PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Over a two-day period, Soldier Weapons, one of the Army's most vital project management offices, celebrated its 20th anniversary by not only highlighting the products and weaponry placed in the hands of Soldiers but also the people who made it possible.
First organized in 1992 as Product Manager Small Arms, the organization grew in size and scope from just a handful of employees to one known as a world-class center of small arms expertise.
"This is your day. This is your day to celebrate," Col. Scott Armstrong, Project Manager Soldier Weapons (PM SW), told members of his organization who gathered Sept. 13 at the Lindner Conference Center.
Five of the seven previous project managers in the history ofthe office attended the event, including the most recent former project manager, Col. (Ret) Doug Tamilio. The others were Col. (Ret) Michael Lipsit, Col. (Ret) Michael Smith, Col. (Ret) Bud Irish, and the original project manager, Small Arms, Col. (Ret) James Cambron.
"We are here to pause, to reflect, to step out of the daily routine and reminisce what this organization has done for our Soldiers for the past 20 years," Armstrong said.
Cambron provided an insightful and compelling account of how PM Small Arms came into existence.
"Nothing had been worked on in small arms since Vietnam," he recalled. "We decided that we needed to get a grasp on new small arms technology to modernize our Army."
Cambron related how a very small staff with limited funds was formed, and eventually would overcome various challenges to "get the ball rolling and get weapons replaced." Even something as seemingly routine as obtaining a logo for the fledgling organization initially met with a roadblock.
Peter Errante, Deputy Product Manager for Crew Served Weapons, described the eventual growth of the organization.
"In October 2002, PM Small Arms became part of an Army-wide PEO restructuring, which in our case, provided more focus on the Soldier as a whole, as we were designated as part of the newly formed PEO Soldier," Errante said.
"Armed with the leadership and guidance of a newly appointed PEO Soldier and Project Manager Soldier Weapons, we were now strategically aligned to provide Soldiers with the lethality that would make them the most dominant system on the battlefield," Errante added.
Errante described significant upgrades to weapons such as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon--such as collapsible buttstocks and decreased barrel length-- and the M60 medium machine gun's replacement with the M240B, which has been augmented with the recently fielded M240L lightweight medium machine gun.
Errante was also one of five other employees recognized at the "inaugural members" of PM SW. He was joined by Jodi D'Olivo, Walter Gadomski, Edward Malatesta, and Robert Zienowicz.
Sgt. Maj. Paul Wilcock, the directorate's senior enlisted advisor, led a demonstration of some of the weapons in the Army's small arms arsenal with the help of Soldiers from the 98th Institutional Training Division, Fort Dix, N.J.
Wilcock explained the role of each Soldier in a rifle squad fire team as they entered from the rear of the auditorium, each carrying a different weapon. The Soldiers then proceeded to the stage, where they took tactical positions very much like they would on the battlefield.
The last two Soldiers entered the room wearing ghillie suits typically worn by snipers for concealment. The Soldiers serve together as Army snipers with the 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Hood, Texas.
Moments later, the audience gave all the Soldiers who they serve a standing ovation that lasted several minutes.
Wilcock then interviewed the two snipers on center stage. Instead of discussing issues or recommendations regarding their weapons, the two Soldiers thanked the PM SW workforce.
"You do rely on every piece of equipment you have," said Staff Sgt. Jason Maxwell. "I wouldn't be here today if I didn't have the M110 which you provided me with."
Maxwell said he was often the spotter for Pfc. Gonzalo Barron, who serves primarily as the shooter.
"Please give yourselves a round of applause," Barron told the largely civilian audience.
Maj. Gen. Nick Justice, Assistant Military Deputy to the Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology and former commanding general of the Army's Research, Development, and Engineering Command thanked Wilcock and the Soldiers for their demonstration.
"Sergeant Major, that was an outstanding demonstration. One of the finest I have seen in my entire Army career," Justice said.
Justice told the audience that when he was drafted into the Army 42 years ago, his life got "serious" as they (Army instructors) put a weapon into his hand.
"These Soldiers know their weapons are capable. It makes them focus on how serious their job is each and every day. They are able to focus because of you," Justice said.
The ceremony took place two days after the eleventh anniversary of the attacks on our country on Sept. 11, 2001.
"On 9/11, some of these Soldiers were only this big," Justice said, using his hands to describe how some of the warfighters were only children at the time of the attacks.
"A year and a decade is a long time. They are here because of that day," Justice continued.
"Our nation has been attacked nearly every generation. 9/11 is likely not the last time our nation will be attacked, which means your job is that much more necessary," Justice said.
Brig. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, the Program Executive Officer for Soldier (PEO Soldier) also shared similar remarks and praise expressed by Justice.
"The tens of thousands of Soldiers that have crossed the wire could not have done it without you. But it's not about what you've done, it's about what you are going to do in the future," Ostrowski said.
As a special thanks to the employees of Project Manager Soldier Weapons, military officials hosted a private shoot at the Master Sgt. Paul Karpowich gun range.
Employees were able to get a hands-on feel for some of the weapons they have helped field to Soldiers, including the M4 carbine, M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun, M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) and the XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle.
"Today was the first time I shot the M249 SAW," said Maritza Aviles, an administrative assistant with the Crew Served Weapons branch of PM SW.
"The sergeants were very thorough in
their training; the loading of the weapon, how to aim, the correct positioning, and what I could expect from shooting the weapon (recoil).
"This was the second time I have been to a firing range, the first time being over nine years ago when I first joined PM CSW," Aviles added.
"The weapon itself was amazing and I had a lot of fun shooting it. At first I shot single rounds and once I was comfortable with it, I allowed the weapon its full force and let it go continuously. It was addicting and I shot each available weapon at least twice.
"I'd love the opportunity to shoot all the weapons again," she said.
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