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RED RIVER ARMY DEPOT, Texas – It began with a pencil sketch and became a cornerstone of national defense. As Red River Army Depot turns 84 this August, its story stands as one of vision, resilience, and unmatched capability. From its humble beginnings in Bowie County to its role as a global remanufacturing powerhouse, Red River’s legacy is anything but ordinary.
The depot’s story began in 1939 when local leaders, including Robert Maxwell and Senator Morris Sheppard, lobbied for defense investment in Texarkana. By March 1941, Maj. Sidney Gruneck had sketched the depot’s layout on scratch paper, a design that would soon be approved by Washington planners. Just months later, over 22,000 workers descended on Bowie County to build what would become the Red River Ordnance Depot.
“We were thinking in terms of a wartime plant that would employ a few hundred people for the duration of the war and then shut down once treaties were signed,” Maxwell said during a 1985 interview.
But what unfolded was far beyond that vision.
Instead of a temporary plant, Bowie County became home to a full-scale Army installation, one that not only played a vital role during World War II but continued to grow and evolve long after the war ended.
It didn’t take long for defense planners to take notice of Red River’s workforce. Their commitment and exceptional support quickly set them apart.
Shortly after its beginning on August 9, 1941, Red River Army Depot soon expanded its mission to include tank repair and general supply storage, reflecting its growing strategic importance.
By 1946, the depot was entrusted with a massive postwar task: storing thousands of combat vehicles returning from overseas. At its peak, more than 58,000 vehicles were housed on-site—believed to be one of the largest stockpiles of military vehicles ever stored at a single installation.
Taking on monumental tasks has been the Red River way for more than eight decades.
From training thousands of Soldiers during the Korean War to shipping over 400,000 tons of ammunition, the team at Red River consistently rises to meet new challenges.
The depot continued to set the standard, becoming the first facility to successfully reclaim M26 hand grenades. Throughout the complex reclamation process, the team upheld an exceptional safety record, demonstrating both precision and professionalism.
By this point, the Army had full confidence in Red River’s capabilities, whether it was repairing, rebuilding, or securely storing ammunition, they knew Red River could deliver.
That trust only deepened in 1953, when the depot broadened its mission to include rubber product operations. Now recognized as the home of the M1 road wheel, the facility specializes in removing worn rubber from unserviceable tracks and road wheels. Since its establishment, the rubber products division has manufactured nearly three million track shoes and more than 700,000 road wheels, solidifying its role as a cornerstone of military mobility.
The 1970s marked a new chapter in Red River’s evolution, as the depot took on a major maintenance initiative: converting the M113 armored personnel carrier from gasoline to diesel power. The scale and success of the project earned the maintenance shop a fitting nickname “Carrier Capital of the World.”
Building on that momentum, the 1980s saw Red River tackle even more complex systems. The depot’s expertise with the M113 paved the way for full-scale rebuild programs for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle System (BFVS) and the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), two cornerstone platforms that continue to define Red River’s legacy of excellence today.
“Our team’s unwavering dedication and adaptability haven’t just kept Red River relevant, but they’ve propelled us forward,” said Red River Commander Col. Denis J. Fajardo. “Time and time again, they exceed expectations and prove that excellence isn’t just a goal here but a part of our culture.”
As Red River entered the 1990s, its mission continued to evolve. The supply function transitioned to the Defense Logistics Agency, establishing it as a tenant on the installation. Later in the decade, the ammunition mission shifted to the Supply Operations Command.
Despite these transitions, the depot’s momentum never slowed. In the early 2000s, Red River launched rework operations on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), a critical asset for modern combat. By 2007, the depot proudly celebrated the production of its 10,000th HMMWV, a testament to its growing capabilities. That commitment only deepened, and by 2012, the team had ramped up production to an impressive 40 vehicles per day, living up to their motto: “We build it as if our lives depend on it – theirs do!”
Today, Red River’s mission is clear: to sustain the Warfighter’s combat power by providing ground combat and tactical systems sustainment maintenance operations. From its humble beginnings in 1941 to its role as a cornerstone of national defense, Red River Army Depot continues to stand strong, resilient, and ready.
“It’s truly an honor to lead Red River as we celebrate 84 years of service to our nation,” Fajardo said. “Every day, I’m inspired by the commitment of our workforce and reminded that what we do here directly impacts the readiness and safety of our Warfighters.”
Today, Red River Army Depot proudly serves as the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITE) for a wide range of military vehicle platforms. This designation includes the HMMWV, BFVS, MLRS, Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), and the Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET), among many others.
In addition to these core systems, Red River conducts overhaul, rebuild, and reset operations on a broad spectrum of components and assets.
With more than 15,000 acres, eight million square feet of floor space, and over 1,400 buildings, the depot is a strategic asset in the Organic Industrial Base.
From its founding in 1941 to its present-day leadership in combat vehicle support, Red River Army Depot continues to deliver excellence.
| Date Taken: | 08.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.09.2025 02:47 |
| Story ID: | 545262 |
| Location: | TEXARKANA, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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