Picatinny names new building for artillery expert

By Cassandra MainieroNovember 4, 2013

Picatinny dedicates building to artillery expert
Picatinny Arsenal held a dedication ceremony Oct. 18 for its new artillery building, the "John 'Bud' Neumann Artillery Integration Facility," named in honor of a former Picatinny employee with expertise in artillery. From left, Keith Gooding, Project... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. (Nov. 4, 2013) -- Selfless. Humble. A friend.

These were just three of the descriptions of former Picatinny Arsenal employee John 'Bud' Neumann during a dedication ceremony recently at which a new building was named in Neumann's honor: the "John 'Bud' Neumann Artillery Integration Facility."

Dedicated to the advancement of artillery, the building will serve as a weapon systems integration facility for all systems managed by the Program Management Office for Towed Artillery Systems (PM TAS) as part of the Program Executive Office for Ammunition.

Activity at the new building dedicated Oct. 18 will involve some of PM TAS's howitzers, such as the M777A2 and M119A3, which will allow Picatinny to further advance its howitzer research. The facility will also be used for other programs supported by PM TAS, such as the Improved Position and Azimuth Determining System (IPADS) and Gun Laying and Positioning System (GLPS), which determines precise aiming of cannon artillery.

"The artillery weapon mission was transferred to Picatinny Arsenal 38 years ago. Since then, we've seen a lot of advancements in field artillery as a result of Picatinny having that mission," said Keith Gooding, the project manager for Towed Artillery Systems. "And today, I really feel that by opening this facility it's the next step in Picatinny's future as the artillery arsenal."

For Picatinny's technical community, the new facility will provide access to fielded weapon systems that will enable researchers to troubleshoot issues from the field and implement engineering improvements. Additionally the facility will provide an opportunity to integrate the latest technology onto weapon systems for demonstrations and tests.

As someone who worked closely with artillery, Neumann was selected as the person to be honored at the building's dedication.

Neumann was inducted into the Army in 1964, where he served as a military police officer in Vietnam. After he was honorably discharged in 1966, he continued supporting the Warfighter by working as a model maker/machinist and engineering technician for more than 40 years at Picatinny.

During his time at the arsenal, Neumann devoted his talents to the physical integration and development of various artillery pieces.

He worked on development programs such as Crusader, played important roles in the fielding and sustainment of various towed howitzers, such as the M198, M119, and M777, and held a patent for one of his designs.

"When I met Bud, he was working in the shop in building 3150 and was supporting artillery systems," said Gooding. "I was a young engineer, and I was told 'If you need something done at Picatinny on an artillery program, you go up to the shop and you talk to Bud.' It didn't matter what it was--if your project was involved in welding, machining, if there were hydraulics or system assembly--you went and you talked to Bud."

KNOWLEDGE SAVED MONEY

During his tenure, Neumann received many accolades, including induction into the Order of Saint Barbara, which recognizes individuals who demonstrated the highest standards of moral character, displayed an outstanding degree of professional competence, and contributed to the promotion of field artillery.

Neumann was also a devoted husband to his wife, Carol, and a dedicated father to their daughters, Michelle and Nancy, until his death in January 2006.

"We pride ourselves as engineering facility, Bud made our engineers better. Bud saved us a lot of money re-using parts he accumulated and when he was working on our projects, we knew they would be successful," added Barbara Machak, Executive Director of the Enterprise and Systems Integration Center, which is part of the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center.

"He displayed everything there is about an Army Value in his duty, his honor, his selfless service, his integrity," Machak continued.

"He emulated the team spirit of Picatinny."

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Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center