A gathering of key stories and photos that capture some of the action at the Army's manufacturing center at Watervliet, New York for the month of July 2015. The Arsenal has been in continuous operation since the War of 1812

1. U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal
July 2015
THE
SALVO
Not since 9/11 have
U.S. troops deployed here
Story on Page 3

2. Page 2 Salvo July 31, 2015
The Arsenal Salvo is an authorized monthly publication for members of the Department
of Defense. Contents of the Salvo are not necessarily the official views of, or an endorse-
ment by the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, or
the Watervliet Arsenal.
News may be submitted for publication by sending articles to Public Affairs Officer,
1 Buffington Street, Bldg. 10, Watervliet, NY 12189, or stop by office #102, Bldg. 10,
Watervliet Arsenal. The editor may also be reached at (518) 266-5055 or by e-mail:
john.b.snyder.civ@mail.mil. The editor reserves the right to edit all information submitted
for publication.
Commander, Col. Lee H. Schiller Jr.
Public Affairs Officer, John B. Snyder
Editor, John B. Snyder
Photographer: John B. Snyder
Arsenal Facebook Page @
http://on.fb.me/sq3LEm
Colonel
Lee H. Schiller Jr.
Commanding
Manufacturer 6
Commander’s
Corner
By the time you read this, the Arsenal’s annual
shutdown will be in its final hours. I appreciate the
great effort by those who remained on duty during this
week to enhance the Arsenal’s safety and maintenance
posture. Well done!
If you have taken an interest in some of the
$27 million of infrastructure work that is currently
ongoing, you may have seen a few uniformed troops
on the periphery in recent weeks. They have been
working for us.
Nine Army officers and sergeants from the Army
Reserves’ 305th
Engineer Facility Detachment, from
Staten Island, spent two weeks this month with our
public works team to help oversee some of the major
waterline work, provide electrical expertise, as well as
to help draft statements of work for new projects.
This great effort by the Reservists provided several
benefits to our operations.
One, we worked them hard for two weeks at no
cost to us. Several of the troops provided additional
quality control oversight of ongoing projects,
while others help set the conditions for success for
future public works projects. Secondly, we hope to
establish a long-term relationship with this unit and
its sister brigade units for continued support. Two
other engineer units in this Reserve brigade provide
horizontal (road-type of work) and vertical (building-
type of work) support, which we could greatly use.
It was truly great having this team of professionals
and I look forward to hosting them again next year.
Now that most of the annual leave has been
taken, it is time for us to push hard to close out the
fiscal year, which ends on September 30th
. There are
delivery schedules we have promised to meet and just
as important, there are revenue figures that we must
hit. Both of these measurable actions will help us
define success for this year.
Finally, if we get someone hurt or damage our
equipment while trying to close out the year, that
will put a stain on all of our efforts. So, now is not
the time to take shortcuts and we will reinforce that
message during our annual safety shutdown on August
13th
.

3. Page 3 Salvo July 31, 2015
By John B. Snyder
Story continues on page 4, see “Reserves”
Front row: Capt. Mario Boemio, 1st Lt. Anthony Richards. Second row: Maj. Brian Mykulak, Maj. John Coppola, 1st Lt. Louis Boisnier, Staff
Sgt. Nandram Shiwnath, Sgt. David Diano, Capt. Corey Walsh, 1st Lt. Joshua Lehman.
Photos by John B. Snyder
ArmA Army Reserve Soldiers’ expertise
in high demand at Watervliet
Not since 9/11 has the Watervliet Arsenal had U.S.
troops deploy to support its operations, until now, as
nine personnel from the U.S. Army Reserve’s 305th
Engineer Facility Detachment from Staten Island de-
ployed here July 13 to do critical support work.
There was no crisis or force protection concern, as
was the case when the last troop units deployed here
following the devastating attacks on our homeland on
Sept. 11, 2001. This support is more about efficiently
leveraging critical engineering capability to support
the Arsenal as it undergoes $27 million worth of con-
struction projects, said Col. Lee H. Schiller Jr., the
Arsenal commander.
“This year, we added more than $20 million of new
construction work with no increase in public works
personnel who do the planning, coordination, and the
oversight for all construction projects,” Schiller said.
“And so, when the 305th
Army Reserve unit volun-
teered to conduct its two-week annual training here,
we jumped at the opportunity to have an experienced
engineer team perform critical work for us, at no cost
to our operations.”
Photo by John B. Snyder

4. Page 4 Salvo July 31, 2015
Reserves Cont.
1st Lt. Anthony Richards, right, and
Sgt. David Diano working on electrical
panels in the Big Gun Shop. Nine Army
Reservists from the 305th Engineer
Facility Detachment from Staten Island
spent their two-week annual training
at the Arsenal. Many Reservists said
that it was great to provide such critical
engineering support to an Army post
that is located in their home state. If
this detachment has any say on where
they will be during next year’s annual
training, it will be here.
Photo by John B. Snyder
Maj. John Coppola, the detachment commander,
said that his team provided engineering expertise that
ranged from civil engineers to architects to electri-
cians.
“What is great about supporting the Watervliet
Arsenal is that we are able to provide engineering sup-
port that will stay in New York State and that every-
thing we do will support our annual training require-
ments,” Coppola said. “This is definitely a win-win
situation for the Reserves and for the Arsenal.”
Coppola said that on day one his team was already
making a difference on the Arsenal.
The detachment immediately accepted tasks that
have: eased the workload for some of the Arsenal
staff; provided an extra set of eyes, as well as experi-
ence, to the quality control process of a $5 million
water project; and assisted in the mapping and minor
repair of electrical systems, Coppola said.
1st Lt. Anthony Richards, a licensed electrician by
trade, said that the experience he received inspecting
the Arsenal’s electrical grid is unlike anything he has
ever experienced.
“The Arsenal has a unique electrical system that
can only be found in a large manufacturing center,”
Richards said as he was inspecting an electrical panel
in the Arsenal’s historic Big Gun Shop. “I believe that
what I did here was so important that I almost feel as
if I am becoming part of the Arsenal’s history.”
This detachment remained on duty here until July
24, said Robert Shadlock, the Arsenal’s senior engi-
neer who was also the liaison with the Reserve detach-
ment.
“These guys were great in that they came in on day
one and immediately went to work providing quality
control oversight to a major water line project, as well
as drafting statements of work for future public works
projects,” Shadlock said. “The bottom line is that they
saved us a bunch of money by providing critical engi-
neering expertise to our public works department just
as several major construction projects were at their
peak.”
Coppola added that he hopes this new relationship
with the Arsenal will continue and that he will invite
his sister units in the brigade, which deal with verti-
cal and horizontal construction, to support the Arsenal
during their future annual training.
Schiller said he is already envisioning what could
get done on the Arsenal next year if he had more Re-
serve support.
“Having this team here has really opened my eyes
as to the realm of possibilities of how we could signifi-
cantly improve the infrastructure of this post,” Schil-
ler said. “If we could get continued support next year
by this detachment or even better yet, if the Reserves
could add more units to support, we could truly make
a huge impact on upgrading the infrastructure of this
202-year-old post.”
Other than providing office space and limited
computer-network support, there was no cost to the
Arsenal.
Photo by John B. Snyder

5. Page 5 Salvo July 31, 2015
Story continues on page 6, “Visit”
Army’s Industrial Base leaders
meet to improve Soldier support
Industrial base leaders that included the Project Director for the Army’s Main Battle Tank Systems, Andy DiMarco, Arsenal Commander Col.
Lee Schiller Jr., Anniston Army Depot Commander Col. Brent Bolander, and Benét Lab Director Lee Bennet, achieved significant objectives
during a gathering here earlier this month to discuss how to better support the Soldier.
Photo by John B. Snyder
By John B. Snyder
After nearly 15 years of sustained support to wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan, more than 20 leaders from the Army’s
industrial base converged on the Watervliet Arsenal on July
8 to discuss how best to support our Army as it prepares for
the next unpredictable crisis.
The purpose of this gathering was to bring together key
program managers for the Army’s ground combat systems
together with select leadership from the Army’s arsenals
and depots to discuss cost, schedules, and above all, quality,
said Col. Lee H. Schiller Jr., the Arsenal commander.
“The ultimate goal for this event is to look at the challenges
and initiatives that will ensure the long-term viability of
the Army’s industrial base, especially in an environment of
declining defense budgets and requirements,” Schiller said.
“If we remain viable, to our communities and to our nation,
then we know that we are providing critical sustained
support to our troops, support that today cannot come from
outside of the Army’s industrial base.”
Given that all attendees have either been the recipient of
Watervliet products or had previously worked hand-in-hand
with the Arsenal’s manufacturing center, limited time was
spent providing overview briefings of the Arsenal’s opera-
tions before the group moved to observe the quality control
process in the production centers. Additionally, the U.S.
Army’s Benét Laboratories, which is collocated on the Ar-
senal, was a key part of the series of discussions about how

6. Page 6 Salvo July 31, 2015
Visit Cont.
research and design is weaved into every step of the
quality control process.
What everyone observed during the tour went beyond
the standard orientation visit because of the heavy
focus on quality. A significant amount of explanation
and demonstration was spent on such quality control
processes as magnetic particle inspection, ultrasound
testing, metrology checks, and first article inspections
of vendor products.
Why so much effort on quality?
Beyond the cost of its products or its on-time delivery
rate, many believe that the Arsenal’s number one con-
tribution to a Soldier is its quality. The last thing any
leader wants is for his or her troops to hesitate in the
heat of battle because they do not trust their weapon
system. The unwavering confidence that a Soldier has
in his weapon system is due to Arsenal quality.
The Arsenal’s quality assurance process begins at the
gate when raw stock or unfinished products arrive for
manufacturing and continues throughout the life cycle
of the weapon system it manufactures.
The summit also provided a venue for the attendees
to see firsthand the Arsenal’s critical skill capabilities
that have supported every U.S. Soldier since the War
of 1812. With nearly 600 manufacturing machines,
the Arsenal demonstrated its capability to provide
full-scale metal manufacturing of products that range
from 30-foot howitzer tubes to a firing pin that can fit
into a pants pocket.
“I was very proud to host this event and to have the
chance to showcase the Arsenal’s capabilities and its
outstanding workforce,” Schiller said. “I believe that
as partners in the Army’s industrial base we are now
better focused on how to best to support our Army in
a complex world.”
According to Schiller, this summit was the second
iteration of a recent initiative by arsenal and depot
leadership to improve the Army’s industrial base.
The first roundtable session was conducted at the
Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois earlier this year.
Photos by John B. Snyder
Top: Benét Labs Materials Engineer, Paul Bouchard, left, explaining the
work that he does in the Materials Lab.
Center: Chad Day, from Rock Island Arsenal, viewing the rotary forge.
Bottom: Production Control & Program Manager Terry Van Vranken, right,
leading the tour.

7. Page 7 Salvo July 31, 2015
Army manufacturing centers
don’t shut down, do they?
By John B. Snyder
Photo by John B. Snyder
Quality assurance inspector Josh Neal, right and machine tool inspector
Mike Paraszczak take extraordinary time and care remarking a gauge used
for 155mm howitzer tubes. New calculations and markings will improve
quality control.
Long days, 90-degree heat, and no wind — yes, it
must be time for the Arsenal’s annual shutdown week.
Not to get into what the correct definition or termi-
nology of what a shutdown should be, but it should be
self-evident that calling an intense maintenance and
safety surge is anything from a shutdown.
For decades, the Arsenal shuts down production one
week a year to prop-
erly manage a wave of
vacations that occurs
each summer, but more
importantly, the activi-
ties during a shutdown
ensure the Arsenal’s
machines and equipment
are ready to launch into
a new production year,
which starts on Octo-
ber 1, said Col. Lee H.
Schiller Jr., the Arsenal
commander.
Tim Allard, who is
the Arsenal’s chief of the
Manufacturing Support
Division, said the shut-
down period allows him to service hundreds of produc-
tion machines, many of which are in continuous opera-
tion during the year for the production of such product
lines as tubes for mortars, tanks, and for artillery sys-
tems. It is also a time for the Operations Directorate,
which has the preponderance of Arsenal personnel, to
focus on Occupational Safety and Health Administra-
tion or OSHA requirements.
“I have 141 personnel this year who are performing
maintenance and safety-related tasks that range from
inspecting slings to changing air and oil filters to repair-
ing machines,” Allard said. “Although I could use all
141 personnel, I sent 28 personnel to public works to
help out the rest of the Arsenal team so that they may
accomplish other critical safety and maintenance-related
tasks.”
Mike White, the acting supervisor of the Public
Works maintenance team, said the impact of having
an extra 28 personnel meant all the difference between
success and failure during the annual shutdown. After
all, White said that he had more than 1,000 tasks to ac-
complish this week.
“We have more than
50 air conditioning units,
300 exhaust fans, 150
overhead doors, hun-
dreds of other pieces of
equipment that had to be
inspected and serviced,
and numerous crosswalks
and parking lots had new
lines painted,” White
said. “The key to our
success, however, was
the work we did in prepa-
ration for this week.”
In addition to devel-
oping a detailed task list,
an extraordinary effort
was also made during the
year to replace senior, well-experienced personnel with
individuals who are also well-experienced and highly
motivated, White said. Key people had departed due to
retirements or another job opportunity.
“We truly have built a great team of self-starters who
get the job done without a lot of supervision,” White
said. “The shutdown week also provides a great lead-
ership experience for us as many public works team
members supervised the personnel who are on loan to
us this week.”
Schiller added to White’s comment by saying that
although the shutdown is only a week-long event, the
planning is a continuous activity. The planning for next
year’s shutdown will begin the day after the current
shutdown is completed.

8. Page 8 Salvo July 31, 2015
Shutdown ???
2
0
1
5

9. Page 9 Salvo July 31, 2015
Visual Control of work and processes is a subject we have been talking about a lot lately – well, around the Continuous
Improvement Office, anyway. It is a common technique used in Lean companies. The theory behind Visual Control is
that if something is clearly visible or in plain sight, when it’s actually happening, then it will be seen and addressed quick-
ly.
Proper Visual Control should highlight that a problem exists, even to someone unfamiliar with the specifics of the process.
Colors help: green = good, yellow = possibly going bad, red = bad.
There are several categories of Visual Control:
Visual Controls that make a process more efficient with fewer defects -
• Tool storage that includes all needed tools and shows when a tool is missing.
• A posted “Key Points” sheet that lists the critical steps in a process with helpful hints.
• Lines on the floor or wall showing the best place to put things.
• Reorder points for raw materials or parts.
Visual Controls that show the status of a process -
• Hour-by-hour comparison of planned production to actual production with issues encountered and corrective ac-
tions (by machine or by line).
• Overview of the area with machine status, part number/operations expected to run with expected times of comple-
tion (with actual operations/times).
• Machine status lights – red, yellow, and green.
• Operator attendance and assignments.
• Routine maintenance or 6S checklists with sign-offs and Supervisor validation.
Visual Controls should be designed to make management of a process easier and the process itself easier for the operator.
Most Visual Controls should be worker-managed. Employees performing the work should be engaged in design and up-
keep so they can work steadily unless something goes wrong. This is called “management by exception.” You don’t have
to manage the system when it is working; you just have to deal with the issues that come up that interfere with the pro-
cess. Also, we all must be sensitive to the fact that a process’ “dirty laundry” is out there for all to see. And this is a good
thing! An abnormality indicated by a Visual Control is an opportunity to see and correct a problem you would otherwise
never notice until it’s too late.
LEAN Corner...By Mark Ripley
Photo provided by the Continuous Improvement Office

10. Page 10 Salvo July 31, 2015
William Tharp
Operations Directorate
Who would have thought that a former boat builder and
U.S. Navy hovercraft repairman would fit in at an Army post,
but as crazy as that sounds it works here.
That opening statement is not meant to cast dispersions on
our sister service, because the Navy, albeit a younger service
than that of the Army, also has a storied history of self-sac-
rifice, personal courage, and worldwide presence. But there
is definitely a cultural difference between land and sea faring
individuals.
To some who may not have served in the military, those
cultural difference might seem too challenging to overcome.
But for those who have worn the uniform of our military, they
know that values such as
integrity, sense of duty, and
respect transcend the differ-
ent branches of service.
William “Will” Tharp is
one of those rare individuals
who made that transition,
from ship to shore, about as
well as anyone could have
expected here.
Will served in the Navy
for six years repairing hov-
ercrafts, an experience that
allowed him to gain valu-
able experience in plumb-
ing, welding, fabrication,
and of all things, firefight-
ing. Firefighting? Abso-
lutely! When one is con-
fined to a ship hundreds of miles off of a coastline, everyone
becomes a firefighter. During his Navy years, he also met and
married his girlfriend, who was also a Sailor.
Understanding the unique challenges, such as long-term
deployments, that many military families have, the Tharp’s
decided it would be best to start a family as civilians. They
both left active-military service.
Will, originally from New York, landed a job at Scarano
Boat Building in Albany, where he was hired as a welder. But
after a couple of years, Will and his wife wanted to start a
family and with a family comes a heightened demand for ben-
efits, such as health care.
Will admits that when he applied for a welding job at the
Arsenal nearly four years ago, he knew very little about the
Arsenal except for what he learned on social media sites and
Wikipedia. Nevertheless, he knew that his military training
would be a great fit at an Army manufacturing center and if he
could land a job here, then he would be set with the benefits
needed to raise a family.
In the less than four years that Will has worked here, he has
progressed beyond expectations, having gone from a welder of
mortar baseplates to metal fabricator to now, a metal processor
work leader who supervises nearly 25 personnel.
“In little time, Will acquired his certification to be a weld
inspector, as well as lever-
aged his skills to become the
Arsenal’s sole metal fabrica-
tor,” said Greg Marcklinger,
General Foreman of Metal
Processing. “In regards to
his leadership attributes,
Will takes extraordinary ef-
fort to train the 25 new metal
processors in such critical
skills as welding and water-
jet cutting.”
To Will, “This is like be-
ing in the Navy,” he said to
explain how it feels to have
a team that he can build. In
the Navy, Will was a Petty
Officer 1st
Class who often
supervised up to 30 person-
nel.
Will now has a daughter, who is nearly three, and another
one due next month. Somehow, between maintaining a great
family and success as a work leader, Will found time to com-
plete an Associate’s Degree in Applied Marine Engineering
and remains a full-time student at the American Public Uni-
versity, where he plans to attain a Bachelor’s degree in Busi-
ness Administration.
For his well-representing all the great values of military
service, his dedication to the Arsenal and to his family, and
for his ability to build teams, Will is truly deserving to be this
month’s Arsenal Face of Strength.
Story and Photo By John B. Snyder
William Tharp, left, taking time earlier this month to work with new metal
processor Chris Finn to teach him the finer points of Arsenal welding.

11. Page 11 Salvo July 31, 2015
Having a strong user name
and password for all of your
devices and online accounts
is your first line of defense.
Once a hacker gains your
information, he or she may
not use that data for years.
And so, you must be vigi-
lant checking your financial
statements looking for any
charges or expenses that you
cannot recall.
Your personal information was stolen online
Why it’s a big deal. What you can do.
The latest attacks from Anthem, Premera Blue Cross, and OPM affected more than 100 million people. If
we include credit card companies, banks, and scores of other online sites that contain Personal Identifiable
Information or PII that were hacked, chances are you’ve lost a little or a lot of your personal information.
What’s the big deal?
Your PII is what defines you in the real world as well as the Cyber realm. Imagine only losing your Social
Security Number. Your Social Security Number is used for opening financial accounts, such as house
mortgages, car loans, and credit cards. Missed payments are tied to your Social Security number and end up
on your credit report. You could receive a criminal history record if the actual criminal is using your Social
Security Number.
What you can do.
Do nothing and the consequences could be dire. Someone could open financial accounts in your name, personal
emails can be stolen, credit card debt racked up. You get the picture.
1. Don’t use the same password. Imagine having the same key for your home, office, car, safety deposit
box, and gym locker. All the bad guy needs is one key and they access to all of them. If you’re like me
and can’t remember all those passwords, use products like OneSafe or 1Password.
2. Use two factor authentication. It sounds complicated but it’s not and it works like this: You logon to
your bank or email account and the bank or service provider sends you a text message to your phone to
verify you are truly you.
3. Identity theft protection. The three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, TransUnion, and Equi-
fax) provide identity theft protection. Get credit monitoring services and check it on a regular basis.
4. Never respond to emails, text messages or phone calls requesting personal information you did not
initiate. Call or email the company with information you know is good.
(The author: Maj. Dennis Kaszynski is the Information Assurance Officer for Watervliet Arsenal)

12. Page 12 Salvo July 31, 2015
Arsenal History
Oh, 1926 was not such a good year
This question always comes up every year
during the Arsenal’s annual shutdown
period ... has the Arsenal ever truly shut
down?
Col. Edwin Bricker hit a low point in his
command in 1926 when only 126 workers
remained due to the decline of the defense
requirements after World War I. Of this
number, only 41 machinists and toolmak-
ers were on duty.
To spread out the limited production re-
quirements through the year in order to not
lose any more workers, the entire Arsenal
closed for a month’s vacation in July 1926.