Watervliet Arsenal's May 2014 Newsletter: The Salvo

Vol. 14, No. 5 U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal May 31, 2014
A Soldier never questions
anything stamped
“Watervliet Arsenal”
Ever wondered why?
Story on Page 3
Photo by John B. Snyder
THE
SALVO
Quality Control Inspector Charles Robinson
checking a 60 mm mortar tube

Salvo May 31, 2014
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:
john.b.snyder.civ@mail.mil. The editor reserves the right to edit all information submitted
for publication.
Commander, Col. Lee H. Schiller Jr.
Public Affairs Officer, John B. Snyder
Editor, John B. Snyder
Photographer: John B. Snyder
Arsenal Facebook Page @
http://on.fb.me/sq3LEm
Lee H. Schiller Jr.
Commanding
Manufacturer 6
Commander’s
Corner
We just participated in an event that honored our
nation’s fallen heroes. Far too often, the value of ser-
vice to our country is overlooked by many Americans
unless the calendar drives them to think about those
who have served and who serve today. But the calen-
dar didn’t tell me or the arsenal workforce where we
needed to be this past week as we took great pleasure
and pride to march through the streets of Watervliet on
Memorial Day.
I greatly thank those who helped build
the floats, drove, or marched for paying
the proper respect to those who have
given the ultimate sacrifice to their county.
Your support speaks volumes about your
and the arsenal’s character.
As we approach the summer months,
it is a signal that we are nearing the end
of the fiscal year. Which means that we
have just a few, short months left before
we close the books on a very challenging
year. But, before we lean too far forward into the next
fiscal year, which begins on October 1st
, we have some
opportunities to seize on that will help us shape our
environment for the next year.
Even if we received an order today, the likelihood
of work being started and charged to this fiscal year is
slim. So, what we need to do is to finish out projected
FY 2014 workload on time and to the highest standard
expected by our troops.
Our responsiveness to the Department of Defense
is not only an arsenal tradition, it is also an expectation
by the Army’s senior leaders. We have simply got to
make our deadlines. Period!
We can do better at this by continuing to assess
our operational space, looking for anything that may
slow us down or preclude us from making a delivery
on time. Once we have identified any potential for a
workflow disruption, we need to immediately mass all
available brain power and energy to mitigate the ef-
fects of that disruption.
Sometimes the disruption deals with quality issues
by the vendor or sometimes it is self-inflicted. The
importance of quality is so significant that I could not
adequately discuss all the issues in this short column.
But suffice it for me to say that quality defines who
we are as an organization. If someone is untrained,
let’s get them trained to standard before they start an
operation that they are unfamiliar with. If someone
requires extra supervision, then provide it
before an operation spirals into an issue
with quality.
As much as I believe that supervisors
should have the pulse of their team, they
sometimes need help. Many organiza-
tions use “mentors” to provide that assis-
tance. But whatever we need to do, let’s
do it and do it now so that we can move
into the next year making deliveries on
time. After all, we all want to enter the
summer months relaxed and stress free.
Speaking of summer, I have dusted off my barbe-
cue and I know that you have, too. Which means that
we about to enter a very dangerous period in our per-
sonal lives. As we enter summer, please be very care-
ful in starting up new activities; such as barbecuing,
swimming, boating, and motorcycle driving. Each of
you is very important to our mission and your loss,
even temporarily, would be significant.

Salvo May 31, 2014
200 years of perfecting quality
Once a product moves out of the incoming inspection area it moves to one of the production floors for machin-
ing. After critical machining operations have been completed, the part arrives at one of three quality control
operations for inspection. Here, Machine Tool Inspector Leader Neal Delisle, right, discusses with David Jones, a
machine tool work inspector, the tolerances that Jones should be checking on a 60 mm mortar baseplate.
An infantry Soldier in Afghanistan quickly responds to
a call for fire and loads a round into his 60 mm mortar sys-
tem. He did not hesitate.
A Marine at Camp Pendleton conducts a fires rehearsal
with his M777 155 mm lightweight howitzer section in
preparation to conduct a fire mission. He did not hesitate.
An Airman scanned the night sky over Iraq as his C-130
gunship responded to a fire mission that launched a
105 mm round down on a target of opportunity. He did not
hesitate.
Each of these missions, in combat and in training, has
occurred and continues to occur almost daily throughout
the world.
A call for fire initiates a thing of beauty called a “battle
drill,” as well-trained troops perform a series of tasks in an
integrated and synchronized fluid motion. To an observer,
this precision drill and sense of urgency to execute a mis-
sion is awe inspiring.
But what is more inspiring is what cannot be seen ̶ a
strong sense of confidence the Soldier, Marine, or Airman
has in his weapon system that the gun will not fail them in
the heat of battle.
When survival on the battlefield sometimes comes down
to seconds, in essence who fires first, those precious sec-
onds may mean life or death. The last thing any military
leader wants is for their troops to hesitate while conducting
a fire mission in the heat of battle. Not even for a second.
For more than 200 years, the Watervliet Arsenal has
through its high quality manufacturing provided the na-
tion’s war fighters with the immeasurable sense of confi-
dence in their weapon systems. This strong sense of confi-
dence is the value added to every weapon system and part
that leaves the Army-owned and operated arsenal in upstate
New York.
Beyond the cost of its products or its on-time delivery
rate, many believe that the arsenal’s number one contribu-
tion to a Soldier relies in the quality of its products. The
arsenal’s quality assurance process begins at the gate when
raw stock or unfinished products arrive for manufacturing.
Bill Bryant, the arsenal’s division chief for quality con-
By John B. Snyder
Story continues on page 4, Quality

Salvo May 31, 2014
trol, said that his team of 44 assures that quality products are
produced by implementing a system of inspections where
critical operations of the machining process are measured to
ensure compliance to rigid technical requirements.
“Sometimes our quality assurance operations begin long
before a vendor has sent us a product,” Bryant said. “If the
product is for a new product line or is from a new vendor, we
sometimes will send a team of inspectors to the vendor’s site
for verification before the vendor goes into mass production.”
Bryant has a rather flat organization in that his team is
broken out into two divisions, Incoming Inspection and Qual-
ity Control. Incoming inspections
range from procurement inspections
to non-destructive testing to sling
and gauge inspections. Quality
Control inspections assure a high
quality level for the production of
major and minor components to
weapon systems, as well as for large
caliber tubes.
Before a machinist touches one
baseplate forging, pre-formed tube,
or breech ring, someone from Bill
Potter’s team seizes all pieces of
the shipment to begin dimensional
inspections to validate a vendor’s
quality. Potter is the arsenal’s in-
coming inspection supervisor.
When a vendor’s product is go-
ing to support a new product line
or the vendor is new to the arsenal,
Potter’s team may conduct a thor-
ough, time intensive inspection
called a “First Article Inspection.”
“First article inspections may
take up to one week to accomplish
as 100 percent of the technical data
package is verified before the prod-
uct is released to the production
floor,” Potter said. “The bottom line
is that if the product passes here, it
should not fail anywhere else.”
In addition to conducting visits to vendors, verifying the
quality on all procured parts, and conducting First Article
Inspections, Potter’s team is also responsible for calibrating
more than 64,000 gauges.
Once the product has left Potter’s area, it then travels to
the production floor to a quality control team headed by Terry
Buell.
Due to the enormity of Buell’s area of responsibility, his
quality control inspectors are broken out into three teams,
which represent the major product lines. Majors components
are large products such as breech rings, breech blocks, mortar
baseplates, and howitzer carriers for the larger gun systems.
Minor components are smaller product lines such as firing
pins, mortar basecaps, and firing mechanisms. Tubes or
“cannon barrels” represent all large caliber tubes such as 155
mm, 120 mm 105 mm, 81 mm, and 60 mm tubes.
Throughout the product life cycle while the product is at
Watervliet, each one of those three teams follows, tracks, and
measures the dimensions of critical machining operations.
They will also check the products for conformity to the tech-
nical data package in regards to toughness and strength.
If at any point along the way, from the product’s arrival
until the finished product gets shipped, there is any question
in regards to quality, the product
is put on hold until engineers and
planners from the arsenal and from
Benét Laboratories can make a
determination on its acceptance or
rejection.
Before a product is rejected or
scrapped, every opportunity is taken
to salvage the product while not
lessening the level of quality de-
manded by the technical data pack-
age. There could be any number of
reasons as to why a product would
be rejected after it has passed the
incoming inspection. Sometimes
cracks develop during a machining
process due to a deformity in the
material. While other times, it may
be due to machinist error.
The bottom line is that every
product that departs the arsenal has
undergone a rigorous testing at each
critical point in the manufacturing
process. This is as true today as it
was in 1813 when the arsenal began
operations.
To ensure that no one takes qual-
ity for granted, the arsenal com-
mander, Col. Lee H. Schiller Jr.,
often talks about the importance of
the arsenal’s quality and the impact a quality product has on
our war fighters.
“What we do is to instill in the American fighting man and
woman a strong sense of confidence that any weapon system
stamped “Watervliet Arsenal” is the best on the battlefield,”
Schiller said.
Much has changed at Watervliet since it opened for busi-
ness in 1813. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is the
arsenal’s strong sense of purpose, as well as its sense of duty
toward its customer ̶ the American war fighter.
Quality Cont.
Arsenal Incoming Quality Control Supervisor Bill Potter,
left, and Machine Tool Inspector Merico Catallo take
a look at newly arrived parts as the parts are about to
undergo their first quality control inspection.

Salvo May 31, 2014
Story continues on page 6, Commander
A senior Army leader exhibited exceptional poise
this month delivering heartfelt thanks to everyone he
saw during his final visit to the Watervliet Arsenal.
When Maj. Gen. Michael J. Terry visited the
Watervliet Arsenal in August 2012, he learned about the
arsenal’s 200-year
role of providing
the weapon
systems and the
parts that have
helped hundreds
of thousands of
our nation’s war
fighters to safely
come home from
battle.
As the new
TACOM Life
Cycle Management
Command’s
commander,
that was Terry’s
first visit to the
arsenal and as
can be expected,
there was
something of the
standardized tour
that other TACOM
subordinate commands had already conducted for him.
In that 2012 visit, Terry received a commensurate
office call with the arsenal commander, a command
overview brief, a visit to the production lines, handed
out awards, and attended a working lunch. And, in
the two years that Terry has been the commander of
TACOM — which is the arsenal’s higher headquarters
— he has visited the arsenal three times.
And so, what could possibly be different about this
month’s visit?
Farewells are never easy, nor should they be. During
a commander’s tenure, he or she pours everything they
have into those precious few months trying to make a
difference, as well as trying to make the organization
better. Terry was no different.
These last few years have been very challenging
for any commander in the Army’s industrial base,
certainly for Terry. The effects of sequestration and
fiscal uncertainty have plunged Army manufacturing
into turbulent
waters as the
civilian workforce
faced furloughs,
pay freezes,
and a decline in
workload due to
the end of combat
operations in Iraq
and the withdrawal
of U.S. forces
from Afghanistan.
Terry touched
on many of these
issues as he talked
to arsenal workers
at more than 10
sites on his final
visit.
“I am very, very
appreciative for all
that you have done
considering all the
fiscal turmoil you
have experienced since March 2013 when sequestration
took effect,” Terry said.
Not only did the arsenal workforce have significant
fiscal constraints that affected the amount of work
coming to the arsenal, the workforce also had to work
through furloughs, shutdown, and hiring constraints
while delivering products to the war fighters, Terry
added.
Through turmoil and uncertainty, it sometimes
takes someone with a steady hand to guide an
TACOM commander’s final look,
thanks to Watervliet
Maj. Gen. Michael J. Terry, the TACOM LCMC Commander, awards a commander’s coin to
Glen Preece, while fellow waste treatment personnel, Marc Kouffman and Edward Reyn-
olds, take a look at their new coins.
By John B. Snyder

Salvo May 31, 2014
organization through such adversity. Many believe
Terry’s hand did that for Watervliet.
Although the arsenal is not out of the water yet
in regards to a having a sufficient level of work on
the books to sustain its critical skill base, to some at
Watervliet the arsenal is moving in the right direction.
Bruce Pienkoski, the arsenal’s lead production
controller for mortar production, was recently asked
by a reporter about what is different today than in
the 1990s. During the 1990s, the arsenal suffered
through nine reductions in force due to what was then
commonly called the Peace Dividend.
Today, the arsenal is once again working its way
through a significant decline in defense spending. And
so, what the reporter was getting at is has anything
changed or can we expect a series of reductions in
force as was experienced in the 1990s?
“In the 1990s, I didn’t have a sense that the Army’s
senior leaders were doing anything to help the arsenal
to survive,” Pienkoski said. “Today, it is different
because I have seen the efforts by our senior leaders
at TACOM and at higher headquarters taking a more
active role in finding work for the arsenal.”
Such optimism explained by a mid-level worker
speaks volumes about the faith the arsenal workforce
has in Terry.
Often during his visit, Terry had a sense of
reflection as he shared stories of memorable times of
his 35-year Army career. But through all stories, there
was a common theme.
“I have been in combat two times and I will tell
you that I have used your products,” Terry said. “God
Bless you for what you do.”
As Terry wound his way through the arsenal,
shaking hands, awarding commander’s coins, one
could not think that in some way this was like a
member of the family saying goodbye for the last
time. Such is often the feeling when a respected Army
leader departs his or her unit for the last time.
Terry will change command on June 25, 2014. In
the meantime, the arsenal will continue to challenge
Terry and other Army leaders for a clearer sense of
fiscal certainty, which to the arsenal machinist means
increased workload.
Commander Cont.

Salvo May 31, 2014
Just about everything we see
is touched by
Tom Herold’s team
Of the thousands of people who drive by the arsenal ev-
ery day on I-787, most probably do not think twice about
arsenal manufacturing in the short 10 seconds or so it takes
for them to drive by.
When members of the community have been asked why
that is so, several have said that it is because the arsenal
has been a part of their lives for as long as they can re-
member and has simply
become part of the land-
scape, just as the high-
way exit numbers, busi-
nesses along the streets,
and sometimes even the
homes in their neighbor-
hoods have become part
of the landscape on their
daily drives.
Given that the arsenal
has been continuously
supporting our nation’s
service men and women
since 1813, this tidbit of
information kind of hurts
some in the workforce.
After all, they truly be-
lieve in the importance
of what they do, which is manufacturing the products that
have allowed hundreds of thousands of our troops to safely
come home from battle.
But it is not just the community who is at fault for this
benign interest in the arsenal, because good work internal
to the arsenal sometimes becomes just part of the daily
landscape. In essence, quality work that the workforce has
grown to expect it, but may not think twice about. Case in
point is our public works department.
Thomas Herold, who is the public works operations and
maintenance supervisor for the 143-acre arsenal, has been
a fixture here for more than 35 years. This time does not
include the four years Tom served in the U.S. Navy Engi-
neering Auxiliaries division keeping systems running for
helicopter assault ships.
Tom is one of those quiet professionals who, with a
team of 35, ensures the vast utility system that provides
the power, heat, air conditioning, treatment of hazardous
waste, building and facility maintenance, snow removal,
pest control, and a handful of other critical missions that
are required on a daily basis to keep the arsenal running.
Tom said that it took him years to learn all the systems,
from waste treatment to
the boiler operations to
landscaping, as well as
the locations of hundreds
of individual water and
electrical connections.
This education has never
stopped as he said that
he still learns something
new every day about this
200-year old facility.
Nevertheless, the vast
majority of the workforce
probably do not give
Tom or his team a second
thought unless the roads
aren’t cleared, the heat
or air conditioning isn’t
working, the pests aren’t
removed, or the grass cut. Tom and his team have been
providing quality work for so long that they, too, may have
become part of the arsenal landscape…until now.
From maintaining the roads we travel on to repairing
the roofs on our buildings to our heating and cooling to
the arsenal’s landscaping, Tom’s team does it all. Throw
on top of that the significant amount of snow removal that
was required during this past, extremely long winter, it is
simply amazing that so few are able to keep up on the awe-
some challenge called public works.
Tom retires at the end of this month with about 40 years
of continuous service to our military. For all the great
work that he has done and will continue to do until his last
day on duty, Tom is very deserving to be this month’s arse-
nal Face of Strength.
By John B. Snyder
Tom Herold, the arsenal’s public works operations and maintenance supervi-
sor, receiving kind words and thanks from TACOM LCMC Commander Maj.
Gen. Michael J. Terry for his many years of service to the Army.

Salvo May 31, 2014
For more than 200 years, the Watervliet Arsenal
workforce has enjoyed the fruits of a good, middle-class
life due in large part to our nation’s troops. Homes were
bought, children sent to college, and a series of benefits
propelled many to have the “golden years” that they had
always dreamed of.
And so, there is a sense of duty to our service men and
women that goes beyond dates on a calendar that focuses
our nation on its military, such as Memorial Day and Vet-
erans Day. After all, for more than 200 years, the arsenal
has produced the weapons, parts, and material that have
helped hundreds of thousands of our nation’s warfighters
to come home safely from battle.
This week a number of individuals and family mem-
bers came together to represent the U.S. military at the
City of Watervliet’s Memorial Day parade. The arsenal
started participating in local parades six years ago as a
way to reconnect the community to its military. The ar-
senal is the only active-duty Army post between the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point and Fort Drum, some
three hundred miles apart.
During these past six years, there have been a few
who have passionately given countless hours of their
own time toward the planning, coordinating, building,
and then participating in the Memorial and Veterans Day
parades. To them, supporting the parades is not a tasking
but a sense of duty to our military.
One of the key individuals to the success of the arse-
nal’s community engagements is Michael Gully, who is
a mechanical engineering technician at the Army’s Benét
Laboratories. Gully has been instrumental in the plan-
ning and coordination, as well as in the building of floats
that well represented the arsenal and Benét Lab’s history,
and unique research and manufacturing capability.
Why does he do it?
“I feel a strong, personal need to do what we do to
ensure that the arsenal appropriately honors our men and
women in uniform,” Gully said. “The reason for my pas-
sion becomes quickly evident whenever I see an elderly
Veteran who asks nothing more than for their service or
the service of a fallen comrade to be remembered. Our
participation means so much to them.”
Yellow Ribbons, as well as signs on local businesses
saying that they support our troops, once flourished
throughout New York’s Capital District. They are now a
rarity on any drive in the Albany area.
So, if it were not for arsenal workers like Michael
Gully and for the great work by local Veteran Service
Organizations, who would step up to ensure that the sac-
rifices made by our military are never forgotten?
Maybe, the community would still rise up on the holi-
days to give our nation’s military the respect, honor, and
commitment that it deserves without much encourage-
ment.
But the arsenal will not leave that to chance because
supporting the troops is in the arsenal’s DNA. Woven
into the arsenal’s tapestry is the fact that eight genera-
tions of New Yorkers have now directly supported our
nation’s service men and women from the Watervliet
Arsenal.
To many in the arsenal workforce, their sense of duty
to the U.S. military does not end when they drive out the
gate at the end of a work day. Already, many are now
planning for the upcoming Veterans Day Parade through
the City of Albany. We will not forget.
Arsenal honors, remembers those who
have given their ultimate sacrifice
By John B. Snyder
Jim Uram, a long-time supporter of the arsenal’s parades, escorting
one of two floats the arsenal fielded.

Salvo May 31, 2014
Memorial Day
2014
Photos by John B. Snyder

Salvo May 31, 2014
Arsenal takes top honors at the Federal
Executive Association Awards Ceremony
The Federal Executive Association presented the Distinguished Federal Government Service Awards at
a luncheon on Thursday, May 15, 2014, at the Shaker Ridge Country Club.
An award was given to an Arsenal member or team in the following four categories:
• L. Grady Moore Leadership Award - Supervisory Position - Joe Turcotte
• Distinguished Federal Government Service – Team - Contracting Office
• Distinguished Federal Government Service – Rookie of the Year (3 years or less) - Heather Durr
• Community Award-Public Service outside your Agency - Josh Roy
According to an FEA news release, these awards allowed FEA to pay tribute to the Federal workers
who are the backbone of America’s Government. As leaders, FEA had the opportunity to recognize
these employees for the contributions they make to help government work better on behalf of the
American people. These awards will also call public attention to the fact that government employees
make many contributions to the quality of life in our area.
Given that there were only seven categories of awards, the arsenal achieved great recognition as evi-
denced by capturing four of the seven awards.
New York state Senator Kathy Marchione presented the awards during the luncheon. From left,
Heather Durr receiving the Distinguished Federal Government Service Rookie of the Year award
from Marchione. The Contracting team receiving the Distinguished Federal Government Service
Team award from Marchione. Joe Turcotte receiving the Distinguished Federal Government Service
Supervisor award from Marchione. Josh Roy was unavailable to attend.
FEA Awards
May 2014

Salvo May 31, 2014
Arsenal Appreciation Night with the ValleyCats
Saturday, 2 August
at 7 p.m.
• The arsenal has coordinated with the Tri-City ValleyCats baseball organization for the
6th Annual Arsenal Appreciation Night.
• Game is on Saturday, 2 August, at 7 p.m.
• Department of the Army Civilians and arsenal family members may purchase a "Reserved
Box" ticket for only $5.50 (42% discount). These are great seats Section 230 and 250).
• All Military Veterans will still receive a free ticket.
• You may also purchase a reduced meal voucher for only $3.50 This voucher is good for one
hot dog, small soda, and a bag of chips.
Contact
John Snyder
in Room 102
Building 10
(266-5055)
or
Melissa Ryder
at the Body Forge
(266-4829)
for
Tickets!!!
Ticket sales begin
on
July 8th
Photos by John B. Snyder

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Watervliet Arsenal's May 2014 Newsletter: The Salvo