Ordnance Corps Ordnance Corps
The purpose of the Ordnance Corps is to support the development, production, acquisition, and sustainment of Weapon Systems, Ammunition, Missiles, and Ground Mobility Materiel during Peace and War in order to provide Combat Power for the US Army. The Ordnance Corps is the largest branch in the Army with approximately 134,000 soldiers, both the Active and Reserve Components, working in diverse myriad of assignments around the world. Ordnance soldiers are trained in the repair and management of tank-automotive/ground mobility materiel, missile materiel, and ammunition materiel, to include Explosive Ordnance Disposal for the Army.
The Ordnance Corps has a proud tradition, dating back to the first days of the American Revolution. On 27 May 1775, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to study methods of arms and ammunition procurement and storage and to appoint a "Commissary-General of the Artillery Stores." That Commissary-General, Ezekiel Cheever, was the first to perform what would become the duties of Chief of Ordnance.
In 1776, a Board of War and Ordnance, with responsibility for issuing supplies to troops in the field, was created. In the following year the first Ordnance magazine was established at Carlisle, PA. Also in 1777, an armory and arsenal was established at Springfield, MA, with others following soon thereafter. Historians credit the Army of this period, and Ordnance men in particular, with playing a major role in bringing the Industrial Revolution to America.
On May 14, 1812, the Ordnance Department was formally organized by Congress as part of the preparations for the second British war. That war saw the department assume responsibility for arms and ammunition production, acquisition, distribution, and storage in a much broader geographical base than in the War for Independence.
The years following the war of 1812 were a period of transition for Ordnance. It was merged with the Artillery in 1821 as an economy measure. It soon became apparent that artillerymen temporarily detailed to Ordnance duty were often not qualified to handle procurement and other Ordnance assignments. As a result, the Ordnance Department was reconstituted in 1832.
During the Civil War, the Ordnance Department successfully procured massive amounts of weapons and supplies, and provided effective field support for fast moving armies. Sandy Hook Proving Ground, NJ was established in 1880 as the Army's first full-scale testing facility. In WW I, the Ordnance Department mobilized an immense industrial base, developed weapon systems, and established large overseas supply depots. In WW II, the Ordnance mission expanded to production (to include participation in the development of the first nuclear weapon), procurement, maintenance, and training.
In Korea and Vietnam the Ordnance team provided material supply and maintenance functions as well as the development of rockets, guided missiles, and satellites.
In 1985 the Chief of Ordnance position was established and the Ordnance Corps was incorporated into the US Army Regimental System. The Regimental crest, the flaming bomb with crossed cannons, is the oldest military device of the US Army. It was first used by the Ordnance Department in 1833 and also used by the Artillery in 1834. The flaming bomb, which first appeared by itself in 1848, was the insignia of the British Grenadier Guards, Royal Horse Artillery, and Royal Engineers.
The type of units Ordnance officers go to and the type of equipment those units have depends upon the officer's Area of Concentration (AOC) within the branch. AOC's will be discussed later in this article. Regardless of AOC, all USMA Ordnance graduates can expect to be assigned as a platoon leader in either a divisional forward or main support battalion, a corps support command maintenance or support battalion.
Ordnance officers are assigned everywhere that the Army has soldiers and equipment. This can be an advantage for those considering joint domicile. Every division, corps, separate brigade or command has a requirement for Ordnance officers.
Corps mandates that officers are initially placed in specialty areas, or Areas of Concentration. Platoon leaders in the Ordnance Corps have varied experiences based on which AOC within which they are assigned. The AOC's are described below.
Officers in this AOC are responsible for maintenance of armament, track and wheel vehicles, engineer construction, and earth moving equipment, power generation equipment, and the nation's missile fire power capability. They have the responsibility of managing and maintaining such weapons systems as the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), Crusader and Patriot. They lead highly skilled maintenance technicians trained in the repair of electronic circuitry, tracking, and guidance systems and who are capable of repairing Army equipment from as large as the M1 Tank to as small as the M16 Rifle. They are also responsible for the recovery and evacuation of disabled vehicles and equipment, and for maintaining both surface-to-surface and surface-to air missile systems employed by combat arms units. Lieutenants serve as maintenance platoon leaders, shop officers, technical supply officers, armament platoon leaders, missile platoon leaders, storage officers, and missile maintenance officers.
Officers in this AOC play a very important role in the Army. All weaponry is useless unless there is an adequate amount of ammunition at the right place at the right time. 91D officers are involved in the management of conventional, chemical, and nuclear munitions. They are responsible for the storage, receipt and issue, and transportation of these munitions. They also find themselves involved in various aspects of ammunition production or testing. 91D officers serve as a munitions platoon leaders, storage officers, technical supply officers, and ammunition officers.
EOD officers often find their EOD detachment in support of the President or Vice President of the United States, of military and foreign dignitaries at conventions, sporting events, and special national events. An EOD detachment is a highly trained team that is responsible for locating, rendering safe, and safely disposing of unexploded ordnance or munitions. Assignment to an EOD unit is considered hazardous duty and is supplemented by receipt of hazardous duty pay (approximately $110 monthly). Most EOD officers alternate assignments between EOD and 91D, Munitions Materiel Management. There are no EOD positions for LT's.
Cadets who choose Ordnance may branch detail for two years (three years in Infantry) into one of the combat arms branches unless medically disqualified from combat arms. Cadets desiring 91B, Maintenance Management, can benefit tremendously from a detail in any one of the combat arms branches because they will be your largest customers once you pin on the Ordnance brass. Cadets desiring 91D, Munitions Materiel Management, will likewise benefit from the combat arms experience--the biggest users of ammunition on the battlefield. Branch detailing will enhance your relationship with the combat arms units by giving you credibility and insight into understanding the support requirements of the combat arms units.
Cadets detailing into the 91B AOC will attend a 5 week transition course at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland upon completion of the two year branch detail. The course will focus on the Ordnance branch specific maintenance MQS II tasks for lieutenants. After completion of the transition course, you will be assigned as an Ordnance officer back at the same installation from which you came.
Cadets detailing into the 91D AOC will attend an 8 week transition course at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. The course will focus on the Ordnance branch specific munitions tasks. Upon completion of the 91D course you will go back to the installation from which you came or to another installation if you came from Korea. If you volunteered for the 91E, EOD specialty, you will continue on temporary duty at Redstone Arsenal and follow-on locations for six months of EOD schooling.
Ordnance Officers are assigned worldwide. Historically, USMA gets one slot per divisional CONUS installation plus overseas to include: Germany, Korea, Alaska, and Hawaii.
Click here to see more detailed information on the two branch schools for the Ordnance Corps!
The Officer Basic Course (OBC) for 91B, Maintenance Management is conducted at the US Army Ordnance Center and School, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The Munitions Materiel Managers attend OBC at the US Army Missile and Munitions Center and School, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Both OBCs last 18 weeks and 8 days. All Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers attend approximately six months of additional schooling at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida and Indian Head Naval Base, Maryland. Since Ordnance officers manage technical activity, the majority of the training is hands on. Instruction is geared at the beginner level so even if you never had any mechanical background, you could easily learn the fundamentals being taught. Following are some facts about each of the basic courses and EOD training:
This OBC is extremely hands-on oriented with 67% of the 743 overall hours consisting of student-centered learning. 33% of the course is taught by conference. Technical training is provided on: wheel vehicle PMCS, allied trades, recovery operations, track vehicle maintenance, common automotive electrical, hydraulic, and gear training, small arms maintenance, battle damage assessment and repairs, fire control maintenance, special weapons, land combat missile systems, and air defense missile systems. Training is also conducted in battlefield support concepts, leadership, writing, NBC, supply, and other platoon leader training.
Most of the 750 classroom hours are hands-on oriented. Technical training encompasses 334 of the hours to include: special weapons (16 hours), nuclear weapons (93 hours), and conventional munitions (225 hours). There is also training in leadership (148 hours), field operations (169 hours), and unit level functions and training management (99 hours).
EOD training is conducted at three locations and in three phases. Phase 1 includes 56 days of training at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida to include: core EOD training (17 days), demolition (14 days), EOD tools (10 days), and NBC munitions (13 days). Phase 2 includes 19 weeks at Indian Head, Maryland to include: Army-peculiar EOD materials (2 weeks), and the Render Safe Operations Course (17 weeks).
Phase 3 includes 2 weeks of training at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. It
includes: advanced operations planning, incident response management, emergency
military operations and deployment, technical intelligence methods and
development, and other advanced EOD requirements.
