Photo above: A military ambulance from 4th Medical Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, carries simulated casualties from CH-46 helicopters to a KC-130 airplane for evacuation to a notional hospital during a casualty evacuation exercise at Hawthorne Army Depot, Nev. June 17. The casualty evacuation drill was part of Javelin Thrust 2009, an exercise involving more than 2,600 active duty and Reserve Marines designed to prepare them for deployment in support of overseas contingency operations, especially those in the US Central Command’s geographical area of responsibility, which includes Iraq and Afghanistan. This image was released by the United States Marine Corps (via Wikipedia).

"Hawthorne Army Depot stores reserve ammunition to be used after the first 30 days of a major conflict. As such, it is only partially staffed during peacetime, but provision has been made to rapidly expand staffing as necessary. The depot is run by an independent contractor under an agreement with the government," the Hoblets On The Go reports.

"Close by the Army Depot is the small town of Hawthorne, population 2700, whose economy is entirely dependent on the base, although like any self-respecting town in Nevada it does have a casino."

"The Hawthorne Army Depot offers support to the Joint Forces by receiving, storing, issuing and demilitarizing ammunitions. Typically the depot receives more ammunition during times of conflict. The ammunition is then issued to the right department, or it’s demilitarized or stored," the Military Bases reports.

"The depot is run by independent contractors even though the property is still government-owned. The capabilities of the Hawthorne Army Depot include desert training for military units, demilitarization of equipment, weapons and ammunition, renovation, quality assurance, ISO intermodal container maintenance and repair, range scrap processing. The Hawthorne Army Depot has a long history with several different units and frequently has been redesignated throughout the years.

"The depot comprises 147,236 acres and has over 400 different buildings for storage and administration. There are also over 2,000 magazines that provide explosive storage up to a capacity of 7,685,000 square feet. The depot has a government staff that includes one soldier and 29 Department of Army civilians to provide oversight for the contractors who work the depot."

"Whether it’s for history or national pride, you must see the Hawthorne Ordnance Museum in Hawthorne, Nevada. This unassuming museum is home to not only the largest ammunition depot in the country but the world! Incredibly, this vast collection of inert missiles even includes nuclear warheads," the Only In Your State reports.

"The Hawthorne Ordnance Museum is unlike any other museum and is a true collection of historical significance. To visit the Ordnance Museum, head to west-central Nevada to the town of Hawthorne. It sits against a backdrop of mountains near U.S. Route 95, also known as “Freedom Road.”

"Inside, you will find many rooms with exhibits and informational displays. Guests to the museum can see military memorabilia from the 20th century."

"Hawthorne Army Depot (HWAD) is a U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command ammunition storage depot located near the town of Hawthorne in western Nevada in the United States. It is directly south of Walker Lake," according to Wikipedia.

"The depot covers 147,000 acres (59,000 ha) or 226 sq. mi. and has 600,000 square feet (56,000 m2) storage space in 2,427 bunkers. HWAD is the "World's Largest Depot". It is divided into three ammunition storage and production areas, plus an industrial area housing command headquarters, facilities, engineering shops, etc.

"Hawthorne Army Depot stores reserve ammunition to be used after the first 30 days of a major conflict. It is only partially staffed during peacetime, but provision has been made to rapidly expand staffing as necessary. An independent contractor runs the depot under an agreement with the government. The center's capabilities include demilitarization, desert training for military units, ammunition renovation, quality assurance, ISO intermodal container maintenance/repair, and range scrap processing.