Tag: CAAA

Crane Leadership provides annual report highlighting growth and collaboration

Posted on by Radius Indiana

By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana

 

The annual “State of the Installation Address” provides an opportunity for Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane to share Team Crane’s strategic goals and any operational changes or proposed construction projects that may impact the community. NSA Commander Luis G. Martinez provided the keynote address, briefing the White River Military Coordination Alliance and the Crane Regional Defense Group on the installation successes over the past year, as well as current and upcoming projects for NSA Crane, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC), and Crane Army Ammunition Activity (CAAA).

Cmdr. Martinez’s address included the following key updates about the installation, highlighting strategic goals, a workforce overview, and upcoming opportunities for community collaboration:

  • Strategic goals: NSA Crane will continue to focus on community outreach as a pillar of its strategy and modernize the installation. NSWC was noted as being more valued and relevant than at any time in its history and is positioned for an abundance of growth opportunities, and CAAA continues to ensure that warfighters always have the ammunition they need.
  • Future mission growth: NSA Crane will implement a regional engagement strategy to enhance relationships with community support organizations. NSWC is awaiting the highly anticipated WestGate One facility to support the growing trusted microelectronics and hypersonics efforts, and CAAA is participating in strategic planning processes.
  • Infrastructure and modernization: In 2024, CAAA anticipates more than $58 million of outside funding for modernization efforts and new facilities to support their employees. For NSWC, a new radiation test facility was completed in 2023 and three more facilities will break ground in 2024. NSA, in partnership with NAVFAC, will execute a horizontal infrastructure improvement plan to address the electrical distribution system, water, and natural gas pipeline replacement.
  • Workforce, job trends, and skills: The total on-base population is approximately 6,100, with that number projected to grow three to five percent over the next five years through increased involvement at career fairs both virtually and in-person, social media postings, direct hiring authorities and engagement with direct commands.
  • Opportunities for educational collaboration: Partnerships with Indiana, Purdue and Vincennes Universities, as well as Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, work to fill the job pipeline and keep the installation relevant to graduates.
  • Community partnership and requests for support: Team Crane has plans to identify opportunities to engage in the communities, specifically in ways that will help fill the talent pipeline locally and provide jobs to local youth after high school and secondary education.

As one of the largest employers in Southern Indiana, Team Crane plays an important role in the economies of our communities. Continued collaboration is key to building a strong relationship between community leaders and the public with those working inside the gates at Crane to make the most of opportunities that benefit our region.

Radius Indiana, Regional Opportunity Initiatives offer new defense talent attraction program

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Nov. 3, 2023) – The expected demand for a massive influx of new specialized talent in the defense sector in southern Indiana is leading Radius Indiana to offer an innovative new talent attraction incentive program in conjunction with a new partner, Regional Opportunity Initiatives. Radius currently operates three existing talent attraction programs and thanks to this generous grant from ROI, that portfolio continues to grow.

The Defense Sector Talent Attraction Program will work to fill in-person, defense industry jobs in the Indiana Uplands region. All eight Radius counties (Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington) will participate in this program along with Brown, Monroe, and Owen from the Indiana Uplands. Interested defense sector employers may apply for the incentive for qualified newly hired individuals who are going to relocate from out-of-state to any community in the Uplands region regardless of the location of their employment in the region. If approved, new employees must earn at least $60,000 and commit to moving to the region for at least two years.

Talent attraction focuses on recruitment from the talent pipeline outside of a given community, while workforce development aims to further an individual’s ability to grow their skills and develop the tools they need for business success in their community. The existing Radius talent attraction programs have specified that it is targeting the attraction of talent from outside the state of Indiana, in order to avoid depleting talent in other Indiana communities.

“Bringing new talent to our region is a vital piece to growing our communities and companies and we are excited to partner with ROI to introduce this new program. ROI and Radius have been partners on several previous initiatives supporting our region,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “We are continuously looking for opportunities to assist our private sector defense industry.”

The Uplands region is home to Naval Support Activity Crane, the third-largest naval installation in the world, with a current civilian and support contractor workforce totaling 6,000 jobs. This number is expected to increase in the near future with the current construction and infrastructure expansion projects on base, as well as the recently announced $84 million development for a microelectronics campus, WestGate One, that will create a hub for semiconductor excellence to support the surrounding DoD needs.

To learn more and apply to the defense sector incentive program, visit www.choosesouthernindiana.com.

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ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane. It leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention, and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.

NSA Crane Welcomes Three New Leaders in Change of Command Ceremonies

Posted on by Radius Indiana

By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana

 

Earlier this summer, Naval Support Activity Crane (NSA Crane) and Crane Army Ammunition Activity (CAAA) welcomed two new commanding officers to southern Indiana.

The new leaders were welcomed through a change of command ceremony, a tradition that symbolizes a peaceful military transition of power and recognizes the outgoing commander’s accomplishments while welcoming the incoming commander to the organization.

Commander Luis Martinez was sworn into the position for NSA Crane this past June. Martinez graduated from the Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and was designated a naval flight officer in July 2010. Martinez has logged over 1,300 E-2 aircraft flight hours and his personal awards include the Strike Flight Air Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and multiple unit and service awards.

Colonel Franyate D. Taylor became the 21st commander of CAAA in July. Taylor began her Army career as an enlisted soldier in 1991 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Ordnance Corps from Officers Candidate School in 1999. Taylor’s most recent assignment was in Battle Creek, Michigan, where she served as the Deputy Director for Defense Logistics Agency, Disposition.

Like the leaders before them, Martinez and Taylor are learning to balance the future for their organizations while acquainting themselves with the work that was completed before them. While they are adjusting to the new role, both commanders are also tasked with gaining the trust and support of those around them. The leadership teams, stakeholders and communities involved with Crane will also be adapting to the new leadership styles and expectations.

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) will also undergo a change in command August 16 as Capt. Duncan McKay will exit the leadership role after spending the last three years in southern Indiana. His replacement, Capt. Rex Boonyobhas is currently serving at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

Today, Team Crane’s civilian and contractor workforce stands 6,000 strong. NSA Crane continues to grow as the base’s missions evolve. NSA Crane has shared its intent to expand its community partnerships under a Future Base Design initiative that is designed to bring increased optimization, mission support efficiencies, and stronger ties to the community and services available outside the gate. More than $150 million in construction projects and infrastructure improvements are currently underway on the installation including the CAAA rail holding yard and NSWC Crane’s strategic radiation testing modernization facility. We at Radius are looking forward to the completion of these plans and will continue to look for new ways to grow our community relationships.

Crane Army Continues to Invest in Critical Modernization Efforts

Posted on by Radius Indiana

By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support

 

The Army’s Organic Industrial Base is working toward a strategic modernization effort. While currently meeting the needs of its Joint Warfighters and Coalition Partners, it is simultaneously working to modernize its facilities to address aging conditions and meet future capabilities.

According to a testimony by Gen. Edward Daly to the House Armed Services Committee, across the industrial base the buildings and infrastructure that support the ammunition industrial base average 58 years old, exceeding their expected useful service life of 50 years. More than half were built prior to 1945 and must be modernized to meet the evolving capabilities required.

Crane Army Ammunition Activity, as a member of that industrial base, is also a core tenant at Naval Support Activity Crane. Established in 1977, Crane Army works to safely receive, inspect, store, ship, renovate, demilitarize, and manufacture conventional ammunition, missiles, and related components to support Army and Joint Force readiness.

As aging facilities that support the ammunition production mission become less capable, it can increase the risk to Army readiness and the safety of its personnel. Facilities with the appropriate size and configuration, utilities and technology for the capability, availability of adequate equipment necessary to perform the work required, environmental conditions suitable for personnel to safely perform the work, and the availability of skilled labor with the unique industrial competencies are all required to support the Crane Army mission.

Human handling of the materials located in these facilities should also be replaced with process automation or other technology solutions, freeing the workforce to focus on technical oversight. The Army’s goal is state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and machinery that have safety standards built in, not only improving safety for the workforce, but making production more efficient and effective while reducing risk to production.

In the last few years Crane Army has completed a new Crane Flexible Manufacturing Complex and has nearly finished new plating and ammunition receiving facilities. Total investments for these projects exceeded $50 million. In addition to typical annual restoration and modernization activities across thier facilities, an explosive railcar holding yard and new storage magazines are planned over the next 3-4 years totaling nearly $35 million in additional investments.

Part of the investment comes through Crane Army’s active participation in the Army Modernization Program, which is the Army’s core initiative to replace the largest, most important national-level logistics systems. With these improvements, Crane Army can support the warfighter while protecting the surrounding environment and communities in which its workforce lives.

Radius Indiana applauds Crane Army’s continued investment in its operations, facilities and workforce as it continues its legacy of excellence in serving our nation and providing economic vitality for our region.