: UXO & Misfire Range Safety Audio Script Screen Screen 1 of 28 Screen 2 of 28 Screen 3 of 28 Screen 4 of 28 Script Handling ammunition and explosives properly will ensure safety. In lesson one, you will learn about The Marine Corps order P8020.10A and Army regulation 385-64, which govern the handling of ammunition. You will also learn about handling and reporting requirements for defective or malfunctioning ammunition and explosives. The requirement to separate live and dummy, or blank ammunition. And safety measures for handling ammunition that is not listed in the Order will be established through Safety of Use Memorandums. Ammunition regulations are found in Marine Corps Order P8020.10A for the Marine Corps and in Army Regulation 385-64 for the Army. These documents explain the regulations and policies required for safe handling of ammunition and explosives. Specific direction on how to handle ammunition and explosives as well as general and weapon specific procedures are covered in these documents. Click each link to open the documents. Click Next to learn about handling and reporting requirements for ammunition and explosives. OICs are required to submit an electronic expenditure report within ninety days of an exercise to the command and the ammunition supply point. This report will include but is not limited to, the OIC, unit, the name and the duration of the operation or exercise, the department of defense identification code, nomenclature, quantity expended and purpose of the exercise. The report shown here is a sample expenditure report. Click the MCO 8010.1F link to learn more about ammunition accountability and expenditure reporting. You learned about the requirement for the OIC to submit an electronic report that includes the OIC, unit, the name and the duration of the operation or exercise, the department of defense identification code, nomenclature, quantity expended and purpose of the exercise. This report tracks ammunition usage and performance and needs to be submitted on time with accurate information to ensure that commanders and the ASP have the information they need. Click Next to learn about malfunctioning and defective Page 1
Screen 5 of 28 Screen 6 of 28 ammunition. Defective or malfunctioning ammunition is extremely dangerous and cannot be fired during an exercise. Examples of ammunition defects include but are not limited to: Rounds with fuses that are not tightened correctly, are insecurely staked or are missing safety devices. Deteriorating or corroding ammunition. Ammunition that has safe and arming mechanisms that are set in an armed position. Ammunition that shows defects in material or in the assembly process. Ammunition that has visible signs of being dropped. Ammunition with packaging that looks like it has been tampered with. No ammunition that shows these or any other types of defects can be fired. Unexploded ordnance and misfires represent a defect or malfunction in ammunition or explosives. UXO or dud munitions and misfires are unique from other less threatening defects because they can explode or fire off at any time. Click each definition link to learn the definition for UXO and misfires. Click Next to learn procedures for dealing with UXO and misfires. Pop audio for UXO: Unexploded ordnance is defined as: Ammunition and explosives which have been primed fused, armed, or otherwise prepared for action and which has been fired, dropped, launched, projected or placed in such a manner as to constitute a hazard to operations, installations/communities, personnel, or materiel, and remains unexploded either by malfunction or design or any other cause. Screen 7 of 28 Pop audio for Misfires: Misfires and unexploded ordnance present the possibility of explosions and unexpected firing. These malfunctions can be extremely dangerous. A misfire is defined as A complete failure to fire that is not necessarily hazardous. Because it cannot be readily distinguished from a delay in functioning, also known as a hangfire, it must be handled as worst case in accordance with procedures for the weapon system. The danger presented by ammunition malfunctions requires quick and detailed reporting to help avoid further occurrences. Investigations may be conducted on malfunctions and it is important that you provide accurate information to aid in the investigation. There Page 2
Screen 8 of 28 Screen 9 of 28 Screen 10 of 28 Screen 11 of 28 Screen 12 of 28 are five steps for reporting ammunition malfunctions. Those five steps are shown on the Ammunition Malfunction Data Collection Card and on page nine of the Pocket Guide. Click the link to access the card information and to see the five steps for ammunition malfunction reporting. The OIC submits a report on all misfires and duds that are experienced during an exercise for ammunition malfunction tracking. This report contains the following information the unit firing the ammunition, the type of ammunition that malfunctioned, the weapons used to fire the ammunition, a description of the malfunction, prevailing conditions during the exercise, storage conditions that the ammunition was stored in before firing, and remarks about other important information regarding the malfunction. This report helps investigators understand the causes of malfunctions. Click the Icon to open and review the Order on Malfunction and Defect Reporting. There may come a time when someone in your exercise will experience an ammunition malfunction. Defective ammunition is often found in the pre-fire part of an exercise but some defective rounds may still make it to firing. You need to order a cease-fire and immediately contact range control in the event of an ammunition malfunction that presents a safety risk. Range control will provide you with direction to either continue the exercise or halt the exercise until the problem with the ammunition can be resolved. Read the scenario shown here. Click the links to open MCO P8025.1D and the Ammunition Malfunction Collection data card. Then select the pieces of information that would be included in your report. Click Submit when you are finished. You are Staff Sergeant Smith, the RSO for a mortar firing exercise. You have a multiple gun position setup where all mortars are firing at the same target area. Personnel are being trained and everything is going as planned until Corporal Mathews yells Misfire. Select the best action to take in this situation. You learned about ammunition inspections and malfunction reporting procedures including: inspecting ammunition for defects, reporting all malfunctions and misfires experienced during an exercise, and ordering an immediate cease-fire and move personnel away from hazardous areas in the event of a dangerous Page 3
Screen 13 of 28 ammunition malfunction. You should then contact range control for direction on whether to proceed with the exercise. Non-explosive projectiles or other malfunctions that do not present an immediate safety risk to personnel can be handled with normal malfunction procedures without calling a cease-fire. Click Next to learn about the requirement to separate live and blank ammunition. Procedures for handling ammunition need to be strictly enforced and followed to avoid accidents like the one you read about at the beginning of this course. Mixing live and blank ammunition is extremely dangerous. There are a few simple rules and regulations to make sure that live and blank ammunition and explosives are not mixed. Click each rule to learn more about each one. Pop audio for Rule 1: Ammunition accountability is very important. Therefore ammunition distribution will occur only in certain areas designated for that purpose. Examples include ammunition breakdown areas, ready lines, firing lines, attack positions, assembly areas or defilade positions. Pop audio for Rule 2: Live and blank ammunition will not be issued from the same place at the same time. Pop audio for Rule 3: All ammunition that isn t fired during an exercise must be returned to the ammunition supply point (ASP) in original packaging after the exercise. Screen 14 of 28 Screen 15 of 28 Pop audio for Rule 4: Units will not indiscriminately fire or discard ammunition to avoid returning it to the ASP. Your unit has completed a BZO training exercise. Your unit has assembled at the MOUT facility and are preparing for a non live-fire MOUT exercise. Your unit is preparing to draw ammunition for the exercise. As you approach the ammunition area you notice that there are some safety concerns. Identify the areas of concern that need your attention. It is important that you understand ammunition handling procedures. You should be familiar with the regulations laid out in MCO P8020.10A and AR 385-64 Page 4
and the reporting requirements for ammunition accountability and expenditure reporting from MCO P8010.1F. Never fire malfunctioning or defective ammunition. Order a cease-fire when anyone in your exercise experiences malfunctioning or defective ammunition that could cause a major injury. Make sure that you never mix live and blank rounds of ammunition at any time. Screen 16 of 28 Next, you will learn about a new training system called the Special Effects Small Arms Marking System or SESAMS. Safety measures concerning ammunition handling that are not covered in MCO 3570 will be established through the Safety of Use Memorandums (SOUM). An example of a SOUM is safety guidance developed for Special Effects Small Arms Marking System (SESAMS). SESAMS were developed to increase realism of small arms training, specifically for use in urban operation. The SESAMS allow units to conduct real force on force training exercises. Click the fact links to learn more about SESAMS. Click the SOUM for SESAMS for important safety information about SESAMS. Pop audio for Fact 1: Adapter kits are applied to small arms such as the M16A2, M4A1 and M9 to fire detergent based inert filled rounds. Only DoD approved adapter kits can be used. Pop audio for Fact 2: Although they are non-lethal, SESAMS rounds hurt and can injure personnel. Pop audio for Fact 3: Personal protective equipment such as head, face, eye, and neck protection must be worn, along with a utility uniform or flight suit that covers the arms and legs completely. Pop audio for Fact 4: The OIC and RSO requirements for SESAMS are the same as for any other small arms live-fire training. SESAMS require several pieces of safety equipment including kits and safety gear. Click the equipment Page 5
Screen 17 of 28 Screen 18 to 28 Screen 28 of 28 shown to learn more about it. SESAMS will increase in use due to the realism they bring to training. SESAMS can injure personnel and will put personnel at risk if the proper adapter kits and protective equipment are not used. Click the Note button for an important reminder before you move on to the Lesson Quiz. This lesson taught you about the ammunition handling policies and procedures, ammunition accountability and expenditure reporting requirements, the specific policies for handling defective or malfunctioning ammunition, the requirement to separate live and blank rounds, the requirement to call a cease-fire and contact range control when you experience malfunctions or defective ammunition. You also learned about the Special Effects Small Arms Marking System or SESAMS and you read the Safety of Use Memorandum or SOUM for SESAMS. Page 6
: Firing Screen Screen 1 of 29 Screen 2 of 29 Screen 3 of 29 Screen 4 of 29 Script Lesson two focuses on safety during a live-fire exercise. In this lesson you will learn about maintaining primary and secondary communications during an exercise, conducting emergency procedures in the event of an accident or injury, understanding the impact of environmental and climatic conditions for an exercise, and using warning signs and symbols to warn others of a live-fire exercise. Communications, emergency procedures, warning signals, and environmental and climatic considerations are critical to range safety. Failing to account for any of these critical areas will degrade the safety of your exercise. Click the buttons to learn about each topic and how it affects range safety. Ranges are only part of a larger, base-wide training facility and must coordinate with adjacent training areas and ranges to reduce risks. To manage the ranges and training area safely requires the correct setup and maintenance of communication systems. According to the Order, you must establish and maintain both primary and secondary communications to ensure you can be contacted for both emergency and routine matters. Click the two communication types to learn more about primary and secondary communications. The order mandates that communications exist between all personnel involved in safety during an exercise. The OIC and RSO must first verify that primary and secondary communications exist between each other. And they will be part of the broader range complex communication net through range control. The OIC will communicate with gate guards and the RSO also needs to have a communications net called an admin net that will allow the RSO to communicate with tower guards, and air sentries if the range uses them. Click the scenario buttons to see examples of how communications work on a range. Pop audio for Injury Scenario: The RSO just witnessed a member of his unit injuring his leg while running during a fire and maneuver exercise. The RSO will call a cease-fire if the situation Page 7
is dangerous and will then use his primary method of communication, the radio to initiate communication with range control. Range control will then contact the RSO on the radio with directions if an emergency medical response is necessary. Screen 5 of 29 Screen 6 of 29 Screen 7 of 29 Pop audio for Gate Entry Scenario: A civilian vehicle approaches the range gate to gain entry. The gate guard will then notify the OIC using his primary form of communication, a radio, to find out if the vehicle is ok to enter. The OIC will then make the decision to allow or disallow the vehicle to enter the range. The OIC will then relay the message back to the gate guard who will then tell the civilian whether or not he or she can enter the range. You are sending Private Jones to guard Gate three which is equipped with a guard house, a land-line phone and a red streamer to warn oncoming personnel and vehicles of the range's "hot" status. Gate three is often used by unauthorized personnel to gain entry to the range road as a shortcut. During your pre-fire inspection you found that Private Jones had no mechanism to communicate. Click the SOP icon to read an excerpt about communication at the range. Then choose the correct communications setup for Private Jones. It is the responsibility of the officer in charge and the range safety officer to verify that primary and secondary communications exist between range safety personnel and the OIC and RSO. Primary communications will normally be radio with a backup frequency that is designated in the SOP and covered in the safety briefing. Secondary communications can be established by a variety of technologies. The most common forms are land-line telephones and cell phones. Communication requirements vary depending on the range you are using, so be sure to read the SOP for each range. Correctly handling an emergency can save lives. Quick and decisive action is only possible if you know general emergency procedures. There are three steps you must follow when dealing with any emergency during an exercise. Click the link for each step to learn more about it. Pop audio for Step 1: Page 8
Step one is to call a "cease-fire" if someone has entered the impact or down-range area, or if there is a medical situation like a gunshot wound, vehicle accident, or other serious event in order to stop further danger and expedite medical treatment. Pop audio for Step 2: Next, establish contact with range control or operations, depending on your range setup. You will then initiate first aid from the dedicated emergency personnel at your range. Screen 8 of 29 Pop audio for Step 3: You should keep radio frequencies and land-lines clear to maintain contact with range control to pass critical information to help emergency medical personnel. Range control will need to know the type and number of injuries to contact and dispatch the proper medical personnel. As the OIC or RSO, you must know the range standard operating procedures, including the MEDEVAC procedures, for a range before you use the range. The SOP expands on the basic emergency procedures outlined in base orders and directives. It also explains specific emergency procedures for the range and the responsibilities of Safety Personnel in the event of an emergency. The SOP for a specific range may require you to know information such as: Type of MEDEVAC request, air or ground Number of patients and type of injury Location of the patients on a grid or according to nearby roads, landmarks or site names Possible hazards to aircraft of medical vehicles at the site if it is an air evacuation Methods of marking the site if needed for pickup, smoke, lights, flares Source of injuries, gunfire, explosions, automobiles Patient s age, sex, blood type, name, grade or other prominent information Click the SOP to see an example of emergency procedures and requirements. Page 9
Screen 9 of 29 Screen 10 of 29 Screen 11 of 29 Screen 12 of 29 Screen 13 of 29 Screen 14 of 29 You are Staff Sergeant Jefferies, the range safety officer for your unit. Your unit is ready to start a fire and maneuver exercise on range six. You just got through conducting your pre-fire inspection and you re safety brief. Everything on your checklist is covered and your range just received a hot status from range control indicating that you are now ready for live-fire. Lieutenant Green, the officer in charge, Private Stevens, the tower guard and Petty Officer Taylor, otherwise known as Doc Taylor, the corpsman will help you ensure safe range operations. You may want to review what you have learned about emergency procedures by clicking the back button. When you are ready to begin the exercise, click the Next button. You are the RSO and you see Private Johnson move forward from the firing line. The shooter next to Private Johnson s firing position did not see him and continued to fire, hitting Private Johnson. Staff Sergeant Jefferies, this is Doc Taylor. Private Johnson is losing blood fast and requires MEDEVAC. Range six, this is range control. We need your exact location along with the victim s age, sex, and nature of the injury to start MEDEVAC procedures. Copy. Emergency procedures are extremely important to overall range safety. Remember that in the event of an emergency there are three steps you should always take. The first step is to call a cease-fire. The second is to contact range control and start first aid as needed, and the third is to maintain contact with range control. Range control may then require you to give specific information such as your location, the nature of the patient's injury and information such as the patient's name, age, sex, and rank. Understanding these concepts will allow you to react swiftly and decisively to help save lives. The correct placement of range warning signals and symbols will limit the direction of firing and alert people to the risk of entering an impact area or range. It is the responsibility of the officer in charge and the range cafety officer to make sure that range safety signals and symbols are correctly placed. The red streamer, red artillery streamer, lateral limit marker, and flashing red light are the most commonly used warning signals. Click each one to learn more about it. There are three types of range safety signals and Page 10
Screen 15 of 29 Screen 16 of 29 Screen 17 of 29 Screen 18 of 29 Screen 19 of 29 Screen 29 of 29 symbols used on the range below. Proper placement of range safety signals will both prevent unauthorized people from entering your range and provide a measure of control to keep live-fire within the SDZs. The officer in charge and the range safety officer need to refer to the SOP for the specific range being used. The range SOP will explain what type of signal or combination of signals to use for that range and where to place each signal. Environmental conditions can influence an exercise or degrade safety controls at any time. The officer in charge and the range safety officer are responsible for both protecting personnel from harm due to weather and ensuring the integrity of the safety controls. Additionally, they are also responsible for limiting the impact on the environment caused by personnel and weaponry. The OIC and RSO must address all weather concerns such as lightning, precipitation, and wind, which can threaten the safety of participants in an exercise; fire conditions and the fire threat level; and the environmental surroundings of a range. You are the RSO for a mortar exercise where your unit will practice marking targets for aircraft using white phosphorous rounds. The weather conditions are sunny and dry and 87. Your base fire condition is at readiness plan three. Click the SOP icons to read the excerpts about endangered species and fire conditions. Then choose the target to fire at that will allow you to continue training without negatively impacting the environment. You just learned how to account for environmental and climatic influences in your live-fire exercises. Remember that the SOP for a range will cover the environmental and weather issues that could impact the safety of personnel and the surrounding environment. As officer in charge or range safety officer, you may have to adjust your exercise to account for weather, fire conditions, or protected species. In this lesson you learned: How to implement primary and secondary communications. The steps for conducting emergency procedures at the range. The warning symbols and signals used to alert people of the danger of a live-fire Page 11
exercise How to adjust for environmental and climatic considerations during your exercises. Page 12