Renovations have finally been completed on Pine Bluff Arsenal's Directorate of Ammunition Operations building that houses directorate offices, cafeteria, a tool room and change houses for AO personnel.
As you walk into the building, people will notice the office space has been moved to the back of the building, and the cafeteria area now has all new tables and chairs. The building took more than a year to complete, according to Don Scifres, AO director.
"We relocated in February 2016, and moved back in July 2017," said Scifres. "Everyone is still moving in, and there are still things we need to do."
Scifres said the building is still pretty bare right now but he hopes in the near future, historic photos as well as current photos of production work will line the walls.
"I've gotten with Hugh Morgan, the post photographer, Public Affairs and PM-CAS (Project Manager Combat Ammunition Systems) to get photos of things we make as well as the people who make them," he said. "I think it is going to be something pretty neat once it is finished. It is a wide open canvas right now."
The food serving area, which was located at the back of the old cafeteria space, has been re-shaped and now has enough space for personnel to prepare their lunches. "We have had a few minor hiccups along the way. The reaction to the new space has been very positive," said Scifres.
One of the biggest changes in the building is the size of the change houses. "Both sides are pretty equal on space now. In the past, the women's area was kind of small," said Scifres. "The old building used to have over 300 workers coming out of it, which at the time were predominantly male. Now the numbers are about equal -- male and female."
Scifres said there were also satellite change houses years ago to accommodate all the personnel.
"Two of those buildings now belong to the Directorate of Chemical and Biological Defense. We still have one in our directorate," he said. "Our workload right now is low but steady. We just transitioned a few workers over to CB to help with their workload."
The AO workforce stands at approximately 60 personnel currently, according to Scifres. "We are structuring our workload with our personnel," he said. "Ammo is different than CBD. We are slow to the game, but we still play the game long after others are finished."
"The refurbishment of this building was long overdue," said Roch Byrne, Arsenal Deputy to the Commander. "I'm very happy that project is now completed and Team Ammo is back in the building. I'm happy for them because they deserve a quality facility. This is a big morale booster."
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