Yuma Proving Ground’s Ammunition & Armaments Division provides full cycle handling of ammunition

Official Statements

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 10: “U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) Ammunition & Armaments Division has the dynamic critical responsibility of handling every piece of ammunition at YPG. A&a is meticulous about the process that involves tracking ammunition from cradle - its arrival at YPG, to grave - its final disposition, whether that ends in detonation during test, shipping the item or in local demilitarization. This complete oversight ensures safety, accountability and readiness for every test program conducted at the proving ground.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 10: “Recently the division, managed by Anthony Gingras, received recognition for the quality of its ammunition processes and inspection procedures. “YPG had zero findings for Explosive Safety, Ammunition Accountability and Surveillance during the September FY25 Department of Defense Munitions Logistics, Surveillance and Explosive Safety Review,” explained Gingras. Samantha Howerton Chief of the Ammunition Management Branch, leads the dedicated team who manages, tracks, codes, issues, prepares, transports and helps test officers in posttest required analysis in support of the installation’s mission. Initial drop off inspection”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 10: “The first stop involves the drop-off, where the ammunition and the transporting truck is inspected and the ammunition inventoried. The truck is then escorted along a designated explosive transportation route to a secure location for further in-processing. Offloading the ammunition The next stop is Ammunition Logistics for checking in and offloading explains Howerton. “Personnel either unload it at fixed docks or use portable docks that can be attached directly to the tractor trailer.” The ammunition’s type and quantity will be verified and then taken to a storage facility.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 10: “The magazines, which are earth covered, are where the ammunition is stored. Howerton explains, “They are sited and engineered so that an incident in one will not set off neighboring magazines. Their doors are designed to blow outward, directing any force away from other storage sites and personnel.” When a program is preparing to fire a test event and needs ammunition the process is started with a request. “A test officer submits a request through the RTSS system.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 10: “Stock-control specialists and ammunition planners review the request against the scheduled firing date and any required preparatory work, then determine when the rounds will be issued to an ammunition preparation plant,” explained Howerton. Issue documents are created by stock control and verified by quality assurance personnel, then provided to the Storage personnel at the magazines so they can issue the correct type and quantity of ammunition. Preparation at the Ammunitions Plants At the Ammunition Plant the team prepares the ammunition to the specifications required by the test.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 10: “Howerton explains, “Specialists at the three Ammunition Plants prepare all the ammunition that is fired or tested at YPG. The New Plant handles everything from small arms to large caliber munitions and charges and supports most research, development, test and evaluation projects. The Old Plant focuses on MACS programs, as well as fuzes and mortars. The Inert Loading Facility fills inert rounds with wax, so they accurately simulate the weight and balance of high-explosive munitions without the hazard.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 10: “Howerton adds, “the three plants can do anything from modification, disassembly, reassembly, weigh, measure, or perform any other work a program requires.” Once the ammunition is prepared for firing it’s transported by Chamber’s personnel to temperature-controlled conditioning chambers until a test officer calls upon it for firing. Armaments Branch or Systems Test Branch Gun crews then fire the rounds at designated gun positions. At the conclusion of the test, Chambers personnel will return any unused ammunition to the plant for re-preparation or return to ammo storage.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 10: “Ammo Recovery, Range Clearing or Demil When a round is fired the work doesn’t end there. “A test event doesn’t end when the firing stops; it’s just shifting gears to return leftover ammunition, reconciling the count, and possibly learning more about the item that was fired.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 10: “Depending on test requirements, the Ammunition Recovery Section has specialized tools, personnel, and procedures to safely retrieve ammunition that has impacted the range to further provide important test data. They are also specially trained to clear the ranges for personnel movement as well as perform demilitarization operations utilizing YPG’s Open Burn/Open Detonation site - a munitions treatment facility permitted by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality- that allows safe and environmentally compliant disposal of residual test materials.”

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, November 10: “Through every state-arrival, storage, preparation, and final disposition-the Ammunition and Armaments Division ensures that the ammunition supporting Yuma Proving Ground’s test mission is handled with precision, safety and accountability.”