Photo By Megan Gully | Darrin Lampman works during a deployment to Israel in 2017. He was selected as the...... read more read more
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Wherever Soldiers are, a quality assurance specialist (ammunition surveillance) is there to provide ammunition surveillance and explosives safety support.
As a QASAS, Darrin Lampman ensures Soldiers have reliable ammunition that works every time they need it.
“Soldiers needs to know that their ammo will function, as expected, when they pull the trigger,” he said.
Lampman, who works at the Army Materiel Command, was recognized as the Department of the Army’s Fiscal Year 2018 QASAS of the Year in his grade level.
“I know the performance level of my peers, and my selection was a huge shock and very humbling,” he said.
The QASAS Career Program was established in 1920, making it the oldest federal civilian career program. QASAS have deployed during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama and the Middle East. When deployed, they bring many areas of expertise to the field, such as explosives safety, ammunition packaging and safe handling procedures.
Lampman has been deployed to Afghanistan four times and was stationed in Korea twice. He also was assigned to Joint Munitions Command and then Army Sustainment Command headquarters prior to selection for his current assignment at Army Materiel Command. Over his 33-year career in ammunition, spanning both his service in the Air Force and as an Army civilian, he has moved 14 times.
During one deployment to Afghanistan, Lampman and his fellow QASAS performed a “clean sweep,” evaluating ammunition at 61 Forward Operating Bases throughout the country over four months. Lampman led a team of three motor transport Soldiers from the Missouri National Guard to 13 of those FOBs, identifying and removing over 83 short tons of unserviceable ammunition and explosives from 23 units.
“We would inspect ammunition, classify it and separate out any that is unserviceable to take it out of the hands of the Soldier so they don’t get hurt,” he said.
Lampman was selected by the QASAS career program as a result of the annual formal career program review process. Each year, careerists at the GS-11, 12 and 13 grade levels are evaluated and ranked by board members.
“Darrin stands out among his peers,” said Ronald Mathewson, chief of the Ammunition Civilian Career Management Office. “He is very intelligent and dedicated. We call him a bulldog, because once he gets onto something you know it’s going to get done.”
A small community, there are fewer than 300 QASAS around the Army. The career field requires years of training, both in the classroom and on the job, as well as a mobility agreement. Similar to the military, job assignments and promotions are managed centrally by the career management office.
“His selection among this group says a lot about Darrin’s dedication to the job,” Mathewson said. “He is a true professional. He knows Soldiers lives depend on his work.”
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2018 12:15 |
| Story ID: | 291159 |
| Location: | ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 235 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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