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Ordnance Exercise a Huge Success

Navy NewStand

Story Number: NNS030418-19
Release Date: 4/19/2003 1:16:00 PM

By Journalist 2nd Class Mike Miller, Naval Reserve Center Avoca Public Affairs

YORKTOWN, Va. (NNS) -- Atlantic Ordnance Command (LANTORDCOM) recently completed a comprehensive ordnance exercise (ORDEX-03) at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Va. More than 100 Naval Reservists from Naval Reserve Centers in Avoca and Pittsburgh, Pa.; Bronx, N.Y.; Charleston, S.C.; Earle, N.J.; and Yorktown, Va., participated.

The exercise provided a theater test of LANTORDCOM's new Deployable Ammunition Reporting Team (DART) and Deployable Ammunition Handling Team (DAHT) program. LANTORDCOM Expeditionary Force (LEF) is presently mobilized. The Reservists who participated in ORDEX-03 are training to take the place of LEF personnel in the event they are called upon to do so, becoming LANTORDCOM Expeditionary Force 2, or LEF-II.

DART/DAHT personnel are charged with the transportation, handling, reporting and stowage of palletized and containerized ordnance and ammunition for Navy and Marine Corps use. ORDEX-03 provided valuable training in performing these operations efficiently and in accordance with federal, Department of Defense, and Navy Explosive Safety regulations.

While DART personnel handle inventory control, ordnance receiving and staging, DAHT personnel get the ordnance from where it is stowed, prepare it for transport using blocking and bracing procedures, get it to where it is being used and secure it from transport for use in theater. Later, if necessary, the process can be reversed to bring unused ordnance and ammunition back home again.

"Reservists came together for the first time as a unified team, and within a few hours they were moving efficiently and working together as one force," said Cmdr. John Yancigay, officer-in-charge of LEF-II. "When called together, these Sailors are one force with a common mission."

"We learned a lot of lessons from LEF-I, which has been highly successful in completing our mission in Operation Iraqi Freedom," said Chief Warrant Officer Keith Taylor. "Due to the successes of LEF while forward-deployed, we have been able to provide a better product in terms of training and preparation."