The task of ammunition and explosives handling is, by nature, hazardous. Accidents occurring during these operations may kill or injure personnel, destroy essential supplies, damage valuable equipment and property, and reduce the speed and efficiency of the handling operation. Most accidents do not just happen. They are caused by carelessness or unfamiliarity with the use and limitations of handling equipment as well as laxness or failure to observe safety precautions, orders, and regulations pertaining to the handling and storage of ammunition and explosives. Accidents caused by misuse of handling equipment can be

Figure 5-4.-Handling a canister with Mk 45 hand lift trucks.

prevented by a thorough understanding of its operation, use, and limitations. In all cases, the supervisor is responsible for ensuring that personnel assigned as handlers are trained in the use of the handling equipment to be used in each operation and understand the limitations of the equipment.

An ammunition (explosives or explosive material) handling operation includes one or more of the following evolutions.

Logistics movement.- The transfer of ammunition to or from a ship at an authorized handling location. The transfer may be to or from the pier, a vehicle, a small boat, another ship, or other approved transportation.

Strike up/strike down.- Any movement of ammunition into or out of the normal stowage locations or magazines of the ship. It may also be part of a logistics movement or part of a maintenance movement.

Maintenance movement.- Any movement of ammunition from its normal shipboard location to another location to conduct required assembly, disassembly, maintenance or tests of a weapons system, or maintenance of a stowage area. A maintenance movement may include strike up/strike down, movement within the normal stowage area, or movement from one stowage area to another. Maintenance movements include, but are not limited to the following:

Removal of projectiles or missiles from tubes or launcher stowage cells for planned maintenance of the tubes or cells Movement of ammunition from ready stowage locations in gun mount handling rooms while conducting maintenance in the area

Movement of ammunition to test or repair magazine sprinkler systems or other protective devices

Movement of ammunition for installation or checkout of modifications to weapons stowage areas, or to handling, launching, or direction systems

Movement of all-up weapons for disassembly or movement of the explosive components of weapons for combining into a higher state of assembly

Maintenance of weapons in tenders (ADs/ASs). The assembly, disassembly, repair, maintenance, or testing of weapons or weapon components in an authorized weapons shop of a tender.

As a FireControlman you must become familiar with the handling of explosives. It will become a repetitious task, whether at a shore station or aboard ship. However, any repetitious work, no matter how dangerous, is likely to become routine and lead to carelessness. Therefore, you must be constantly vigilant to prevent mishaps in operations involving explosives. Your supervisors will be constantly vigilant and will exercise close supervision to prevent mishaps.

Now, on to the "shipping" of ammunition.

Q6.     What type of handling evolution involves the transfer of ammunition from one ship to another?