Troops get glimpse inside munitions business

By Kevin Jackson, AMCJuly 21, 2015

578th FSC Tour 01
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Joshua Nelson, a materials handler leader in the Shipping and Storage Division of the Directorate of Depot Operations, at the less-than-a-truck-load facility on McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Okla., talks to Soldiers from the 578th Forward Support ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from the 578th Forward Support Company from Fort Sill, Okla., watch as Rick Roberts, an explosives worker, completes the packaging of artillery rounds at the 105 mm renovation facility on McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Okla., during a tour... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
578th FSC Tour 03
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Chris Whorton, an explosives operator supervisor, shows Soldiers from the 578th Forward Support Company at Fort Sill, Okla., an inert miniature grenade similar to the ones removed from obsolete and unserviceable artillery rounds during the demilitari... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Paul Rogers (center), protocol officer for McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Okla., leads a group of 13 Soldiers from the 578th Forward Support Company at Fort Sill, Okla., through a B-Line bomb production facility at the Army installation in southeas... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Jason Andreoni, commander of the 578th Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 75th Field Artillery Brigade, from Fort Sill, Okla., lifts the baseplate of a 2,000-pound air-delivered conventional bomb during a tou... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

McALESTER, Okla. -- A group of ammunition and maintenance Soldiers from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, got a rare look inside the production, storage and shipping of munitions at one of the nation's organic industrial bases during a visit to McAlester Army Ammunition Plant here, July 16.

Thirteen Soldiers from the 578th Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 75th Field Artillery Brigade, made the drive across the state to southeastern Oklahoma to further their military education.

"It gave our Soldiers a chance to broaden their knowledge within their skillsets and learn how logistics depots support the force," said Capt. Jason Andreoni, 578th FSC commander, at the end of the tour. "A lot of us didn't realize how we get (munitions) so this gives us a new appreciation behind the scenes of all the moving parts."

The troops were greeted by Col. Sean M. Herron, commander of McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, who gave them the command briefing. It included an explanation of how the plant -- one of 23 organic industrial bases often referred to as a "national security insurance policy" -- fits into the Army through the Joint Munitions Command and Army Materiel Command.

Following the briefing, and question and answer period, the troops spent two-and-a-half hours touring several facilities. The first stop was to observe the demilitarization of obsolete and unserviceable 155 mm artillery rounds -- a process that involves recycling and reusing the shell casing in the M1122 155 mm high-explosive artillery training round.

They also visited a facility to observe the production of 2,000-pound air-delivered conventional bombs; the facility where 105 mm artillery rounds are renovated and returned to the inventory; and, the less-than-a-truck-load building where small arms shipments are packaged. Then they had a windshield tour of the largest shipping and receiving pad on the installation.

"It's a real treat to come out here and see something, logistics-wise, from production to shipping," Andreoni said. "It's almost like a controlled chaos. It's very impressive that it's done smoothly and safely."

The rare glimpse behind the scenes of the munitions business wasn't lost on the 578th FSC's most junior member to make the trip.

"It was very useful," said Pfc. Nicole Gunn, a motor transport operator with nearly two years of service. "Getting to know the background, how (munitions) get to us and how they're made was really interesting."

Andreoni said he was particularly impressed with the cleanliness of the ammunition plant and the recycling of materials.

"There is no waste," he said. "It's very evident that Lean Six Sigma plays a big part in every operation we've seen. It's definitely a model that big Army could use on capturing waste on day-to-day activities."

While MCAAP has been providing bi-monthly tours for field artillery officer advanced course students since September 2014, the tour was the first for a military unit in recent years.

Soldiers from the 578th FSC work in transportation, ordnance and quartermaster occupations, and are responsible for providing field feeding, vehicle and shop maintenance, fuel and water support, and distribution operations for the 1-14th Field Artillery.

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McAlester Army Ammunition Plant is the Department of Defense's premier bomb- and warhead-loading facility. It is vital to ammunition stockpile management and delivery to the Joint Warfighter for training and combat operations. MCAAP is one of 14 installations of the Joint Munitions Command and one of 23 organic industrial bases under the U.S. Army Materiel Command, which include arsenals, depots, activities and ammunition plants.