ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala - On Wednesday, March 31, Carl Roller, acting product manager for demilitarization, and several other VIPs visited Anniston Defense Munitions Center. Roller traveled to Anniston from his home at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, to observe the demilitarization and recycling efforts performed here at ADMC and also attend a groundbreaking ceremony for ADMC's new Multiple Launch Rocket System recycling facility.
Roller is responsible for managing and directing the Army's demilitarization program to ensure obsolete ammunition and missiles are destroyed at the lowest possible cost to the Army and with little to no environmental impact. This is an extremely important part of the Army mission and ADMC contributes to that mission with their open burn/open detonation demil and its one-of-a-kind missile recycling center.
"ADMC's demil operation is unique within the Army with regard to their missile recycling capabilities," said Roller. "The recycling of missiles and missile components is a huge benefit to the Army and ADMC has shown a willingness to provide full-service demil and recycling capabilities, which are a great asset to the Army and it's demil effort."
After a safety briefing at ADMC Headquarters, Roller and other guests were taken to ADMC's demil pit, where they discussed ADMC procedures and demil capabilities. After the meeting, the visitors had the opportunity to view an open burn of rocket propellant. This gave Roller a chance to see the end result of his office's planning and see ADMC's "ammunition experts" performing demil operations safely and effectively.
The next stop for the visitors was a very special one. Roller; along with ADMC Commander Lt. Col. Duncan MacMullen; Larry Gunter, from AMCOM G3; Tim Arrington, Anniston Army Depot facilities engineer; Bob Abernathy of Army Corps of Engineers; Greg Bahr of Joint Munitions Command; and Patricia Page, ADMC production management division chief, attended the groundbreaking ceremony for ADMC's new Multiple Launch Rocket System recycling facility.
The MLRS facility will be located at the old Lance missile fueling facility in the ADMC restricted area.
"This project will provide significant capability to reduce the MLRS stockpile in a cost effective and environmentally sound manner. ADMC is very pleased to be part of the integrated team forging innovative solutions for the greater demilitarization effort," said MacMullen.
The MLRS recycling facility will be another step into the future for ADMC and for the Army's recycling and demilitarization programs.
"This facility will give the Army a capability that currently does not exist - to reduce the MLRS stockpile and also to reduce the environmental impact by recycling somewhere around two million pounds of propellant that would have been burned or detonated," said Gunter. The Army is expecting approximately 50,000 to 60,000 MLRS to enter the demil program starting in the year 2012, according to Roller. "This facility at ADMC will be the first government-owned facility built to deal with this MLRS problem of the future."
After the groundbreaking ceremony, the guests were taken to ADMC's Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire guided missile Recycling Facility for a tour and explanation of capabilities and processes. Then the guests were taken to a special lunch at the Berman Varner House prepared by ANAD Chef Scott Laird.
"Demilitarization of missiles and munitions is one of the core competencies of the ammunition experts at ADMC. And we certainly appreciate the opportunity to show first-hand what the team can do for the supported program managers, and ultimately the joint warfighter," said MacMullen.
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