Maj Martin May reports.



Ammunition safety and performance is often taken for granted. However, ammunition has safety, security and shelf-life characteristics that complicate its storage, repair, management and disposal.

The potential consequence of failure is disaster, in both human and operational terms. It is a vital asset requiring specialist management.

Enter the Ammunition Technician.

With the next AT course scheduled to be run at the Army Logistic Training Centre (ALTC) in 2004, RAAOC is now looking for mature, intelligent people interested in becoming ATs (ECN 401) and working in one of the Army's most dynamic and interesting areas.

As an AT, soldiers can expect to be employed on a range of challenging and diverse tasks. The skills soldiers receive during training at Ammunition Platoon continue to be refined once qualified and posted from ALTC.

These specialist RAAOC NCO, supervised by Warrant Officer Ammunition Technicians and Ammunition Technical Officers are charged with maintaining the safe supply of ammunition to the deployed land force.

These specialist skills are also employed during peacetime. In barracks, the AT's normal work supports the safety assurance of ammunition for Army.

These duties include the in-service surveillance of ammunition performance, investigating ammunition accidents and defects, inspecting unit magazines, advising units and commanders on all manner of ammunition logistic, regulatory or safety aspects and the disposal of unfit ammunition stocks.

These technical and logistic duties continue in the AO, where ATs also store, test and repair the land force's munitions and assist with force extraction. ATs also form part of Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal capability, a role they share with RAE EOD technicians. Currently, ATs lead with the "here and now" control and execution of peacetime conventional munition and Improvised Explosive Device ("bomb") disposal, in association with the civil Police. During deployed operations, ATs also provide the supported force with rear area EOD support, technical exploitation of foreign munitions and additional EOD support to forward areas if required.

Ammunition Technicians have fulfilled all of these roles in peacetime Australia since WW2. Operationally, ATs have also served during WW2, in Vietnam, Somalia, Rwanda, East Timor, Bougainville, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Solomons.

ATs had primary responsibility for providing national Improvised Explosive Device Disposal support to the civil police, until police capabilities were fully established in the early '90s.

In the '80s ATs also conducted EOD tasks in Kirabatti, the Solomons and Antarctica.

A second task in Antarctica occurred in 1997, to destroy frozen gelignite and mortar flares from the early 1900s, as part of restoration work on Mawson's Hut. The late 1990s also saw training teams departing for several short-term deployments to Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

A long-term standing exchange for an AT also exists with the US.

Recruitment

Nominations for the 01/04 AT course can be lodged via PMKeyS. The course is open to all corps, nominations close at the end of the year. Applicants will be required to attend an interview and psychological assessment before being selected.

Successful applicants will then be posted to ALTC at Latchford Barracks in Bandiana for 12 months, in order to complete the course.

Conditions of Service

At the completion of the course, ATs incur a ROSO of 18 months. Posting opportunities exist in Land, Training and Special Operations Commands as well as DMO with slots available throughout Australia.

As well as receiving Pay Group 5, ATs undertake the roles of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Improvised Explosive Ordnance Device Disposal (IEDD) as part of the wider ADF EOD community.

Many ATs find themselves on the regional EOD roster where, depending on circumstances, they also attract Unpredictable Explosives Allowance at the continuous rate of $364.38 per fortnight or the cyclic rate of $191.78 per fortnight.

ATs can expect to assume a variety of roles in support of training and operations in Australia and overseas.

In-Service Surveillance

The aim of ISS is to validate safety measures and the effectiveness of the Army's ammunition inventory.

ISS ensures the safe use and consistent performance of ammunition, from loading and firing, to functioning as designed down range.

With the high operational tempo at present, it is vital that the ammunition delivered to the user on exercise or operations is safe and will perform as designed.

ATs regularly attend unit range practises to monitor and report on ammunition performance.

Ammunition Engineering

During training, ATs receive technical instruction on design theory, explosive chemistry, the operation of fuses and components, ammunition make-up and method of functioning, explosives theory, blast propagation and effects, blast effects and ammunition inspection, modification and repair.

Not only do they learn about the latest developments, but the history of ammunition is covered. British, Japanese, German, Italian and US ammunition, dating back to WW1 and WW2.

Licensing

Before any facility can be used to store ammunition, a thorough risk assessment must be conducted and a license issued. On operations or exercises, ATs are responsible for conducting the risk assessments and preparing licenses for commanders. As well as assuring safety, these inspections also confirm that Army is complying with Defence, Commonwealth and international safety standards.

Field Storage

The AT is also responsible to commanders for the technical management of ammunition in the field. This includes siting the storage area, taking into consideration safety distances and what can be safely stored together, determining what facilities are required, conducting all receipts, issues and serviceability inspections, breaking down larger quantities for issue, repacking, conducting any required maintenance and accounting for ammunition assets.

ATs will also be expected to prepare ammunition for transportation and provide specialist advice on its movement. ATs have recently provided operational field storage in East Timor, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Investigations

It is essential that an AT investigates all ammunition-related accidents, defects and malfunctions.

The aim is to reduce the number and seriousness of ammunition-related incidents by preventing a recurrence, detecting and eliminating defective ammunition, modifing drills where necessary and providing advice on modifications to ensure better safety and performance.

Logistic Disposals

Ammunition returned from the field may not be in mint condition. Where repair or reconditioning is impractical, this may need to be disposed of. On operations, captured or abandoned stockpiles of the enemy's ammunition may also be encountered, or an ally may not wish to recover its stocks. These functions are primary and core business for the AT, who may use explosive demolition or other specialist techniques to safely dispose of unfit ammunition.

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