Rock Island, Ill.-- U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command inducted nine people into the Ammunition Hall of Fame at a ceremony on June 13. Brig. Gen. Michelle M. T. Letcher, Commanding General, JMC, presided over the ceremony, recognizing the 2019 inductees for their enduring contributions to JMC's ammunition mission. The Ammunition Hall of Fame honors former military and civilian personnel who were instrumental in advancing the Army's ammunition mission, recognizing those whose experience instrumentally sustained and advanced ammunition.
JMC created the Ammunition Hall of Fame in 2011 to honor such contributions. Inductees are nominated by their peers. A selection panel scores the nominations and provides recommendations to the Commanding General, JMC. The 2019 class served a combined 312 years of service from the Korean War to the present, representing every aspect of the ammunition mission, from research and development, through production and storage, to quality assurance and demilitarization. Of the nine individuals inducted, six were represented at the ceremony.
Murray Bicknell served 24 years in the ammunition sector before retiring in 1996 as the Assistant Deputy for Logistics Readiness. His accomplishments include helping convert British shipyards to government-owned, contractor-operated facilities; preparing for the elimination of the Pershing Rocket Motors; and moving the European chemical munitions stockpile in anticipation of demilitarization. He passed away in 2015. His sons, Charlie Bicknell and Rhett Bicknell, accepted the award on behalf of their father.
Dr. David Downs provided 38 years of federal service at Picatinny Arsenal. He led a team that advanced compact multi-purpose shaped-charge warhead technology, including the later development of Javelin and Hellfire missiles; improved explosives technology; and established the interchangeability and interoperability of 155mm weapons. He retired in 2006.
Robert Golden held numerous positions in support of ammunition, beginning as a quality assurance specialist in 1978. As Chief of the Demilitarization and Maintenance Program Management Office, he was the first to fully integrate commercial demilitarization into the execution plan. Later, he worked at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant as Director of Plant Operations, Director of Quality, and Chief of Staff. He was critical to the improvement of operations, initiating upgrades, driving consolidation efforts, and establishing new testing facilities. He retired in 2011.
Patricia "Trish" Huber began her career in 1983 as an industrial engineer and progressed to the Senior Executive Service as the Deputy to the Commander for the Joint Munitions Command. She worked in weapons system management for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. She became the deputy for the Munitions and Logistics Readiness Center and served on the Executive Committee of the Joint Ordnance Commanders Group. She managed a $61 billion munitions stockpile, introduced new precision-guided rounds, and managed frontline support to the Warfighter throughout Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. She retired in 2015.
James Scott entered the Industrial Readiness Directorate at the U.S. Army Armament, Munitions and Chemical Command in 1983. He implemented numerous modernization projects and was responsible for managing the relocation of production lines and closure of outdated facilities, leading to significant cost savings. Under his oversight, the Quad City Cartridge Case Facility moved to Rock Island Arsenal, allowing for coordination with the existing Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center to improve support to the Navy. He retired in 2015.
Greg Zelnio began his career in 1982 as a chemical engineer. When he was Director of Quality, the directorate became the first in JMC to become ISO 9001, 2008 registered. He ensured the implementation of best practices across JMC installations and the U.S. Army Materiel Command as a whole. He worked on right-sizing strategies for the industrial base and was instrumental to improving the rate of demilitarization to free up needed storage space for new ammunition stocks. He retired in 2015.
Curtis Anderson, Jr. provided 48 years of federal service, much of it devoted to the production, recycling and reuse of TNT. He qualified reclaimed TNT for newer munitions, enabled the reclamation of supplemental charges, and initiated a program requiring demilitarization to be considered during the design phase of munitions, leading to significant savings for the military. He retired in 2008.
MG (Ret.) Paul S. Izzo had a long and successful career in the Army, contributing significantly to the ordnance and ammunition field for 38 years. He served as Commander, Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Command, Program Executive Officer for Ammunition, and Commanding General of Picatinny Arsenal, and Commanding General of U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command. He managed 350 Army programs and 130 materiel releases, many supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He improved and sustained the ammunition stockpile, while modernizing and advancing ammunition for the future. He retired in 2014.
Martin Moratz began his career in 1979 and managed the production and delivery of high-quality indirect fire ammunition in a timely and cost effective manner. He presided over the delivery of millions of 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm mortar rounds and millions of Modular Artillery Charge Systems. He also introduced processes to improve ammunition, especially through precision-guided weapons and enhanced safety and reliability. He retired in 2014.
Collectively, this year's inductees used their time in service to advance munitions development, modernize the industrial base, and improve the business of executing the ammunition mission. As Letcher remarked, their expertise, "made it possible for the Army to support the Warfighter with ready and reliable munitions, meeting the needs of current and future conflicts with lethality that wins."
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