RED RIVER ARMY DEPOT, Texas — Red River Army Depot is advancing toward full implementation of Process Based Leadership (PBL), with approximately 90% of employees within the Directorate for Maintenance completing Tier I workshops and depot-wide completion scheduled by the end of December 2026.
The milestone marks significant progress in a journey that began with PBL boot camps in September 2024. After establishing the foundation of the methodology, the depot launched a train-the-trainer course in April 2026 to prepare employees to lead the next phase of implementation. Tier I workshops began the following month and have continued across the organization.
Maintenance is Red River’s largest directorate, making its progress a major step toward ensuring every depot employee understands the fundamental principles, processes, and expectations of PBL.
Leading the effort is Sil Gomez, Red River’s PBL team lead and executive officer, who oversees the depot’s Tier V PBL process and a team of nine additional PBL Champions. Together, the 10 trainers are responsible for delivering Tier I instruction and helping employees understand how PBL supports communication, accountability, and consistent performance.
“Our depot has put a lot of resources into this journey,” Gomez said. “We’ve worked hard to get organizations ready to establish their Tier I boards and ensure their meetings are truly effective.”
According to Gomez, outside of the maintenance directorate, the depot has already completed much of the Tier I workshops within the smaller organizations and has now expanded its efforts by beginning to facilitate workshops for the remainder of the larger directorates.
“We’re already seeing an improvement in communication across the depot,” Gomez said. “We’re pushing for everyone to understand your area is your ‘business’ and we want each individual business to run at its absolute best.”
Seth Davies, executive vice president and partner for Competitive Solutions, Inc., said Red River’s progress is demonstrated by the development of 10 PBL-certified Champions who are now delivering Tier I boot camps to their fellow teammates.
“Internal ownership of the process by PBL Champions will ensure the adoption and sustainability of PBL across the depot,” Davies said. “Continued sponsorship and utilization of the PBL process at all levels will drive engagement, predictability, and consistency across the depot.”
Completing the workshops, however, is only one component of implementation. Sustaining the process will require teams to consistently apply what they have learned during their daily operations. Davies identified process proficiency checks as a critical factor in that effort, including periodic visits by PBL Champions to weekly Tier I meetings and reviews of teams’ Area Information Center boards.
“The PBL Champions are, in essence, coaches who help teams follow the process,” Davies said. “It’s about progress, not perfection.”
That coaching role allows the champions to reinforce the principles introduced during training while helping teams incorporate the process into their daily work.
“What I enjoy most about serving as a PBL Champion is helping our team members see how the process connects to the work they do every day,” said Andrew Hansche, PBL Champion. “When our teams communicate clearly, identify problems early, and follow a consistent process, we are better prepared to adapt, improve, and deliver quality equipment to the warfighter.”
Alongside Gomez and Hansche, the depot’s PBL Champions are Shawn Coleman, Chet Dale, Jimmy Gullatt, Troderick Trotter, Kindra Martin, Hilda Smith, Brian Frachiseur, and John Ball.
Building on the progress achieved within the Directorate for Maintenance, Red River will continue expanding Tier I training across the organization, with every depot employee expected to complete the training by the end of December 2026.
Reaching that goal will mark another milestone in Red River’s PBL journey, but the work will continue beyond the classroom. Through weekly Tier I meetings, established accountability practices, and continued coaching from the PBL Champions, the depot is working to make PBL a sustainable way of operating across the organization.
Established in 1941, Red River Army Depot serves as the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for a wide range of military vehicle platforms including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Tactical Wheeled Vehicles including the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). The depot also conducts overhaul, rebuild, and reset operations across numerous vehicle systems and components. Spanning more than 15,000 acres and eight million square feet of industrial space, the depot remains a critical strategic asset within the Organic Industrial Base. For more information about Red River, visit [www.redriver.army.mil](http://www.redriver.army.mil).