Seventeen reporters, photographers, and videographers from nine different global media outlets recently visited the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (IAAAP) in Middletown, Iowa, and the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP) in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
On Jan. 26, Steve Bellrichard, deputy to the commander at IAAAP, hosted The New York Times where he explained how 155-millimeter rounds are loaded, assembled, and packed. On Jan. 31, Rich Hansen, the commander's representative at SCAAP, showed The New York Times how a 155 mm artillery shell is created from a steel billet. Then on Feb. 1, Hansen led a contingent — which included individuals from CNN, The Economist, Forbes, Grid, Military Times, Semafor, TIME and The Washington Post — on a tour of the 155 mm artillery shell production line, and he conducted interviews afterwards. There has been an increased interest in the 155 mm shells because they are predominantly used in Ukraine.
“Providing these tours to the media was an important way to show the taxpayer the value of the work we do here to support the warfighter,” Hansen said.
“We are proud of the work our employees do each and every day,” Bellrichard said. “This visit was a great opportunity to showcase our efforts.”
SCAAP manufactures large-caliber metal projectiles for the joint warfighter and is a government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) site. IAAAP loads, assembles, and packs medium- and large-caliber rounds, and is also a GOCO.
IAAAP and SCAPP are two of over a dozen subordinates of the Joint Munitions Command (JMC). A government staff administers the contracts at both locations. This allows for fluctuations in staffing to accommodate workload. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems is the current operating contractor at SCAAP, and American Ordnance is the current operating contractor at IAAAP.
Modernization efforts are ongoing at both sites. At SCAAP these include multiple long stroke vertical hydraulic forge press lines, more than 120 hydraulic tracer and CNC lathes, multiple automated paint lines and multiple heat treat furnaces that austenitize, quench, and temper. At IAAAP, the Army is creating a new long-range artillery facility to include digital manufacturing and a steam production facility with an environmentally friendly and efficient decentralized boiler system.
“Our modernization efforts at IAAAP work on increasing production and safety standards for workers,” said Bellrichard.
JMC and its subordinate arsenals, depots and ammunition plants produce, store, distribute and demilitarize conventional munitions for the U.S. Department of Defense.
SCAAP is housed on 15.3 acres consisting of nine buildings with a manufacturing capacity of 495,000 square feet, and the site was originally constructed as a steam locomotive erecting and repair facility in 1908. IAAAP is housed on 19,011 acres with over 400 buildings, 271 earth-covered magazines, 37 inert warehouses, 35 above-ground magazines, and a total storage capacity of 1.6 million square feet. IAAAP is an intermodal facility with 143 miles of roads and 102 miles of railroad track.
The visits were coordinated by the JMC Public and Congressional Affairs Office and supported by Nate Hawley, the director of the munitions and logistics center.
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