Contact Information
The Iowa Army Plant is located in Des Moines County and has a rich history of providing arms and ammunition control for the Joint Forces. It resides in Southeast Iowa near the city of Burlington. The army plant creates and delivers a large amount of items for the Department of Defense. The modern production methods can support global operations.
The depot is a capable facility that offers load, assembly and packing for a full range of munitions and high explosive components. It also provides tank ammunition, high explosive artillery, large caliber mortars, smart munitions, scattered mines, missile assembly, rocket assisted projectiles, detonators, development, pressed and cast warheads and testing.
Like many military installation and pots, Iowa Army Ammunition Plant has a very specific and dedicated mission. The plant is responsible for producing and delivering a variety of munitions and equipment.
History of the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant
The Iowa Army Ammunition Plant was first created in November 1940 and named the Iowa Ordnance Plant. It stared production in 1941 in preparation for World War II. Production was stopped after the war ended, but in 1947, the US Atomic Energy Commission assumed responsibility. The plant began ammunition manufacturing once more in 1949. A year later, as the Korean War began, production increased again at Iowa Army Ammunition Plant. These years, however, it was known as the Burlington Atomic Energy Commission Plant (BAECP). However, the Burlington AEC Plant finished its final assembly of a nuclear weapon in 1975. The responsibility of the facility went to the Army in 1975.
The facilities at Iowa Army Ammunition Depot spanned across 19,011 acres with over 750 buildings, 282 igloos and a storage capacity of 1,100,775 square feet. There are also 143 miles of roads and 102 miles of rail roads. The facilities for the plan are located in nearby Danville, Flint River, Union and Middletown. These are all in Des Moines County.
In 2005, IAAP gained 105 mm and 155 mm artillery and multi-purpose assault weapons including missile warhead workload from the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant. There were also the family of scattered mines and detonator workload from the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant. Both of these facilities were closed in 2005 due to base realignment and closure commission.
Atomic Energy Commission
Production began in 1941, and while the depot had started as a supply and storage, it transformed into the Atomic Energy Commission in 1947 and it fell under the 1949 Ammunitions Production. The commission increased productivity throughout Korean War and Vietnam War, but in between, the post was largely deserted.
Iowa Army Plant became a superfund site in 1990 and was placed on a priority list by the Environmental Protection Agency. At that time, the facilities included 767 buildings, nearly 300 igloos and 143 miles of roads.
There is some confusion over how the plant was operated, and Professor of Iowa Wesleyan College Tod Bereton stated that it was a plant within a plant operation. There were documents supporting that the production of nuclear components were in production throughout the plant and not just in Line 1, which was in the Energy Commission Contract. Bereton continued to fight for a clarification, but it was unresolved.
About Day & Zimmerman: Contractors at Iowa Army Ammunitions Plant
Day & Zimmerman is a top provider of munitions and components to the Joint Forces. The Iowa Army Ammunitions Plant is just one of the sites under the American Ordnance. Under the contractors, the plant has a number of capabilities including:
• Close combat ammunition
• Indirect fire ammunition
• Direct fire ammunition
• Energetics
• Self destruct fuze
• Components (detonators and tank primers)
At Iowa Army Ammunitions Plant, Day & Zimmerman provides plenty of load, packing and assembling services for many of these programs and other medium to large caliber ammunition. In addition, the contracting company maintains a variety of core parts in the area of munitions, receipt, storage, production engineering, renovation, maintenance and demilitarization of energetic devices and ammunition.
In addition, the company provides a variety of defense-related and government services including life support and base operations support. As a government contract company, they are responsible for critical services like food, water, power, waste removal, housing and HVAC.
In addition, they supplied:
• Demilitarization of specified families of ammunition
• Government staff support
• Supply depot operations
• Tenant support
• Armament retooling and manufacturing support
• Property in possession of contractor
• Safety, environment, fire and emergency services
• Information technology services and support
• Maintenance
• Occupational health operations
Programs are tailored to support every project in a unique way including for Iowa Army Ammunition Plant. Day and Zimmerman sets up turn-key installations that can be developed from the beginning to administer engineering, construction and architectural services. Other support services are also supplied for aircraft and vehicle maintenance, supply and warehouse support, communication support, facility repair and modification as well as airfield operations.
Current Projects at Iowa Army Ammunitions Plant
Much of the plant operations are still towards manufacturing munitions. However, there are also a variety of charity events and organizations that work with the post as well. Wounded Warriors were also partnered with the operations for a new hunting organization that would allow veterans and those on the base to hunt safely at the post. The plant also works with several community organizations and partners in addition to veterans. Ammunition production for new types of ammunition also began last year after the plant underwent renovations and added new facilities.
The Iowa Army Ammunitions Plant is very active on Facebook and posts all of the post’s events and news through the social network. The plant also updates its news feed on the military site regularly with the latest products.
