Each month, the Arsenal publishes a series of articles and updates in its newsletter, Salvo.

1. S ALVO
“Service to the Line, On the Line, On Time”
Vol. 12, No. 6 U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal, Watervliet, NY June 30, 2012
Arsenal conducts battle drills, too
Photo by John B. Snyder
Dave Blazejeski Jr. loading a trailer a few years ago with armor kits. The armor kit order was one of the Arsenal’s largest urgent opera-
tional needs request this past decade.
By John B. Snyder the War of 1812 to manufacturing 16-inch guns for
While Soldiers in Afghanistan are clearing build- U.S. Battleships during World War II to providing
ings and roads as part of a battle drill, nearly 6,700 lightweight 155mm cannons to our troops in Af-
miles away in a small Army arsenal in upstate New ghanistan.
York there is another type of battle drill often being
played out to provide those Soldiers with the prod- But what few people know is that behind the
ucts that will improve their chances of coming home brick facades that have withstood the elements of
safely. time is a dedicated and highly skilled manufactur-
ing workforce that the Army may immediately shift
The Watervliet Arsenal has been in continuous to accommodate an urgent need requirement.
operation supporting our Army since 1813. During
those nearly 200 years, the Arsenal’s product lines
have ranged from packing flannel cartridges during Story continues on page 3, see Needs

2. Page 2 Salvo June 30, 2012
after every conflict, the Arsenal too became stronger
than the brick and mortar that houses our work.
We have just helped to promote the Army’s Birthday
Commander’s to nearly 2,500 Capital District residents at the City of
Albany’s Father’s Day and Army Birthday Concert on
June 17. I had the pleasure at this concert to join with
Corner so many of Capital Region’s citizens to help remind
our community of the service and sacrifice of millions
of men and women have made while wearing the
Army uniform.
For as long as I can remember, birthdays have always
had special meaning to me. It wasn’t so much the new In a few days, we will have another opportunity to
bike with the cool banana seat, Philadelphia Phillies celebrate our nation’s birthday. When you do so,
autograph baseball, Flyers sweater, Eagles jersey, or please think beyond the rockets’ red glare as you
the Sixers autographed basketball (I still have that) watch the fireworks celebration and reflect on our
but simply the warm feeling that I received when troops who remain in harm’s way in Afghanistan.
family and friends came together to wish me a Happy
Birthday. It was a celebration of my life of where I Next year the Arsenal will celebrate its 200th
have been, as well as where I was going. Anniversary on July 14. This is such a significant
event that we should begin to celebrate throughout the
Although I have outgrown the customary birthday year leading up to the Birthday. This, too, will be a
celebrations, I have not outgrown the significance of celebration of life.
other birthdays such as the birth of our Army on June
14, 1775, our nation on July 4, 1776 and finally, the Thousands of men, women, and children have come
birth of the Watervliet Arsenal on July 14, 1813. before you, have toiled in the same machine and
administrative shops, and have set the conditions
Each of these birthdays came about in the heat of for your success here. We owe them a large amount
battle and as hard as it may be to believe today, early of gratitude and honor, and I look forward to your
Americans did not know from one day to the next suggestions in what we may do to help promote this
about the long-term viability of our nation. During date in history to not only those inside of our fence
these trying times, families were often displaced, line, but also to those in the local community.
family patriarchs and matriarchs died in battles, and
even our White House was set ablaze.
But after each conflict that tore at the fabric of our Mark F. Migaleddi
inalienable rights — Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Commanding
Happiness — came about a stronger America. And, Manufacturer 6
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.
Arsenal Facebook Page @ 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,
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 June 30, 2012
Needs cont. Immediately following that order, there was anoth-
er request, but this time for Gunner Restraint Systems
for Stryker vehicles. This order, too, was shipped
This is when the Watervliet Arsenal goes into a within weeks
battle drill. of the request
Under normal circumstances, when a request for a quote.
for a quote comes to the Arsenal for such things This was
as a 120mm gun for an Abrams Tank or a 60mm the first time
lightweight mortar base plate, the quote process the Arsenal
may take about 10 days and delivery may not be had made
for up to two years, said George Roach, an Arsenal this product.
production planner. Respond-
When an urgent operational ing to an
needs request comes in to sup- urgent need
port a war fighter, the quote request is not something that
process may take as few as can become routine because it
three days and the manufac- does absorb much of the Arse-
tured product shipped in just nal’s production team’s focus
days from the acceptance of the and energy over a short period
quote, Roach added. of time, Roach said.
Urgent operational needs Nevertheless, the Arsenal’s
requirements often come to the capability transcends traditional
Arsenal because it is an Army- manufacturing by its proven
owned and –operated facility effectiveness meeting urgent
with the “warm” capability in wartime needs. For Fiscal Year
critical skill sets and experience 2012, the Arsenal accelerated
to respond to an urgent wartime 12 weapons programs and suc-
need when no one else can. cessfully supported two Joint
Additionally, responding to an Urgent Operational Need State-
urgent need often requires the ments, which speak volumes
Arsenal to modify its produc- about the responsiveness and
tion line to manufacture a non- Photos by John B. Snyder capability that resides at the
From right to left, Sean Stephenson, Kevin Chase, and
standard product. Frank Collins work late in the afternoon on a small
Watervliet Arsenal.
“When we receive an urgent assembly line that was for a recent non-core mission,
needs request, we bring together urgent needs order. Top photo shows their accomplish-
ment at the end of the day.
an integrated product team con-
sisting of every slice of the Arsenal’s manufacturing, Why Urgent Needs Requests? According to
from procurement to packaging to production plan- the Government Accounting Office or GAO,
ning, to focus on this requirement,” Roach said. Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced
“Just recently, we responded to an urgent need rapidly changing threats to mission failure
request for critical components that were needed for or loss of life, highlighting the Department of
MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle exhaust kits,” Roach said. Defense’s (DOD) need to develop and field
“We received the request on April 3rd and by April new capabilities more quickly than its usual
13th, we had shipped our first set of kits.” acquisition procedures allow. Since 2006,
This was the first time the Arsenal had made this Congress has provided nearly $16 billion to
product. counter improvised explosive devices alone.

4. Page 4 Salvo June 30, 2012
An arsenal’s renewed sense of pride
By John B. Snyder the products that will either make them more lethal
or more survivable on the battlefield. Those words
Although bad weather prevented Army Maj. Gen. quickly were shared with the entire workforce.
Kurt J. Stein’s visit to the Arsenal this month to Nevertheless, as final preparations kicked off last
thank the Arsenal’s workforce for its professionalism week for Stein’s visit, there was excitement in the air.
and commitment to our Nation’s war fighters, his Just the thought of the commanding general coming
presence was still felt by to visit, and why he was
many. Stein, the former coming, set off a flurry
commanding general of of discussions, as well as
the TACOM Life Cycle reflections.
Management Command Whenever an Army
at the Detroit Arsenal in leader, be them a
Michigan, turned over his commanding general or a
command June 21 to Maj. platoon sergeant, leaves
Gen. Michael J. Terry a unit there are always
and this month’s visit was mixed emotions. And,
to be Stein’s last to the as the Arsenal workforce
Arsenal. reflected this week, there
In the two-plus years were a flurry of emotions,
that Stein had been the too. But one emotion
commander of TACOM stood out above all others:
LCMC — which is Pride.
the Arsenal’s higher Why pride? During
headquarters — he Stein’s tenure, the Arsenal
visited the Arsenal four had manufactured and
times. During each visit, shipped thousands of
Stein had made clear his tank, howitzer, and
admiration and respect for mortar products that
the Arsenal workforce and ended up in the hands of
so, the Arsenal workforce U.S. warfighters in Iraq
already knew how Stein and Afghanistan. Stein
felt about them whether he provided the direction,
made this trip or not. Photo by John B. Snyder as well as created the
“I remember during Maj. Gen. Kurt J. Stein speaking to the Arsenal’s workforce during the operational environment
September 2011 retiree ceremony.
a visit by Gen. Stein for that support to be at
in April 2011, there were about 20 of us who were the right place and at the right time.
lucky enough to have lunch with him,” said Lee So, in a strange way, Stein’s non-visit still served
Glenn, an Arsenal industrial management specialist a purpose. Just knowing he was coming and that
who often coordinated Stein’s tours to the Arsenal’s this would be his last trip inspired great thought,
manufacturing center. “The discussion between him conversation, and a sense of pride that the Watervliet
and the workforce could not have been any better Arsenal had done just fine under his command.
because he seemed genuinely concerned about our As preparations for his visit came to a close, there
comments, as well as having thanked each of us for was another sense in the air that this proposed last
what we do.” farewell by a commander had been witnessed here
Stein also visited the Arsenal in September 2011, before — in fact, hundreds of times since the Arsenal’s
when he participated in the Arsenal’s retiree ceremony humble beginnings in 1813. And, as the Arsenal
talking directly to more than 50 workers. Stein told workforce has done countless times in its nearly 200-
the workers just how important their work had been year history, it wishes its commanding general the
to providing servicemen and women in combat with very best for continued success.

5. Page 5 Salvo June 30, 2012
The “power of one” ... amazing
By John B. Snyder
The Arsenal’s leadership has been talking up the
Army Suggestion Program and LEAN for many years
in hopes of making the Arsenal a safer and more
efficient manufacturing center of excellence. But at
the end of the day, it boils down to individuals who
must step up to make any program a success.
In an Army line unit, everything starts at the
Soldier level. Once Soldiers have mastered individual
tasks, they then move to squad, platoon, and company-
level tasks. This rings true at the Arsenal, too.
Most things start with an individual.
Of the 131 suggestions submitted to the Arsenal Photo by John B. Snyder
under the Army Suggestion Program this fiscal year, Rotary forge operator Douglas Bushee took a simple thought and
transformed it into an Army Suggestion that will save the Arsenal tens
130 were submitted by individuals, said Richard of thousands of dollars.
Hopson, the administrator of the Arsenal’s Army Within the Arsenal’s LEAN program, there have
Suggestion Program. been 16 projects this fiscal year, said Mark Ripley, the
Within the 131 suggestions is a top monetary award Arsenal’s continuous improvement specialist.
of more than $1,500 that went to Douglas Bushee, a “Of those 16 projects, all began with one person’s
rotary forge operator at the Arsenal. Bushee suggested good idea on how to make the Arsenal more efficient
sandblasting just the weld areas of a mortar baseplate, or effective,” Ripley said.
versus, sandblasting all the 57 parts of the baseplate. So, here it is, the “Power of One” cannot be
His suggestion was tested and adopted because it was discounted whether it is in a line unit or at an Army-
determined that it has the potential to save nearly owned manufacturing center. Because of the initiative
45 minutes of manufacturing time per baseplate. of a handful of individuals at the Arsenal, the Arsenal
Potential savings will be nearly $30,000 in the first will become safer and more efficient, both of which
year. will help the long-term viability of the Arsenal.
“By nature, I hate inefficiency and waste,” Bushee The power of teamwork also cannot be discounted.
said. “I have been at the Arsenal for a little over three Behind every individual idea, there is a team that
years and this was my third suggestion to improve the processes, evaluates, and puts in place the adopted
safety or the efficiency of our manufacturing.” suggestion.
“One of the Most Important Army
Traditions ... Change of Command”
Lt. Gen. Dennis Via
From left, Maj. Gen. Kurt Stein, Lt. Gen. Dennis Via and Maj.
Gen. Michael Terry salute the colors during TACOM LCMC
Change of Command ceremony on June 21, 2012.— at the
Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Mich.
Photo by TACOM LCMC

6. Page 6 Salvo June 30, 2012
Relatively unknown Union
officer lives on in the
Arsenal’s museum Capt. Lyon’s sword
By Mark Koziol into the Army between Sept. 25 and Oct. 6, 1862 and
mustered out on July 19, 1865. The 169th were engaged
From 2010 to 2015, museums and historical societies in more than 20 battles including Malvern Hill, 1862;
will have the opportunity to educate the public about the Fort Wagner, 1863; Cedar Creek, 1864; Cold Harbor,
history of the Civil War. While in the midst of the 150 th 1864; Siege of Petersburg, including the Battle of the
anniversary of events, the Arsenal Museum will be show- Crater, 1864; and Fort Fisher, 1865.
casing relevant artifacts from its collections. Recently, Doing research led to the discovery of numerous facts
the museum staff had a display table at the Troy Civil about the military career of Capt. Lyons. For instance, he
War Encampment week- was 28-years-old when
end where we exhibited he enlisted on Aug. 20,
a Union officer’s sword 1862. He began his mil-
with connections to the itary service as a second
Capital District. lieutenant, Company H,
According to museum on Oct. 6, 1862, promot-
records, this sword and ed to first lieutenant on
scabbard, Model 1850 April 6, 1863 and pro-
Staff and Field Offi- moted again to Captain
cers Presentation Grade on May 10, 1864. For
Sword, was manufac- unknown reasons, Capt.
tured by W. Clauberg Lyons did not serve his
3 years and resigned on
in Prussia. It was pre-
Aug. 15, 1864.
sented to Lt. William H.
Currently, research
Lyons from his men of
has not yielded a photo-
Company H, 169th Regi-
graph nor much personal
ment of New York Vol- Sketch provided by the Library of Congress information about Capt.
unteers on Oct. 28, 1862. Episcopal minister Edgar T. Chapman, a chaplain for the 169th New York Lyons outside of his
This company was Infantry Regiment, performs an open-air religious service on July 3, 1864,
birth year, 1834. We do
formed in Troy, N.Y. at Union general William F. Smith’s headquarters near Petersburg, Va.
not know the year of his
The elaborate sword, death, what he did with
engraved on one side of the blade with the design of his life after the Civil War and where he was buried. A
an eagle spread-winged and carrying a banner. On the check of the internet into the 1880 U.S. Census of Troy
reverse side the letters “U.S.” appear. The guard is an showed five men living in that city with the name Wil-
elaborately designed and crafted eagle with the words “E liam Lyons. Unfortunately, none of them were listed as
Pluribus Unum.” being 46 years old, Capt. Lyons’ age in 1880.
The sword’s grip is wooden at its core and is wrapped Further research at the National Archives and Records
with a “Ray’s Skin Grip.” The manufacture used fish Administration Center in Pittsfield Mass., will be con-
skin to cover the wooden handle, usually using stingray ducted. On file are microfilm copies of the valuable Civil
or shark skin because such material won’t break down War Pension and U. S. Census Records that might yield
when damp or wet. A single pair of twisted brass wires information.
wrapped around the skin to keep it tight and firm. Finally, the Arsenal Museum will participate in two
The sword was donated on Oct. 28, 1962 to the regional Civil War events this year: during August 18 and
Watervliet Arsenal by Capt. Lyons’ granddaughter, Mrs. 19 at the Civil War Heritage Days at Schuyler Flats Cul-
Fred B. Polk. It became a museum artifact in 1969. tural Park in Menands; and during September 21 and 22
The 169th Regiment of New York Volunteers, Com- at the Congress Park in Saratoga Springs. The museum
pany H, was formed in 1862. The company consisted of shall be discussing the critically important role of the
66 men from Rensselaer and Washington counties who Arsenal during the Civil War, exhibiting the sword and
signed for a three-year enlistment. They were mustered scabbard along with other Civil War artifacts.

7. Page 7 Salvo June 30, 2012
A strange case when shutting down
manufacturing is actually an investment
By John B. Snyder the four-hour training period.
Karen Heiser, one of the Arsenal supervisors who
When an Arsenal shuts down its wartime operations,
provided training, said that stopping work for four hours
this is usually big news. Reports should be immediately
was a great opportunity for the workforce to see the
sent to higher headquarters alerting Army senior leaders
command’s commitment to safety.
that there is a significant problem that may affect the
And the Arsenal commander, Col. Mark F. Migaleddi,
critical resourcing of our troops. No reports went out this
viewed shutting down operations for four hours as an
week when the Watervliet Arsenal shutdown its operations
investment — in lives and fiscal management.
for four hours, but that doesn’t mean that this shutdown
“Although our key goal for the training was to raise
was not significant, because it was.
the level of safety awareness within the command, there
The Arsenal turned off its machines and office lights
was another goal that went beyond that of saving lives and
June 12 to take a step back and re-look workplace safety.
limbs,” Migaleddi said.
Now, why is that important?
“Due to previous safety-related accidents, more than $1
The Arsenal is manned at the minimum level to achieve
million in Workman’s Compensation costs go into the cost
its mission, which means there is simply no fat or excess
of our products every year,” Migaleddi said. “The safer
in manning, said Anthony Urban, an Arsenal resource
we are the lower our overhead expenses will be, which in
manager.
turn will help us hold down the cost of our products to our
“Every loss, be it for an hour or for a week, may affect
customers.”
the Arsenal’s ability to provide military hardware to the
war fighter where and when needed,” Urban said.
So, this was an investment, if you will, for the Arsenal
to stop its manufacturing for a few hours to retrain and
review procedures that will make the
Arsenal workforce safer, at work and at
home.
The training ranged from
understanding blood-borne pathogens
to putting into action a fire extinguisher
to motorcycle safety. In all, seven
safety-related areas were trained during
Photos by John B. Snyder

8. Page 8 Salvo June 30, 2012
Improving performance in individuals, teams
By Mark Ripley ing change if we think it will benefit us. We are influenced
by our personal values – wanting to have more time with
What does Continuous Improvement really mean, and family, spend less money, have better health, learn new
how will we know when we’re done? things, keep up with the Jones’, etc.
“continuous”, according to Merriam Webster, means But, if we are so willing to accept change in our person-
“going on without any interruptions.” Synonyms include al lives, why is it so hard to implement change at the work-
ceaseless, incessant, non-stop, perpetual, uninterrupted, and place? After all, a Lean culture is one that continuously
unrelenting. evaluates itself and is open to improvement.
“improvement” means enhancing value or excellence. At work, change can be challenging because there are
Synonyms include: advancement and refinement. many sets of values in play. Employees have their personal
One of the basic Lean principles is the continuous values and there are also organizational values. And, very
pursuit of excellence. It means looking forward to new rarely do one’s values have the horsepower to effect change
improvements and better performance instead of being sat- in an organization.
isfied with yesterday’s efforts and today’s results. Change Therefore, change in an organization must come from
is not easy because to some people, it is easier to stick to a team effort with a completely set of direction points. In-
“That’s the way we’ve always done it” frame of mind. stead of looking inward, the team must look beyond the
But there is one thing that should give us hope that Arsenal fence line for a new direction.
change will come to the Arsenal: Values. In a company committed to Lean, these values should
The Arsenal could not have survived nearly 200 years of reflect the needs of the customer. While a business cer-
operation unless its workforce embraced the “value” of im- tainly strives to stay in operation and keep its people em-
proving performance, as individuals and as teams. Some- ployed, its primary values must be to maximize value to its
times improving performance begins with an individual customers. This means continuously assessing yesterday’s
who recognizes the need to improve their personal lives. performance and thinking about ways to make tomorrow’s
Today’s rapid pace of technological advances, which even better.
is heavily advertised by the media, lead many of us to be- Lean events, Standard Work, our Transformation Plan
lieve that we are “so yesterday.” Commercials showing all of Care (TPOC) – every improvement and accomplishment
kinds of cool electronic devices, from big screen TVs to 4G we celebrate today are open to change tomorrow. A Lean
phones to iPad2 devices, entice us to make that leap of faith culture means continuously assessing our practices for
purchase that will make our lives either more efficient or new opportunities to improve them. It is a given, we will
more enjoyable. change. But will that change be reactive or proactive? The
With personal technology, we’re more open to consider- answer lies with you.
Photos provided by John B. Snyder & 1st Lt. Jonathan J. Springer
The Arsenal workforce has embraced change through the years as evidenced by the dramatic comparison between the 1914 3-inch gun on the left
and the 105mm howitzer that is currently in use in Afghanistan on the right. Both guns were manufactured at the Watervliet Arsenal.

9. Page 9 Salvo June 30, 2012
CPAC Corner
Did You Know that Accrued Sick Leave is Your Safety Net in a Personal Emergency?
Unlike many private employers, the federal government does not offer its employees disability insurance.
Sick leave is a paid absence from duty. An employee’s accrued sick leave can cover a wide range of personal
emergencies to include:
· Personal medical needs
· Care of a family member If you have any questions,
· Care of a family member with
contact the CPAC office a
serious health condition at
· Adoption related purposes
266-4058.
· Bereavement
A full time employee accrues 13 days of sick leave per year. There is no limitation on the amount of sick leave
that can be accumulated. Part-time employees and employees with uncommon tours of duty are also entitled
to use sick leave, and the amount of sick leave which may be granted is pro-rated in proportion to the average
number of hours of work in the employee’s scheduled tour of duty each week. For additional information, you
can go to http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/html/sicklv.asp.
Arsenal History Update
Death of former commander
Edward V. Karl
Colonel, Ordnance, US Army (Retired)
Col. Edward Vincent Karl, United States Army,
Retired, died on May 25, 2012, at his home with his
family in Arlington, Va. He was 74.
He commanded the Watervliet Arsenal from July,
19, 1983 to Jan. 22, 1986.
A funeral mass will be held at the Old Post Chapel
at Fort Myer at 8:45 AM on Friday, Sept. 14,
2012, followed by a gravesite ceremony at Arling-
ton National Cemetery.
Photo provided by the Arsenal Museum

10. Page 10 Salvo June 30, 2012
Arsenal coordinates City of Albany concert
Photos by John B. Snyder

11. Page 11 Salvo June 30, 2012
Arsenal Appreciation Night with the ValleyCats
Saturday, 18 August Bes
ale s
s at 7 p.m. t se
c ket
Ti u
g n at th sg
e be pur ose w o to
hav cha h
se e o
arly
Contact Contact
John Snyder John Snyder
at 266-5055 at 266-5055
or or
in Room 102 in Room 102
Building 10 Building 10
for tickets!!! for tickets!!!
Our own Suzanne Delaney will sing the National Anthem
• The Arsenal has coordinated with the Tri-City ValleyCats baseball organi-
zation for the 4th Annual Arsenal Appreciation Night.
• Game is on Saturday, 18 August, at 7 p.m. (Fireworks Night)
• Department of the Army Civilians and Arsenal family members may pur-
chase a "Reserved Box" ticket for only $5.50 (42% discount). These are
better seats than what we had in the past (Section 230). And, for the first
time, if you want to save a few bucks, you may purchase Grandstand
tickets for only $4 (38% discount). Yes, a price for everyone.
• Even though we have better seats, All Arsenal Military Veterans will still
receive a free ticket.
• You may also purchase a reduced meal voucher for only $3.50 This
voucher is good for one hot dog, small soda, and bag of chips.
• For tickets and information, contact John Snyder, room 102, Bldg. 10.

12. Page 12 Salvo June 30, 2012