Milan Ammunition Plant deactivated after 84 years of service

MILAN, Tenn. — A staple of West Tennessee’s military history is deactivated.

After 84 years of service with the U.S. Army and Joint Munitions Command, the Milan Ammunition Plant has been deactivated.

The plant was brought to the area after U.S. Senator Kenneth D. McKellar announced on December 10, 1940 the country would build one of its largest ammunition plants in Milan.

Almost overnight, the plant turned Milan from a farming community into a bustling boomtown. 30,000 acres of land were purchased at $72 per acre.

The plant mainly manufactured explosive ordinances over the years, mostly being mortar shells and rockets.

During its time, it aided in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. The plant also supported Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Production at the plant officially ended in 2012, and the plant was officially deactivated on April 10, 2025 as a part of a “Casing of the Colors” ceremony performed by brigadier General Ronnie Anderson Jr.

Though the plant’s time is done, Milan is not in mourning. Mayor B.W. Beasley says the future is bright for Milan.

“So it’s going to be a great thing. We’re going to turn this thing of losing the Milan arsenal, it’s going away, but we’re flipping it on its head, and we’re going to be moving forward with this and Milan is on the move and this is going to be a big part of what we’re doing in the future,” said Mayor Beasley.

Now, some of the railroads leading to the plant have been paved over by parts of highway 104, and all the entrances are gated shut.

According to Mayor Beasley, Milan is expecting the growth to add onto the southern side of the city.

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