Mike Rogers hosts acting U.S. Army Secretary, Alabama native Adam Telle at Anniston Army Depot: ‘Pit crew of the American warfighter’

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October 26, 2026

Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle toured Anniston Army Depot on Monday alongside U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Telle, a Northport native and former Richard Shelby staffer, was named acting secretary by President Donald Trump in September.

Rogers has represented the depot in Congress since 2003 and now chairs the committee that writes the Army’s budget.

Monday was the first time an Alabama-born Army secretary walked the depot with him. Rogers grew up in Calhoun County, and his father worked at the depot as a firefighter.

“It was my honor to join Alabama native and acting Secretary of the Army, Adam Telle, on a tour of the Anniston Army Depot,” Rogers said.

“The Depot represents an incredible resource for our warfighters and a treasured piece of the East Alabama community. I am thankful the Trump Administration understands the importance of the Anniston Army Depot’s mission to our overall national security.”

Anniston Army Depot dates to 1940, when the Army bought land in the foothills near Anniston to store ammunition ahead of World War II. It is the Army’s designated maintenance center for heavy tracked combat vehicles, including the M1 Abrams tank, and remains one of the largest employers in East Alabama.

“Anniston Army Depot represents a cornerstone of our national defense and a vital part of our Army’s organic industrial base. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, we are rebuilding our military and achieving peace through strength, and that starts right here on the shop floors of Anniston,” Telle said.

“The work done here by this professional team is fundamental to how we equip and sustain the warfighter. Our ability to remain the most lethal and dominant land force in human history begins with the steel, sweat, and expertise within this depot. It’s here that we modernize and sustain the vehicles and equipment that enable our Soldiers to dominate the battlefield. The vital mission of this depot directly advances the strategic vision of Secretary Hegseth’s ‘Arsenal of Freedom’ initiative, demonstrating that American industrial capacity is the bedrock of military readiness.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth launched the “Arsenal of Freedom” tour earlier this year to push defense manufacturers to build faster and at scale. He has carried it to shipyards, plants and arsenals across the country, most recently in Ohio last week.

“We continue to depend on the great team here at Anniston to ensure that when American Soldiers step onto a piece of ground, they own it, because they are backed by the most reliable, modern, and lethal equipment in the world,” Telle said.

“I thank this entire team for being a critical part of the engine that keeps our military strong. It’s no wonder Anniston Army Depot is considered the ‘Pit Crew of the American Warfighter.’”

Rogers announced in February that more than $1 billion is headed to the depot, including $949.1 million from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for a component remanufacturing facility, a small arms warehouse, a vehicle paint shop and a guided missile maintenance building.

In June, the Army selected the depot as a site for the nation’s first graphite purification plant on military land, part of an effort to cut China out of the supply chain for a mineral that goes into modern weapons.

“We are also incredibly grateful for the steadfast leadership of Chairman Mike Rogers and the House Armed Services Committee, whose dedication to revitalizing our defense and organic industrial base ensures that critical installations like Anniston receive the infrastructure, modernization, and resources they need to keep our nation secure,” Telle said.

Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.