Tracks, the newspaper for Anniston Army Depot Volume 31, Number 20187 May 4, 2017 U.S. Postage Paid Presort Standard Anniston, AL 36201 Permit No. 326 Address Service Requested Alabama Power completes solar array at ANAD A nniston Army Depot and its partners for the solar energy proj- ect cut the ribbon on the array of solar panels April 21. As Michael McGhee, the ex- ecutive director for the Army’s Office of Energy Initiatives not- ed, it was an appropriate moment for the week of Earth Day. “Remember, energy strong is Army strong,” said McGhee. The project is one of many completed through OEI and brings their portfolio of renew- able energy programs to 500 megawatts, about half of the one gigawatt OEI hopes to produce through renewable energy by 2025. The solar array here is a col- laboration between Anniston Army Depot; Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Southern Compa- ny; the Office of Energy Initia- tives; the General Services Ad- ministration; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Mission and Installation Contracting Com- mand. It is expected to produce seven megawatts of electricity. According to the John Kelley, the director of Forecasting and Resources for Alabama Power, enough energy will be produced to power approximately 1,000 homes. ANAD Chief of Staff Phil Trued remarked that the multi- year project was additional proof of the depot’s capability to work with private and public entities. “It’s been a great team effort and a positive experience work- ing with these external partners,” he said. Trued acknowledged not only the depot’s goal of energy security, but also the Army’s objectives regarding renewable energy. “This project is just one more step to reach the depot and the Army’s renewable energy goals and achieve energy security,” he said. Strata Solar installed the utility-scale solar project at the depot and a similar one at Fort Rucker, the first of their kind for Alabama Power. The utility company devel- oped, financed, designed and co- ordinated installation of the solar power structures, an investment of $50 million. APC will own, operate and maintain the large- scale renewable energy project. “We are responding to what our customers want and need,” said Kelley. The 87,000 solar panels in- stalled on 90 acres at the depot are currently in a testing phase. Eventually, energy generated by the project will flow back into APC’s power grid. The solar array will be a step toward energy security for the depot, which the Office of En- ergy Initiatives said is a driving factor behind renewable energy projects. While the power generated will not be enough to make the installation an energy island, it may one day be able to power two of the depot’s three power substations on a sunny day, ac- cording to Brian Freeman, a me- chanical engineer for DPW. The project to store power for the depot’s use in an emergency and switch power from flowing to the APC grid to sustaining the installation is a potential future project, according to McGhee. by Jennifer Bacchus ANAD PAO Photo by Ben Williams From leſt, Anniston Army Depot Chief of Staff Phil Trued, Alabama Power Company Eastern Division Vice President Julia Segars, Army Materiel Command Execuve Deputy to the Commanding General Lisha Adams and Army Office of Energy Iniaves Execuve Director Michael McGhee cut the ribbon for the depot’s solar array during the April 21 ceremony. John Kelley, the director of Forecasng and Resources for Alabama Power, shares informaon regarding the solar project following the ribbon cung. By the numbers: Alabama Power’s renewable energy from alabamapower.com • Six percent of Alabama Power’s total power generation comes from hydroelectric gen- eration. • 400,000 homes get electric- ity from 157,000 acres of water at Alabama Power hydroelectric dams. • More than 10 years of test- ing and purchasing biomass en- ergy. • More than 50 locations statewide for solar panel tests and surplus energy buy-backs.
Transcript
Tracks, the newspaper for Anniston Army Depot
Volume 31, Number 20187 May 4, 2017
U.S. Postage PaidPresort Standard
Anniston, AL 36201Permit No. 326
Address ServiceRequested
Alabama Power completes solar array at ANAD
Anniston Army Depot and its partners for the solar energy proj-
ect cut the ribbon on the array of solar panels April 21.
As Michael McGhee, the ex-ecutive director for the Army’s Office of Energy Initiatives not-ed, it was an appropriate moment for the week of Earth Day.
“Remember, energy strong is Army strong,” said McGhee.
The project is one of many completed through OEI and brings their portfolio of renew-able energy programs to 500 megawatts, about half of the one gigawatt OEI hopes to produce through renewable energy by 2025.
The solar array here is a col-laboration between Anniston Army Depot; Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Southern Compa-ny; the Office of Energy Initia-tives; the General Services Ad-ministration; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Mission and Installation Contracting Com-mand. It is expected to produce seven megawatts of electricity.
According to the John Kelley, the director of Forecasting and Resources for Alabama Power, enough energy will be produced to power approximately 1,000 homes.
ANAD Chief of Staff Phil Trued remarked that the multi-year project was additional proof of the depot’s capability to work with private and public entities.
“It’s been a great team effort and a positive experience work-ing with these external partners,” he said.
Trued acknowledged not
only the depot’s goal of energy security, but also the Army’s objectives regarding renewable energy.
“This project is just one more step to reach the depot and the Army’s renewable energy goals and achieve energy security,” he said.
Strata Solar installed the utility-scale solar project at the depot and a similar one at Fort Rucker, the first of their kind for Alabama Power.
The utility company devel-oped, financed, designed and co-ordinated installation of the solar power structures, an investment of $50 million. APC will own, operate and maintain the large-scale renewable energy project.
“We are responding to what our customers want and need,” said Kelley.
The 87,000 solar panels in-stalled on 90 acres at the depot are currently in a testing phase.
Eventually, energy generated by the project will flow back into APC’s power grid.
The solar array will be a step toward energy security for the depot, which the Office of En-ergy Initiatives said is a driving factor behind renewable energy projects.
While the power generated will not be enough to make the installation an energy island, it may one day be able to power two of the depot’s three power substations on a sunny day, ac-cording to Brian Freeman, a me-chanical engineer for DPW.
The project to store power for the depot’s use in an emergency and switch power from flowing to the APC grid to sustaining the installation is a potential future project, according to McGhee.
by Jennifer BacchusANAD PAO
Photo by Ben Williams
From left, Anniston Army Depot Chief of Staff Phil Trued, Alabama Power Company Eastern Division Vice President Julia Segars, Army Materiel Command Executive Deputy to the Commanding General Lisha Adams and Army Office of Energy Initiatives Executive Director Michael McGhee cut the ribbon for the depot’s solar array during the April 21 ceremony.
John Kelley, the director of Forecasting and Resources for Alabama Power, shares information regarding the solar project following the ribbon cutting.
By the numbers: Alabama Power’s renewable energy
from alabamapower.com
• Six percent of Alabama Power’s total power generation comes from hydroelectric gen-eration.
• 400,000 homes get electric-ity from 157,000 acres of water at Alabama Power hydroelectric dams.
• More than 10 years of test-ing and purchasing biomass en-ergy.
• More than 50 locations statewide for solar panel tests and surplus energy buy-backs.
This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents of TRACKS are not necessarily official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Depart-
ment of the Army, or Anniston Army Depot. TRACKS is published biweekly using desktop
publishing on recycled paper and on the Internet by the Commander, Anniston Army Depot.
The editorial office is located in the Abrams Building, Room 358, telephone 256-235-6281 (DSN prefix 571) or FAX 256-235-4695. TRACKS invites
comments and contributions from its readers. Ad-dress e-mail to: [email protected] and mail to: Editor, TRACKS, TAAN-SCO, 7 Frankford Avenue, Anniston, AL 36201-4199. DEADLINE days are Thursdays pre-ceding date of publication. Circulation: 5,900.
Trip tickets, FEM Form 2205, are used to record the utilization of all types of vehicles - General Service Administration, Forklifts, tug mules, etc. - in the Facility and Equipment Maintenance System.
This record is used to determine the amount of miles/hours the ve-hicle and/or equipment is being driven or used. This will determine the timeframe preventative mainte-nance is due on vehicles and equip-ment in order to meet GSA regula-tions for maintenance on leased vehicles and, for forklifts and other equipment, to meet original equip-ment manufacturer/OSHA require-ments for maintenance and safety inspections.
Incorrect and/or incomplete in-formation on your GSA vehicle trip ticket could result in losing your ve-hicle. We are directed to keep track of our underutilized GSA vehicles to either turn them back in to GSA or re-assign them to another cost center which has a need for a vehicle.
It is very important to make sure the correct mileage and/or hours are recorded on the trip ticket. Enter whole numbers only. Accurate re-cords of a vehicle or piece of equip-ment are important to determine if inspections have been met and properly input into the FEMS sys-tem.
Trip tickets must be turned in every month by the fifth of the month and they must be filled out correctly. If not, after repeated at-tempts, vehicle will be picked up by Motor Pool personnel and placed at the Motor Pool for daily dispatch.
We hope this information an-swers the majority of your questions concerning trip tickets and their im-portance. If you have any questions regarding trip tickets, contact me at Ext. 6101.
Proper completion of trip ticketsby Ronald Lackey
ANAD DPW
What makes suspicion of impairment
reasonable?
One of the categories of drug and alcohol testing that is done on Anniston Army Depot is reasonable suspicion.
What makes a suspicion of impairment reasonable? Among other things, it can be based on:
• Observable behaviors, such as direct observation of drug use or possession and/or the physical symptoms of being under the influence of a drug
• A pattern of abnormal conduct or erratic behavior• Arrest or conviction for an alcohol/drug-related of-
fense or the identification of an employee as the focus of a criminal investigation into illegal drug possession, use or trafficking
• Information provided either by reliable and credible sources or independently corroborated
• Newly discovered evidence that the employee has tampered with previous drug test
A reasonable suspicion is more than a hunch – it is objective criteria that a fellow employee or a subordinate may be impaired.
Is that person staggering or swaying or unable to stand?
Is he or she incoherent or mumbling or drooling or rambling or slurring their words?
Are their eyes dilated or glassy or watery?Is their face flushed or pale or sweaty?Do they smell of alcohol or marijuana?Are they acting differently than normal, such as a
calm person being highly agitated or a neat person being extremely messy?
These are some of the possible indications of impair-ment.
If you believe a co-worker may be impaired, it is your obligation to notify someone of your suspicion – a super-visor, the Alcohol-Drug Control Officer or a staff office that can notify the appropriate personnel.
It is never the right thing to do nothing if you suspect impairment.
The consequences to themselves, to their coworkers or to others of an impaired employee operating machin-ery, working on machinery or driving vehicles is too dras-tic and can be tragic.
ANAD’s Alcohol-Drug Control Officer, Angela Du-rant, can be contacted at 256-235-6294 if you have ques-tions or if you wish to report a reasonable suspicion matter.
by Susan BennettANAD Legal Office
A trip ticket consists of 12 col-umns, which must be filled in.
Date Util. - the date the ve-hicle or equipment is used.
Starting, Time, MTR RDG - the time the operator began us-ing the equipment and the odom-eter/meter reading of the vehicle/equipment at that time.
Ending, Time, MTR RDG - the time the operator stopped using the vehicle and the odom-eter/meter reading of the vehicle/equipment at that time.
Dispatchers Signature - whoever is responsible for the vehicle/equipment must sign here and print their name to sign the equipment over to the operator.
Operator’s Signature - who-ever is going to operate the vehi-cle/equipment must sign and print their name, taking responsibility for operating and maintaining the condition of this vehicle/equip-ment.
U/I/N - there should be a check mark or x in one of these three small columns indicating Used/Idle/Not available.
Fuel Added - all fuel that is added must be notated in the amount of gallons put in the ve-hicle/equipment.
Oil Added - notations for oil added and how much.
On the back lower portion of the trip ticket is a Daily Operator Preventive Maintenance Check and service guide.
Whenever you drive a GSA vehicle, forklift, mule, etc, you are responsible for that item. You must fill out the trip ticket every time you get in and out of that vehicle, forklift, mule, etc. When you sign your name on the trip
ticket, you are stating that you have performed the “Operator Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services” listed on the back.
You must inspect the GSA vehicle, forklift, mule, etc, be-fore you drive it and after you complete your time in it. If you wreck it and are found negligent in your actions, you will pay for the repair.
Please note: the GSA vehicles do not belong to ANAD. They be-long to GSA. GSA, gives us the vehicles in a certain condition and expects those vehicles to be returned in that same condition, minus minor fear wear and tear.
There are 22 Daily Opera-tor Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services. If any of the 22 items are bad or looks like they could pose a problem, please make a comment in the remarks section and date and time that re-mark.
Report any deficiency found to your supervisor. The supervisor will then report the problem to the appropriate shop.
Motor Pool personnel enter the information from trip tick-ets in FEMS on a monthly basis. Please make sure all trip tickets are legible. Do not make up a trip ticket or change the asset number, TMP number or Tag number on the trip ticket. Contact the Mo-tor Pool if you do not receive a trip ticket at the beginning of the month or if you receive the wrong trip ticket.
Please print a name and con-tact number at the top of each trip ticket, in case someone at the Mo-tor Pool needs to speak with the user of equipment.
How to fill out a Trip Ticket
TRACKS 3May 4, 2017
Asian American Pacific Is-lander Heritage Month is a time to celebrate and pay tribute to the contributions generations have made in American History, soci-ety and culture.
The theme for this year’s Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month is “Unite our voices by speaking together.”
This theme encourages vari-ous AAPI communities to join together to overcome the miscon-ceptions and stereotypes about the vibrant and diverse AAPI community. The AAPI experi-ence varies greatly and all groups must join together to communi-cate their individual experiences.
As we celebrate the cultural traditions, ancestry, native lan-guages and unique experiences represented among more than 56 ethnic groups, speaking over 100 languages, from Asia and the Pacific Islands who live in the United States, I would like to take time to recognize some of the great Asian American Pacific Islanders.
Florence Ebersole Smith Finch was the daughter of a U.S. Soldier and Filipina mother. Af-ter graduating from high school, she worked for the U.S. Army In-telligence Office in Manila.
She married Chief Electri-cian Mate Edward Smith of the U.S. Navy. Four months later, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Rather than flee, she stayed behind. Using her heritage, she convinced the invading Japanese she was not American. She was assigned to clerical work tallying fuel distribution.
Over the next two years, she used her position to divert fuel and supplies to the Philippine resistance and to coordinate acts of sabotage against the Japanese Forces.
She smuggled food and medi-cine to the American prisoners of
war.In October 1944, the Japa-
nese discovered her actions. She was taken to an internment camp where she was interrogated about her activities and tortured with electrical devices.
She learned at this time that her husband had been killed aboard his patrol boat shortly af-ter the Japanese Invasion.
Following her liberation by American forces in 1945, she moved to New York and enlisted in the Coast Guards Women’s Re-serve so she could, in her words “avenge the death” of her hus-band. She received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1947.
Maj. Kurt Chew-Een Lee, the son of Chinese immigrants, was said to have been one of the
first Marine officers of Asian an-cestry.
As a machine gun platoon leader the night of Nov. 2–3, 1950, his platoon faced advanc-ing Chinese troops deployed to aid North Korean forces.
He confused and exposed the position of Chinese units by yell-ing phrases in Mandarin. This en-abled his unit to take the Chinese occupied base, despite signifi-cantly lower numbers.
He earned the Navy Cross and Silver Star.
Lee went on to serve in the Vietnam War and was awarded the Purple Heart with Gold Star.
Interviewed in 2010 about his illustrious military career, he said, “I am most proud of being able to train future generations of
Marines.”Tulsi Hubbard was raised
by a Hindu mother and Catholic father in a multi-racial, multi-cul-tural and multi-faith family.
In 2002, she ran for the Ha-waii State Legislature, becoming the youngest person ever elected. A year later she joined the Ha-waii National Guard.
In 2004, she volunteered to deploy with her fellow soldiers, becoming the first state official to voluntarily step down from pub-
lic office to serve in a war zone.In 2013, she made history as
the first female combat veteran, first Hindu and first female of Sa-moan ancestry to become a mem-ber of Congress.Sources:
AAPI contributed to American military historyby David Crosson
ANAD EEO Office
MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH
The month of May was chosen for Asian American and Pa-cific Islander Heritage Observance because of two important dates in the middle of the month. On the seventh of May in 1843, the first Japanese immigrant traveled to the United States. On May 10, 1869 the transcontinental railroad was completed. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immi-grants. Source: www.asianpacificheritage.gov
A rather broad term, Asian/Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guin-ea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Microne-sia), and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and Easter Island). Source: asianpaci-ficheritage.gov/about.html
In 2013, Brigadier General Miyako Schanely made history as the first female engineer in the Army Reserve and second in the Army to make general officer following her promotion cer-emony at the 412th Theater Engineer Command headquarters in Vicksburg, Mississippi. It also made her the second Japane-seAmerican woman to reach the flag rank. Source: www.army.mil/article/117068
Nicknamed “Road Runner” for her energy and enthusiasm, Carolyn Hisako Tanaka served in Vietnam despite having been placed in an internment camp with her family following the at-tack on Pearl Harbor when she was 6 years old. After the war, the family returned to find their home had been burned down. In 1966, as an emergency room nurse, she enlisted in the Army, telling skeptical friends, “I have a skill that is needed in Vietnam, and I’m going there to do my duty for my country.” Source: lc-web2.loc.gov/diglib/vhpstories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.07154/
Facts about Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration defines a confined space as an area that meets all three of the following conditions, which are outlined in 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.146(b):
• Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work
• Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit
• Is not designed for con-tinuous employee occupancy
According to OSHA, a permit-required confined space meets all the above cri-teria and also has one or more of the following characteris-tics:
• Contains or could con-tain a hazardous or potentially hazardous atmosphere
• Contains material that has the potential for engulfing the entrant
• Has or could have in-wardly converging walls that could trap or asphyxiate an entrant
• Contains or could con-tain other serious physical hazards such as unguarded machines or exposed live wires
• Has or could have any other recognized safety or health hazards
What are some examples of permit-required confined spaces at ANAD?
Areas such as manholes, storage tanks, sewers, tunnels, vaults and underneath blast/spray booths are examples of confined spaces.
Who is authorized to en-ter permit required confined spaces?
The Directorate of Public Works and the Directorate of
Production both have employ-ees which perform tasks in confined spaces. ANAD em-ployees who enter these spac-es are trained annually about the dangers they might face, procedures for safe entry and work, and required protective gear.
What are some atmo-sphere hazards in confined spaces?
Oxygen-deficient atmo-spheres do not have enough oxygen in the space for us to breathe.
Normal air is made up of 20.5 percent oxygen, com-pared to less than 19.5 percent in an oxygen-deficient atmo-sphere.
Ten percent oxygen will cause unconsciousness and below eight percent can rap-idly cause death.
Oxygen-enriched atmo-spheres have too much oxy-
gen. Air with over 23.5 per-cent oxygen presents a com-bustible hazard. If an ignition source is introduced in this atmosphere, clothing, hair and other flammable materials will burn rapidly and violently.
Flammable atmospheres are caused by a mixture of dusts, gases or vapors.
Toxic gases and vapors can be introduced from a num-ber of sources.
Carbon monoxide, hydro-gen sulfide and methane are three of the most common and deadly gases that are naturally produced in confined spaces.
Want more information?Contact the Safety Of-
fice at Ext. 7541 or refer to ANADR 385-1, Chapter 10. Additional information can be found in OSHA’s permit required confined spaces stan-dard, 29 CFR 1910.146, which is available online.
Confined spaces require care, can contain hazards
by Rachael LongANAD Safety Office
Photo by Jennifer Bacchus
Equipment such as the bag houses adjacent to the spinner hangers are confined spaces because there is only one entrance, it is not de-signed for continuous occupation, yet is large enough for employees to perform assigned work. Additional hazards, such as heat and haz-ardous materials mean certain areas are permit-required confined spaces.
Did you know reporting safety incidents and near misses are very important in keeping you and your work family safe?
Did you also know reporting safety incidents and near misses does not impact the Group Award Program payout?
It’s true.If I report incidents or near
misses won’t it impact the GAP payout?
No. The GAP payout is no lon-ger linked to safety injuries.
The commander’s fiscal year 2017 Group Award Program Policy and Guidance Memorandum dated March 8, 2017, makes no reference to safety incidents, first aids or near misses in the calculations for the GAP payout.
Why is reporting safety inci-dents or near misses such a big deal?
• Your safety: Making sure someone knows about an injury, and getting first aid or medical attention is the top priority. Many times, mi-nor, seemingly insignificant inju-ries, become worse if they are not taken care of properly. The Safety Office sees this all the time.
• Your co-worker’s safety: Many times, we are around our co-workers more our own families. We are responsible for our own safety, sure, but we also want to make sure our work family is safe as well.
Reporting problems in our work areas before they become bigger problems is very important. This helps prevent serious injuries down the road and helps us all feel safer in our work environment. If you see something, say something.
• Job Security: We don’t think of this as a safety concern, but in fact, it is related. If we have an unsafe work environment where safety issues aren’t dealt with and injuries are uncontrolled because we haven’t taken care of the safety concerns around us, how can we be competitive?
Someone else will be able to give more competitive rates for
what we do because their incident costs aren’t as high and their opera-tions are safer.
We must do what we can to iden-tify any safety concerns we have, so they can be addressed immediately.
Having a safe work environ-ment does, in fact, save Anniston Army Depot money and allows us to be more competitive in the field.
What if I don’t feel safe at work because of a process or equipment?
• Report all safety concerns: If you see something that could hurt someone, you or a co-worker al-most get hurt doing something, or you get a small injury (cut, scrape, etc.) it is important to let someone know.
Next time, it could hurt you, or someone else, in a permanent way (amputation, paralysis, etc.).
Have your supervisor “Hit the Red-Button” and make a report of the incident or near miss.
• Review your Job Hazard Analysis: Most safety concerns and safe work practices are already identified in your JHA.
JHAs can change due to updates to equipment or an incident which created a change in tools or steps to take. It is necessary to be famil-iar with the JHA. Sometimes they change, and sometimes our memo-ry changes.
• See your supervisor: If you have an idea to make a process eas-ier or more efficient, you should see your supervisor before you make changes to the job yourself.
Many times, issues can be ad-dressed with a better tool that is available. Engineering can also be contacted to review the work area to see if changes can be made to make the job less strenuous or more efficient.
• Contact the Safety Office: As always, you can contact the ANAD Safety Office with any of your questions or concerns at Ext. 7541.
For emergencies, call 911 or 256-235-6172 from a land line.
Report all safety concerns or incidents to your supervisor, no matter how small. Something small today, may be big tomorrow.
The GAP and safetyfrom Staff Reports
ANAD Safety Office
TRACKS 5May 4, 2017
When employees lose the ability to do the work they were hired to do - from either a physi-cal or mental disability - Annis-ton Army Depot has a process to help them remain a productive part of the workforce.
Though reasonable accom-modation procedures often begin with the employee, supervisors may begin the process if they notice an employee having is-sues performing tasks may begin the process, according to Brenda Montgomery, the depot’s disabil-ity program manager.
If an employee loses their sight through injury, illness or other factors and corrective lens-es can’t assist them with reading text on a screen or in a docu-ment, they may not be able to follow work instructions.
If their job cannot be modi-fied to accommodate the loss of sight, the employee will go through the reasonable accom-modation process.
This process begins with the
supervisor completing a Confir-mation of Request for Reason-able Accommodation, Appendix B of the Equal Employment Op-portunity Commission’s Proce-dures For Providing Reasonable Accommodation For Individuals With Disabilities.
The supervisor then discuss-es with the employee additional skills they may have or technol-ogy which can be used to enable the employee to continue work-ing at ANAD.
“The employee has to open state their disabilities and abili-ties to the supervisor,” said Montgomery.
This information, along with the Confirmation of Request goes to the division chief for that work area, who reviews the re-quest and looks for other areas within the division or director-ate where the employee can be transferred.
“They can modify a job, but, if there is not a job available, no job can be created,” said Mont-gomery.
If no job exists, the Annis-ton Civilian Personnel Advisory
Center will assist with selective placement, which looks for op-portunities at other installations or with tenants at ANAD.
The selective placement process has a time limit of 30 calendar days. Once that has ex-pired, the supervisor may fill out a Proposal of Removal which is sent by the disability program manager to MER for approval or disapproval.
For many employees at ANAD, technology can negate any effects of their disability. A variety of computer software and equipment is available to read text from a screen to an em-ployee, transcribe the words they say into type, enlarge the text on a screen, assist with mobility and perform numerous other tasks.
This equipment and software is often available at no cost to the employee or the installation through the Computerized Ac-commodation Program or Job Accommodation Network.
“We have a lot of resources we can offer to employees,” said Montgomery. “Accommodation works.”
Enabling ANAD workforce productivityby Jennifer Bacchus
ANAD PAO
Photo by Jennifer Bacchus
A desk she can sit or stand while working at, an ergonomic mouse which reduces strain and a headset and software which allow her to communicate with her computer all ensure Malinda Evans’ productivity is not hindered by her nerve damage.
Photo by Jennifer Bacchus
Anniston Munitions Center, Anniston Army Depot, Redstone Test Center and contract employees who assisted with the demilitarization operations for Lance missile systems stored and maintained by ANMC were recognized for their accomplishments during a ceremony April 26.
Gratitude for a job well done
The Anniston Munitions Center thanked their employees as well as those from Anniston Army Depot, The Redstone Test Center and Engineering Research and Consulting, Inc., for work performed to demilitarize Lance rocket motors stored and main-tained by ANMC.
The Lance missile system, which was developed in the 1970s, has been determined to be obsolete.
ANMC worked with the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Com-
mand beginning in 2014 to deter-mine a demilitarization process.
“It was a team effort to get all the right people in here to plan how we were going to do it, where we were going to do it and how we were going to do it safely,” said Lt. Col. Craig McIl-wain, commander of ANMC. “It was executed flawlessly.
A total of 46 Lance rocket motors were demilitarized during the program as well as all Lance training rocket motors stored at ANMC.
We’ve heard the saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The saying could easily be a motto for Anniston Army Depot’s Fire and Emergency Services Division, part of the Directorate of Emergency Services.
“There are a lot of things done each day by security and fire divisions to ensure the installation is ready to go the next day,” said Donald Heard, chief of the Fire and Emergency Services Division.
Unless they are responding to an emergency - an em-ployee who is experiencing medical issues, a piece of equipment which has caught on fire - the fire fighting professionals at ANAD are actively working to prevent those emergencies from occurring.Inspections
Buildings, hydrants, sprinkler systems, fire trucks, ambulances, emergency equipment, electronic auto-mated defibrillators, fire extinguishers and fire breaks in the depot’s wooded areas are just some of the things the fire prevention specialists must inspect and maintain on a regular basis.
Take a look around. With nearly 2,400 buildings on the installation, ensuring each one is prepared in the event of an emergency can be a daunting task.
Yet, through preparation and extensive planning, the Fire and Emergency Services Division handles it.
The frequency of inspections is set for each building based upon the type of equipment located in the facility, its occupancy and any hazards which are located in the building.
“Safety is a culture on this installation,” said Sam Hazle, an assistant chief for the Fire and Emergency Ser-vices Division. “The standard is set high and we assist each organization in maintaining it.”Preparations
The missions performed at Anniston Army Depot can change, as can configurations within the buildings throughout the industrial area, so being prepared for any situation which may arise is critical.
Hazardous material response training and equipment is part of this preparation.
Fire and Emergency Services is always ready to re-spond to incidents involving hazardous material, wheth-er it is to assist in keeping spilled material from getting into the waterways or providing medical assistance and decontamination following a spill of hazardous materi-als.
But, that is only a small piece of the training required for the firefighters here.
The basic training requirements each individual must possess to be part of the Fire and Emergency Services team are the Fire Fighter I and II courses, HAZMAT Tech certification, Driver/Operator certification, nation-
ally registered Emergency Medical Technician Basic or Paramedic and Advanced Life Support Transport certi-fication.
Most of the responders here don’t stop at the mini-mum.
“There are a lot of other certifications our firefight-ers hold and they are continuously working to improve and gain certifications to better themselves and be more beneficial to the mission,” said Heard.
Some of that training includes evacuation and rescue techniques.
Last week, many members of the division took a rope certification course - learning to use ropes in situations where rescue operations may be needed.
While the course focused on proper use and position-ing of knots and the various climbing equipment, the biggest lesson learned was often about trust. Each in-dividual has to learn to trust their equipment, trust their ability to use it and trust their fellow firefighters.
Some of the other courses focused on rescue opera-tions which the firefighters take include:
• Confined spaces rescue• High angle rescue• Trench rescue• Extraction from vehicles“Everyone within DES attends continuous training,”
said Hazle. “DES strives to prevent or mitigate incidents
on the installation. In our line of work we have to plan for the worst, but hope for the best.”
Even those who answer calls in the Fire and Emer-gency Services Division have to hold special certifica-tions.
Each 9-1-1 operator on the installation must be trained in emergency medical dispatch.
“Whether you answer one 9-1-1 call or 1,000, you have to maintain training and preparation,” said Heard.
TRACKS6 May 4, 2017
Preparation, training keeps ANAD employees safeMAY 4 IS INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS’ DAY
Photo by Jennifer Bacchus
Steve Loos secures rope before descending during a rope class. Firefighters at Anniston Army Depot have to be trained and certified in a wide variety of rescue courses.
Photo by Jennifer Bacchus
Michael Payne releases his hold on the rope during a rope course at Anniston Army Depot. Firefighters taking the course have to learn to trust the rope, their harness and other equip-ment as well as their spotters. To the right is Payne’s ground spotter, Phillip Webb.
by Jennifer BacchusANAD PAO
TRACKS 7May 4, 2017
notes from around the Track
May 5Snack line only
May 8Beef tips and riceBlack-eyed peasVegetable medleyCorn nuggetsYeast roll
May 9Fried catfishColeslawBaked beans French friesHush puppies
May 10Chicken or beef soft tacoSpanish riceMexican cornRefried beansTaco salad bowl
May 11Brats and burgers
May 15Country fried steakMash potatoes and gravyGreat northern beansTurnip greensCornbread
May 16Spaghetti with meat sauceMixed vegetablesSide saladGarlic knot
May 17Chicken wingsFries or onion ringsColeslawGrilled Texas toast
May 18Fried catfishColeslawBaked beans French friesHush puppies
May 19Snack line only
May 22Salisbury steakMash potatoes and gravyGreen peasFried okraYeast roll
May 23Fried pork chopPotatoes au gratin Steamed broccoliFried squashYeast roll
May 24Chicken or beef soft tacoSpanish riceMexican cornRefried beansTaco salad bowl
May 25Ribeye steaksBaked PotatoCorn on the CobYeast Roll
Cafeteria menus Emmah Rolfe began this softball season playing for both the junior high and varsity teams at Alexandria High School, but quickly moved to pitching solely for the varsity.
This 12-year-old seventh grader has notched a winning season, helping the varsity team to an impressive 29 wins and only 10 losses.
Rolfe recently pitched two lights-out games against Jacksonville High School and third-seeded Pleasant Valley during the Cal-houn County Tournament; shutting out both teams without allowing a single run.
She also pitched in the championship game against the top-ranked Oxford Yellow Jackets, only allowing two earned runs.
The Lady Cubs played well, ultimately fin-ishing second in the tournament.
Rolfe’s performance earned her first All County Award and she is having so much fun playing with the “big girls.”
Rolfe looks forward to helping her team compete in the upcoming area, regional and state tournaments in May.
Upon completion of this season, Rolfe will return to her 12-and-under travel ball team, the Birmingham Thunderbolts, which will compete in 14-and-under college exposure tournaments and the Premiere Girls Fastpitch National Tournament in Huntington Beach, Calif. in July.
Proud parents are Tim (ACS) and Stacie Rolfe. They believe she will have a bright future in softball if she continues to work hard and strive to make her dreams a reality.
Rolfe earns varsity pitching slot
Anniston Army De-pot’s Directorate of Fam-ily and Morale, Welfare and Recreation will host suicide prevention train-ing several times over the next six months.
Applied Suicide In-tervention Skill Training, better known as ASIST, will be held in two-day sessions on the following dates:
• May 16-17• Aug. 23-24Anyone interested in
acquiring the skills need-ed to identify and assist coworkers and family members at risk for sui-cide should attend this training.
Each class has a maxi-mum of 20 slots available.
Interested employ-ees should register in the Total Employee Develop-ment system for ANAD ASIST Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Train-ing or contact Sabra Mos-ley at Ext. 3379.
ASIST courses scheduled
Summer Camp 2017Registration is currently ongoing for Annis-
ton Army Depot’s School Age Center Summer Camp May 29-Aug. 4.
Activities include fishing, arts and crafts, cooking activities, movies, bowling and trips to the Splash Park, Chief Ladiga Trail and Imagi-nation Place Children’s Museum.
Summer Camp fees are charged weekly and are based on total family income.
For additional information, contact the Child Development Center at 256-235-6273.
THRASHGary W. Thrash died
April 17.A machinist with the Di-
rectorate of Production, he had more than 18 years of civilian service at Anniston Army Depot.
TURNERBenjamin J. Turner died
April 24.An electronic integrated
systems mechanic with the Directorate of Production, he had more than 15 years of civilian service at Annis-ton Army Depot.
With sadness, we report ANAD has lost two members of the team.
TRACKS8 May 4, 2017
108 compete in 2017 Making Tracks 5K
Photos by Jennifer Bacchus
The 108 participants in the 2017 Making Tracks 5K take off from the starting line. The course ran from the Physical Fitness Center along the lakes and through part of the installation, back to the PFC.
Matthew Baughn carried his son Maddox on his back for the race. Running beside Matthew is his wife Brooke.
Jacoby Dove took first place overall in the 2017 Making Tracks 5K with a time of 00:19:52.
The weather was beautiful for the 32nd running of the Mak-ing Tracks 5K at Anniston Army Depot.
With temperatures cool, but not cold, 108 runners and walk-ers lined up to begin.
All entrants finished the race in under 57 minutes, with the fastest, Jacoby Dove, crossing the line at 19 minutes, 52 sec-onds.
There were even a couple of running buddies on the course.
Allen Talley brought his dog along with him, which kept pace easily through Talley’s 23:31 fin-ish.
Matthew and Brooks Baughn brought their son, Maddox along for the race in a backpack carrier.
In addition to the race itself, a one-mile fun run was held for the younger children who opted not to go the full 3.1 miles.
The Making Tracks 5K race began in 1985 and has gone through a few changes in the in-tervening years.
At one time it was a 10K and, for a few years, a duathlon with the inclusion of a bicycle course.
The 3.1-mile route began and ended at the installation’s Physi-cal Fitness Center and wound through a picturesque portion of the west area.
Gerrad Slaton, the depot’s lead recreation assistant, who serves as race coordinator, says the route is relatively flat and easy to race on, since the hills along it have only a gentle rise.
He thanked the numerous volunteers and sponsors who make the event possible each year.
Awards were presented to the top three finishers in each age division as well as the top three overall males and females.
Results of the race are posted online at https://results.chrono-track.com/event/results/event/event-29653.
by Jennifer BacchusANAD PAO
Abby Nunnelly took first place among the females in the race with a time of 00:21:43.
