TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
During a May 7, 2026, visit to the Texarkana region, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz met with EnergyX representatives to discuss the strategic importance of lithium production, noting that Red River Army Depot sits atop the Smackover Formation, one of the nation’s largest lithium brine reserves.
Officials gather beneath a rendering of the planned Lonestar Lithium operation, a project aimed at strengthening America’s domestic lithium supply chain through development of the Smackover Formation.
Fajardo takes great pride in his legacy being one of transformative thinking among depot employees who have shifted their mindsets from “Is this the day we are going to shut down and lose our jobs?” to one of “I can go home without worry. We will be back tomorrow.” Deputy Commander Jamie Bass elaborates by saying, “I am most proud of our improvements in efficiency and processes. We are among the best of all the industrial bases in the country.” Fajardo supports Bass’ mindset by stating, “RRAD can shape and grow with the times. We are modernizing and changing our processes to reflect what our nation needs.” The modern vision for Red River Army Depot extends far beyond traditional maintenance operations. The Depot leaders repeatedly emphasized that the Depot functions “more like a business than an Army organization,” operating with a self-sustaining mindset while supporting
Unlike many wartime facilities, Red River Army Depot did not disappear after World War II. Instead, it adapted to become a vital part of the Army’s sustainment portfolio. Tens of thousands of combat vehicles returning from overseas were repaired and restored at the Depot, many of which were later redeployed during the Korean War. Over time, Red River developed one of its most important specialties: manufacturing rubber products and track systems for armored vehicles. Through decades of modernization, the Depot became the Department of War’s only facility dedicated to rebuilding and manufacturing tank track shoes and road wheels, eventually becoming one of the Army’s primary providers for M1 Abrams tank road wheels. The Depot continued serving the nation through Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and modern military operations while surviving multiple rounds of base
realignment and closure reviews due largely to overwhelming community support and its strategic importance. Yet today, Red River Army Depot finds itself at another transformational moment. In the spring of 2025, the Army’s Transformation Initiative subjected the Depot to another potential realignment threat. Local, state, and national leaders immediately mobilized around a strategy focused not only on preservation but also on leveraging existing and emerging Army organic industrial base modernization, which is part of the overall defense industrial base, along with advanced manufacturing efforts. Two major themes quickly emerged from those conversations: drone technology and lithium. Under the leadership of Commander Colonel Denis Fajardo and Deputy Commander Jamie Bass, those ideas are rapidly transitioning from discussion to implementation.
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BUSINESS & POLITICS
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