Marine Corps News Room

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/C7FCCC718A5F71F78525709F00598AFB?opendocument

Submitted by: MCB Quantico
Story Identification #: 2005101912182
Story by Cpl. Justin Lago

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (Oct. 13, 2005) -- The Ammunition Supply Point aboard Quantico has been tasked with a major artillery ammunition restock that will remove the 105mm artillery rounds from the bunkers and replenish them with 155mm howitzer rounds.

Eighteen Marines, comprised of 12 Quantico ammunition technicians and six Marines from the Active Duty Special Work reserve unit, have begun the process to remove the 105mm rounds which the Marine Corps no longer uses.

“Since we are so short-handed, we rely heavily on ADSW Marines who come out six months at a time,” said Staff Sgt. Tyson Peters, ASP staff noncommissioned officer. “Also, we have trained supply administration Marines to take over our records section, which is normally a job done by ammunition technicians for the sole purpose of freeing up those ammo techs to work on the 155mm change-over. It would be a huge burden on the ASP without the help from the ADSW and supply administration Marines.”

To set such a large project in motion, the process must begin with creating room for the new shipment. The handful of Marines began to ship out the 105mm rounds Oct. 3 to free up the space for the 155mms.

“After it was all said and done, we had loaded and shipped eight tractor trailers worth of ammo,” said Peters. “Next, we needed to figure out how much we can store based off of the unit allowance, how much space the ammo will take up, and we have to figure in the net explosive weight so it doesn't exceed the max for the magazines we will store it in.” The next step the ASP Marines took was to put in the request for the new rounds through Marine Corps Systems Command and relay that request to a larger ammunition depot. That depot then loads up the rounds and sends them to the ASP.

“We ordered 3,312 rounds,” Said peters. “Only 408 can fit on one tractor. So we're looking at 20 or more tractor trailers of just 155mm ammo. Also, we ordered all of the rest of our requirement here at the ASP for the new fiscal year, so with that comes another 20 plus trucks. All of this loading, unloading and transportation are quickly being done by the limited number of Marines we have and keeping in mind we are doing this in two weeks.”

“These Marines are most defiantly doing what they are supposed to be doing and they are doing it well,” said Master Sgt. Ramond Simoneaux, ASP ammunition chief. “They are taking on a workload that most ammo techs never get to handle.”

Besides MCB Quantico, the ASP Marines support FBI units, Capitol Police, Secret Service, State Department, numerous Army and Navy units, and any Reserve units within a day’s travel.
“We have worked a lot of long hours but we are learning our job,” said Pfc. John Bradley ammunition technician. “It is a lot better than counting rounds all day and its worth it to support so many units.”

“Working at the Quantico ASP allows us to see a lot more types of rounds,” said Lance Cpl. Cameron Bradley, ammunition technician. “We get more hands on experience working with different types of ordinance and how to handle it all.”

“Our Marines are always going above the call of duty here at the ASP since we almost do as many transactions as Camp Pendleton (Calif.) and Camp Lejeune (N.C.), who both have a staff of over 200 Marines each,” said Peters. “If you do the math, a Camp Lejeune ammo tech does about 10 ammunition transactions per Marine per month. Our Marines do about 83 transactions per Marine per month. If there is anyone that thinks ammo techs don’t work, then I challenge them to come out to the Quantico Ammunition Supply Point for a week.”

The project is scheduled to be complete October 28.