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 September 2016. This is a low resolution edition and so, if you wish a higher resolution copy please send a note to: usarmy.watervliet.tacom.list.wvapublicaffairs@mail.mil

1. SALVO
Story on Page 3
Face New Face of the Arsenal
U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal
September 2016

2. Page 2 Salvo Sept. 30, 2016
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 endorsement by the U.S. Government, the Depart-
ment 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. Joseph R. Morrow
Public Affairs Officer, John B. Snyder
Editor, John B. Snyder
Photographer: John B. Snyder
Arsenal Facebook Page @
https://www.facebook.com/WatervlietArsenal?ref=hl
Cover photo: By John B. Snyder
Colonel Joseph R. Morrow
Commander’s Corner
Ahhh, the end of the fiscal year. Budgets get closed,
revenue figures get locked in, and the final delivery rate
percentage gets tallied. Although it may be several more
weeks before we have certainty on the final numbers, it is
not too early to talk a little about the past
year and about the next fiscal year.
Suffice it for me to say, that you, the
entire workforce, achieved very good
success in not only supporting the U.S.
warfighter, but also many of the troops
in allied armies. The end state of what
we produced in FY 2016, is no differ-
ent than that of your predecessors who
established the arsenal in 1813. In es-
sence, we manufactured the weapons
and their associated parts that have al-
lowed our servicemen and women to
come home safely from areas of combat.
Although just a small percentage of
our workforce cut and molded the steel
that went into our weapons production,
everyone had a role in ensuring that we
delivered on-time, tubes and their as-
sociated parts for such weapon systems
as the Paladin self-propelled howitzer,
Abrams tank, and all three mortar systems.
In addition to manufacturing parts for legacy weapon
systems in FY 2016, we also worked hard with our part-
ners at Benét Laboratories to make product improve-
ments, while also working prototype projects that may
provide our Army with a next generation of howitzer
systems.
One of the product improvements of this past year is
the lightweight bore evacuator for the 155mm Paladin
howitzer. The new bore evacuator, which helps to reduce
propellant gases and pressure from venting back into the
vehicle’s firing compartment, dramatically reduced the
weight of the legacy evacuator from 203
pounds to about 110 pounds. We be-
lieve, and so does the Army leadership,
that this new lightweight evacuator will
make a rather difficult maintenance job
much easier for the artillery crewmem-
bers.
This coming year will prove to be
no less exciting as we have recently
manufactured prototype extended-range
howitzer tubes that will be undergoing
testing this fiscal year. Additionally, the
likelihood of significant foreign military
sales may finally come to fruition.
And so, please do what you have
been doing but do it better. The Defense
Department remains in a constrained,
uncertain budget environment, which
may continue to restrict the develop-
ment of new weapons programs, while
also making program managers more
reluctant to place orders. Therefore, we must continue to
enhance our value to the Department of Defense and to
the American taxpayer.
Finally, we are about to enter the winter season.
Please, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security after
last winter’s warm weather. Review your personal pre-
paredness plans and be ready for early and heavy snow or
adverse weather.

3. Page 3 Salvo Sept. 30, 2016
Story continues on page 4, “Apprentice”
By John B. Snyder
Arsenal Apprentices ...
Creating parts, careers on
day one
Is there heresy in the ranks at the Watervliet Ar-
senal? After all, apprentice Corey LaBounty did not
follow his instructions exactly as his trainer here
prescribed them.
At other defense manufacturing centers, the failure
to follow instructions might have got him fired. Here,
his disobedience got him a pat on the back.
LaBounty is one of 11, first-year apprentices who
made their first machining cuts on September 14.
But not all of the apprentices came from a machin-
ing background, to include LaBounty, who sold cars
before being accepted into the arsenal's apprentice
program. So, the stress level, which was quite obvi-
ous by the body language, was high for some.
To add pressure to the apprentices' first machin-
ing cuts, Tool Room supervisor, Anthony Polsinelli,
approved the first cuts to be on actual parts the arsenal
would use to repair machinery. In previous classes, ap-
prentices would make their first cuts on scrap steel just
in case they made a mistake.
And so, when LaBounty's coach, machinist Jona-
than Morehouse, told LaBounty to measure twice and
cut once on a part that would be used in the production
of lightweight bore evacuators for the 155mm howit-
zer system, LaBounty said he measured five times and
cut once. After all, he was the first apprentice in his
class to cut steel.
Machinist Jonathan Morehouse
Apprentice Tayler Lee

4. Page 4 Salvo Sept. 30, 2016
Apprentice Cont.
"I know there were a lot of people watching me
and so, I didn't want to mess it up. Especially, because
the part was to be used in production," LaBounty said.
"But after I made my cuts and measured the bearing,
my motivation went 'sky high' because I actually made
something the arsenal can use."
Morehouse, who is typically very stoic, had a smile
as large as LaBounty's when LaBounty's part passed a
fit, form, and function test.
"Great job," Morehouse said as he patted LaBounty
on the back. "It only gets harder from here."
Following LaBounty on the lathe was Tayler Lee
and Todd Herold. Even though they watched every
step and listened to every teaching point Morehouse
provided to LaBounty, Lee and Herold each took a
significant amount of time to set up their first machin-
ing cuts.
"Although I had watched Corey and Tayler ma-
chine before me, I was still very tense," Herold said.
"This (making his first machined part) was a true mo-
ment of pride and I am very thankful that the arsenal
trusted us enough to work on actual parts that will be
used to repair machines."
To add to the apprentices' machining experience in
the tool room, two other lathes, with entirely different
machining requirements, were set up by second-year
apprentices Anthony Dudwoire and Anthony Mosca.
Dudwoire, who not so long ago was in the same
situation as these first-year apprentices, said he taught
his group something he learned on his first day.
"Machines don't think," Dudwoire said. "And so,
you must carefully think about each machining opera-
tion before you do any operation."
Zackary Watkins, a first-year apprentice who was
working with Dudwoire, said he really liked learning
from a fellow apprentice.
"I thought it was good to be mentored by a more
senior apprentice because they know exactly how we
feel on our first day of machining," Watkins said.
Watkins added that the joy and pride he felt ma-
chining his first part was truly heartwarming, espe-
cially because he didn't mess it up.
Watching the first-year apprentices' body language
as they were setting up the lathe made it easy to see
the high amount of stress each felt as they prepared
to cut chips on an actual part. Then, something magi-
cal happened as each measured their final cut…broad
smiles broke out as if they didn't have a care in the
world.
Not only were parts created that day, careers were,
too.
The apprentices will undergo a challenging 8,000
hours of hands-on training at the arsenal and four
years of schooling at the Hudson Valley Community
College in Troy, N.Y., before they are called a machin-
ist.
Left: Apprentice Zackary Watkins, left, making final adjustments on a lathe, while 2nd-year apprentice Anthony Dudwoire mentors.
Right: 2nd-year apprentice Anthony Mosca, center, showing apprentices Patrick Fisher, left, and Anthony Salvatore how to set up a lathe.
Photos by: John B. Snyder

5. Long-overdue upgrade improves
dignity, respect at final resting place
Page 5 Salvo Sept. 30, 2016
By John B. Snyder
Story continues on page 6, “Cemetery”
Photo from Arsenal Historical Files
According to historical documents, the arsenal did not have a cemetery until 1919 when it acquired land south-
west of building 110 to expand manufacturing operations. On the acquired land was a cemetery, as depicted in
this 1918 photo. Most of those interred were relocated to the Albany Rural Cemetery, while some remained here.
Former arsenal public affairs officer Maureen Gour
wrote in 1978 that the arsenal’s cemetery “doesn’t get
much attention these days.” It took another 38 years
after Gour made that assessment before the cemetery
did get attention and boy, did it.
For those few who have visited the small, 12-grave
cemetery located on the northeast corner of the arsenal,
they probably walked away wondering what had these
people done to deserve a final resting place of weath-
ered headstones corralled by a chain-link fence.
There are probably hundreds of reasons why the
cemetery did not receive much tender-loving care
through the years, but in historical correspondence,
some dating to the 1940s, there was a question as to
who was responsible for its upkeep.
The arsenal did not have a cemetery until 1919.
That is when the arsenal acquired land adjacent to
Building 110 for about $1,000, which was the old Gib-
bonsville Cemetery. About 300 graves were removed
from that plot of land and relocated.
Although most of the graves were moved to the Al-

6. Page 6 Salvo Sept. 30, 2016
Photos by John B. Snyder
Cemetery Cont.
bany Rural Cemetery, 10 sites were relocated to the
present location on the arsenal. There are no records
as to why those sites were kept here. But in 1929, a
Soldier assigned to the arsenal became ill and died.
His remains are here. Then in 1942, the remains of
eight persons were uncovered during an arsenal exca-
vation project by Building 110. Their remains were
reinterred here, too. Those were the last remains to
have been buried here.
The ages of those interred here range from 12-year-
old John Tisdale to 42-year-old Henry Nadeu. Tisdale
was an armorer here. It was not uncommon for the ar-
senal to employ children in the very
risky manufacturing of ammunition.
Nadeu was a Soldier assigned here.
It is not known how both died.
But the question kept surfacing.
Was the arsenal cemetery a federal
cemetery or a private cemetery?
In 1983, it became clear who was
responsible.
Lt. Col. Joe Cannon, the arsenal's
Director of Facility Engineering,
then wrote to the commander of the
Armament Materiel Readiness Com-
mand and asked that the arsenal cemetery be formally
listed as an Army cemetery.
He based his recommendation on an Army Regula-
tion effective in 1977 that stated “It is Department of
the Army policy to acquire title to all private cemeter-
ies within the boundaries of installations … Further-
more, since possession is nine-tenths of the law when
proper ownership cannot readily be determined, it
must be presumed at this point in time that the cem-
etery situated on the Watervliet Arsenal belongs to the
United States …”
Nevertheless, it wasn’t until this
year when an inspection team from
the Army found the arsenal’s cem-
etery as having a few areas requir-
ing improvement that triggered this
recent resurgence of interest in the
upkeep of the cemetery.
Funding was quickly approved by
the Army Materiel Command and as
a result of a Public Works' project,
the cemetery now meets all pre-
scribed requirements to ensure that
the final resting place of Soldiers and
arsenal civilians is well preserved
and maintained.
Top photos show the before, left, and after pictures of the arsenal's cemetery that received a significant upgrade in the last few weeks. The
bottom photo shows one of the contract workers finishing up work near the grave of 12-year-old John Tisdale, an arsenal armorer.

7. Page 7 Salvo Sept. 30, 2016
Simply putting up a fence or locking doors does not provide protection from all-hazard threats. Living in the northeast, provides ample envi-
ronmental threats, such as ice and snow storms, that may impact arsenal operations and families' lives.
Arsenal, family preparedness
helps ensure viability, life
Story continues on page 8, “Preparedness”
By John B. Snyder
Artwork by: Historical Post Card & https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jail_Bars_Icon.svg
Just as the arsenal’s annual “shutdown”
period is a misnomer, because the arsenal never
truly shuts down, maybe the same is true for
September’s National Preparedness Month. In
essence, should we ever focus our protection
against natural or man-made emergencies and
disasters just one month out of the year?
Not falling into the discussion of proper word
usage, Joe Claus, the arsenal’s chief of Emergency
Services, said the calendar forces us to think hard
about our preparedness’ at home and at work each
September, which is a good thing. But that being
truly prepared for emergencies, which may range
from an active shooter to a blinding snowstorm,
requires daily vigilance.
“Our efforts to safeguard the 1,200 people who
drive in and out of our gate each day does not
start on September 1st
and end on September 30th
,”
Claus said. “We not only think about the safety of
our workforce, infrastructure, and operations every
day, we take actions to protect the arsenal 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.”
But despite Claus’ team’s efforts, he says it is
not enough.
“When you consider what it would take to
know what is going on in each of the 72 buildings,

8. Page 8 Salvo Sept. 30, 2016
in each corner of the arsenal’s 143 acres, or in the
homes and neighborhoods of the 1,200 people
who work here, there is no way we can say with
100 percent certainty that we have every threat
or safety concern covered,” Claus said. “But just
think how much better our situational awareness
would be if we had all 1,200 workers take a more
active part to protect themselves, their families,
and their fellow workers.”
Individuals can
take a more active
part in the arsenal’s
preparedness by being
more aware of what is
going on around them,
Claus said.
Information on the
U.S. Department of
Homeland Security’s
homepage gets to
the point that Claus
is trying to make in
that everyone has to
be a partner in the
security of our arsenal and community. According
to the website, no one is better able to determine
if something is amiss in the daily routine of their
lives than themselves.
Claus said that his team takes many actions
to safeguard the arsenal, many of which may not
be obvious to the workforce. But there are other
actions that emergency services do take that are or
will be clearly visible to anyone who drives in our
out of the arsenal gate.
Some overt examples are of the “Giant
Voice” and AtHoc message systems that alert the
workforce to training exercises or to real-world
events. The Giant Voice is a loud speaker type
of warning, while the AtHoc sends alerts and
messages through the arsenal computer network
and to individuals’ cell phones. And soon, the
arsenal will put in place an ID scanner at the entry
gate to check workers and visitors.
But not every threat to our preparedness is in
the form of a direct attack, Claus said. Threats
may be discovered in adverse weather reports, as
well as from social media sites.
Not long ago, a video that was posted on social
media sites had made broad threats against many
Army installations, to include the Watervliet
Arsenal. This posting was reported to arsenal
security by an arsenal employee on her way into
work. Not only did this warning provide a good
heads up to arsenal leadership regarding a possible
threat, it also provided the arsenal time to prepare
for what would become a very busy day engaging
the media.
And so, if there is only one thing to take away
from the National Preparedness Month, if you see
something, say something … works!
Preparedness Cont.
Although the arsenal has
for many years conducted
active-shooter exercises,
as seen in these photos,
some threats to the arse-
nal and to the arsenal's
families may not be as ob-
vious as seen here. Silent
threats from cyber thieves
or environmental threats
such as snow storms may
also harm the livelihoods
and lives of the workforce.
Photos by John B. Snyder

9. Page 9 Salvo Sept. 30, 2016
By Heather Durr
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual
violence organization and was named one of "America's 100 Best Charities" by Worth
magazine. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.
HOPE, online.rainn.org y rainn.org/es) in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual
assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the
Department of Defense. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence,
help victims, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
Many WVA employees have college-age relatives going back to school this fall. Here are
RAINN’s TIPS on increasing safety on campus:
• Know your resources. Who should you contact if you or a friend needs help?
Where should you go? Locate resources such as the campus health center, campus police
station, and a local sexual assault service provider. Notice where emergency phones are
located on campus, and program the campus security number into your cell phone for
easy access.
• Stay alert. When you’re moving around on campus or in the surrounding neigh-
borhood, be aware of your surroundings. Consider inviting a friend to join you or ask-
ing campus security for an escort. If you’re alone, only use headphones in one ear to stay
aware of your surroundings.
• Be careful about posting your location. Many social media sites, like Facebook and
Foursquare, use geolocation to publicly share your location. Consider disabling this func-
tion and reviewing other social media settings.
• Make others earn your trust. A college environment can foster a false sense of se-
curity. They may feel like fast friends, but give people time earn your trust before relying
on them.
• Think about Plan B. Spend some time thinking about back-up plans for poten-
tially sticky situations. If your phone dies, do you have a few numbers memorized to get
help? Do you have emergency cash in case you can’t use a credit card? Do you have the
address to your dorm or college memorized? If you drive, is there a spare key hidden, gas
in your car, and a set of jumper cables?
• Be secure. Lock your door and windows when you’re asleep and when you leave
the room. If people constantly prop open the main door to the dorm or apartment, tell
security or a trusted authority figure.
SHARP SKILLS: What’s RAINN?

10. Page 10 Salvo Sept. 30, 2016
Arsenal Upcoming Events
Blood Drive: American Red
Cross Bloodmobile will visit
the arsenal on Tuesday, 4
October, and Wednesday, 5
October, from 10:30 a.m. to
2:30 p.m. The location is the
post restaurant. Appointment
cards now have an area for the
supervisor to sign to ensure
there is coverage for the em-
ployee to leave their work site.
Please be sure to receive prior
approval from your supervisor
and your supervisor must sign
your blood drive appointment
card.
Fire Prevention Week: October 9-15 ... Promoting this year’s Fire Prevention
Week campaign, “Don’t Wait - Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10
Years,” to better educate the public about the critical importance of knowing how
old their smoke alarms are and replacing them once they’re 10-years-old.
Columbus Day Federal Holiday: Monday,
October 10
Town Hall: Wednesday, October 19, 3 p.m.,
in Building 110
Childrens Halloween Party: Saturday,
October 22, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., at the Pavil-
ion
Veterans Day Parade: Friday, November 11, 10:30 a.m., at Central Avenue
and Partridge Streets, Albany

11. Albany County Veterans’ Day Parade
Friday, 11 November
10:30 a.m.
You have a chance to join us this November as we honor our Nation’s
Veterans by marching in this year’s Albany County Veterans’ Day Parade. In
addition to two Arsenal/Benét Labs floats, we plan to field several of our emergency
service vehicles and several historic military vehicles from the Hudson-Mohawk
Military Vehicle Club.
So, please gather your family members and march with us as we pay proper
recognition to our Veterans, as well as to showcase the arsenal to the community. If
you have any questions, give John Snyder a call @ 266-5055.
SAVE THE DATE
Nov. 11, 2016
Veterans Day Parade

12. Page 12 Salvo Sept. 30, 2016
Watervliet Arsenal Workforce and Families,
Does your home have a smoke alarm? According to the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA), the answer is likely yes: NFPA research shows that most
American homes have at least one. But do you know how old your smoke alarms
are? If you’re like most people, you’re probably not so sure. That is the motivating
factor for this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Don’t Wait: Check the Date!
Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years”
A recent survey conducted by NFPA revealed that only a small percentage of peo-
ple know how old their smoke alarms are, or how often they need to be replaced.
That lack of awareness is a concern because smoke alarms don’t last forever. In
many of the home fires that we respond to in the cities around the Watervliet Arse-
nal there are oftentimes very few or no functioning smoke detectors. This is ex-
ceptionally dangerous considering the volume of home fires that occur overnight
when people are sleeping and that half of all fire deaths occur between 11 p.m. and
7 a.m.
During last year’s fire prevention week we emphasized that every bedroom should
have a working smoke detector. This year it is important to remind the public to
ensure that these units are in good working order. NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm
Code®, requires smoke alarms be replaced at least every 10 years, but because the
public is generally unaware of this requirement, many homes have smoke alarms
past their expiration date, putting people at increased risk.
As the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years, NFPA is
promoting this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Don’t Wait - Check the
Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years,” to better educate the public about
the critical importance of knowing how old their smoke alarms are and replacing
them once they’re 10 years old. Fire Prevention Week is October 9-15.
To find out how old your smoke alarm is and its expiration date, simply look on
the back of the alarm where the date of manufacture is marked. The smoke alarm
should be replaced 10 years from that date (not the date of purchase). Smoke
alarms should be tested monthly, and batteries should be replaced once a year or
when they begin to chirp, signaling that they’re running low.
The Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department has fire prevention materials on hand in the
station for both children and adults. Feel free to stop in and grab something.
For more information on smoke alarms check out: www.firepreventionweek.org.