Fort Drum Soldiers, community members can turn in military munitions during annual Amnesty Day

Courtesy Photo | Amnesty Day is an annual event that allows 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum personnel an opportunity to turn in – no questions asked -- any military-type ammunition that was not collected through the normal Army supply system. The event is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at the parking lot on Munns Corner Road, between the Airfield Post Exchange and Ammunition Supply Point., at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.(U.S. Army photo)  

FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

08.18.2022

Story by Michael Strasser 

Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Aug. 18, 2022) -- Amnesty Day is a “no questions asked” opportunity on Aug. 23 for 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum personnel to safely turn in munitions at a collection point within Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.

The event is coordinated through the Army Field Support Battalion-Drum to recover any military-type ammunition that has not been remitted through the normal Army supply system.

Amnesty Day is an annual requirement, in accordance with Fort Drum Regulation 385-64, the “Ammunition and Explosives Safety Management Program. But more so, it serves as another way to keep community members safe.

“The reason we have Amnesty Day every year is to maximize the collection of munitions that should not be in the community,” said Paul Housel, quality assurance ammunition surveillance specialist with AFSBn-Drum. “Keeping it out of the hands of people who shouldn’t be handling it is why we have the Ammunition Amnesty Program.”

For the most part, Housel said that these munitions were not deliberately taken and that they are found in military gear, clothing or vehicles after a training exercise.

“People will find them in their rucksacks or while stripping down their vehicles to do maintenance, in aircrafts or on the tank trails in the training area,” he said. “Sometimes they are cleaning out a CONEX (cargo container) in their motor pool, they will find something and they don’t know what to do.”

Housel, who manages the post’s Ammunition Amnesty Program, said that when Soldiers are fearful of repercussion from their chain of command they might decide to keep or discard the items themselves. Amnesty Day allows them to take corrective actions.

“People can just show up on that day, no questions asked and no forms to fill out, and we’ll take it off your hands and process it the right way,” Housel said. “I’ll be there with a happy smile.”

Jim Farney, Command Safety Office explosive safety specialist, said that Amnesty Day is open to all Fort Drum civilians, family members and retirees, as well.

“We want everyone to be aware that the program exists,” he said. “Because if there is ammunition found that you want to get rid of, we don’t want anyone throwing it out in their trash bin or a dumpster, or even burying it. We have this process that you can use.”

Amnesty Day is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 23. The collection point is located at the gravel parking lot on Munns Corner Road, between the Airfield Post Exchange and Ammunition Supply Point. Quality assurance specialists and safety experts will be on site to ensure the safe receiving and handling of munitions.

For questions about Amnesty Day, call [phone] or 774-2128. For more information about the Ammunition Amnesty Program on post, call the Garrison Safety Office at [phone].

• Date Taken: 08.18.2022
• Date Posted: 08.18.2022 08:29
• Story ID: 427484
• Location: FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US