Vol. 12, No. 10 U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal, Watervliet, New York Oct. 31, 2012

SALVO“Service to the Line, On the Line, On Time”

Story on page 3

Gen. Via visits history, charts destiny

Photos by John B. Snyder

Page 2 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

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. Mark F. MigaleddiPublic Affairs Officer, John B. SnyderEditor, John B. SnyderPhotographer: John B. Snyder Arsenal Facebook Page @http://on.fb.me/sq3LEm

Commander’s Corner

Mark F. MigaleddiCommanding

Manufacturer 6

In a few days, the future of America will once again have been determined by a fundamental right of every American — by the right to vote. From the highest office in the country to local council members, this election will have a profound effect on the direc-tion of our country, as well as on our community.

We have all seen and heard campaign ads, debates, and the glorious right to free speech exercised for almost 12 months in preparation for Election Day. I was in Iraq during the first nation-wide elections for Parliament. It was special seeing the campaigning and debating in this new society, and I said to myself, that Iraq is now truly free.

Now with combat operations having ended in Iraq and troop withdrawals from Afghanistan begun, the daily news of our troops who remain in combat rarely makes it to the front pages our newspapers or into the 6 o’clock TV news. But we are different.

Everything we do is to support the warfighter. This is as true today as it was on that hot July morning in 1813 when the brick and mortar was laid for what would become the Watervliet Arsenal.

We have been with the Soldier when they enlisted, married, and when they were reverently buried. And therefore, we have a moral and personal duty to not let their sacrifices be for naught.

Your vote does count! According to the Douglas County Treasurer’s Office in Nevada:

• In 1800 - Thomas Jefferson was elected Presi-dent by one vote in the House of Representa-tives after a tie in the Electoral College.

• In 1824 - Andrew Jackson won the presidential popular vote but lost by one vote in the House of Representatives to John Quincy Adams after an Electoral College dead-lock.

• In 1962 - Governors of Maine, Rhode Island and North Dakota were elected by an average of one vote per precinct.

• In 2000 - The Presidential election was de-cided by an extremely narrow margin. George W. Bush won the state of Florida by just 537 votes, making him the next President of the United States. Close to 6 million voters went to the polls in Florida. It might not have been by one vote, but certainly every vote counted.

I encourage you and your family to get out and vote this November 6th. If doing so for yourself is not reason enough, then do it for that Soldier who is still in Afghanistan fighting for your right.

Page 3 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

Watervliet takes AMC CG to a world beyond simple charts and production numbers

Story continues on page 4, see Gen. Via

AMC Commander Gen. Dennis L. Via, left, arriving at the Watervliet Arsenal with Col. Mark F. Migaleddi escorting.

"This is your lab, your forge, and your arsenal," said Arsenal Com-mander Col. Mark F. Migaleddi to Gen. Dennis L. Via during Via's visit here Oct. 2. Via, who assumed duties as the 18th Commander of the Army Ma-teriel Command Aug. 7, 2012, was presented with 200 years of Arsenal history during his first visit to this historic post. But history doesn't pay the bills and so, the Arsenal leader-ship quickly focused the discussion on the value the Arsenal provides to today's warfighters. Woven into the organizational charts and mission slides that are a customary part of every Army briefing, Migaleddi hit on something more concrete and tangible. "More than 700 line items, from 155mm cannons to 120mm mortars, are shipped from the Arsenal each month with an on-time delivery rate that exceeds 97 percent," Migaleddi said during the command brief. "At the end of the day, our products have helped hundreds of thousands of Sol-diers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines to come home safely." John Askew, the deputy director of the Army's Benét Laboratories, echoed Migaleddi's comments re-garding today's value to U.S. troops by saying that, "Every large caliber weapon system on today's battlefield that goes bang, began here." During Via's four-hour visit, Arse-nal and Benét leadership took Via on a journey to a world beyond simple charts and production numbers. Because at the end of the day, they truly wanted Via to know that his Arsenal is leveraging a manufactur-

ing phenomenon that is not replicated anywhere else in the Department of Defense called "From conception to grave synergy." There is no other place in the Department of Defense where those who do research and design (Benét Labs) are within a five-minute walk from those who will turn blueprints into finished manufactured products (Watervliet Arsenal), Askew said. Migaleddi took Askew's words a step further by personally showing Via how this synergistic effort is not only saving money, but also protect-ing lives. Recently, the Arsenal produc-tion team looked at the entire mortar manufacturing process and deter-mined that one component of the

production cycle, baseplate testing, had the potential to yield significant time savings by tapping into Benét's experience in simulation modeling. Mortar baseplate samples were traditionally subjected to out of state, live-fire testing. This meant the Arsenal had to package large numbers of baseplates and ship them to a test site, which would then put the baseplates on a mortar system and fire live rounds from them. This posed several problems. The Arsenal did not control the priority of work during testing, bad weather at the test site sometimes affected the test time and finally, mortar rounds are expensive. So, it became clear to Arsenal and Benét Lab leadership that if the Arsenal could test the baseplates at the Arsenal, then production time could be reduce, as well as save money for DOD. By using Benét's simulation capability at the Arsenal, the live fir-ing of rounds could be replicated by using hydraulic pile drivers. According to Migaleddi, "On av-erage, we are currently saving more than $1000 per mortar baseplate when compared to costs related to shipping and testing at an alternate test site." The Arsenal estimates that more than $2 million has been saved since testing began in Benét's hammer lab. In regards to protecting lives, the Arsenal and Benét Labs often look beyond what is called the Technical Data Package or TDP during and after the manufacturing process in search of product improvement. One recent product improvement

By John B. Snyder

Photo by John B. Snyder

Page 4 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

Gen. Via cont.adopted by the Army involved the replacement of more than 400 breechblocks for the Army'slightweight 105mm howitzer system -- the M119A2 towed howitzer. This howitzer entered service with the U.S. Army's 7th Infantry Division in December 1989. Benét engineers and Arsenal machinists never stopped trying to perfect the breechblock and as a result, developed a redesign of the breechblock that will not only improve Soldiers' safety, but also may reduce potential downtime. The breechblock improvements under this new modi-fication reduced the number of breechblock parts by 30 percent, which should reduce maintenance cost and down-time because there will be fewer parts affected by wear and tear. The redesigned breechblock also eliminated the recock mechanism by incorporating this function into the side of

the breech ring. Removal of the recock mechanism from behind the weapon removes the need for a Soldier to reach behind the cannon in the path of the recoil during a misfire to recock the weapon. This is a significant safety gain while also eliminating the need for a recock tool. But, whether it is breechblocks or mortar baseplates, Via said that he agreed that the synergy derived by col-locating an Army research facility with its manufacturing base creates a capability that is not replicated anywhere else in DOD. That fact should be better communicated to the Army's senior leaders, Via said. Arsenal and Benét leadership were very pleased to host Via. But more importantly, they were very proud to demonstrate what 200 years of continuous support to our servicemen and women means to our Army and to our Nation. It seemed that Via was pleased, too, as he person-ally thanked each individual he met telling them that our troops could not do their mission without the great support the Arsenal is providing.

Got your 200th Anniversary items?

Page 5 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

Army awards Arsenal $4.2M contract for new mortar baseplate

By John B. Snyder

The Arsenal announced this month that it received a $4.2 million contract from the U.S. Army to manu-facture a new lightweight 60mm mortar baseplate that will enhance Soldiers’ abilities to move more quickly across the battlefield, while also reducing logistical requirements. “This multimil-lion dollar order will add to our current workload more than 14,000 hours of di-rect labor,” said Jake Peart, the Arsenal’s chief of Production Control & Program Management. “We will begin shipping in the fall of 2013 and we will com-plete our produc-tion in the spring of 2015.” The Army’s new M224A1 lightweight 60mm mortar system that was fielded in 2011 requires two baseplates: The M7A1 baseplate, which is used in a conventional firing mode, weighs 9.2 pounds, and can fire charges 0 to 4; and the M8 baseplate, which can be used in a hand-held firing mode, weighs 3.6 pounds, but can fire only a charge 0 or 1. The new M7A2 baseplate the Arsenal will begin manufacturing may be used in a conventional fir-ing mode or from a hand-held firing position, weighs only 4.8 pounds, and can fire charges 0-4. Thereby providing the same firing capabilities as the current two baseplates combined, while reducing the overall weight of the mortar system by more than 8 pounds. Each additional charge above charge 1 increases the range of the mortar round. The 60mm mortar system is a lightweight, high angle of fire, smooth-bore, man-portable, muzzle-

loaded weapon system. The Arsenal will continue to manufacture baseplates for the legacy, 60mm mortar system, the M224, until the Army completes its field-ing of the newer, lightweight mortar system. Orders for Watervliet’s mortars have greatly in-creased since 2007 due directly to the type of ground combat that our military has been doing in Afghani-stan. In the last 12 months, the Arsenal has manufac-tured more than 2,000 various mortar parts, from tubes to baseplates. The U.S. Army’s Benét Laboratories designed the M7A2 baseplate, which speaks volumns about the synergy achieved at Watervliet where those who do the research and design are only a five-minute walk from those who will machine the design. Nearly four years of research, design, and testing went into the de-velopment of the M7A2.

Photos by John B. Snyder

Top: 120mm mortar base-plates being readied for painting.

Left: Arsenal General Foreman Paul Nieck-arz checking a 60mm baseplate casting being readied for machining. Although the production for the new baseplate won’t start until 2013, the Arsenal continues to manufacture baseplates for the legacy systems.

Page 6 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

By John B. Snyder

NY bridge dedicated to fallen heroStaff Sgt. Derek Farley will never be forgotten

In the Town of Nassau, N.Y., on Oct. 14, Staff Sgt. Derek Farley began greeting each visitor as they entered and left this small town. Derek was an Army explosives ordnance disposal expert who was killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 17, 2010, but on Sunday, the Route 20 Bridge in Nassau was named the Staff Sergeant Derek Farley Memorial Bridge. Derek was a free spirit since the first day he could crawl, said Ken Farley, Derek’s father who works at the Watervliet Arsenal as an electronics technician. “One of my fondest memories of Derek was when he was learning to walk because he would walk on his knees,” Ken said. “From that day on, I knew we had something special in Derek in that he would do things his way … he was his own person.” When Derek was young, he was the type of kid that loved the rain because it would cause mud puddles to form on his driveway, Ken said. There was never a good puddle left untouched by Derek as he would thrash about getting completely soaked and then he would seal his enjoyment by dunking his head into the thick of the mud, coming up for air laughing. One of Derek’s first chores around the house was keeping the wood box full, which was a skill he probably learned while still in his playpen. Ken and Derek’s mother, Carrie, kept Derek close by in his playpen as they prepared and stacked wood for the winter. The Farley family live in a country setting about a 30-minute drive from Albany, N.Y. and rely on wood to heat their home. “As long as we kept the wood splitter going, he would

sleep,” Ken said. “If we stopped to take a break, Derek would immediately wake up as if something was wrong.” As Derek grew older, his passion was riding his bike and visiting friends. But somehow, between such activities he found another passion — watching The Military and History Channels — a passion that would truly define who Derek was. At about the age of 11 or 12, Derek started developing

a keen interest in the military, especially the World War II period, Ken said. When as a teenager, Derek saw the camaraderie displayed in the ‘Band of Brothers’ miniseries and said that was what he wanted. One day in high school, Derek came home from school and told his parents he wanted to have an Army recruiter visit them. After the visit, Derek signed up for the Army while still in high school under the Army’s delayed entry program, a program that allows students to finish their senior year in high school and then ship out to basic training after graduation. Of the hundreds of job specialties available to Derek, he chose an exciting, but extremely dangerous specialty called “explosive ordnance disposal” or EOD specialist. Ken said at first he was taken aback by Derek’s job choice. As a Soldier who served in Vietnam, Ken knew just how dangerous the job was to disarming munitions

and bombs. But at the end of the day, Ken also knew that Derek was a free spirit who would do what he wanted to do and would do so better than anyone else. Within two years of enlisting, Derek was in Iraq at one of the most dangerous time periods of the war, 2006-2007.

Photo by John B. SnyderThe unveiling of the Staff Sergeant Derek Farley Memo-rial Bridge in Nassau, N.Y., by Derek’s family. From left: Dylan, Derek’s brother; Ken, father; and Theresa, sister. Farley was explosive ordnance disposal specialist who was killed in Afghanistan.

Story continues on page 7, see Derek

Page 7 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

This was about the time when Iraqi insurgents had perfect-ed their weapon of choice — improvised explosive devises or IEDs. More than 1,700 troops died in 2006 and 2007 supporting combat operations in Iraq. Despite the danger, Derek thrived in this environment where just about every day he faced death. According to Ken, who has through the years talked to many of Derek’s battle buddies, Derek’s free spirit allowed him to approach each IED with a sense of uncanny calm-ness because he wasn’t worried about his own life, but for the lives of his fellow Soldiers. Derek was injured by a bomb explosion in Iraq that cost him the hearing in one ear. He received the Purple Heart for that injury. About two years after his redeployment to the United States, Derek found himself in another war zone. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 as a team leader for the 702nd EOD Company, covering some 1,200 square miles of terrain. For nearly one year, Derek defused a countless numbers of roadside bombs that saved hundreds of lives. On one of his last missions before returning back home, Derek died on Aug. 17, 2010 while disarming a bomb in Afghanistan’s Farah Province. Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin, who spearheaded the effort to propose legislation to name the main bridge in Nassau after Derek, said at the ceremony that the bridge was at a perfect spot because people would start and end their day thinking of Derek and others who are serving. Rensselaer County Legislator Alex Shannon agreed with McLaughlin by saying “A lot of people cross this bridge every day and from this day forward they will never forget Derek and the sacrifice he made.” Carrie Farley spoke lovingly of Derek and said that Derek would be yelling at her if he saw such a memorial to him. “He wouldn’t have wanted the attention. He was a Soldier through and through.” Although Derek may not have wanted such attention, this memorial may somehow transcend Derek and the small community of Nassau. For those who knew Derek, they will have a daily re-minder of his service and sacrifice. But for the thousands of people who drive through the Town of Nassau every month who did not know Derek, the Staff Sergeant Derek Farley Memorial Bridge sign will be a reminder to them of the brave sacrifices by those who have stepped up to sup-port and defend our country. Ken and Carrie love their son and now thousands more will, too.

Carrie Farley, Derek’s mother, talking to the attendees.

Staff Sgt. Derek Farley’s ceremony under escort by the Patriot Guard Riders.

Patriot Guard Riders line the ceremony’s site.

Staff Sgt. Derek Farley Photos by John B. Snyder

Derek cont.

Page 8 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

When standing down makes senseBy John B. Snyder

More than 500 Watervliet Arsenal civilian employees stopped all manu-facturing operations Wednesday as the Arsenal participated in a Suicide Pre-vention Stand Down. This was part of the Army-wide stand down to educate leaders and their subordinates on the issues that may lead to suicides, as well as what actions they can take to prevent a suicide. Despite significant efforts in recent years, the U.S. military is con-fronting an epidemic of suicides. The Army ordered the stand down following a DOD report claiming that suicides doubled from June to July. Twenty-six active-duty Soldiers were listed as potential suicides in July, which were the most suicides ever recorded in a month since the Army began tracking these figures. Although the Ar-senal consists mainly of Department of the Army Civilians, this does not exempt them from thoughts or acts of sui-cide. And when one drills down into the demographics of the workforce, they would find that more than 40 percent are Veterans and some are still serving in the National Guard and Re-serves. Therefore, the Arsenal cannot take the attitude that it is immune from the epidemic that is rolling though the active-duty force. And, it didn’t. Arsenal Commander Col. Mark F. Migaleddi kicked off the training by saying, “We must take dramatic mea-sures to protect our workforce and we can start that process by not just hear-ing the issues that our fellow workers may tell us, we must listen to them and then to take action.”

With an understanding that stress involving money, relationships, and substance abuse may reach a point that some may believe there are no other options, Kyle Buono, the Arsenal’s Fitness Program Coordinator, offered some preemptive options. “Our Morale, Welfare, and Recre-ation program offers a variety of pro-grams, from a fitness center to renting out recreational items, that are avail-able to every Arsenal employee,” Buo-no said. “And if you don’t know how to play a certain sport or how to start a fitness program, I am always available

to give you one-on-one training.” Staff Sgt. Mike Broderick, who is the New York State Guard’s Joint Sub-stance Abuse Coordinator, highlighted today’s contemporary use of stylish drugs such as bath salts and synthetic marijuana. He said that these drugs are often purchased at local gas stations and convenience markets “for novelty use” or “not for human consumption,” which means that they are for the most part unregulated. Because these po-tential drugs are not being well regu-lated, many people buy them to get a quick high. “You may walk into a gas station

one week and pick up a package that is 5mg and the next week the same package may be 200mg,” Broderick said. “And so, these over-the-counter products that are easily attainable may diminish the decision-making ability of the abuser that can lead to suicide.” Josh Roy, the Arsenal’s Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trainer or ASIST, highlighted a fact that many Arsenal employees were not aware of. “On the Arsenal, there are 26 vol-unteers who have undergone training to assist the workforce to identify signs that may lead to suicide and to

provide help those who may believe their options in life are few,” Roy said. To assist Roy, as well as the Arsenal workforce, Mark Marshall, who is a certified counselor under the ValueOptions pro-gram, informed the work-force that he is available two days a week to help with work/life balance, re-lationships, and emotional resilience. Then it was the Albany Stratton VA Medical Cen-ter’s turn. Dr. Joseph Hunter, who is the Albany VA Medical

Center’s suicide prevention coordina-tor, provided the bulk of the training to the workforce. “Veterans are twice as likely to die from suicide as the U.S. civilian popu-lation,” Hunter said. Keeping in mind that more than 40 percent of the Arsenal workforce are Veterans, Hunter’s comment seemed to hit home with the crowd. The Arsenal not only did its part to support the Army’s suicide prevention efforts, it also created an environment that it is okay to seek help and once one does, there will be an Arsenal family of workers who will be there to help.

Photo by John B. SnyderWhen the Arsenal wants to communicate to the entire workforce it relies on the Historic Big Gun shop to provide the space. About 500 Arsenal employ-ees moved into the Big Gun Shop for the Suicide Prevention Stand Down.

Page 9 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

CPAC Corner: Estimating retirement

DID YOU KNOW that you can print an ESTIMATE of your retirement annuity online? Requesting an esti-mate of your retirement annuity is an important part of preparing for retirement.

You may get an estimate from the Employee Benefits Information System (EBIS) by logging onto EBIS using your Common Access Card (CAC), then enter your Social Security Number (SSN) and Personal Identification Number (PIN).

Once you have accessed EBIS, clicking on the My Benefits button will provide you with your Personal Statement of Benefits. The information provided in this statement will give you a quick "snap shot" of your retirement benefits. Please note: this retirement estimate uses 97% of your current salary as your high-3 salary.

Retirement estimates can also be obtained by clicking on the Calculators button. The retirement calculators will allow you to calculate a Quick Retirement Estimate, an Advanced Retirement Estimate, and compute your high-3 aver-age salary. Using the Quick Retirement Estimate will allow you to select the type of retirement (voluntary, early, or deferred), date of retirement, and enter a high-3 average salary.

The Advanced Retirement Estimate option lets you create different scenarios by adjusting your final salary and high-3 average salary, final sick leave balance, survivor benefit election, and your health insurance and life insurance options.WARNING! If you have the following types of service, you should contact a benefits counselor through the ABC-C telephone system to request a formal estimate:

• Non-appropriated Fund (NAF) Service • Unpaid civilian deposit or redeposit • Unpaid military deposit • Part time service • FERS transferee (elected to transfer to FERS and have 5 years of prior CSRS service)

The American Red Cross thanks the Arsenal workforce for their support to the September Blood Drive when 67 pints of blood were col-lected. This blood donation may help up to 201 patients. According to the Red Cross, this was the most blood collected at the Arsenal on record.

Blood donations set record

Farewell Tom & Theresa Tom and Theresa Lyons were the cover story for the March 2012 issue of the Salvo. Tom was part of the Greatest Generation years of the Arsenal who began working here in 1940 and retired in 1973. His wife, Theresa, also worked at the Arsenal during World War II as one of the Arsenal’s machine tool operators or fondly called our “Rosie the Riveter.” Sadly, since the cover story was written, both Tom and Theresa have passed away.

Page 10 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

No hoarders here ... ?

Arsenal conducts its first chamber of commerceIn an effort to promote collaboration and synergistic partnerships through relation-ship building, the Arsenal conducted its first meeting between the Arsenal leadership and the Arsenal’s tenant organizations. Very similar to what communities such as Albany and Rensselaer Counties currently conduct through their Chamber of Com-merces, the Arsenal has started this quarterly, unofficial chamber-type of meeting. The October meeting was chaired by the Arsenal commander and co-chaired by the Benét Labs Director and the President of the Arsenal Business & Technology Partner-ship.

You have all heard about 6S by now – Safety, Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. But I’ll bet most of you think that the goal of a 6S event is all about cleaning and throwing out junk. Or maybe it’s about lots of terrible “before” and pretty “after” pictures. But it’s not! The main goal of a 6S event is to improve the process. Every 6S event should determine success or failure by whether the team improved process performance. And yes, you can measure floor space reduced, or 6S audit score, or the number of dumpsters of junk thrown out (that’s all good!) but the main idea is to improve the process. You clean, throw out junk, and find a place for everything during a 6S event. But you do that to improve the process. Eliminating unnecessary items in an area reduces time spent looking for stuff, eliminates safety hazards and results in more time doing value-added work for customers. Cleaning machines or desks – and keeping them clean - means more run-time for value-added operations. With everything in its place operators, technicians and employees providing adminis-trative support to manufacturing know right where to get that tool or information when they need it. That’s why 6S is a great opportunity to focus on improving the process. Streamlined physical work spaces make it easier to do value added work What else must you know? -How to map the process -How to identify the customer -How to identify the need moving through the process -How to create visual management of the process -How to create standard work for the process Current state, ideal state and future state maps are not just for rapid improvement events – they are just as important during a 6S event. GEMBA walks and spaghetti diagrams are ideal tools for involving the people who work in the 6S tar-get area. They know how to eliminate problems, improve the process and ultimately increase customer satisfaction.

How many 6S examples – including visual management – can you think of at an average NASCAR event?

Photo by www.trekearth.com

Page 11 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

Addressing a commander’s service By Mark Koziol

1 Buffington Street, Watervliet, NY 12189

This is the familiar mailing address to all Watervliet Arsenal employees, but, who was Buffington and why does he merit a prominent street address? Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington’s mili-tary career began with his 1861 gradua-tion as a lieutenant from the West Point Military Academy. For the duration of the Civil War, his duties included: Training volunteer Soldiers in Wash-ington, D.C.; serving as an Ordnance Officer at the St. Louis, Mo., Arsenal; inspector of the Rifled Seacoast can-non from 1863 to 1864; and Commander of the New York Arsenal, 1864 to 1865. Lt. Buffington’s hard work was rewarded with a promotion at the end of the war to the rank of Brevet Major. Maj. Buffington’s or-ganizational skills led him to interesting and chal-lenging duties. From Oc-tober, 1868 to September, 1873, he was stationed at Watervliet Arsenal as an Assistant Ordnance Offi-cer. During his five years in Watervliet, the Arsenal was used primarily as a storage facility housing millions of rounds of small arms and hundreds of excess artillery guns and ammunition. During the previously mentioned five years, Buffington spent 15 months detailed to work at the Southern Sea-coast Fortifications covering the forts from Charleston, S.C., to Mobile Bay, Ala. There, he was the Assistant Su-perintendent of Armaments from Feb-ruary 1872 to May 1873.

In 1872, Buffington began design-ing a disappearing artillery gun car-riage for use at seacoast forts. While collaborating with Lt. William Crozier, the two men created a functional design for a disappearing gun carriage; patent in 1893. In use for more than 20 years, the carriage system supported guns ranging in size from 6-16 inches. When in a resting position, the Sea-coast guns were 12 feet below a protec-tive parapet, thus providing protection from the enemy while the artillerymen reloaded the gun. After being raised

and fired, the gun’s recoil pushed the carriage backwards and down behind the parapet for loading the next round. As Watervliet Arsenal commander, 1880 to 1881, Buffington oversaw Arsenal operations during one of the many “quiet” eras, highlighted by salaries for Master Mechanics being increased from $4.25 to $5.00 a day. In July, 1881, Buffington, after 20 years in the Ordnance Department, was pro-moted to the rank of Lt. Col. In 1881, Buffington moved on

to operating the Springfield, Mass., Armory. During his 10 years there, he made a major contribution to the success of the first rifled gun program designed and built at the Watervliet Arsenal. He also designed the first all steel field carriage for an artillery gun as well as the accompanying limber, caisson, battery wagon, forge and re-coil brake. Two other important milestones oc-curred late in Buffington’s career:

• He proposed the use of highly flammable nitro cellulose ma-

terial instead of nitroglycer-ine powder in ammunition manufacturing .

• He designed a delayed explosion mechanism for large artillery payloads.

Traditional artillery ammo exploded upon im-pact. A delayed exploding round would imbed itself in-side an enemy fort or battle-ship before exploding, thus increasing the damage done to the target and at a higher loss of life. Buffington’s innovations kept the Ameri-can seacoast fortifications safe from enemy attack for

nearly 20 years. Buffington served as Chief of Ord-nance from 1899 to 1901, and then he was forced to retire from the U.S. Army at age 64, after 40 years of mili-tary service. He died at age 85 on July 10, 1922 at his Madison, N.J., home, a week after his wife Eliza died on July 2. Buffington and wife are buried at the Arlington National Cemetery. In 1969, Lt. Col. Buffington was one of 32 men inducted into the inau-gural class of Ordnance Hall of Fame.

Photo provided by the Arsenal MuseumAn image of a 50-foot long, 16-inch gun mounted on its Buffington-Crozier Disappearing Carriage, Watertown, Mass., Arsenal, c.1921.

Page 12 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

Albany County’s Veterans’ Day ParadeMonday, 12 November

If you missed your opportunity to support our nation’s Veterans and the Arsenal during Memorial Day, you will have another chance to join us this November 12th. As you read this, the Arsenal parade committee is already working hard to prepare the Arsenal for the Albany County’s Veterans’ Day Parade down Central Avenue. In addition to two Arsenal floats, we will have several vehicles from Emergency Servic-es, and about 8 vehicles from the Hudson-Mohawk Military Vehicle Collectors Club.

We need folks to march with us, as well as volunteers to drive a van and the white VIP Bus to help transport machers from the finish point to the start point.

IF YOU WISH TO SUPPORT...CALLJohn Snyder at 266-5055 or

Jim Grenier at 266-5605

Photos by John B. Snyder

Page 13 Salvo Oct. 31, 2012

W A T E R V L I E T A

R S

E N

A L

1813

A PROUD TRADITION SINCE 1813WATERVLIET ARSENALFOR

YEARS

Watervliet Arsenal200th Anniversary Cookbook

Have a great family recipe?Share it with your Arsenal Family!

We need your help – We are seeking entries for the fi rst 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