Watervliet Arsenal Newsletter: Salvo - 28 February 2013

SALVO

Story begins on page 3

Photo by Sgt. Derec Pierson

We knew it ... the SECARMY just confirmed it

Vol. 13, No. 2 U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal, Watervliet, New York Feb. 28, 2013

Also inside:Commander’s ColumnSecretary of the Army recognition$5.9M foreign military sale contractBlack History Month - Civil War

The Arsenal has no equal for cannon and mortar manufacturing

Page 2 Salvo Feb. 28, 2013

The Arsenal Salvo is an authorized monthly publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of the Salvo are not necessarily the official views of, or an endorse-ment 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 publication.

Commander, Col. Mark F. MigaleddiPublic Affairs Officer, John B. SnyderEditor, John B. SnyderPhotographer: John B. Snyder Arsenal Facebook Page @http://on.fb.me/sq3LEm

Commander’sCorner

Mark F. MigaleddiCommanding

Manufacturer 6

Sequestration … the removal or separation; banishment or exile. As I was drafting the preface to our strategic planning document about one year ago, I had the intention of discussing the possible effects of “Sequestration” as a result of the Budget Control Act. I was persuaded not to because the belief at that time was “we would never see such draconian budget cuts enacted.” Well, as March 1st nears, the 14th Century word “sequestration” ripples through daily discussions at the Department of Defense, as well as throughout our country. The term “sequestration” refers to the mandatory reduction in federal budgetary resources of all budget accounts that have not been exempted by statute. Under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011 and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, across-the-board reductions are scheduled to take place Mar. 1, 2013, unless legislation is enacted that avoids such reductions. The implications of Sequestration are significant! According to Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Sequestration will:

-impose an additional $12 billion cut on the Army’s budget in the remaining months of FY13. - terminate an estimated 3,100 temporary and term employees.

- furlough up to 251,000 civilians for one day a week for 22 weeks.- reduce Army purchase orders with 3,000 companies, of which 37%, or approximately 1,100, may consequently face moderate to high risk for bankruptcy.

-cancel 3rd and 4th quarter depot maintenance.-eliminate modernization projects.

This list is not all inclusive but should give you a sense on the depth of the impact that will be felt by every agency and person in the Department of Defense. Although we operate differently than do the majority of other Army installations in that we fund our operations from our sales of products, it is still unclear to me whether or not we will share equally in the pain. Nevertheless, I can assure you that your leadership and I have worked through several scenarios, from worst case to negligible effect, and will share with you our strategy once we have clear guidance from higher headquarters. March 1st is the trigger and so, I expect clearer guidance to come out in the next couple of weeks. To help disseminate that guidance without any chance of miscommunication, I will make available to the workforce access to the TACOM commander’s VTC that he will conduct on March 7th, 1-2 p.m. My plan is to open up the town hall location in Building 110. So, I ask you to be patient and as soon as I get information on the road ahead, I will share it with you. For the latest information coming from DoD, check out this link:

http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2013/0213_sequestration/




Story continues on page 4, See SECARMY

Secretary of the Army certifies the Watervliet Arsenal as having no equal

Arsenal Museum File Photo

By John B. Snyder

Arsenal cannon manufacturing was still in its infancy at about the time this post card was printed in the early 1900s. Since the open-ing of this Historic Big Gun Foundry, or what today we call the Big Gun Shop, thousands of cannons have flowed through its doors.

The Secretary of the Army recently acknowledged what the Watervliet Arsenal workforce has known for nearly 200 years, their skilled craftsmanship and machining capability is unequaled anywhere in the Department of Defense. The Honorable John M. McHugh has designated the Watervliet Arsenal as a Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITE) for cannons and mortars. According to McHugh, the Watervliet Arsenal possesses the skills and capabilities related to cannon and mortar manufacturing not shared by any other industrial facilities in the Army. “It (Watervliet) has the nation’s only large bore cannon production facility and maintains proprietary processes for heat treating and rotary forging…and is relied on to produce today’s most advance high-tech, high-powered cannon and mortar weaponry,” McHugh stated in his memorandum. This news was greatly welcomed by the Arsenal’s senior leadership.

“Given that we are in an intense competitive business environment for fewer defense contract dollars, this announcement by the Secretary of the Army came at just the right time,” said Col. Mark F. Migaleddi, the Arsenal commander. “The Secretary’s statement speaks volumes about the Arsenal’s capability and capacity to rapidly respond to the urgent needs of our war fighters and to do so with unequaled quality,” Migaleddi said. “But beyond the equipment and buildings that help define our capability is our highly skilled workforce who works tirelessly to manufacture the products that in the end help our Soldiers to come home safe.” Although the CITE certification does not necessarily direct more contracts for the Arsenal, said Joe Turcotte, the Arsenal’s director of Installation Management, it may cause more weapon program managers to give the Arsenal another look during the procurement process. “The Secretary just stated that nowhere else in the Defense Department can the Arsenal’s core competency to manufacture cannons and mortars


Photo by John B. SnyderAccording to the Secretary of the Army, the Arsenal is the nation’s only large bore cannon production facility and maintains propri-etary processes for heat treating and rotary forging.

SECARMY cont.be found,” Turcotte said. “Therefore, the logical reasoning should be that the Arsenal is no longer just an option but a first choice for cannon and mortar manufacturing.” Turcotte also said the designation may have other implications for other military services to look more closely at Watervliet for its cannon and mortar manufacturing. Beyond potential defense contracts, another significant effect of the CITE designation is the Arsenal may now more freely enter into public-private partnerships to perform work that will enhance its manufacturing core competencies. “We may now more easily work with private industry to share and leverage the Arsenal’s equipment, facilities, and workforce skills to the betterment of the private company and to the Arsenal,” Turcotte said. “What this means is that private industry may tap into the Arsenal’s great resources, such as heat treatment, rotary forging, and machining, to assist them with their product lines.” Such private-partnership may not only keep the Arsenal’s skills sharper, but may also reduce the Arsenal’s cost of operation, Turcotte said. Managing the Arsenal’s cost of operation go beyond that of simply being efficient. And that is why public-private partnerships are such a big deal. How the Arsenal is funded to conduct operations and maintenance often surprises community leaders and elected officials. Unlike other Army installations such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina or Fort Sill in

Oklahoma, the Arsenal does not receive Congressional funding for its base operations. All funds required to maintain and operate the Arsenal comes from a process called a Revolving Fund. A Revolving Fund is an account where Arsenal income to fund its operations comes from its revenue

that is generated through military sales of its products. Additionally, the Arsenal operates very similar to a civilian manufacturing plant. Just as Ford Motor Company or General Electric are very sensitive to profit and loss accountability, the Arsenal cannot operate at a loss, either. And, although the Arsenal is a government-owned and –operated manufacturing center, there is no guarantee of future work. But unlike Ford and GE, the Arsenal cannot operate with a profit. Any savings that are realized during the production cycle are returned to the customer, who in the end is the American taxpayer. Through public-private partnerships, the Arsenal may be able to better maximize its resources, such as buildings, equipment, and manpower, to lower the cost of its operation, which

in turn may lower the cost of its products to the U.S. military. The Arsenal is the oldest, continuously active arsenal in the United States, having begun operations during the War of 1812. The Arsenal will celebrate its 200th anniversary in July 2013. Today’s Arsenal is relied upon by U.S. and foreign militaries to produce the most advanced, high-tech, high-powered weaponry for cannon, howitzer, and mortar systems. This National Historic Registered Landmark has an annual economic benefit to the local community in excess of $100 million.

Afghan army. “I can’t recall our working on such a quick turnaround to get our products out our gates since 2004, when we were called on to manufacture armor kits for U.S. troops in Iraq,” Pienkoski said. “Over the course of six years, the Arsenal shipped more than 20,000 armor kits for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why such urgency now? President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address,

Feb. 12, said that he intends to bring home nearly 34,000

troops from Afghanistan by 2014. This announcement came after the President hosted Afghanistan President Karzai at the White House in early January. At the conclusion of the Obama’s January meeting with Karzai, he said “today, we agreed that as Afghan forces take the lead and as President Karzai announces the final phase of the transition, coalition forces will move to a support role this spring. Our troops will


By John B. Snyder

Watervliet’s $5.9 million contract will supply critical arms to Afghan soldiers

Photo by John B. SnyderArsenal painter Sean Stephenson is loading 60mm mor-tar parts for the Afghan army order.

Story continues on page 6, see Afghan

Watervliet Arsenal announced this month that it received a $5.9 million contract to provide the Afghan National Army with nearly 900 60mm-mortar systems, as part of the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Military Sales program. Col. Mark F. Migaleddi, the Arsenal commander, said at a recent production meeting to senior Arsenal leadership that this order is an aggressive fielding effort with up to 150 systems being shipped per month. Fielding of these systems, and the indirect fire capability they provide, will support the speedy transition to a support role for U.S. forces, as well as the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Afghanistan theater of operations. “This order not only reflects the high confidence the Department of Defense has on the Arsenal’s ability to rapidly support the warfighter, but also speaks volumes to the importance of DOD maintaining an Army-owned-and-operated manufacturing center,” Migaleddi said. This multimillion dollar order will add to the Arsenal’s current workload more than 14,000 hours of direct labor, said Ray Gaston, the Arsenal’s chief of the Production Planning and Control Division. “Our first shipment of mortar systems is currently being assembled for shipment and will go out this month,” he explained. Bruce Pienkoski, the Arsenal’s program manager for processing this order, said the Arsenal was contacted late last month by U.S. Army planners to see if the Arsenal could respond within 30 days to an urgent need to get 60mm mortar systems to the

Arsenal first-year apprentice Jeremy Brackett stacks a 60mm mortar tube that he just completed the finish turning process on.

Photo by John B. Snyder


Every once in a while, the Arse-nal stories achieve good success in getting placed in higher com-mands and Army staffs. This story, in particular, made it to the highest levels of the Army.

-Top 7 Story in the entire Army

-#1 Story for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Ac-quisition, Logistics, and Technol-ogy

-#1 Science & Technology Story for the Army

-Top 10 Story for the Army G-4, Chief of Logistics

-Top 10 story for AMC

Afghan cont.continue to fight alongside Afghans, when needed. But let me say it as plainly as I can: Starting this spring, our troops will have a different mission -- training.” Gaston said it took the entire Arsenal team, from contractors to machinists to shippers, to develop the production plan and to ship its first product within 30 days of getting the contract. “We knew we had to work fast because the faster we react and deliver these mortars into the hands of the Afghanistan soldiers, the sooner our U.S. Soldiers can come home,” Gaston said. The main part of the contract requires the Arsenal to act as a staging area for the various parts of the 60mm mortar system that are being collected from other Army installations. Upon the receipt of the parts, which consists of such things as barrels and base plates, the Arsenal will package them into complete mortar systems and then ship to Afghanistan. The contract also requires traditional manufacturing of select parts for the mortar system. The shipments should be complete by the end of August. The 60mm mortar system is used primarily by the infantry as an indirect fire weapon when a high angle trajectory is required to hit enemy troops, materiel, and positions. It has a maximum range of about 3,500 meters.

Arsenal History TriviaArsenal Firsts!!!

According to the Arsenal’s 150th Anniver-sary Program, one of the first nurses in the U.S. military must have been Mrs. Margaret Sleeyd who was appointed the Arsenal’s hos-pital nurse in 1819 by Maj. James Dalliba, the Arsenal’s first commander. The first all metal building in the United States was erected on the Arsenal in 1859. Now a storehouse (in 1963), the “Iron Build-ing” was also one of the earliest “prefabricat-ed buildings,” as it was constructed of plates cast in New York City and assembled here.

later? In conversations with the local community, no one has been able to name any other business in New York’s Capital District that has been in continuous operation as long at the Watervliet Arsenal. This July, the Arsenal will honor its 200th anniversary in a week long celebration that will involve the local com-munities. But before July, the Arsenal will participate in a few events in which to tell its story to the local commu-nity. In May, the Arsenal commander plans to address the New York Senate on the 21st, as well as have the Arse-nal participate in the Village of Green Island and City of

Watervliet Memo-rial Day Parades, on the 23rd and 27th, respectively. In June, the Arse-nal plans to conduct a Community Cov-enant Signing Cere-mony in its Historic Big Gun Shop that will involve local and state elected officials. Also in June, the Arsenal has coordinated for two Army Reserve Bands to perform at the City of Albany’s Fathers’ Day Con-cert in the Corning Preserve on the 16th. In July, the Ar-senal will conduct a

Gala at the Troy Hilton Gardens on the 13th, a golf outing at the Clifton Park Eagle Crest Golf Course on the 14th, a change of command on the 19th, and an Arsenal Appre-ciation Night with the ValleyCats on the 20th. The City of Watervliet will also honor the Arsenal celebrations by hosting a citywide barbecue at its Hudson Shores Park on the 17th. Although the Watervliet Arsenal’s buildings and ma-chinery have dramatically changed, the one thing that has remained constant through every American military con-flict since the War of 1812 is the Arsenal’s ability to recruit and train highly skilled labor. Primarily for that reason, the Arsenal remains in operation today.


Oh, 1813 was such a good year ...or was it?

By John B. Snyder

The Watervliet Arsenal was not always known for its cannon making. Cannons did not be-come part of the production line until after nearly 75 years of operation. Here is one of the first 16-inch guns manufactured at the Arsenal in the early 1900s.

Photo provided by the Arsenal Museum

Oh, 1813 was such a good year … at least looking back with 20-20 hindsight. “Uncle Sam” was first used to refer to the U.S., pineapples were introduced to Hawaii, Congress authorized use of steamboats to transport mail, the first federal vaccination legislation was enacted, and rubber was patented. But among all that bit of good news was something more troubling to the common New Yorker — the United States was fighting for its very existence in its second war with Britain. With a standing army numbering little more than 7,000 and the city of Buf-falo burned to the ground, New York-ers were rightfully concerned not only for what food they could put on the table at night, but also whether or not they would have a place to come home to the next day. Just north of Albany, along the Hudson River, the Village of Troy became a hub of militia activity. Al-though Troy was not a large com-munity having only about 550 dwell-ings, it was rich in manufacturing artisans who worked in the village’s cotton factory, paper mill, fire-arms factory, and popular for that time period, a distillery. It would be these skilled artisans who in 1813 crossed the Hudson and began to put in place the brick and mor-tar of a military arsenal on just 12 acres of land. Skilled factory workers from Troy would soon work side-by-side with ordnance soldiers to manufacture such critical war items as ammunition cartridges and powder horns, all for about $9 a month. Who would have thought that out of urgency and ne-cessity to blunt the British invasion that a small arsenal of highly skilled labor would still be standing 200 years


CPAC - Wins award for excellenceWatervliet CPAC Awarded the Silver Trophy in the 1st Annual CHRA CPAC Performance Recognition

Awards Program!

Civilian Human Resources Agency (CHRA) held its 1st Annual CPAC Performance Recognition Awards Program in 2012. Gold, silver and bronze awards were presented to the top CPACs in all of the Army to recognize excellence in the following categories:

-HR to Vacancy Announcement Time-Referral List Returned to commit time; and-Workers Compensation Claim filed timeliness

The Watervliet Arsenal CPAC was awarded the Silver trophy and recognized as one of the top 5 CPACs in the world!

CPAC thanks all the managers for their cooperation and teamwork in helping to fill vacancies as quickly as possible. With current budget constraints, teamwork and efficiency is more essential than ever in supporting our workforce locally and accomplishing the Army mission worldwide!

Front Row: Kim Hall, Lori Van Vranken, Jodi Roy, Alma Pennington, and Sherri Gage.Back Row: James Ehman, Tina Pond, Jennifer Pusatere, and Robert McGraw.

Photo by Billy Martin

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

CPAC Team


Lean Corner: Can an Office Be LEAN? By Mark Ripley

Taiichi Ohno, one of the fathers of the Toyota Production System said decades ago that “the Toyota Production System is not just a production system.” He was referring to the tendency to focus on the manufacturing process during continuous improvement. But much of the benefit from process improvement comes from improving indirect processes. Of course, we are not trying to implement the Toyota Production System. We are implementing the Watervliet Arsenal Production System. The Watervliet Arsenal Production System is also more than just a production system. It applies equally well to manufacturing processes or administrative processes. For any activity, you can identify a customer, determine the value in the process (from the customer’s viewpoint), eliminate whatever does not add value, make the process flow and then pull the value through the value adding process steps based on the customer’s need. And, of course, continue working on the process until it’s perfect. Administrative processes have lead time, work in process, quality issues, setup time, batching, rework, raw material, delays, queue times and waste…just like manufacturing processes. Not to mention customers who need to be satisfied or, better still, delighted! The same Lean tools that help create flow and eliminate waste in manufacturing processes work great for administrative processes, too. One tool is 6S. For some reason, clutter is something we learn to live with in our offices. But the fact is that clutter and disorganization are significant contributors to wasted time in an office. How often do you scramble to find that certain piece of paper or the three-hole punch? But 6S goes deeper than just appearances – it is used to improve the process. Putting effort into organizing your group’s area through 6S can sometimes have almost miraculous results. The benefits of 6S in an office? How about eliminating wasted time as people perform their everyday tasks, presenting a professional image to customers, improving the morale of employees and using standard work to make it easier for fill-in workers to step into a co-worker’s position when they are not in? Visual management improves inter- and interoffice communication. All Lean tools, especially 6S, can be applied profitably to virtually any activity. Want to implement the Watervliet Arsenal Production System in your area? Talk with the Continuous Improvement Office.

Photo from Uncyclopedia.wikia.com

In honor of March being Women’s History month, we pause to remember the thousands of women who were employed at Watervliet Arsenal during World War II. While numerous women worked on the production lines in the manufacturing build-ings, many of them were also employed in the “Siberia” section of the Arsenal per-forming critical duties necessary for an Allied victory over the Axis powers. These women worked hard to en-sure a steady supply of needed and critical parts were sent from Watervliet to the dif-ferent theaters of war throughout the world. According to a Troy Record newspaper article May 12, 1944, archived at the Arse-nal Museum, a lot of women worked in the unheated Siberia ware-house building. It was here where the Arsenal’s Field Service Depot was lo-cated. The Depot con-sisted of three branch-es: Stock Control; Storage branch; and Maintenance branch. At the Field Service Depot: 48 percent of the total workers were women; 85 percent of the Stock Control branch were women; and 50 percent of the employees in the Depot Storage Control branch were women. The Stock Control Section ensured proper documentation was created for both incoming and outgoing shipments of parts and they were responsible for maintaining adequate stock levels. The Stock Control branch worked closely with the Depot Transportation branch. Transportation ensured all documentation was accurate and attached to outgoing or-ders; and ensured a steady stream of railroad and truck transports were ready for the outgoing shipments to meet their deadlines. Hundreds of thousands of parts were processed and shipped out each month during World War II. When an order came in, women would pull specific parts from the storage bins and placed them on a conveyor that moved the parts to a series of long tables. Next, women would cover the parts with a rust preventative, wrap them in waterproof coverings and dip the package in a wax to seal it. The order would then be measured for shipment in either a ready-made wooden container or if needed, the Arsenal carpenters would custom make a crate. Many of the containers had waterproof linings constructed according to government specifications. The crates were then properly marked using a shipping number code, careful not to mention in English what was inside the crate, and shipped out. The products would arrive on time to their far-flung world-wide destination unharmed from weather or exposure to the elements. More than 3,000 women performed a variety of important tasks at the Arsenal during World War II. Without the dedicated and professional women in the “Siberia” section who supplied the vitally needed parts to the front lines, an Allied victory over the Axis powers might have been in doubt.


Arsenal Women’s History: World War II

By Mark Koziol

World War II photo of the “Siberia” warehouse that gained its name from not having any heat during the cold winters. Arsenal women processed and expedited hundreds of thou-sands of shipments through Siberia during World War II.

Above photo was taken in 1943 of Miss Demetra Mouy-os. More than 3,000 women worked at the Arsenal during World War II.

Photos provided by the Arsenal Museum


In February 1863, the United States raised its first Army regiment of black Soldiers during the Civil War. Massachusetts Gov. John A. Andrew received approval from U.S. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton Jan. 15, 1863, to recruit "persons of African descent, orga-nized into special corps" to fight for the Union cause. Andrew hoped the new unit, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, would become a model for future regiments, whose success would confirm the capacity of blacks for military service. The 54th Massachusetts, under the command of Col. Robert Gould Shaw, trained at Camp Meigs in Readville in the Hyde Park section of present-day Boston. Recruits arrived from 24 states -- 15 Union, five Confederate and all four border states. Their profes-sions included farmers, laborers and skilled tradesmen. On May 28, Andrew presented the regiment its colors. The 1,007 enlisted men and 37 white officers marched through Boston and embarked on the transport ship De Molay, destined for Beaufort, S.C. On July 16, 1863, the 54th Massachusetts saw its first action as part of a diversionary attack on James Island, across the Ashley River from Charleston, S.C. The first casualties totaled 45 men. Two days later, 600 men of the Regiment led a brigade-sized assault on Fort Wagner, located on Morris Island at the mouth of Charleston Harbor. The fort, constructed with a ditch and earthworks, was located on a thin spit of land, where the only approach was bordered by the ocean and a marsh. The 54th had no choice but to charge straight ahead into the fortifications. The attack was gallant, but disastrous. The unit held part of the fort, but Confederate counterattacks forced the men in blue to retreat, suffering 116 killed in action, including its com-mander, Shaw, and 156 wounded or captured. The unit gained recognition for its valor and showed that black Soldiers fought hard. One enlisted Soldier, Sgt. William Harvey Carney, was the first black recommended for the Congressional Medal of Honor for ral-lying the troops and saving the regimental colors. The medal was finally awarded May 23, 1900. The citation read, "When the color sergeant was shot down, this soldier grasped the flag, led the way to the parapet and planted the colors thereon. When the troops fell back, he brought off the flag under a fierce fire, in which he was twice severely wounded." Carney died in 1908.

Black History Month: 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

By Egon Hatfield (RDECOM History Office)


Oh, what a busy month

For the shortest month of the year, February turned out to be full of action. From par-ticipating in several community events to working on urgent warfighter requirements to events conducted at the Arsenal, leaders and workers were challenged. And, as always, we made it through in good steed. Here are a few events that captured our interest and our hearts. Clockwise, from the upper right: Tony Urban, third from the left and who is the lead manpower management analyst for the Arsenal, was the recipient of the 2013 Martin Luther King Award for his efforts to promote diversity. His family is to his left. Fourth-year ap-prentice Brant Wert is being interviewed by YNN reporter Lori Chung regarding the Arsenal’s $5.9M foreign military sales contract. Samuel Offei provided a trip to the Ghanaian culture as part of the Arsenal’s Diversity Day Luncheon. And, Matt Miller, who is the lead in the Business Transformation Office for real property management data, received from Col. Mark Migaleddi at a town hall a two-star note from Maj. Gen. Michael Terry for his great work. Matt was aided in his achievement by his right-arm assistant, Matt Lysogorski.

Photos by John B. Snyder

Watervliet Arsenal Newsletter: Salvo - 28 February 2013

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