that amount of personnel, the command handles in excess of 20,000 short-tons of ordnance per year and contributes ordnance support to all U.S. military forces and allies in the Pacific.
"Handling ordnance is an inherently dangerous profession, but the men and women that have chosen this to be their profession are highly trained and very safe," said Bodenstedt. "There has been only one incident here at Naval Magazine, and it is the only one, and that's a testament to the way we do business."
The ceremony concluded with a bell from USS Hornet (CV 8) being dedicated to the command and a cake cutting took place featuring the oldest and youngest personnel to have worked at the ammunition depot.
For more news from Commander, Navy Region Hawaii http://www.navy.mil/local/cnrh/.
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