U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal's April 2015 newsletter: The Salvo

U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal
April 2015
THE
SALVO
“We Need Help”
Community Responds
Story on Page 3

Salvo April 30, 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
For those of you who have been here awhile,
you know by now that hosting senior Army leaders,
program managers, and community leaders is a very
valuable tool for us to tell our story and the Army
story to a broader audience. This month was no
different.
Our visitors this month ranged from the Army’s
Chief of Ordnance to the American Legion’s National
Commander, a total of four visits that involved just the
command group.
When we are alerted that a senior Army or
community leader wants to come here, we should look
at that task as a rare opportunity to tell our story, to
build relationships, and to let each visitor know what
they can do to support our arsenal. I view hosting
visitors is everyone’s mission because every visitor
we support is in some way critical to the long-term
viability of the Arsenal.
The month of April is also a turning point for us
as we reorient ourselves from cold-weather safety to
summer safety. As snow blowers are being put into
storage for the summer, many of you are now pulling
out motorcycles, boats, lawn mowers, and barbecue
grills.
It has been a long winter and so, prior to restarting
your summer activities please review the proper
operating procedures and safety precautions for each
activity. Believe it or not, those extra few minutes
you take to think about safety may save lifelong pain
and suffering.
Although we participate in community events
throughout the year, the month of May is probably
one of our busiest months of the year in regards to
community relations. In the next few weeks, we will
support the Cohoes Middle School Career Day, the NY
State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame Ceremony, the NY
State Department of Labor Memorial Day Ceremony,
the Green Island Memorial Day Parade, and the City
of Watervliet Memorial DayParade.
Many of you put in countless hours of your own
time building baseball fields for our youth, building
homes for our Veterans, or marching in parades. All
of this adds value to our organization, as well as
enriches our tradition and history.
I thank you for all that you do to build on the
Arsenal’s great reputation.

By Arsenal Public Affairs
Story continues on page 4, see “HAZMAT”
The Watervliet Arsenal conducted its annual Hazardous Material Exercise on April 23 and as what has become a custom of recent years, it
called on the community’s first responders. Emergency service equipment and personnel came from Saratoga, Rensselaer, Albany, and
Schenectady counties, as well as from New York’s National Guard. Here are first responders from Saratoga and Schenectady counties.
Photo by Matthew Day
Arsenal calls for help,
the community responds
An emergency dispatch on April 23 claiming that
a man was seriously injured and sulfur dioxide was
leaking at the Arsenal’s waste treatment plant was the
trigger than eventually brought more than 60 first re-
sponders from Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, and
Saratoga Counties to the Arsenal ̶ all were part of a
three-hour hazardous material or HAZMAT exercise.
John Whipple, the Arsenal’s Fire Chief, said the
exercise trained the Arsenal and community first re-
sponders to better react to four scenarios: sulfur diox-
ide leak; chlorine spill; rail car leak; and a confined-
space rescue.
“We knew this was going to be a challenging sce-
nario,” Whipple said. “But we truly wanted to exer-
cise each fire department so that we will have a better
understanding of the level of capability that would be
readily available in a crisis or an emergency.”
Having watched on the world’s stage intentional
or unintentional acts of nuclear, biological, radiologi-
cal, or chemical emergencies, the Arsenal leadership
understands that it cannot stand alone in its ability to
respond to a real-world, large-scale incident, said John
Snyder, the Arsenal’s public affairs officer.
“Within New York’s Capital District, there is no
one town, city, or community that has the inherent first
responder capability to provide a timely and adequate
response to a major emergency or crisis,” Snyder said.
“Throughout the Capital District, however, when we
work together and share our capability, every commu-
nity then has a robust package of capability that is just
a phone call away.”

HAZMAT Cont.
Top: Arsenal Assistant Fire Chief Stephen Bogart took charge of the
first incident that triggered the response by community first respond-
ers.
Bottom: Rensselaer County Hazardous Material Coordinator, Ray
Davis, being interviewed by NEWS10 ABC reporter Joshua Rulten-
berg. NEWS10 arrived for the exercise at 4:30 a.m. and stayed until
12:15 p.m., going live five times during the exercise.
Prior to the first vehicle arriving, the Arsenal had
to establish an incident command center that was
manned by Kenneth Haviland, assistant fire chief
for the Watervliet Arsenal. From that command
post, Haviland quickly assessed the large volume
of information flowing in from inside the Arsenal
fence line, as well as from outside the fence line.
Although Haviland works for the arsenal’s fire
chief, he was not part of the planning process and
so, every situation was as new to him as it was to
the first responders who came from outside of the
Arsenal fence line.
In addition to community fire and EMS respond-
ers, New York’s National Guard supported the ex-
ercise in significant numbers and capability.
The Stratton Air National Guard Fire Depart-
ment provided a complete package of support as
it handled a simulated chlorine leak and Soldiers
from the 2nd Civil Support Team, Weapon of Mass
Destruction, had the confined-space rescue mission.
Whipple, who was the exercise lead planner,
said the Arsenal began integrating community first
responders, such as hazardous material and EMS
teams, about five years ago into the Arsenal’s train-
ing plan for anti-terrorism exercises.
“You never quite know the true level of capabil-
ity that first response teams from outside of the Ar-
senal have until you see them in action, and that is
a huge benefit from conducting these multi-echelon
exercises,” Whipple said. “We certainly don’t want
to learn about what each community has in regards
to HAZMAT response capability in the middle of
an emergency because by then, it will be too late.”
This annual exercise was directed by the Ar-
senal’s higher headquarters, TACOM Life Cycle
Management Command. It is just one of many the
Arsenal fire department conducts each year with lo-
cal first responder agencies.
More photos on Page 12
Photos by John B. Snyder

National Commander
kicks off NY tour, here
By John B. Snyder
Story continues on page 6, “Legion”
The American Legion's National Commander, Mi-
chael Helm, launched his three-day tour of New York
state this month by first visiting the historic Watervliet
Arsenal, an Army-owned and operated manufacturing
center.
Helm, who was elected the leader of the 2.4 mil-
lion-member American Legion last August, follows a
visit last January to the Arsenal by Frank Peters, the
New York State American Legion Department Com-
mander.
Truly understanding how rare, as well as how
important this visit is to the Arsenal, Watervliet Arse-
nal Commander Col. Lee H. Schiller Jr. led a strong
demonstration of workforce pride that he believes will
go a long way toward building a great first impression
for one who leads more than 2.4 million Veterans.
"For nearly 100 years, we have participated in com-
munity events alongside members of the American
Legion," Schiller said. "But it wasn't until this year
that we have worked very hard to get not one, but two
of the Legion's senior leadership to visit us."
Schiller believes that engaging Veteran Service Or-
ganizations, such as the American Legion, is a natural
and common sense approach to remaining engaged
Standing in front of the Big Gun Shop is American Legion National Commander Michael Helm, center, New York State Department Command-
er Frank Peters, left, and New York State Department Adjutant James Casey.
Photo by John B. Snyder

such as a 155mm howitzer
tube being forged and then
heat treated. He witnessed
howitzer tubes being bent
several inches as they were
pressed by hundreds of
tons of pressure in an effort
to straighten them.
Helm also saw the Ar-
senal's mortar production
line, which he said brought
back fond memories of
when he served in the
82nd Airborne Division.
He closed out his visit
with a trip to Benét
Laboratories' product
display area where
new weapons technol-
ogy was showcased.
"Given all the
changes that you have
had to work through
your 200 years of opera-
tion, and where you are
today leveraging new
technology, you have got
to be pretty excited about
what you do," Helm said.
"Because I am."
Peters, who visited the
Arsenal last January, said
that he thought so highly
of his last visit that when
he heard the American
Legion National Com-
mander was coming to
New York, he had to
share the great work that
Watervliet is doing for
our nation.
Helm is a U.S. Army
veteran from the Vietnam
War era, having served
with the 82nd Airborne
Division in Fort Bragg,
N.C., and earned his
Ranger Tab in 1972.
Page 6 Salvo April 30, 2015
Legion Cont.
with the community
or in Helm's case,
the nation.
The Arsenal
often hosts senior
Army leaders, such
as it did this month
with Brig. Gen.
John "Jack" Haley,
the Army's Chief of
Ordnance, but today's
visit by Helm opens
up a different set of
opportunities for the
Arsenal to tell its
story, as well as the
Army story, to a national
or worldwide audience.
"We have a great
history and lineage that
we owe in large part
to the support that we
get from those outside
of our gate," Schiller
said. "And so, we view
every community en-
gagement, such as with
Commander Helm, as
critical to ensuring the
Arsenal's long-term vi-
ability."
Schiller and Lee Ben-
nett, the Director of the
Army's Benét Laborato-
ries that is collocated at
the Arsenal, started the
tour with a command
briefing where 200 years
of technology, research,
and manufacturing was
showcased.
From there, Helm
toured several production
bays where he saw criti-
cal manufacturing opera-
tions being performed,
Top: Business Development Officer Jake Peart leading American Legion
National Commander Michael Helm on the tour.
Center: Quality Assurance Inspector Michael Merrill explaining to Com-
mander Helm how the 60mm mortar barrel has been reduced in weight.
Bottom: Lee Bennett, the Director of the Army’s Benét Laboratories, left,
talking to Commander Helm, red cap, about the various weapon systems
that his team has worked on over the years.

Benét Labs leads DOD
Challenge to improve
Defense Industrial Base
By John B. Snyder
The Army’s
Benét Laboratories
announced this
month that it was
selected by the
Department of De-
fense to spearhead
a science and engi-
neering challenge
that will pit higher
education students
from throughout the
United States in a
competition to de-
velop software ap-
plications that may
improve the ef-
ficiency of defense
manufacturing.
John P. Snyder,
who is a senior me-
chanical engineer
with Benét Laboratories and who is
the lead program manager for the
DOD challenge, said that the goal
of the MTConnect® Student Chal-
lenge is to make defense manu-
facturing, such as at the Watervliet
Arsenal, more efficient and com-
petitive by leveraging great ad-
vance manufacturing ideas from
collegiate-level science, technol-
ogy, engineering, and mathematics
students (STEM).
“The bottom line is that we want
to leverage fresh thoughts as to
how to bring defense manufactur-
ing into a new era of digital manu-
facturing,” Snyder said. “Digital
manufacturing will provide real-
time information throughout the
organization, which will improve
production efficiency.”
Additionally, in an era of declin-
ing interest by STEM students to
consider employment in defense
manufacturing, it is important that
we develop ways to stimulate stu-
dent interest
in our industry
that will in the
end improve
the long-term
viability of the
defense indus-
trial base, Sny-
der said.
Digital man-
ufacturing, ac-
cording to Sny-
der, will help
close the gap to
a serious short-
fall of real-time
information
being shared in
manufacturing
centers. Access
to real-time data
ranges from the
on-time delivery of raw material to
the efficient utilization of machin-
ery.
There are two phases to the MT-
Connect® challenge.
Phase one, the Ideation Phase,
will require students to develop a
research paper describing the tech-
nology innovative software that
will collect manufacturing data via
Valerie Pezzullo, a former Clemson University student who received her master’s degree in
mechanical engineering in May 2014, won last year’s MTConnect Challenge for her applica-
tion that detects vibrations in metal-cutting machines.
Photo by Clemson University
Story continues on
page 8, “Challenge”

Challenge Cont.
the MTConnect® standard. As part of the student’s
information gathering they will conduct interviews with
manufacturing entities, government or private manufac-
turing sites, to develop the prob-
lem statement, solution, and their
proposition to fix the problem.
Phase One runs from June 8, 2015
through Sept. 11, 2015.
These reports will be reviewed
by a panel of DOD representa-
tives who will select five winning
submissions; first place will be
awarded $5,000, second place
will be awarded $2,500, and three
runner-up submissions will each be
awarded $1,000. The top finalists
will present their findings at the
National Tooling and Machining Association convention
in October 2015.
In the second phase, the Challenge Phase, the stu-
dents will develop software applications that will har-
ness innovation and manufacturing intelligence break-
throughs that could benefit DOD manufacturers and
their supply chain. Phase Two runs from June 8, 2015
through March 1, 2016.
A DOD panel will review these presentations and
select five finalists who will present their findings at the
2016 MTConnect® conference in April 2016. The first
place award recipient will receive $10,000, $7,500 for
second place, and the third place finisher will receive
$5,000.
Valerie Pezzullo, a former Clemson University stu-
dent who received her master’s degree in mechanical
engineering in May 2014, won last year’s MTConnect®
Challenge for her application that detects vibrations in
metal-cutting machines.
According to a Clemson University article, Pez-
zullo developed an application that detects vibrations in
metal-cutting machines so that corrections can be made
before parts are damaged. This application is expected
to help manufacturers that rely on computer-controlled
machines to make highly precise parts for a variety of
industries, ranging from automotive to aerospace. It
could have an especially large impact on manufacturers
that use high-value materials.
Pezzullo’s application gathers data from sensors and
gives machine operators the information they need to
reduce or suppress vibrations while the machine is oper-
ating. The data can also be analyzed and communicated
in the machining network to help prevent vibrations in
future operations.
According to Pezzullo, regenerative vibration, or
“chatter,” can ruin parts that cost as much as $20,000
each in raw materials alone. By the time the vibrations
are audible, it’s too late because the part already may be
damaged.
MTConnect® is a newly developed, open communi-
cation standard that provides the capability to pass data
from equipment and devices to higher level systems
for further processing. The MTConnect® Challenge
focuses on promoting the development of manufactur-
ing platform solutions using a standard protocol. The
Association for Manufacturing Technology adopted the
MTConnect® standard to standardize communication
protocols that manufacturing equipment can follow to
share data.
The Defense-wide Manufacturing Science and Tech-
nology center is DOD’s sponsoring organization, and
the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and
Machining, as well as the Association for Manufacturing
Technology are partners with Benét Labs to administer
the challenge.
Top: Machinist Harold
Mosher preparing a 60mm
baseplate for machining
while Yap Film director
of photography, Aaron
Szimanski, readies the
camera during a photo
shoot Yap Films did at the
Arsenal in August 2014.
Left: Watervliet Arsenal
Machinist Peter Nor-
thup working on a 81mm
mortar tube using a CNC
machine.

Through the more than 200 years the Arsenal has been
in existence, countless transformations have taken place
that have radically changed the Arsenal’s product lines,
processes, and more importantly, its people.
Today’s Arsenal is no longer the 12-acre plot of land
that once packed ammunition cartridges for the War of
1812, nor is it the manufacturing center where more
than 9,000 workers once toiled to provide critical
weapons to our nation’s troops during World War
II.
But what the Arsenal remains to be today is a
place where men and women can learn or nurture
a skill, provide a good middle-class living to their
family, and if they make it a career, leave here
one day a better person than when they ar-
rived.
After more than 30 years of dedicated
service here, Charles “Chuck” Nobles is
such a man.
During Chuck’s tenure here, he pro-
fesses that he went from an angry boxer
to a preacher. But more importantly,
Chuck says that he has truly grown to
love the Arsenal and his team in pub-
lic works.
“I served in the U.S. Marine Corps
in the early 1970s as a tool and die
maker,” Chuck said. “Although the
Marine Corps toughened me, I took
my toughness to another level as I be-
gan boxing at Camp Lejeune and then in
Okinawa.”
Chuck said that boxing provided a release from stress, as
well as helped him to focus his life toward better outcomes.
Considering that he boxed against some very tough Ma-
rines, such as Leon Spinks, the former heavy weight cham-
pion of the world, it may amaze Chuck’s fellow Marines to
see him today as a soft-spoken, kind and gentle person.
After his discharge from the Marines, Chuck leveraged
his experience as a tool and die maker to land a job as a
machine tool operator at the Arsenal. After a few years,
Chuck once again leveraged his machining skills to better
himself by being accepted into the Arsenal’s apprenticeship
program.
But once again his love for boxing called and he left the
Arsenal to restart his boxing career in California. After a
few years, Chuck said that it became clear to him that his
love for boxing did not at the end of the day put food on the
table. And so, as a much more humble person, Chuck reap-
plied for work at the Arsenal.
“I thought the Arsenal would hold it against me for leav-
ing,” Chuck said. “But what I found was a very forgiv-
ing Arsenal in that I was allowed to come back even
though there weren’t any machining jobs available.”
In 1989, Chuck was rehired as an air conditioning
and refrigeration mechanic for public works and for
the last 27 years, Chuck has made a reputation as
one of the most helpful and positive influences
on the Arsenal.
Despite his devotion to the Arsenal,
Chuck found his true calling in 2000
when he attained a degree in Theology
from the Mid-Hudson Bible Institute in
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
“Through the years, I have become
a much more compassionate person
who simply wants to help people
more,” Chuck said. “As an example,
I have leveraged my education and
passion in theology to support prison
ministries throughout the state.”
In that role, Chuck said that he min-
isters on behalf of the Wilborn Temple
Church in Albany to prisoners who do not
get visits very often. He also helps prison-
ers write letters to family and friends. During
holidays, he said that he often brings gifts to prisoners, an
expense that is not reimbursed by his church.
Given Chuck’s calling in ministry, it helps explain to all
who know him as to why this giant of a man is such a kind
and generous person who would do anything for anyone
here.
According to Karen Heiser, the Arsenal’s Chief of Qual-
ity Systems and who has known Chuck for nearly 30 years,
Chuck’s strength of character makes him one of the stron-
gest, as well as the most gentle men on post.
Although Chuck has no plans to leave anytime soon,
suffice it say that many here would agree that Chuck is
truly worthy of being the Arsenal’s Face of Strength for this
month.
Angry boxer to preacher to...
an Arsenal Face of Strength
“Charles Nobles”

Designing, creating, and building things
are in the Watervliet Arsenal's DNA, but it
was the work outside of the Arsenal fence
line this month that something magical hap-
pened ̶ for a brief moment, the building of
cannons became secondary to the building
of lives.
On a small plot of dirt near where cotton
and knitting mills once flourished in the
1800s is a baseball field that had fallen into
near disrepair. For more than 60 years, kids
from the small City of Cohoes, N.Y., spent
their summers greasing their
gloves, putting on the uniform of
their hometown team, and then
picking teams to play ball on this
field.
Through the years, however,
the City of Cohoes had fallen on
tough times, as many other cities
did throughout the nation, as it
lost its manufacturing base. The
city's population peaked in 1910
at nearly 25,000 residents. Today,
a little more than 16,000 call
Cohoes home.
But what was not lost through
the generations of the ebb and
flow of prosperity was the com-
munity's love for its kids. That
was evident this month at the Intermediate Baseball Field on
Adams Avenue.
It would be at this ballpark where many Arsenal em-
ployees joined with the Cohoes community in an effort to
bring back a sense of pride to this field that has hosted three
generations of kids. Given who the club's president and vice
president are, it is no wonder that a spirit of volunteerism
was on such great display.
Donnie Gibbs, who is the president for the National Fed-
eration of Federal Employees Union at the Arsenal, is now
the president of the Cohoes Intermediate Baseball League.
His vice president is Al Frament, a man who spent more than
33 years at the Arsenal and who retired from machining in
2010. They took charge of the league in 2013.
Given Gibbs's and Frament's connections at the Arsenal,
as well as their art of persuasion, they were
able to convince several well-skilled Arsenal
employees, as well as the community, to as-
sist them at the ballpark.
Whether it was Arsenal Fire Chief John
Whipple, who transported sod from a local
store to the ballpark on his personal trailer,
or the Arsenal's Public Works team of Joe
Lavigne, Mike Denim and Jesus Guerra,
who rewired outfield lights among other
things, everyone came together for the kids
regardless of whether or not they called
Cohoes home.
"Just about everything that
goes into a ball field was upgrad-
ed," Gibbs said. "The infield has
new grass, lighting was installed
for night games, and the bleachers
and concession stand have new
paint."
In addition to the Arsenal
workers, Gibbs was able to get
great support from his neighbors,
league families, and from local
businesses.
"Several of my neighbors are
out here helping out and they
don't even have kids," Gibbs said.
"But who really came through
were the local businesses who do-
nated thousands of dollars worth of such things as sod, paint,
lighting material, and heavy equipment."
At no cost to the league, Saratoga Sod provided new
infield grass, Wolberg Lighting Design and Electrical Supply
provided outdoor lighting, Abele Builders and Jack Troy's
Auto Body Works provided dozers, and the Tri-City Valley-
Cats Baseball organization rebuilt the pitcher's mound and
home plate area, Gibbs said.
Frament said that it was great to see the community, as
well as his former coworkers, come out to support the kids.
"I can't wait for the opening day in May when the kids
first come to play, because it will give them a tremendous
sense of pride in their ballpark and in their community," Fra-
ment said. "Heck, it will make us (adults) feel pretty good,
too."
For a brief moment, building cannons
became secondary to building lives
By John B. Snyder
Page 10 Salvo April 30, 2015
Top: Al Frament, former Arsenal Apprentice Program Su-
pervisor and retiree, helping out.
Bottom : Donnie Gibbs, NFFE Union #2109 and league
president, spearheaded the effort.

City of Watervliet
Memorial Day Parade
Monday, May 25th
Save The Date:
The Arsenal is participating in the City of Watervliet Memorial Day Parade on
Monday, May 25, at 10 a.m.
We need volunteers to march with our floats in the parade.
We also have been invited to participate in the Village of Green Island’s
Memorial Day Parade that will take place on Thursday, May 21st, 6 p.m. We
try to support that parade with one float and a couple of emergency service
vehicles.
Arsenal History
April 23, 1861
Arsenal Commander Maj. Alfred Morde-
cai sends letter to the Chief of Ordnance
requesting that he be relieved of command.
Mordecai, a native of North Carolina,
experienced significant criticism and dif-
ficulty from various military sources due to
him being a Southerner. Gen. John Wool,
Commander for the Department of the
East, had queried Mordecai’s junior officers
as to whether or not Mordecai was support-
ing the South. By May, Mordecai had given
up his command and moved to Mexico.

Industrial Health Tip Line
There is something new for your protection at the Watervliet Arsenal. Just four numbers, 4447. This
is the Industrial Health Tip Line. If you have a concern about the safe environment of your work area
from such things as the chemicals that you work with or the ventilation in your shop, give the IH Tip Line
a try.
The IH Tip Line is designed to get you in contact with an Industrial Health representative in a minimal
amount of time. They can help you decipher Material Safety Data Sheets, Safety Data Sheets, or look
at your job process to see if there is a hazard present that has not been addressed. If you have a con-
cern that you have been exposed to some new or unfamiliar chemical, yes, IH can look at that as well.
The best part about this is you can report something anonymously. Of course, IH would like to have
your name so they can have you show them just what the issue is, but if you are not comfortable giving
that information out, that’s fine too. Your name will not be put in play unless you want it to be. And if it’s
during off-shift, there is an answering machine for your use.
Just call IH with your concern at 266-4447, and they will work to get the answer to your concerns or
questions. Please give as much information as you can about your concern. It’s just that easy.
By Wayne P. Rudolph
Arsenal Industrial Hygienist

&
Matthew Day
HAZMAT
Exercise
April 23, 2015

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U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal's April 2015 newsletter: The Salvo