HISTORY
Hawthorne Army Depot (HWAD) is located
120 miles south of Reno, Nevada. It is the largest
employer in Mineral County and the largest
industrial activity in the state. Spread over nearly
150,000 acres, Hawthorne Army Depot is also the
world’s largest ammunition storage depot, with the
most versatile demilitarization facility in the United
States.
Established as the Hawthorne Navy Ammunition
Depot in 1928, its primary mission was to store
ammunition and related components, including
bombs, rockets, propelling charges, projectiles,
missiles, grenades, small arms, chemicals,
pyrotechnics, depth charges, fuses, detonators, bulk
explosives, smokeless powder, and fuel-air explosive
devices. The depot served as the staging area for
bombs, rockets, and ammunition in support of World
War II and, beginning in 1944, helped with the
demolition of allied and enemy ammunition.
As part of the Single Manager for Conventional
Ammunition concept to achieve greater efficiency
and effectiveness, the depot was transferred to
the Army on October 1, 1977, and became
Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant (HWAAP).
HWAAP transferred from a Government-Owned,
Government-Operated installation to a Government
-Owned, Contractor-Operated installation in
December 1980 under the U.S. Army Armament,
Munitions and Chemical Command. On October 1,
1994, it was renamed Hawthorne Army Depot.
HWAD’s current mission includes two designations as a Tier II cadre site, meaning it maintains responsibility for storage
of ammunition to be used after the first 30 days of a major conflict, and conducts inspection, maintenance, refurbishment,
demilitarization, and disposal of munitions.
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