Letterkenny Army Depot

On Friday, Letterkenny Army Depot laid off the first dozen of what will be approximately 244 contracted workers through March. The layoffs will occur in a phased approach between January and March, a depot news release stated. “Over the past decade Letterkenny Army Depot has utilized a contractor workforce to help accomplish temporary workload surges to meet Department of Army mission requirements. These programs are short-term in duration and require resizing of the contract workforce to match the workload requirements,” according to a release.

Raymond Keefer Roof, 93, of St. Thomas, Pa., died on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, at the Village of Laurel Run, Fayetteville, Pa. He was born Aug. 30, 1919, in Chambersburg, Pa., the son of Robert Roof and Sarah Stickell Roof. He was the widower of Mabel Robison Roof, who died in May of 1999. They were married on Feb. 23, 1946, in Steelton, Pa. They made their home, and raised their children in Kauffman Station before moving to St. Thomas. He spent his formative years from age 5 until 18 years of age in the Milton Wright Orphanage, Kauffman Station, Pa. He joined the U.S. Army on March 17, 1939.

Former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, who died Sunday, could be a polarizing figure, but he spoke to the point and often elicited laughs with his quips. Specter represented Pennsylvania in the Senate for three decades. He lost a re-election bid after switching from the Republican to the Democratic party in 2009. L. Michael Ross, president of the Franklin County Area Development Corp., said Specter tried to visit each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties every year or two years. Ross described Specter as a key player in helping Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, Pa., through the Base Realignment and Closure Commission process in 2005.

Letterkenny Army Depot dedicated a route clearance vehicle positioner Wednesday in memory of U.S. Army Master Sgt. Benjamin F. Bitner of Greencastle, Pa. Bitner, 37, was killed April 23, 2011, in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device. Gary Rosenberry, chief of Letterkenny's route clearance vehicle division, said dedicating the new equipment as the “Bitner Positioner” was a fitting tribute to the fallen soldier. “Everything we do here is in support of the war fighter.

Leadership of Letterkenny Army Depot transferred during a change-of-command ceremony Friday at the Chambersburg depot. Col. Cheri A. Provancha relinquished the title of commander to Col. Victor S. Hagan, who becomes the depot's 47th commanding officer. Nearly 300 elected officials, business leaders, soldiers, depot employees, and family and friends of honorees attended the ceremony. “This marks a new era of leadership for Letterkenny,” said Major General Lynn A. Collyar, commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command.

With Col. Cheri A. Provancha's days as commander of Letterkenny Army Depot drawing to a close, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey stopped by the Chambersburg base on Wednesday to formally recognize the commander. “I feel strongly about the work that you've done here, and I know the people of Pennsylvania are very grateful for your leadership here,” said Toomey, R-Pa. Toomey presented a citation to Provancha on Wednesday since he will not be able to attend the official change of command ceremony on Friday at 10 a.m., when Provancha relinquishes the title of base commander to Col. Victor S. Hagan.

Reports that government funding cuts could lead to massive layoffs at Letterkenny Army Depot are premature, said L. Michael Ross, president of the Franklin County Area Development Corp. “We really did not need to create a public fervor over this,” Ross said. “It makes a lot of people uneasy.” U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., last week announced concerns about a defense bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would cut more than $2 billion from various depot accounts.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey announced concerns Thursday about a defense bill recently passed by the House of Representatives that includes a provision he says could dramatically affect operations and prompt layoffs at Letterkenny Army Depot north of Chambersburg. “The House bill would cut more than $2 billion from various depot accounts, essentially preventing Pennsylvania's depots from continuing to upgrade equipment currently in use by service members around the world,” Casey, D-Pa., said in a news release.

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Mark S. Schweiker will speak Saturday during a ceremony to dedicate a Sept. 11 memorial at Letterkenny Army Depot. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will begin at 3 p.m. adjacent to the Letterkenny Chapel at 2171 Carbaugh Ave. Three steel artifacts recovered from the World Trade Center were fashioned into a sculpture that will serve as a permanent memorial to the thousands who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The sculpture first was unveiled to the public at a memorial service in downtown Chambersburg last September.

More than 85 employers are expected at the second annual “Here to Help” job fair scheduled for Thursday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Chambersburg Mall at 3055 Black Gap Road. The event is hosted by state Sen. Richard Alloway II, R-Franklin/Adams/York, in partnership with the Franklin County Area Development Corp. and PA CareerLink of Franklin County. Organizers moved the event from Green Grove Gardens in Greencastle, Pa., to the mall to accommodate additional employers.