This Center, now called the Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC), has served in every major military engagement since World War I.  America’s production effort in WWI arrived at an impasse in 1918 when transportation lines to ports of embarkation for troops and materials became filled to capacity.  There was a clear need for a new military depot, and Columbus afforded immediate access to three important railroad lines.  U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps made the first purchase of land to construct a government military installation in April, 1918.  Warehouse construction began in May of that year, and by August, six warehouses were receiving material for storage.  Those original warehouses remained in use through the 1990s, but were demolished in 2000.

During WWII the Center became the largest military supply installation in the world.  With more than 10,000 civilian employees, it played a large part in the overall war effort.  Some of the warehouses were turned into secured barracks to house prisoners of war.

Amidst the wars, conflicts and humanitarian relief efforts, the men and women of the installation worked continuously to establish direct and fast moving supply lines to support our troops in all parts of the world.  Through the changes, mergers, reorganizations and base realignments and closures (BRAC), DSCC has remained a strong total weapons systems management facility.  DSCC is a field activity of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) headquartered at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.  The center manages more than 2 million different items and accounts for more than $3 billion in annual sales.

Throughout the world, DSCC is known as one of the largest suppliers of weapons systems spare parts and was the first Inventory Control Point (ICP) in DLA to develop a weapons system approach toward material management.  Weapons systems management is now standard procedure in DLA, and DSCC is the lead ICP for Land, Maritime and Missile weapons systems.

A few of the Major Commands on the installation include the Defense Finance & Accounting Service (DFAS), the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and the Navy Recruiting District of Ohio office.  As of March 2007, the Center and its tenant organization’s total workforce is approximately 6,500 Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, contractors and military personnel – whose mission is still to support the needs of the military services worldwide.