Vol. 09, No. 1 U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal, Watervliet, NY (www.wva.army.mil) Jan. 31, 2009

WATERVLIET ARSENAL

SALVOU.S. Army

Arsenal Briefs

Since 1813“Service to the Line, On the Line, On Time”

For nearly 200 years, the nation’s oldest, continuously active arsenal and the world’s oldest commissioned warship have shared a similar but separate history. Now they join together in a common fight — to restore the USS Constitution to greatness. Late last year, when the U.S. Navy needed support for its restoration of the Constitution, they turned to the world’s premier cannon manufacture, the Watervliet Arsenal. The Arsenal’s task is to remanufacture 25-30 ceremonial 24-pound cannons to make them capable of firing a salute. These ceremonial cannons, which were manufactured during an earlier restoration project in the late 1920s, were called 24-pounders because the original guns fired a cannon ball that weighed 24 pounds. According to Jake Peart, program manager at the Arsenal, the restoration of the old cannons will not be easy. “These old guns were made of flake iron, which is of such poor quality they could never be fired.” Peart said that he had to enlist the design support of Benét Laboratories, which falls under the command of the Army’s Armaments Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC).

Please see Cannon on Page 4

Quality Assurance AuditThe National Quality Assurance (NQA) will be on post 10-11 Feb. to assess our level of com-pliance to ISO Standard 9001-2000. You may be asked questions regarding your knowledge of the Arsenal’s quality policies. If you have any questions, please call Jeff Boyd at 266-3918 or Karen Heiser at 266-5182.

Body ForgeThe Arsenal offers one of the cheapest New Year’s Resolutions that one could ever want. The Body Forge, the place where you can break a sweat, still costs only $10 for a lifetime membership. The Forge has a lot of new machines and Kyle Buono is always available to explain the equipment to you. For more informa-tion, call Kyle at 266-4829.

Black History MonthThe month of February highlights the Army’s appreciation of African-American Soldiers /Civil-ians and their contribu-tions to our military and to our nation.

Smooth Sailing at the ArsenalBy John B. Snyder

Commander’s CornerPage 2

Arsenal’s CrossroadPage 3

Arsenal HistoryPage 5

Safety MessagePage 8

U.S. Navy File Photo

The world’s oldest commissioned warship, the USS Constitu-tion, is shown in port at Charlestown, Mass. The U.S. Navy has asked the Watervliet Arsenal to develop a rough order of magnitude in regards to restoring 25-30, 24-pound cannons.

Page 2 Arsenal Salvo Jan. 31, 2009

Commander’s Corner

The Arsenal Salvo is an authorized monthly publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of the Watervliet Salvo are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Army. News may be submitted to the Arsenal Salvo for publication by sending articles to Pub-lic Affairs Officer, 1 Buffington Street, Bldg. 10, Watervliet, NY 12189, or stop by office #102, Bldg 10, Watervliet Arsenal. The editor may also be reached at (518) 266-5055 or by e-mail: john.b.snyder@conus.army.mil. The editor reserves the right to edit all information submitted for publication.

Commander, Col. Scott N. FletcherPublic Affairs Officer, John B. SnyderEditor, John B. SnyderPhotographer, Bill Martin

Since 1813

Arsenal/Martin

Scott N. FletcherCommanding“Forging On”

Once the dust has settled from the holiday season, the New Year traditionally causes people to reflect on their past and to think about their future. And so, it is true at the Arsenal. There is something about leaving one year behind, be it a good year or bad year, that gives us hope for better times or maybe just a sense of renewal. I, too, share those feelings. It is not that last year was bad for the Arsenal. Quite the contrary, our production continued to grow as evidenced by a 25 percent jump in our direct labor requirements. But as I reflect back on last year, I wonder if we could have done just a little better, what would that have meant to the Arsenal? The recent town hall gave me a golden opportunity to let you know how I see things from my foxhole. More importantly, the town hall allowed me to get a sense of what was on your minds. I wish, however, more of you would have spoken up because I know there are a few more things in the workplace that may cause you to ask “why is that so.” Nevertheless, I was also able to highlight my priorities (Safety, Improvement, and Workload) that you may or may not have been aware of prior to the town hall. Regardless which one of my priorities you look at first, all affect the other. For example, if our accidents go up, then our production and our ability to absorb more workload will go down due to lost time. If we improve just one thing each day, then the Arsenal will have 600 product improvements everyday that will directly affect our ability to increase our workload and to work in a safer environment.

This New Year will also give us better resolution on the future of the Enhanced Use Lease property. Just this month, the Army Corps of Engineers kicked off an intensive business development process between the Corps, Arsenal, and the Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership. Regardless of the discussion of future EUL planning sessions, the one known outcome is that our core mission will not suffer. If anything, EUL may enhance our mission if we find the right civilian tenants who can support our core operations and thereby, making us more competitive in the military and civilian markets. So, don’t spend too much time on reflection because we have work to do to support the nation’s treasure – its young men and women. It is truly my pleasure and honor to be your commander. Let’s kick off this year with a renewed sense of energy and plan for a better future for you and for the Arsenal.

Page 3 Arsenal-Salvo Jan. 31, 2009

By John B. Snyder

The Army’s cannon factory in upstate New York is at a crossroad, but some might say that it has been at one crossroad or another for nearly 200 years. The view at this crossroad, however, may never have been clearer. The Watervliet Arsenal will continue to improve its core mission, which is to produce the finest military hardware for cannon, artillery, and mortar systems, but will do so by creating an Arsenal that will be known as much for its high-technology park as it is for its cannon factory, said Col. Scott N. Fletcher, Arsenal commander. The plight of manufacturing plants throughout America is well documented in the news. Just recently in the Capital District, news stories have highlighted massive layoffs, plant closures and pay reductions for those in the local manufacturing industry. Manufacturing is a tough business and just because the Arsenal is owned by the U.S. Army does not make it immune from the same challenges and obstacles for success as experienced by similar civilian-run businesses. When the Arsenal was founded in 1813, its purpose was simple – to support the nation’s war effort against the British Army during the War of 1812 by manufacturing ammunition and other small military equipment. Considerations for efficiency and viability may not have been of much importance in those early years because after all, the nation was threatened by enemy forces immediately to the north and west of Albany, N.Y. But those terms, efficiency and viability, are now critical for continued military operations at the Arsenal. “The Arsenal has become extremely efficient in the production of military hardware for cannon, artillery, and mortar systems,” said Fletcher. “Due to our high level of efficiency, we are better able to provide our customers with a quality product, at the right price, and on time.” Fletcher acknowledged, however, being efficient by itself is not enough. “Although current production requirements have improved over the last five years, the Arsenal is far from running at 100 percent capacity,” Fletcher said. During World War II, a workforce of nearly 10,000 filled the 143 acres of Arsenal property. Today, the Arsenal employs a little over 600 personnel who are involved in the production of military hardware. “Our numbers of personnel may not be as large as they once were, but our importance to our community, to our Army, and to our nation is no less significant. The challenge now is to enhance the Arsenal’s relevancy by better leveraging the Arsenal’s property and facilities that are not currently required for military manufacturing. By doing so, we will create new jobs for the community and gain

rental income that we will use to improve the Arsenal’s 200-year old infrastructure,” added Fletcher. Solid Sealing Technology and several other high-tech companies that are now located on the Arsenal may help define which road at today’s crossroad Fletcher should take. Gary Balfour, president of SST, said the Watervliet Arsenal may be one of the best kept business secrets in the Capital District. “When I and my business partner, Alan Fuierer, first visited the Arsenal five years ago we saw considerable opportunity at the Arsenal,” said Balfour. Through a 10-year lease, SST’s operations now fill 14,000 square feet of industrial space at the Arsenal. “Not only did it (Arsenal) have an infrastructure to support all of our business needs, from an internal security force to power generation, it also provided us a key location to network within New York State’s high-tech valley,” added Balfour. SST also benefited from a little known Army-funded program called the Arsenal Support Program Initiative. ASPI is a U.S. Senate-approved program that was created to retain and strengthen the viability of the Army’s

arsenals by leveraging available military infrastructure for commercial ventures. The Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership, led by Tony Gaetano, manages 17 civilian business partners at the Arsenal under the ASPI program. ASPI funding provided SST approximately $125,000 in 2004 to upgrade office, manufacturing, and warehouse space at the Arsenal. ASPI funds often come with matching grants from state and local governments. In addition to ASPI funding, City of Watervliet Mayor Michael Manning announced last December, a $346,000 State Division of Housing and Community Renewal grant and loan for SST. Balfour said the combination of loan and grant money will allow SST to acquire a new, specialized suite of equipment that will enable his company to double its operations within five years. With this expansion, will be the creation of more than 20 new jobs for the Capital District. SST is a high-tech manufacturing firm that produces and distributes highly reliable, ceramic-to-metal bonded parts to semiconductor, nanotechnology, and power generation markets in 17 countries. Since its inception in 2004, SST has grown from a start-up company with zero revenue to one that achieved more than $5 million in revenue for the current fiscal year. During the past year, SST has also developed and launched a rigorous quality control system, invested more than $200,000 in capital equipment, while achieving 23 percent revenue growth. But today’s Arsenal leadership and workforce clearly see the road ahead. The Arsenal must remain the best manufacturer of cannon, artillery, and mortar systems while quickly transforming non-mission required facilities and land into civilian business opportunities.

Crossroads require Arsenal transformation

The Watervliet Arsenal and the Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership have created significant busi-ness opportunities for high-tech firms, such as Solid Sealing Technology, to move their operations into non-mission required facilities and property. Today’s Arse-nal has 29 military and civilian partner organizations.

Page 4 Arsenal-Salvo Jan. 31, 2009

Benét Labs is the Army’s premier research and design facility for military armament, and is located at the Arsenal. “Benét has the talent and experience to analyze the iron used in the cannons and to design the blueprint to bring these cannons to a firing capability,” Peart said. The synergy achieved by the collocation of the research and design capability of Benét Labs and the production capability of the Arsenal is no different from what is achieved everyday at the Arsenal for other military manufacturing projects, said Peart. “We currently work with Benét on a variety of military projects, to include the research, design and prototype development of the cannon for the Army’s Future Combat System,” Peart said. Dave Smith, senior mechanical engineer at Benét, said that the metal used in the 1920-era cannons was not as good as metal used in the original cannons in the late 1700s. “Because they were never meant to be fired, the wall thickness of the barrels is not uniform and the quality of the iron is so poor that the Arsenal will need to significantly reinforce the tube,” Smith said. According to Smith, Benét is developing

a design that will use today’s high-quality metals. “These metals were not available in the 1920s, let alone in the 1700s,” said Smith. Smith added that today’s metals will solve the corrosion concern that is typical when producing products for use on or near saltwater. Although the Arsenal has yet to receive a contract, the Arsenal does have two cannons in a production bay for research, said Peart. “By February, we will provide the Navy a rough order of magnitude estimate for the remanufacture of 25-30 cannons,” said Peart. “It is the Arsenal’s hope to get the order this year so that we can meet the Navy’s goal to complete all restoration by 2012.” This cannon overhaul is part of the USS Constitution’s restoration that will restore

Cannon

it to an 1812 configuration. “Old Ironsides” was already in her prime when the U.S. Army broke ground for the Watervliet Arsenal in 1813. Both have supported their nation’s resolve during times of conflict. And both have endured countless threats of decommission or closure at the end of each military conflict since the War of 1812. The USS Constitution was authorized by an act of Congress in 1794, and put to sea in 1798. Having fought the French from North Carolina to Florida in the late 1700s and the Barbary pirates in 1804, it had become a symbol of the American fighting spirit by the time of the War of 1812.

U.S. Navy PhotoCannons onboard the USS Constitution while in port.

USS Constitution cannon in an Arsenal manufacturing bay where Benét Labs and the Arsenal production gurus analyze the scope of the job.

Billy Martin

Hint:-Likes comic books-Is grumpy with or without coffee-Uses fingers and toes as if they were abacuses-Fixes the brakes on the Public Affairs Officer’s car

Watervliet’s Finest...Who are they?

Hint:-Looks like this prior to her first cup of coffee-Has an office mate who tells all-Is much nicer than she looks in this photo-Embellishes stories on her office mate

Please provide pictures of your favorite Arsenal employees to the Public Affairs Officer for future SALVO Newsletters.

Cont. from page 1

Page 5 Arsenal-Salvo Jan. 31, 2009

Arsenal’s historic corner of forgotten fewBy Russell Brinthaupt

In a small fenced area on the northeast corner of the Arsenal quietly lies the grave sites of a forgotten few who either labored long hours at the Arsenal during times of war or served as one of our nation’s warfighters. There are many locations in the Capital Region that have their own legends and secrets, and the Arsenal is no different. Not often visited or easily seen from the highway, the Arsenal cemetery contains 11 headstones, some of which can hardly be read due to age and the effects of weather. Approximately 160 years ago, and just weeks before the end of the Mexican-American War, Arsenal employee William Christie was killed in an explosion that occurred at the Arsenal on Jan. 17, 1848. During these war years, the Arsenal ramped up its operations to

manufacture gun carriages and ammunition. It would be in the ammunition factory that Christie suffered fatal injuries from a fire caused by the inadvertent kicking of a fuze that lay on the floor. Christie was 23. One of the more unfortunate people to be buried at the Arsenal is Private Timothy Allman, Battery H, 4th U.S. Artillery. The private had been transported by rail to

the Arsenal hospital from Saratoga after a gun he had been working on discharged accidentally injuring him in the right arm and face. These injuries then caused him to fall, from which he suffered a concussion. His wounds were too serious and he died the same day, Aug. 4, 1885, at the age of 33. Another person buried at the Arsenal is Private First Class William McKnight

of the Medical Department, which was attached to the post. Upon his death in April 1929, he probably left a big hole as there were only three people assigned to Medical Department at the Arsenal due to the lack of activity after World War I. There are also graves of several unknown Soldiers that appear to date back to the Spanish-American War. Because these men are unknown it is difficult to find out which units they served in. But an educated guess might be made that they either served in the 71st New York Infantry or in one of the regular army artillery units from New York. The original cemetery was located at the south end of Building 110. The graves from this cemetery were removed for the construction of new homes in July 1942. Approximately 300 graves were relocated, mainly to the Albany Rural Cemetery. It is not known why just a handful of graves were kept at the Arsenal.

Arsenal thanks Saint Ambrose School The Arsenal commander recently acknowledged the Saint Ambrose School in Latham for their volunteer service to the Arsenal with a Certificate of Appreciation. According to Rose Sopok, Arsenal liaison with the Saint Ambrose School, the school has been providing support to the Arsenal for five years. “It started with my own teenage boys, who had to do community service in order to graduate from the 8th grade,” said Sopok. Although the school initially provided teenagers to the Arsenal to support community events such as with children’s Halloween, Christmas, and Easter parties, the school has since mandated the spirit of volunteerism to all grades. The certificate read in part, “...Your continued support to the United States Army shows outstanding character and dedication to your community, your troops, and your country.”

Left to right: Luke McMahon, Lea Sopok, Mary Mazzotta (Community Service Coordi-nator), Elizabeth Selkis, Madeline Mazzotta, Carly Domicolo, Reid Kisselback, Sister James Marie Carras (Principal), and Rose Sopok.

Near the south end of the Arsenal, the original cemetery had more than 300 graves before its relocation in 1942. Photo by the Arsenal Museum.

Photo by Rose Sopok

Page 6 Arsenal-Salvo Jan. 31, 2009

Arsenal bucks national manufacturing trend

U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal, the oldest, continuously active arsenal in the country, closed out 2008 unlike many other manufacturing businesses in the nation - its orders and direct labor requirements grew. As the nation’s manufacturing activity fell last year to its lowest point in 28 years, the Arsenal’s production requirements grew by more than 25 percent last year, said Col. Scott N. Fletcher, Arsenal commander. “Although most people may associate the Arsenal as a cannon factory, our growth came mostly from non-cannon manufacturing,” said Fletcher. The Arsenal experienced a steady flow of cannon m a n u f a c t u r i n g requirements last year, but true growth came from research and development programs that funded other production requirements such as the Non-Line-of-Sight Mortar, Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon, Abrams Tank fan kits, and the prototype development of an electromagnetic rail gun. The Arsenal also experienced significant order growth for 81 mm and 120 mm mortar systems, mortar base plates, and Gunner Protection Kits for HMMWV’s. Being an Army installation does not protect the Arsenal from having to operate with a profit and loss structure similar to private manufacturing businesses. “We had to expand our product line to meet the immediate needs of the Army, as well as to maintain a competitive edge in the manufacturing industry,” said Fletcher. Not only did the increased production have a positive effect within the Arsenal, but also the local community gained by the Arsenal’s success. According to John Hockenbury, Arsenal Operations

& Production director, to sustain the Arsenal production growth, while maintaining an on-time delivery performance of greater than 97 percent, the Arsenal had to create new jobs. “In fiscal year 2008, the Operations Directorate hired 57 new employees,” said Hockenbury. Hockenbury said that many of the new hires were well-experienced having learned their trade at such companies as Albany International Corp., Nova Bus, Applied Robotics Inc.,

NSK Ltd., and Eagle Bridge Machine and Tool Inc. He also said he was quite pleased to hire 10 new apprentices that were part of the 57 new hires. According to Hockenbury, the Arsenal Apprentice Program is a four-year program that requires 8,000 hours of hands-on training in the production bays, as well as classroom study at Hudson Valley Community College. “The apprentice program is essential

to our success in that it provides journeymen machinists who will often stay at Arsenal for their entire careers. With an average workforce age of 48, these apprentices truly are the Arsenal’s hope for the future,” added Hockenbury. Despite a great year of production, Fletcher said that he is not getting comfortable with production requirements that currently look good through 2010. “In addition to aggressively seeking more defense work, we need to do a better job of promoting our machining and tooling capabilities to the public sector,” said Fletcher. “By partnering with the private sector, we will be better able to weather any potential downturn in military orders.” Fletcher is adamant that with more than 600 machines, which about one-third are computer controlled, there is no part or machined product for civilian application that his 200 production workers cannot manufacture.

By John B. Snyder

Watervliet Arsenal works closely with Benét Laboratories on such pro-grams as the prototype development of an electromagnetic railgun system (as seen in the photo) and the Army’s Future Combat Systems. Photo provided by Benét Labs.

After four years of intense study and hands-on training, this Watervliet Arsenal appren-tice graduation last November represents the future for the Arsenal as the average age of the Arsenal workforce is nearly 48 years old. Photo by Bill Martin.

Page 7 Arsenal-Salvo Jan. 31, 2009

The Watervliet Arsenal is well known for the manufacturing of military hardware for cannons, mortars, and artillery systems. But behind the 1800s-era facades that hide hundreds of machines that pound cold steel into weapon systems everyday are warm hearts. Despite recent headlines of a slowing economy, which has negatively affected donations to charitable organizations nationwide in 2008, the Arsenal and its union, National Federation of Federal Employees Local 2109, collected nearly 500 toys this holiday season for The Salvation Army in Troy, N.Y. According to Salvation Army Major John Riley, the Arsenal’s gifts of toys and money supported the needs of hundreds of individuals and families. “Many children will be very happy to receive

gifts this year because of you, their secret Santa angels,” Riley said. “This has been a tremendous year for the Arsenal and it only makes sense that we share our wealth with our community,” said Col. Scott N. Fletcher, commander of the Arsenal. Fletcher was addressing the Arsenal’s efforts during the holiday season to not only collect donations to support local families this holiday season, but also by raising more than $47,500 for this year’s Combined Federal Campaign that ended in Nov. 2008. Fletcher emphasized that although local business headlines have focused on job losses, business closures, or pay cuts, the Arsenal’s

production requirements have gone up by more than 25 percent this year and the Arsenal has been hiring. Local 2109 President Mike Bush said the union has been conducting toy drives for at least 19 years to support local families “in need” during the holiday season. “This is a long-standing charitable event sponsored by NFFE and generously supported by the Arsenal workforce, to include the Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership’s civilian business tenants,”

Arsenal’s ‘Secret Santa’s bring joy to the community

said Bush. He went on to say that much of the success of the program goes to fellow Arsenal employee, Charlie Hannan. As a result of Hannan’s energy and drive, the Arsenal’s toy collection was at the same level as in previous years, said Bush. “For nearly 200 years, the community has always supported the Arsenal. During these tough economic times it is the right thing for the Arsenal to pull together to support the community,” said Fletcher.

Arsenal, Benét support more than 40 local children Since 2001, the Arsenal Historical Society and Benét Labs have come together during the holiday season to give back to the Watervliet community, and give back they did last month in significant numbers. According to Bob Pfeil, museum curator, more than 50 Arsenal employees raised approximately $5,000 that went toward providing furniture and gifts to 17 families whose children attend the local Albany County Head Start Program. “The children come from families living in or near Watervliet…and we were able to support at least 40 children this holiday season,” said Pfeil.

Pfeil said he and Patti Audino, Benét Labs, gather wish lists from the Head Start Program in November and then assign a child or family to an Arsenal volunteer. This year’s wish list included such needs as jackets, hats, gloves, boots, as well as requests for toys. The Arsenal program of support began in 2001 when Amy Spairana, daughter of Jan Spairana, retired CPAC employee, asked her dad if the Arsenal could support some of the children during the holiday season. Amy was a social worker at the Head Start Program.

Toy doll-$5, pair of boots-$20, a happy child-priceless. Through the Arsenal’s generosity, at least 40 children were supported this past holiday season.

Bill Martin

By John B. Snyder

For nearly 200 years, the Arsenal has weathered the good times and bad times with the local community. Despite the dire national and local economic environment, Ar-senal employees once again came through for the community. Photo by Bill Martin.

Page 8 Arsenal-Salvo Jan. 31, 2009

Remember the words of our VPP Trainer and Don’t Touch the Bananas!

OR

1. Carelessness is the Most Common Cause of Workplace Accidents

Unsafe acts are often a factor in accidents. They result when people take attitudes like these towards safety: Complacency – After performing a job many times without an accident, you may believe you’re experienced

enough to skip safety procedures or steps. That’s exactly when an accident happens. Being upset or angry – You can’t let emotions get in the way of doing your job correctly. Distraction can be

dangerous. Fatigue – Being tired can slow down your physical and mental reactions, causing your mind to wander. Recklessness – Taking chances with tools, machinery, chemicals, or work procedures is foolish and dangerous. Being afraid to ask questions – Training and work procedures cover a lot of ground – sometimes too much to

remember. Always ask when you’re not sure what to do or how to do it. It shows you’re smart enough to know what you don’t know.

2. Take Safety Seriously

Every employee must take safety seriously in order to: Avoid accidents that can cause fires, explosions, or other dangers Avoid accidents that can cause job-related injuries Avoid exposure to hazardous substances that can lead to serious illness Comply with OSHA safety and health regulations Comply with company work rules, policies, and procedures

3. A Positive Safety Attitude Makes the Most of Company Safety Tools and Training

When you take safety seriously, you take advantage of the protections available on the job. The safety procedures, equipment, and information employers provide include: Engineering controls such as ventilation Work procedures such as lockout/tagout Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, hard hats, and protective eyewear Emergency planning and response programs such as alarms, evacuation plans, and eyewashes Safety information such as chemical labels and material safety data sheets Training on how to do your job safely

4. Take a Positive Attitude Towards Safety Take personal responsibility for your own safety and that of your co-workers Pay attention to training Follow every step in every job every time Know and follow safety rules Use required personal protective equipment Give work your full attention Keep an eye out for hazards. Always ask, “What could go wrong here?” Put your personal feelings and problems aside while you’re working Urge your co-workers to follow safety procedures Know what to do in an emergency Ask questions about any procedure or precaution that’s not clear Report any safety hazards you can’t fix Save fooling around for your personal time