WATERVLIET ARSENAL, N.Y. (July 2016) -- With the backdrop of Soldiers embracing flags and organizational colors that gently shimmered in the wind on the historic parade grounds here, Col. Joseph R. Morrow took command on July 28 of this 203-year-old Army manufacturing center from Col. Lee H. Schiller Jr.
This formal Army ceremony, which has been conducted here 59 times since the War of 1812, was called a Change of Command. In addition to Morrow and Schiller, the official party included Maj. Gen. Clark W. LeMasters Jr., the commanding general of TACOM Life Cycle Management Command.
This colorful ceremony formally restates to Soldiers and to Department of the Army Civilians throughout the Army the continuity of command by denoting the transfer of authority. The ceremony holds a special significance in that it honors the outgoing commander after a successful command and also serves as a welcome to the incoming commander. This event is symbolized in the ceremonial passing of the Organizational Colors before the assembled members of the command.
When Schiller took command of the Watervliet Arsenal three years ago, it happened during a point in time when the arsenal's history and its future converged on a different type of battlefield, one called Sequestration.
On July 14, 2013, the arsenal celebrated 200 years of continuous support to the nation's military, and the months leading up to that date was rich with the planning for a huge anniversary celebration. After all, how many businesses or Army organizations can trace its history back 200 years?
But just a few months before that date, a wave of defense spending cuts, via the implementation of the Congressionally-mandated Budget Control Act of 2011, crested over a year's worth of planning and most of the arsenal's 200th anniversary celebrations were terminated. In fact, the week after Schiller took command, which occurred on July 18, 2013, his civilian workforce began furloughs that shutdown his manufacturing operations for one day a week, for six weeks.
Nevertheless, the arsenal's history is ripe with stories of the ebb and flow of defense spending, some of which were so severe that former commander's had to make payroll out of their personal savings. Although Schiller never had to reach into his wallet to pay his workforce, he did have to dig deep to find the threads that were holding the workforce together through what would become a seemingly endless cycle of uncertain defense budgets. Today, Sequestration is still the law of the land and defense budgets remain uncertain.
"You know, command is tough," said LeMasters. "And it's made even tougher in times of budget uncertainty because this can cause changes in your work load and labor hours."
"When Lee assumed command three years ago, it was smack-dab in the middle of sequestration reductions and employee furloughs," LeMasters added. "He immediately engaged on work load and workforce imbalances, right-sized and realigned the organizational structure, and championed critical skills and work load requirements."
LeMasters also had praise for the arsenal workforce by saying that it had always, under Schiller's direction, completed work ahead of schedule, getting capability quickly into the hands of the nation's war fighters.
As the outgoing commander, Schiller was provided significant time for his remarks, time he used to reflect and proudly talk about his days leading this historic Army manufacturing center.
"I could not be more proud to be part of a team that has signified itself not only by its written and verbal commitment, but also by the all of the sum of its (workforce) actions," Schiller said. "You have done what I have asked of you and given far more. I shall never forget your devotion to the mission."
Schiller highlighted that during his tenure here, the arsenal delivered more than 20,000 pieces of military hardware with an on-time delivery rate exceeding 95 percent, invested more than $50 million to improve the quality of the work environment here, and reduced the accident rate by nearly 70 percent.
By tradition, Morrow, as the incoming commander, was allotted less time to speak, but sufficient enough for him to address and praise the workforce.
"Since the decision by the Army's Ordnance Department to build the arsenal during the War of 1812, this facility has been critical to providing the support to our Nation's warfighters in every major conflict since the Battle of New Orleans," Morrow said. "The bottom line is that whenever the nation called, the Watervliet Arsenal's workforce met national and global challenges with a sense of duty and professionalism that has been its trademark for more than 200 years."
Morrow concluded by saying that he wants the workforce and their families to know that he and his wife, Susan, truly appreciate their service and sacrifice.
Morrow comes to the arsenal with a significant amount of time serving in Army divisions, and in areas of combat. In his career, he has had a tour with the 25th Infantry Division and three tours with the 101st Airborne Division. His overseas deployments include three tours supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, one tour supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and one tour supporting Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia-Herzegovina. His last assignment was in Stuttgart, Germany, with the U.S. European Command's J-4 Logistics office.
There are some here who wonder what will become of Schiller. He will retire soon after relinquishing command.
Will he move to a place where white, warm sands merge with tropical drinks or will he be like other previous commanders who left command only to take on a more onerous life? The arsenal's first commander, Maj. James Dalliba, moved to Port Henry, N.Y., and created an iron-ore industry that lived on for nearly 150 years. While Maj. Alfred Modecai left command in the early days of the Civil War and directed the construction of a railroad in Mexico, from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
Schiller said he plans to keep working, but for Penske Logistics. After all, he has four children still in school.
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WATERVLIET ARSENAL:
-The Watervliet Arsenal, widely known as "America's Cannon Factory," is a subordinate command of the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command and has been in continuous operation since 1813. It celebrated its 200th anniversary on July 14, 2013.
-Originally constructed on a 12-acre parcel on the banks of the Hudson River, the arsenal site initially served as an important asset for the Army in the early days of our nation due to its strategic military location to ground and water routes of transportation. Today's $1.6 billion dollar complex is situated on a 143-acre site and spans 72 buildings with 2.1 million square feet of manufacturing and administrative space.
-It was not until 1887, that the arsenal began its conversion into a cannon manufacturer. Its personnel numbers peaked at more than 9,300 workers during World War II and dropped as low as 480 in 2002. Today, the Arsenal workforce has more than 540 workers who are associated with manufacturing for the U.S. and allied militaries tank, artillery, and mortar cannons, tubes, and associated parts. In addition to the arsenal workforce, another 800 personnel work in the 25 military and civilian tenant organizations that are located on the Arsenal.
-The Watervliet Arsenal is an Army-owned and -operated manufacturing facility that is ISO 9001:2008 certified.
-The Secretary of the Army designated in 2013 the Arsenal as a Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for manufacturing cannon and mortar systems.
-The arsenal is a subordinate command of TACOM LCMC and the Army Materiel Command.
Related Links:
Watervliet Arsenal Slideshare Page
Watervliet Arsenal YouTube Page
Watervliet Arsenal Twitter Page
Watervliet Arsenal Newsletter: The Salvo
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