Here are news stories and other interesting information regarding the Watervliet Arsenal for December 2012.

1. Vol. 12, No. 12
S ALVO
U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal, Watervliet, New York Dec. 31, 2012
Building a stairway to
heaven,more revenue?
Story begins on page 3
Also inside:
Commander’s Column
99-year-old Arsenal Retiree
Shaker High School Visit
Annual Roll up

2. Page 2 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
Commander’s
Corner
We recently hosted Tom Temin from Federal News And so, as you get with family and friends this
Radio. Tom had never been to an Army-owned and holiday season, take a moment to think about that
–operated manufacturing center and so, we took a young Soldier or Marine who will also be home this
significant amount of time to explain such things holiday season due in some part to what you do at
as the difference between a mortar system and a the Watervliet Arsenal. During this season, we are
lightweight howitzer. But more importantly, we talked thankful for the privilege to live in such a great nation
about the Arsenal’s nearly 200 years of providing the and have the opportunity to give back to others in
products that have allowed our servicemen and women need. Please remember those less fortunate and do not
to come home safely. lose focus of the season.
Unlike many of the combatants who arm foreign Enjoy a peaceful holiday season and get back to us
militaries or militant groups, our troops have the safely. Thank you for everything you do throughout
utmost confidence in their weapon systems. Although the year in support of our Soldiers, other service
this sense of trust cannot be measured, it nonetheless personnel who are currently deployed. May God bless
must be powerful. you and your loved ones and all those who serve our
country around the world.
Just think for a moment about what happens in the
heat of a fire fight. A U.S. artilleryman or mortarman Happy Holidays
does not think for a second about whether or not his
system is reliable or safe. These precious seconds
may determine who gets off the first round on target,
or who lives or dies. This sense of confidence doesn’t
Mark F. Migaleddi
happen overnight, but through years of proven
Commanding
reliability on the battlefields — a reliability that comes
Manufacturer 6
from our history of providing the highest quality
cannons and mortars in the world.
Commander, Col. Mark F. Migaleddi The Arsenal Salvo is an authorized monthly publication for members of the Department
Public Affairs Officer, John B. Snyder of Defense. Contents of the Salvo are not necessarily the official views of, or an endorse-
Editor, John B. Snyder ment by the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, or
Photographer: John B. Snyder the Watervliet Arsenal.
News may be submitted for publication by sending articles to Public Affairs Officer,
Arsenal Facebook Page @ 1 Buffington Street, Bldg. 10, Watervliet, NY 12189, or stop by office #102, Bldg. 10,
http://on.fb.me/sq3LEm 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.

3. Page 3 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
Photos provided by Benét Labs
The Abrams Tank plumb and sync ramp on the left is the current model that was originally designed for M60 tanks. On the right is the proto-
type ramp designed by Benét Labs and built by Arsenal manufacturing. Note the striking difference in support legs between the two.
Uncanny teamwork inspires prototype
development at Watervliet
By John B. Snyder get the baseplates into their final configuration.
If welding baseplates, muzzle brakes, and barrel clamps
The Arsenal’s historic Big Gun Shop has seen a lot of ac- weren’t challenging enough this past year, then maybe
tion since the first brick and mortar were laid nearly 130 doing some prototype work for the M1A2 Abrams Tank
years ago. From the 16-inch battleship guns that could ought to challenge them.
fire a 2,200 pound projectile 23 miles to the 155mm can-
nons for the U.S. Army Field Artillery’s new M777A2 “In the 10 years that I have been here, we have never had
lightweight howitzers have flowed through the wooden a welding job of this size or challenge,” said Greg Stone,
doors of this great factory. So, it should not be a surprise the Arsenal’s welding team chief. “Every welding skill
to anyone venturing through this 1,300-foot long facility imaginable, from the blowtorching of parts to tig welding,
today to still see some type of manufacturing taking place. was used to manufacture this plumb and sync ramp for
Abrams Tanks.”
In the bowels of this brick building is one of the Arsenal’s
most critical functions — welding. Of all the manufac- But the challenge of manufacturing a non-standard prod-
turing functions, the welding section seems to be the true uct for the Soldiers was met with uncanny team work,
growth industry at the Arsenal having increased its work- Stone said.
force from 5 welders just two years ago to the 14 it has
today. “The excitement by my team to design the weld plan and
then build this Abrams Tank ramp was unbelievable,”
These welders have been extremely busy this past year Stone said. “Everyone wanted to be a part of this project
working on such warfighting products as mortar base- because they knew the challenge would test every skill
plates. In fact, they assembled in 2012 more than 300 that they had.”
baseplates for the 120mm mortar system.
“We even had to fabricate the work station because most
Looking at the finished baseplates may seem to the un-
trained eye that this job must have been a simple manu-
facturing process. But for the welding team, they had to Story continues on page 4,
weld together 57 parts using more than 90-feet of weld to See Welders

4. Page 4 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
Welders cont. not being evenly distributed, significant failures have oc-
curred on the ramp welds. Thus rendering the ramps use-
less, Bascue added.
“This was a great opportunity for us to first analyze the
of our work is no larger than the size of a 120mm base current ramp and then design and build a new product at
plate,” Stone added. the Arsenal,” Bascue said. “For nearly 10 months, my
team, consisting of Patrick Hickey, Paul Watson, Scott
How the Arsenal was able to become part of this Abrams Fadeley, and I leveraged many of our in-house capabili-
prototype ramp work ties, including computer
speaks volumes about the modeling and simulation,
power of synergy that is to design plumb and sync
unmatched anywhere in ramps that not only in-
the Department of De- creased the ramp’s weight
fense. bearing capacity from 60
tons to 80 tons, but also
The Watervliet Arsenal decreased the weight of
manages the production the individual ramps by
aspect of the tubes and nearly 1,000 pounds.”
various assembly parts
for cannon and mortar To move the concept
systems, but relies on its from a computer design
on-site collaborator, Benét to a prototype, Benét
Laboratories, to conduct Labs turned to the manu-
the research, design, and Photo by John B. Snyder facturing center at the
prototype development for Arsenal welder Richard Goyer is working on a 120mm baseplate. In fiscal Watervliet Arsenal.
year 2012, the weld shop produced approximately 300 of these baseplates.
those systems. Located
at the Watervliet Arsenal, Benét Labs is a department of “We can never underestimate the synergy that we have
the Army research development, and engineering facility. at Watervliet by having those who design within a five-
Their research and design capability is often leveraged by minute walk from those who will turn those designs into
the Arsenal to improve production methods and products. a product,” Bascue said. “Having the weld shop fabrica-
tion operation collocated with us allowed us to engage the
“The program manager for the Abrams tank system came welders during each step of the prototype construction.”
to us about one year ago and asked us to design and build
a prototype plumb and sync ramp,” said Clyde H. Bascue On November 28, Benét sent two sets of the prototype
Jr, the Benét Lab’s Abrams program leader, and lead for ramp to Aberdeen Proving Ground for testing.
the plumb and sync ramp development.
Plumb and sync is a tank crew task that is achieved after
The problems with the current ramps are two-fold, Bascue bore sighting. The tank crew will back the tank up onto
said. the plumb and sync ramp to align all sights to improve the
accuracy of the fire control system.
“The current plumb and sync ramps that are in use
throughout the force were designed for the M60 tank and As this story was being written, the weld team was ob-
were not built by a manufacturer, but by logistics centers served repairing a 16-foot gap in the Arsenal’s fence line.
at each installation,” Bascue said. “Therefore, the quality A car driver going through the City of Watervliet failed to
standards vary from installation to installation.” make a turn and drove into the Arsenal’s fence knocking
down two large fence sections. Due to concerns about the
Additionally, because the ramp was not redesigned for the Arsenal’s security at the open fence line, the welders were
M1 Abrams tank, as the tank backs up onto the ramps its called in to do a quick repair. Again, proving just how
tracks are often unevenly distributed over the supporting good they are. The welders were able to repair the dam-
structure. Analysis has proven that due to the tank tracks aged fence sections to their pre-accident condition.

5. Page 5 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
99-year-old Veteran, Arsenal retiree
recalls Pearl Harbor, war years
By John B. Snyder gate got backed up, hundreds of workers scaled the Arse-
nal walls to get to work on time, Ernie said.
To help put this year’s Pearl Harbor Day remem- Security also tightened inside the gate, Ernie added.
brance into perspective, one of the Arsenal’s oldest sur- New security badges were issued that granted limited
viving employees recalls life at the Arsenal during the access to the buildings. The days of being able to freely
early days of World War II. walk through one building to get to another had ended.
Ernie Blanchet, from Troy, N.Y., said that his father “I was lucky because I was on the quality control
was once a machinist at the Arsenal during World War inspection team,” Ernie said. “What this meant is that
I and as a kid, he often walked I had access to every building,
along the Erie Canal that once which made me feel very spe-
flowed through the Arsenal. cial.”
As one of 12 children, Ernie Ernie has great praise for
found that he had to go to work the World War II era leadership
at an early age to help support his and workforce. What the attack
family. He worked in local tex- did to the workforce was that it
tile mills for $12 a week making brought everyone together as a
underwear. He ventured out of team, Ernie said. Within a few
state for awhile, but even that job months, the Arsenal workforce
did not provide him a sense of went from several hundred to
purpose that he was looking for. several thousand workers.
Tired of going from job to job, From the time of the attack on
he decided to settle down and to Pearl Harbor until the Normandy
build a career. Invasion in 1944, the Arsenal
At age 28, and just months be- manufactured more than 23,000
fore the Japanese attack on Pearl cannons with an on-time delivery
Harbor, Ernie landed a job at the rate of 99.6 percent.
Watervliet Arsenal. The date was Ernie was part of this unprec-
June 16, 1941. edented achievement, an achieve-
“I was at my sister’s house on ment that has yet to be equaled.
Dec. 7, 1941, when my nieces And so, on this 71st anniversary
brought in the news that Pearl of the attack on Pearl Harbor,
Harbor was attacked,” Ernie said. Photo by John B. Snyder there is a sense of reflection by
Ernie Blanchet, age 99, taking a moment this month to
“I remember thinking that maybe show his pride for his country by waving the American the Arsenal workforce. Arsenal
the Arsenal was going to be a tar- Flag that adorns his lawn. history books speak volumes
get, too, because of the important work we were doing to about the World War II era, or what former NBC anchor
help prepare our country for war.” Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation Years.”
“When I reported for work on Monday, the day af- But the books pale in comparison to the stories told this
ter Pearl Harbor was attacked, armed security guards week by Ernie.
had closed all the gates except for one,” Ernie recalled. Ernie eventually enlisted in 1944 and served on a
“Lines of cars, as well as workers, were backed up as se- U.S. Navy Destroyer Escort ship until he was discharged
curity guards checked every vehicle and person coming after the war. He came back to the Arsenal after his dis-
into work.” charge where he worked until he retired in 1971. He is
Most of the Arsenal workers, which numbered nearly now 99-years-old and he said he plans to help the Arse-
1,000 at the time, walked in through the gate versus nal celebrate its 200th anniversary in July 2013, when he
drove in during the early 1940s. When the lines at the will be 100.

6. Page 6 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
It took an Arsenal to build a product
By John B. Snyder plates; 500 81mm base plates, and 260 120mm base
plates.
The proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” Additionally, the Arsenal had more than $67 mil-
may be applied to the great work the Watervliet Arse- lion in contracts and nearly $19 million of that total
nal workforce has done this past year supporting our went to New York state companies. Contracts ranged
nation’s warfighters and the community. Why? Be- from the purchase of raw stock for cannon manufac-
cause, it took the entire Arsenal to manufacture each turing to the installation of a new power substation.
one of the more than 7,900 items that were shipped Also in the $89 million of revenue is the fact that
from Watervliet last fiscal year. the Arsenal did all this safely. In fiscal year 2012, the
Despite the downsizing of U.S. combat operations Arsenal experienced a 73 percent reduction in lost
Afghanistan this past year, the Arsenal was still able to days and it currently exceeds OSHA industry safety
have pretty respectable revenue to the tune of nearly standards for private sector manufacturers. Some of
$89 million, which was down about $10 million from this good news may be directly tied to new safety ini-
the previous fiscal year. tiatives that rewarded the
But those numbers don’t workforce more than 50
tell the true story of the times in 2012 for identify-
Arsenal’s manufacturing ing and mitigating safety
achievements. hazards.
It took every one of the In regards to the Arse-
600 Arsenal employees, nal’s effect on the commu-
from machinists to con- nity, the Arsenal employee
tract specialists to paint- pay and benefits package
ers to transport drivers, to for the last fiscal year was
ship the more than 7,900 nearly $50 million, which
items from the Arsenal last paid for such things as gro-
year. This, by the way, ceries at local supermar-
was accomplished with kets, home purchases, car
an on-time delivery rate and home insurance poli-
cies, and coffee at the local
exceeding 96 percent. The
Dunkin Donuts shops.
Arsenal’s manufactur-
In addition to the mon-
ing mix also saw a shift
etary effects on the com-
from cannon production
munity, the Arsenal also
being the largest percent- participated in nearly 60
age share of direct labor community events that
requirement to the produc- honored Veterans, fallen
tion of mortar tubes and heroes, and our servicemen
associated equipment now and women.
nearing 58 percent of the By any standards, fis-
production flow. cal year 2012 was a pretty
Nonetheless, the good year for the Arsenal,
Arsenal shipped out in Photos by Sgt. Mark Miranda and Staff Sgt. Charles Call
just one more in the nearly
fiscal year 2012 approxi- Top: Cannon crew members with Battery A, 1st Battalion, 377th Field 200 years of continuous
Artillery Regiment fire a high-explosive round from an M777A2 howit-
mately: 650 mortar tubes; zer during a live-fire demonstration at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wa. service to the nation’s
30 105mm cannons; 110 Bottom: Spc. Donald Myers and Pfc. Samuel Schultz, infantrymen warfighters. In July 2013,
from Company B, 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry
155mm cannons; 4 120mm Brigade, bring their 120mm Mortar to bear against an insurgent rocket the Arsenal will celebrate
cannons; 500 60mm base team at Forward Operating Base Kushamond, Afghanistan. its 200th anniversary.

7. Page 7 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
Nothing elementary
about this science
By John B. Snyder
An inspection team toured the Army’s Benét Labo-
ratories last Friday and this visit tested the ability of
this premier weapons research and design center to
reduce their scientific jargon to an elementary level of
understanding. Maybe, elementary is the wrong use
of verbiage because, after all, these were high school
students.
Thirty 9-12th grade students from the local Shaker
High School Robotics Club visited Benét Labs to learn
how the U.S. Army leverages science for the develop-
ment and improvement of products to support our na-
tion’s warfighters.
Photo by John B. Snyder
Fortunately for Benét Labs, they had some history Benét Lab’s Mechanical Engineer Emerson Childs is showing the stu-
with many of these students and therefore, some of the dents the results of a tensile test that he just conducted.
scientific activities, such as measuring tensile strength
and fatiguing material, were not new to them. biomedical modeling using stereolithography; Emer-
“Our Robotics Club had great support this past year son Childs demonstrating tensile testing of howitzer
from Benét Labs as they helped us in our nationwide tubes; Stan Rysio cutting steel for research to within
competition to build a robotic bas- three thousandth of an inch; and
ketball shooter,” said Brian Ashline, “This was pretty cool. I was Tom Oathout showing how composite
a 9-12th grade technology teacher at impressed by the wide vari- wrapping has the ability to signifi-
Shaker High School who was escort- ety of scientific systems...” cantly reduce weight of weapon sys-
ing the students. “We participated in tems.
two competitions with our robot and Evan Bowman So, how well did Benét Labs do
we did fantastic having placed 2 nd 12th Grade considering that some of the students
and 3rd.” may have been experiencing some
Eric Gillette, a Benét Labs materials engineer who sort of withdrawal from not having touched their cell
coordinated the visit, said that Benét got involved phones in nearly four hours?
with Shaker High School earlier this year as a way for “This was pretty cool,” said Evan Bowman, a 12th
Benét to share its vast scientific and engineering capa- grade student who is the president of the Shaker High
bility with the community. Robotics Club. “I was impressed by the wide variety
“The community has always supported the of scientific systems used by Benét Labs to not only
Watervliet Arsenal and we simply wanted to pay back develop weapon systems, but also to determine why
the community by helping to educate its youth,” Gil- weapon systems fail.”
lette said. “So, a few of us volunteered this year to Bowman has applied to a few New York state engi-
help design and provide materials testing expertise to neering schools in hopes of starting college next fall.
the Shaker High team in their effort to compete nation- And now that he has worked with Benét Lab engineers
ally.” for his high school project and has visited the Army re-
During this four-hour visit, the students witnessed search and design center, he said that he may consider
such activities as Benét Lab’s Tyler Caron explaining employment someday at Watervliet.

8. Page 8 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
CPAC Corner: TSP and the Roth Option
Did you know that the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) now offers a Roth Option?
Did you know that the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) now offers a Roth Option?
TSP now offers a Roth option forfor all Federal Employees. This new featureallowallowto dis-
TSP now offers a Roth option all Federal Employees. This new feature will will you you
tribute some or all ofor all contributions to the Roth the Roth TSP. With Roth contributions,
to distribute some your of your contributions to TSP. With Roth contributions, you pay taxes
now. However, when you withdraw these contributions and their earnings, you will not have to
you pay taxes now. However, when you withdraw these contributions and their
pay taxes on them asnot haveyoupay 59½ yearsthem as longyou you are 59½ years or older for
earnings, you will long as to are taxes on or older and as have had Roth contributions
five years or more when you receive yourfor five yearsTSP contributions/options can be changed
and you have had Roth contributions distribution. or more when you receive your
distribution. TSP contributions/options can be changed or elected at any time through
or elected at any time through the Army Benefits Center via the EBIS system @ or telephone
the Army Benefits Center via the EBIS system (https://www.abc.army.mil)
https://www.abc.
army.mil or telephone 1-877-276-9287.
1-877-276-9287.
The table below compares the the treatment oftwo different typestypes of contributions.
The table below compares treatment of the the two different of contributions.
Roth vs. Traditional Contributions
The Treatment of… Traditional TSP Roth TSP
Contributions Pre-tax After-tax
Your Paycheck Taxes are deferred, so less money Taxes are paid up front, so more
is taken out of your paycheck. money comes out of your paycheck.
Transfers In Transfers allowed from eligible Transfers allowed from Roth
employer plans and traditional IRAs 401(k)s, Roth 403(b)s, and Roth
457(b)s
Transfers Out Transfers allowed to eligible Transfers allowed to Roth 401(k)s,
employer plans, traditional IRAs, and Roth 403(b)s, Roth 457(b)s, and
Roth IRAs Roth IRAs
Withdrawals Taxable when withdrawn Tax-free earnings if five years have
passed since January 1 of the year
you made your first Roth
contribution, AND you are age 59½
or older, permanently disabled, or
deceased
For more information on Roth TSP, including a Contribution Calculator, please visit:
For more information on Roth TSP, including a Contribution Calculator, please visit:
https://www.tsp.gov/whatsnew/roth/compareRoth.shtml.
https://www.tsp.gov/whatsnew/roth/compareRoth.shtml
From Benét Labs, another uplifting story
Benét Laboratories' Mechanical Engineer, Greg
Vigilante, recently competed in a powerlifting event
sanctioned by the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate
(RPS) where he set state records. The event was con-
ducted on Saturday, November 17 at Fairhaven Fitness
in Fairhaven, Vt.
Greg competed as an amateur in the Bench Press,
Raw-Classic, 165-lbs. weight class in the 40-44 age
bracket. On his first of three lifts, Greg bench pressed
300 lbs. He missed 315 lbs. on his second lift but suc-
cessfully bench pressed 315 lbs. on his third lift. He
Photo provided by Dan Crayon is now the RPS record holder in Vermont and New
Greg Vigilante breaking the record at Fairhaven Fitness in Hampshire in his weight and age class. He has his
Vermont. Greg said that he has been lifting weights since high
school, but had a bad back injury that lasted a year and needed sights on the New York State record of 309 lbs. and
a physical goal to get back in shape This was his first competi- plans to compete sometime again in 2013.
tion.

9. Page 9 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
Lean Corner: Being scared into Lean
By Karen Heiser
Real Life Lean; a Scary Hospital Story
A few months ago a group of Arsenal facilitators attended Lean training presented by Purdue University.
We made up about 40 percent of the class. Since it was hosted by the Veterans Affairs Hospital, the rest of
the group worked in various health care fields. Both groups were pleasantly surprised by the similarity in
challenges we face while doing our work. We learned that whether the customer is a patient or a Soldier;
whether the process is manufacturing or surgery; the Lean tools are the same. 6S of a machine tool cell or an
office area or a hospital supply storeroom is the same. So is standard work.
Here’s a scary thing we learned. The instructor, an engineer and pharmacist, used to work in a hospital where
the pharmacy shipped meds to the floors at 9:00 in the evening and 9:00 in the morning. Why? Because it
worked for them. However, they did this in spite of the fact that doctors’ rounds took place before 9:00 a.m.
and doctors often change meds during their morning rounds.
The impact to the patient – the CUSTOMER – was that meds from existing orders were shipped to the floors
before the pharmacy received information telling them doctors had changed those orders that morning! So it
was incumbent on nurses, nurses’ aides, and even patients and their families to be alert to the fact that meds
were crossing in the mail.
On a personal note, a loved one of mine recently spent a week in the hospital while a new medication with
dangerous side effects was being calibrated for proper dosage. FDA protocol is strict – meds have to be taken
at specific times followed by EKG and blood tests at strict intervals.
FDA protocol should have led to strict standard work with no variation, but it wasn’t evident here. We’re
talking about somebody’s life!
As I watched the employees scurrying about, chasing people down myself for prompt tests, and watching
nurses leave the floor to get meds in time because the pharmacy wasn’t being responsive, Lean principles were
popping into my head.
Where’s the visual management? Where’s the Managing for Daily Improvement board? Why is there so much
scurrying? There should be a set of add-on lights outside every patient’s room. Not just for emergencies, but a
color for the time to give meds, time for a test, and the time to check on somebody who hasn’t been heard from
in a while.
I was describing this scenario to the head of the Lean Six Sigma office at Letterkenny - me standing in the door
of the hospital room watching the chaos and thinking about add-on lights. He laughed and said “See? Once
you really get it you can’t stop seeing it!” He’s right!
“Service to the Line, On the Line, On Time”

10. Page 10 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
The “Thing” with six guns
By Mark Koziol
The Watervliet Arsenal was very
busy during the Cold War manufacturing
a variety of weapons, but one weapon
system the Arsenal provided manu-
facturing support to, the M40 106mm
recoilless rifle, became one of the most
effective anti-tank guns used by the U.S.
military.
A recoilless rifle is breech-loaded,
hollow tube firing a cartridge with a
projectile. When the projectile is fired,
the rear end of the perforated cartridge
case allows the propellant gas to escape
thorough the vented breech, thus reduc-
ing recoil. The M40 106mm recoilless
effective range was 3007 yards (1.1 Photo provided by the Arsenal Museum
mile) and maximum range was 8420 The “Ontos” vehicle with armed with six 106mm recoilless guns. This
system was used primarily by the U.S. Marine Corp.
yards (4.1 miles). In the early 1950s,
the rifle’s effectiveness in combat led
engineers to design a fast moving anti- The lack of a heavy turret, using a tank fights, the Vietnam War was a
tank vehicle with six 106mm recoilless common truck engine and having few different war where direct tank battles
rifles mounted atop of it. parts to break down appealed to the Ma- were almost nonexistent. So, the
The weapon system became known rine Corps leadership. They ordered 297 Ontos was used in its secondary role
as the “Ontos,” a Greek word for Ontos vehicles; each equipped with six of providing direct fire support for the
“thing.” It was officially named: “the M40 106mm recoilless guns. The Ontos infantry. During the Battle of Hue,
Rifle, Multiple 106mm, self-propelled was manufactured from 1955 to 1957. part of the 1968 Tet Offensive when
M50.” The vehicle began its life as ei- During the mid-1950s, the Watervliet the Vietcong invaded South Vietnam,
ther T55 or T56 track armored personal Arsenal manufactured hundreds of M40 the Ontos provided effective and much
carriers, originally designed for the U.S. recoilless rifle tubes, some of them used needed direct fire to suppress the enemy
Army in the early 1950s as a scout ve- on the Ontos System. The Ontos weap- positions and knock holes into buildings.
hicle. The lightweight, fast attacking ons were used by the Marines from 1956 Unfortunately, the biggest drawback
anti-tank vehicle Ontos was created by to 1969. The 106mm gun was used by to the Ontos system, potentially lethal,
attaching six M40, 106mm recoilless the U.S. military from 1955 until 1970. was the need for the crew members
rifles on top of the carrier. The Ontos system was first used in to exit the vehicle to reload the six
While the vehicle had outstanding combat in 1958 during the Crisis in recoilless rifles, exposing themselves to
cross-country mobility and armor pro- Lebanon when President Eisenhower enemy attack.
tection, it had deficiencies such as lim- sent U.S. troops in to help defend Leba- In 1969, the Ontos was retired
ited storage space for ammo, lack of ve- non’s government in their fight against from active Marine duty because of a
hicle speed and range, excessive weight rebel insurgents. In 1965, a rebellion in shortage of spare parts. Despite the
and cramped quarters for the three-man the Dominican Republic led President good work by mechanics to cannibalize
crew. Despite the praise Ontos received Johnson to send in the Marines to sup- older vehicles for parts, the system
from President Truman’s Secretary of port the government and military against had become outdated. The remaining
Army Frank Pace Jr., the Army leader- their fight with rebels. The Ontos ve- Ontos fleet was given to the U.S. Army
ship still decided to reject the Ontos. hicles successfully used to score hits and used in Airborne Brigades. They
Interestingly, the U.S. Marine Corps upon older Swiss and French tanks used became fixed bunker weapons after the
took an interest in the project. They by the rebels. vehicles’ spare parts were exhausted.
envisioned it as a lightweight, first line The Ontos system was deployed The last Ontos garrison was stationed at
of attack vehicle to be used during a first in Vietnam in 1965. Unlike World Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It continued to
Marine wave invasion into hot spots. War II where there were many direct operate with one vehicle until 1980.

11. Page 11 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
Making a difference
NFFE Local #2109 Toys for Tots
Arsenal helped the community to over-
come a shortage of toys this year by
collecting more than 700 toys and $400
for the Troy Salvation Army. Arsenal’s
union, NFFE Local #2109, spearheaded
this event. From left, Charlie Hannan,
Maj. Steven Loveless, Maj. Paula Love-
less, Col. Mark Migaleddi, Jim Grenier,
Beth Myers, Laurie Vroman, and union
president, Tim Ostrowski.
Combined Federal Campaign
Arsenal CFC Coordinator Shannon
Lischak announced to the workforce
during the December Town Hall that
through their efforts the Arsenal was
able to raise nearly $46,000 for the
2012 campaign.
City of Watervliet
Head Start Program
The Arsenal Historical Society and
the Federal Managers Association
sponsored the City of Watervliet
Head Start Christmas Program. This
year, the Arsenal supported 18 fami-
lies, which included 46 kids and 5
parents.
Photos by Billy Martin and John B. Snyder

12. Page 12 Salvo Dec. 31, 2012
Watervliet Arsenal
200th Anniversary Cookbook
RVLIET ARSE
ATEOUD TRADITION SINCE 181NAL
W A PR 3
FOR
YEARS
ET AR
VLI SE
ER
T
NA
WA
L
1813
Have a great family recipe?
Share it with your Arsenal Family!
We need your help – We are seeking entries for the first ever Arsenal cookbook
to commemorate our 200th anniversary featuring recipes from our workforce.
Whether it is an appetizer, dessert or main course, we want to hear from you!
Cookbooks will be available for pre-order on the 200th Anniversary Memorabilia
order form.
Fill out and submit your recipes online at:
www.wva.army.mil/recipe
Entries will be accepted from November 1, through December 31, 2012