BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – The Joint Munitions Command has been working toward the draw-down of various ordinances throughout theater with an initiative called Operation Ammunition Clean Sweep.
The tasking is part of 1st Sustainment Command’s overall retrograde of military assets as Operation Enduring Freedom and major U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan enter their final phase.
Specialized teams travel to the different Forward Operating Bases in theater to inspect, sort and prepare ammunition for transport, said Kermit Blair, a surveillance chief with JMC.
Each team typically consists of one or two quality assurance specialist ammunition surveillance personnel, a logistic assistance representative and a few soldiers trained to work with munitions.
These teams inspect all munitions for serviceable condition to include obvious damage, exposure to proper storage and also the presence of rust, said Sgt. Robert Sherwood, an ammunition stock controller with 8th Ordnance, 82 Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
After inspection, the munitions are transported back to a main ammunition supply point where they will be sorted and categorized as either serviceable or non-serviceable. The status of each ordinance will determine if it is put back into the U.S. inventory, destroyed or sent back down-range.
“We want to make sure that the ammunition is one hundred percent safe for the combat warrior,” he added.
Although the overall retrograde mission is vast and complex, the down-grade of unserviceable munitions throughout the theater of operations is a vital mission resulting in the saving of millions of dollars.