U.S. Army newsletter from the Watervliet Arsenal - March 2017

SALVOU.S. Army Watervl iet Arsenal

Since 1813

Story on Page 3

March 2017

Are new machines safer?

Page 2 Salvo March 31, 2017

The Arsenal Salvo is an authorized monthly publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of the Salvo are not necessar-ily the official views of, or an endorsement by the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, or the Watervliet Arsenal. News may be submitted for publication by sending articles to Public 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: [email protected]. The editor reserves the right to edit all information submitted for pub-lication.

Commander, Col. Joseph R. MorrowPublic Affairs Officer, John B. SnyderEditor, John B. SnyderPhotographer: John B. Snyder Arsenal Facebook Page @https://www.facebook.com/WatervlietArsenal?ref=hl

Colonel Joseph R. MorrowCommander’s Corner

While you have been hard at work painting, contracting, hiring, or machining, you may have recently noticed that many of your senior leaders have been absent from their foxholes. And, you would be correct in that observation. As many of you know, I am only here for two years, whereas, the previous two Arsenal commanders had three-year tours here. Not that Colonels Migaleddi or Schiller had time to waste, because they didn’t, I have a different sense of urgency to get things done in a shortened time frame. Nevertheless, I am fully aware that many of the fruits of my efforts as your commander will not impact the Arsenal until after I have changed command. This is primarily due to the long manufacturing lead times that are caused by the challenges of getting specialized raw stock materiel and tooling here. Therefore, I see as one of my main roles here is to “shape the battlefield” for future decisive missions, mis-sions that will ensure the long-term viability of the Arsenal long after I have departed. Now, don’t get me wrong. Although this line of thought is forward looking, it doesn’t mean that I will lose sight of our current manufacturing operations and requirements. After all, the success that we attain today allows us the freedom to direct some of our operations for the future ... your future. The bottom line is that we must be successful in both current and future operations if we wish to continue operating as an Army-owned and –operated manufacturing center. Some of the recent shaping operations that are occurring are: workforce and business development. With the great support of our personnel office, we are creating the conditions to hire some of the best qualified employees and talented leaders who are within our local job market. During a recent job fair, which was the first job fair conducted here in more than 35 years, we had more

than 900 people seek information on how they can find employ-ment here. This ef-fort not only created a large pool of poten-tial applicants, it also allowed us to meet face-to-face with hundreds in the local community to tell our story. We also recently jump-started an office for Workforce Development that is led by the Arsenal’s chief of staff. I truly believe that this staff will develop programs that will benefit all employees. One of the first priorities that I have directed for this team is to develop a mentorship program, a program that should improve the productivity of the Ar-senal. In regards to business development, the fact that we have a business development team is not new. What is new is the emphasis that I have put behind this team, as evi-dence by my recently designating business development as one of the top three priorities for the command. This re-newed focus is one of the main reasons why many of your leaders are on the road, and I am no exception. Whether it is sending a team to our four-star headquarters or to private industry in Kentucky, we are fanning out across the coun-try to promote our story in hopes to bringing in new work-load or new processes. Although the success of both of these operations, work-force and business development, may not be appreciated in the near term, I am hopeful that these efforts will be fully appreciated in the not so distant future. So, my challenge to you is to continue to do great work here. Because when you do, that will allow me the free-dom to help shape your future, as well as to ensure the long-term viability of the Arsenal.

mailto:[email protected]


Story continues on page 4, “Safety”

By John B. Snyder

Older machines, especially lathes, have what are called "cable tracks' above the floor (see arrow). These tracks provide protection for wir-ing and hydraulic lines that nearly run the length of the machine. Over the years, small platforms have been added to restrict machinists from stepping on top of the track system to take measurements or to change tooling.

Whenever a new manufacturing machine is brought on line here, the first questions by visitors usually are: How much does the machine cost and what capability will it enhance?

But with the latest installation of a hollow-spindle lathe, there might be a better question to ask — How much safer will the machine be for machinists, ma-chine tool operators, and for apprentices?

The Arsenal is currently in the final stages of install-ing a lathe that will be used for the manufacturing of howitzer and tank barrels. Beyond the enhanced ma-chining capabilities the new lathe brings, there is one

significant safety improvement the new lathe has over the 35-year-old machine that it is replacing.

“No longer will our machinists have to step up onto a cable track to adjust the tooling or to take measure-ments of a barrel,” said Frank Salvatore, an Arsenal equipment specialist. “This has been a safety issue for years, but with new technology that is readily avail-able, we are able to greatly mitigate the potential for an injury.”

Photo by John B. Snyder

New machines add something

more than capability ...

they enhance Safety


Safety Cont.

Salvatore explained that with legacy lathe systems, there is a tracking system that runs along the front and back sides of lathes. These tracks, which somewhat resemble tracks on a tank or self-propelled howit-zer, protect the cabling and hydraulic lines that run the length of the lathe. The problem is, according to Salvatore, is that the tracking is above the floor and in order for machinists to change tooling or to take a measurement, he or she must step up on top of these tracks.

Machinist Christopher Herold is charged with prov-ing out the new lathe with a production barrel for an Abrams tank. During his testing earlier this month, he said that he has found several other safety improve-ments to add to the cable track system.

“It is great now having the cabling and wiring under-ground so that we (machinists) are no longer prone to tripping or slipping on the cable tracks,” Herold said. “But in addition to the cable tracks, the new machine also has a key locking mechanism, improved lighting, and warning sensors that will go off if a door is ac-cidentally left open, all of which greatly enhance the safety for machinists and machine tool operators.”

Herold added that the new machine’s safety standards

These photos show the contrast between the new machine on the left and a 35-year-old machine on the right in regards to improved safety. In the left photo, Machinist Christopher Herold, left, is discussing the proving-out process with machine installer Franco Morlino. Note how the flooring is smooth along the length of the lathe. In the right photo, Machinist Brian Martino is looking at a howitzer barrel being machined and just in front of Martino is the tracked system that protects electrical wiring and hydraulics.

should set the standards for future machine purchases."If the technology is available to make our machines safer, as was the case with this machine, we should make the investment in that technology, because in a long run it will improve our capability," Herold said.

What Salvatore purchased and Herold tested is great news to the Arsenal's Safety Manager, Matthew Church.

"Any new machine that comes into the Arsenal with the technology that is available today does provide a better feature of safety than just a few years ago," Church said. "With engineering controls such as press brakes, guards, and several other safety additions on new machines, the operators and other, nearby em-ployees will be better protected from potential injury."

Church added that every machine is an asset to the organization, however, people are the Arsenal's biggest asset. If there is any way to have a new machine more safe, it is a win for the Arsenal and for the employees, alike.

Salvatore agreed with Church and Herold, “We will never again see above-ground cabling and wiring on any future lathes that we install here.”

Photos by John B. Snyder

Within teams, one finds the values of individual skills


Story continues on page 6, “Skills”


In the manufacturing center here, there are nearly 550 employees who are spread through just two di-rectorates and a special staff section. Due to this type of staffing, there is a tendency by some to group indi-viduals into broad career fields such as resource man-agers, public works maintenance mechanics, and ma-chinists. But when that happens, a true appreciation for what individual’s bring to the Army’s manufactur-ing center at Watervliet may be glossed over. A case in point is Robert Dobbs. Dobbs arrived here in 2007 as a machine tool operator. Just a few years after his arrival, Dobbs qualified as a machinist. For those here who do not work on the produc-tion floor, their perception of Dobbs may be that he is one of many machinists who have the ability to guide

any one of the hundreds of manufacturing machines through various operations here to produce a part for a tank, howitzer, or mortar system. That would be mis-conception #1. For others, their perception of Dobbs may be that he freely flows from one production building to anoth-er due to the demands of the day, regardless of the task at hand. After all, a machinist is a machinist. Right? That would be misconception #2. Well, Dobbs has during his tenure here machined major and minor components for large caliber weapon systems. But where one would have found Dobbs in early March was at a broach sharpening machine, do-ing as the machine name implies…sharpening broach-es.

Within most careers, there are individual skills that are often overlooked when one's expertise is generally classified to fit into a specified ca-reer field. For example, in the above photo, a broach that is used to cut breech rings is being sharpened. Although many say that a machin-ist is a machinist, only 2-3 machinists here have mastered the unique skill set of broach sharpening.

By John B. Snyder

center is not directly performed on a part for a tank, howitzer, or a mortar system. For example, close-toler-ance machine cutting is often performed in the art of tool making, tools that will hold or shape future parts for weapon systems. The tool room machinists are also tasked to create new parts for legacy ma-chines on the production floor through reverse engineering when repair parts for older machines are not available through the supply chain. The second miscon-ception is blunted by the fact that machinists and machine tool operators rarely flow from one production building to the next. These expe-rience craftsmen and women typically are specialists in tubes, mi-nor components, or ma-jor component machin-ing, and they often re-main in these specialties

for years. For example, when senior machinist Frank Taylor retired from the Arsenal in 2016, he had more than 80,000 hours of machining experience, most of which was on the major components production line. Although the Army and the Arsenal leadership tout the values of building teams, an appreciation for an in-dividual’s skills and experiences should not be glossed over. After all, the synergy that results from the skills that each person brings in every day truly helps build strong teams.

To those who don’t know, broaches cut the rifling, which are the interior grooves in a howitzer barrel that impacts a spin to a projectile. A different type of broach, which Dobbs was sharpen-ing, shape 120mm tank breech rings through a three-hour process to tolerances of three-thousandths of an inch. Given that each barrel and breech ring must perform under extreme-ly high temperatures and pressures, manufactur-ing and sharpening these items are essential to the safe and accurate firing of tank and howitzer systems. Dobbs and Toolmak-er Robert Fournier, who works in the tool room, are the primary broach cutters and sharpeners for the Arsenal. This non-production line item talent is so unique to the machinist field here that there are only four machinists who are trained and experienced to work on broaches. And, each machinist brings with them thousands of hours of experience in just broach cutting and sharpening. Dobbs and Fournier are just two examples of how within a career field, in this case machinists, there are individual pockets of specialization that greatly en-hance the Arsenal’s mission. And so, getting back to misconception #1. Much of the valued machining in this Army manufacturing


Skills Cont.

Machinist Robert Dobbs checking one of the broaches that he needs to sharpen. Broach making and sharpening are skills that are just one of many specialties within the machinist world here.



Story continues on page 8, "Mentor”


By

It is not uncommon to see firefight-ers here donning hazardous material protective suits as part of their semi-annual training, but when other em-ployees were seen earlier this month wearing these suits some wondered if the firehouse had closed. Well, as much as folks here love their public works team, firefighters are still alive and well here. What happened was that several public works and environmental employees

were offered a 40-hour course in what the Occupational Safety and Health Administration calls Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response or HAZWOPER training. And, no one here turns down free training. Lead instructor and owner of HAZ-Fire LLC who provided the training, Michael Mennella, said that OSHA requires every employee who

HAZMAT Training: An organizational

responsibility to the Arsenal, community

Story continues on page 8, “HAZMAT"

By John B. Snyder


HAZMAT Cont.

who works with or has the potential to come in contact with hazardous materials or work sites to take the 40-hour HAZWOPER course, as well as the annual eight-hour refresher course. “HAZWOPER training is not just for your firefighters,” Mennella said. “Given that you (Ar-senal) have heavy manufactur-ing operations that involve a significant number of chemi-cals, the HAZWOPER train-ing will make the Arsenal a safer place to work.” What employees learned in the course may also benefit them at home, Mennella said. “People take a lot things for granted when it involves chemicals,” Mennella said. “When people experience a chemical spill at home they often try to mitigate the spill by using water. But what they may not know is that water may actually make the situa-tion worse. That is the value of this course in that it helps people to better understand the value of thinking first, before reacting.” James Evans, a retired U.S. Navy Reservist and who is now a maintenance worker here, said this was the first time he had attended the 40-hour course. “Before the 40-hour course was offered to me, I had attended several refresher courses on how to handle hazardous materials,” Evans said. “But I am really glad that I took the full course because I found out things about hazardous materials that I would not have ever thought of at my home or at work.” Evans added that just about everything his team does, from working in the pool area to repairing things in the shop to going down into pits, involves some sort of exposure to hazardous materials. And therefore, he believes the training that he received will make his team safer. Even from a Soldier’s perspective, the training

greatly added to the foundation for someone who already has fa-miliarity working with hazardous materials and wastes. “As a medical service corps officer, I have many years of ex-

perience working with installation public works teams when it comes to hazardous materials,” said Lt. Col. James Houlihan, who is assigned to the Arsenal for one year under the Army’s Personnel Force Innovation program. “Nevertheless, no matter how much experi-ence I have, every post and situation is different. And so, I believe this training has added to my competency, while adding value to the Arsenal.” Houlihan, who currently works in the Arsenal’s En-vironmental Office, said that one of his first tasks is to use his new skills to verify the proper storage and loca-tion of chemicals on the Arsenal. One other added benefit to the training is that the Arsenal’s firefighters now have a trained reserve of HAZMAT-qualified personnel to draw from if and when they ever need augmentation when responding to a crisis, Houlihan said.

Photos by John B. Snyder and Michael Mennella

Top: James Evans, left, said the training opened his eyes regarding the day-to-day dangers of working with hazardous mate-rials, at home and at work.

Left: Training was taken out of the class-room and into the firehouse to ensure that everyone had a sense of challenges and requirements to responding to haz-ardous material exposure.

Previous Page: Instructor Michael Men-nella reviewing the previous instructions with students prior to a test.

By Mark Ripley

Ethics or Accountability?There is no difference.


One of my favorite quotes comes from author Stephen L. Carter: “Acting disciplined is not much different than being disciplined.” The same can be said of acting ethically. According to Merriam-Webster, ethics is the discipline of dealing with good and bad. If you look beyond the tools and the jargon of Lean, this is exactly what you will find: Lean is a system for making good and bad visible in a production environment. The root of Lean is ethics. Forty-one percent of U.S. workers said they observed unethical misconduct on the job, according to a survey by the Ethics Resource Center. I would like to think that the percentage is much lower at Watervliet Arsenal, but is it? How about this range of seemingly innocuous ethical breaches:

• Taking office supplies home

• Using sick leave when you are not sick

• Passing on a quality problem instead of owning up to it (or not checking in the first place)

• Blaming others when it’s really your issue

• Checking Facebook during work hours

• Using the last of the printer paper and leaving it for the next person to refill

• Planning your bathroom remodel during work hours (“But I was on break!”)

“But these things are nothing!” “But I work extra hours for free!” “But everyone does it!” “But I was on break!” No “buts” about it, ethical lapses tend to snowball. Minor ethical lapses loosen the boundaries of acceptable behavior and set the stage for major ethical lapses. And yes, Watervliet Arsenal’s reputation could be threatened. It takes years to build a good reputation, but only seconds to lose it. So, here’s the point. It’s difficult to tell if someone does the “right” thing because they have strong internal ethics or if they are acting ethically because they know they will be held accountable for their actions. Either way, the result is the same, an ethical workplace culture. The basic roots of Lean demand strong ethics:

• Make actions visible, transparent to anyone who looks

• Blame processes not people

• Lead by example

• Ensure accountability

An ethical workplace culture is an accountable workplace culture – but the reverse is also true. It doesn’t matter much to the result as to which value comes first.


Watervliet Arsenal Commander Col. Joseph Morrow with Heather Durr after awarding Durr the command's Martin Luther King Jr. Award on March 22. Durr assists the commander in executing the Arsenal's SHARP program.


After more than 200

years, Watervliet still

honors, recognizes its rich diversity

In an annual ceremony conducted here March 22, the Arsenal commander awarded Heather Durr the command’s Martin Luther King Jr. Award for her excellence and leadership in promoting the Ar-senal’s equal employment opportunity program. Durr, who is a management analyst here, spear-heads the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Re-sponse and Prevention, or SHARP, program for the Arsenal. She also writes a monthly column for the Arsenal’s newsletter that touts contemporary issues related to community, such as cyberbullying. Just prior to awarding Durr her award, Arse-nal Commander Col. Joseph Morrow said that the diversity luncheon is a big event. That across the military, across the Department of Defense, across the federal workforce, diversity is a big deal, and the Arsenal has got it right for more than 200 years.

“This event is about values, accountability, and actions to yourself, to your organization, and to the community,” Morrow said. “The person who is the recipient of this award shows all of those attributes in every way, from being on-call 24-hours-a-day for the Arsenal to volunteering in the community, Heather does it all.” Morrow also cited that Durr accompanies him on monthly SHARP inspections, attends the monthly SHARP teleconferences with higher headquarters, and conducts a significant amount of volunteer work outside of the Arsenal helping disadvantaged youth. The award, which has been presented annually since at least 1988 here, allows the Arsenal to pay tribute to an outstanding employee who has exhib-ited the highest standards of excellence, dedica-tion, and accomplishment at the Arsenal, and who has made significant contributions to the quality of life in the local area. Durr met all of those re-quirements, and more.

By John B. Snyder


By Heather Durr

SHARP SKILLS: What is Sexual Assault Awareness Month?

The goal of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities on how to prevent it.

Since 2001, The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) has continued to support community awareness organizers of events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month with resources, tools and training. You may check out their website at www.nsvrc.org/saam or email them at [email protected].

Here’s how Sexual Assault Awareness Month developed:

LATE 1970s: Women in England held protests against the violence they encountered as they walked the streets at night. They called them, “Take back the Night” marches.

1978: San Francisco and New York City held the first “Take Back the Night” events in the U.S. Over time, sexual assault awareness activities grew to include the issue of sexual assault violence against men and men’s roles in ending sexual violence.

EARLY 1980s: Activists used the month of October to raise awareness of violence against women. The focus was on preventing domestic violence.

LATE 1980s: In response to demands for a National Sexual Assault Awareness Week, the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCASA) polled state sexual assault coalitions and selected a week in April.

1990s: Since advocates held sexual violence events throughout April, by the end of the decade, they called for a national month

2000-2001: The Resource Sharing Project and NSVRC polled coalitions across the country to arrive at the color teal for the ribbon that serves as the symbol for awareness and prevention. The U.S. first observed Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April.

Building on success After developing a five-year plan to increase awareness in 2002, NSVRC launched a nationwide contest for a slogan and used the winning slogan, “Decide to End Sexual Violence,” to create campaign materials. Other promotions included, “A day to end Sexual Violence,” “Build healthy, respectful relationships,” "It’s about time to Prevent Sexual Violence. Speak out,” and preventing Sexual Violence in our communities and at work.

http://www.nsvrc.org/saam

mailto:[email protected]


Prayer BreakfastPhotos by

John B. Snyder

U.S. Army newsletter from the Watervliet Arsenal - March 2017

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