Marine Depot Maintenance Command activates

Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany
Story by Nathan Hanks

Date: 03.01.2012
Posted: 03.15.2012 13:29
News ID: 85295
Marine Depot Maintenance Command activates

ALBANY, Ga. - Marines, civilian-Marines, families, friends and contractors gathered at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany’s Schmid Field Feb. 23 to witness a milestone event for Marine Corps Logistics Command, here.

Casing the colors of both Maintenance Center Albany and Maintenance Center Barstow, located at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., signified the consolidation of these units into a new, unified command.

Immediately afterwards, the colors of this new command, the Marine Depot Maintenance Command, were unfurled.

Both maintenance centers also received new designations due to this change. MCA and MCB will now be referred to as Production Plant Albany, Ga., and Production Plant Barstow, Calif., respectively. This restructuring places both production plants under a single leader, Col. Stephen Medeiros.

Maj. Gen. Charles L. Hudson, commanding general, MCLC, served as one of the key speakers for the event.

“What we see today is a culmination of a lot of work from a lot of people over the last 12 to 14 months,” Hudson said. “This is just a milestone; this is not the end state. There is still a lot of work to do.”

This work includes repairing, refurbishing and redistributing all of the Marine Corps ground combat and ground combat support equipment that will soon be coming home from overseas contingency operations, a mission that both production plants will be heavily involved in.

The commanding general drew parallels between this momentous task and other historical examples from the production plants’ 60-yearlong history.

The new commander of MDMC also had a chance to address his new command. Although this was the official activation of the new command, Medeiros has served as the single commander for maintenance centers under their old designations for the past several months.

Familiarity between the leader and those he has been charged to lead was readily apparent when he stated “Stay alert,” and the audience replied with “Stay alive,” a mantra that shows the new command takes its responsibility of supporting Marines seriously.

“Today, we combine two world-class organizations into
one - a single command across two locations; undivided, except by geography and location, but united in purpose to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul of Marine Corps combat equipment in support of that private first class or lance corporal walking point in Helmand province,” Medeiros said.

According to MCLC officials, by consolidating its two maintenance centers, the Marine Corps expects to reduce overhead costs by 9 to 13 percent over the next several years. This action will enable the right balance between fiscal efficiency and meeting the unique requirements of the Marine Corps as America’s expeditionary force-in-readiness.

“This consolidation will help us reduce costs, increase efficiencies and standardize processes,” Medeiros said.

However, before this change could take place, both maintenance centers had to be formally deactivated. The audience watched as the colors were cased, signifying the end of the old command. In the latter half of the ceremony, the colors were uncased to signify the birth of the new one.

With a new command comes a new insignia. During the ceremony, a MCLC Marine marched front and center of the reviewing stands showcasing the new insignia. The Marine Corps’ Eagle, Globe and Anchor rests in the center of the larger gear on top of a bolt.

The bolt fastens MDMC to the United States Marine Corps to symbolize that it is the center of the Marine Corps’ capability to maintain, repair and overhaul ground combat equipment.
The outer circle represents MDMC’s everyday adaptability to respond to the Marine Corps’ operating forces.

The three bolts placed on the bottom half of the insignia represent the core values of honor, courage and commitment of the Marine Corps.

Both production plants are also represented at the bottom of the insignia.

About 50,000 pieces of equipment are repaired by the two production plants in a single year, work that will continue under the new designation.

By streamlining and standardizing processes between the two production plants, and by consolidating the headquarters staff, the MDMC will save the Marine Corps $40-60 million over the next several years, according to MCLC officials.

Vehicles flanked the parade field during the ceremony, all representative of the types of equipment the production plants are responsible for maintaining and repairing.