MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- Marines from Marine Corps Logistics Bases Barstow and Albany conducted limited technical inspections on more than 120 M198 155mm Howitzer cannons stored here from March 16 to 26.
Two teams were set up to inspect the weapons, said 1st Lt. Jason Kut, ground supply officer and head of the Fleet Support Division Principle End Item Branch. One team was set up to work with the guns, while the other worked on the sight components associated with them.
The Marines from MCLB Albany were tasked with inspecting the weapons, said Kut.
"It is a long and involved process," said Staff Sgt. Dave Henry, electro-optical repair chief with the Fleet Support Division's Technical Assistance Team stationed here.
Most of these weapons have been through the most recent war in Iraq, said Staff Sgt. Andrew Vaughn, a towed artillery weapons technician from MCLB Albany and a member of Technical Assist Team, East.
The number of weapons in the lot here has more than tripled from the influx of weapons returning from Iraq, said Vaughn.
The artillery sights were inspected to see if they were functioning properly and if anything needed to be fixed or replaced, said Henry.
Inspectors looked to see if the tolerances are correct and to see if the tritium, used to illuminate the sights during limited light conditions, needs to be replaced.
"The tolerances can vary anywhere from .5 ml to 1 ml," said Henry. Imagine a compass divided into 360 degrees, this is the same as saying 6,400-ml. The tolerances are only fine-tuning. They are how the artillery measures, if the sight is moved one click, and there is anywhere between a .5ml to 1.5 ml tolerance, when it fires the round will land within that .5ml to 1.5ml of tolerance where the sight was aimed. This makes it very accurate, said Henry.
The process allows the inspectors to assign condition codes to each of the sights before sending them to Maintenance Center Barstow for final inspections and repair, Henry said.
The weapon itself was also inspected to see if it had all of its components and whether or not the weapon works.
Anything, from inspection to repair, dealing with the howitzers is coordinated through Marine Corps Systems Command, said Vaughn.
"If (MCLB Barstow) needs help we'll help each other out," he said.
The purpose of the inspections also helps determine how many weapons are stored here, as well as assign a condition code to the weapon, said Henry.
A condition code is determined by the condition of the weapon. A minor adjustment versus having to break the parts down and repair or replace them determines which code the weapon will receive, said Henry.
After the sights are inspected they are "married up" with the howitzer itself. Another check is conducted to see if the weapon and the sights match up and function properly together.
"We are making them condition code 'A' so they can go to the fleet," said Henry. Code A is the utmost stage of readiness the howitzers can be in at any given time. Condition codes at the Maintenance Center prioritize which weapons will be repaired first.
Two types of howitzers were inspected, the M101A 105mm Howitzer and the M198 155mm Howitzer.
MCLB Barstow is getting the M101A 105mm Howitzer ready to give back to the Army, said Vaughn.
Some will be sent to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., to be used in the Marine Corps Officer Candidates Course to train young officers.
The M198 155mm Howitzers will remain here and will be distributed as needed to replace guns in Iraq, or to bases that have supplied units in Iraq, said Henry.
Specific parts of the weapon can also be sent to deployed units, which have howitzers in need of maintenance, said Henry.
"'King of battle' she is," said Vaughn, referring to the main purpose of the howitzer: providing heavy fire support to the infantry.
The inspectors from both MCLB Barstow and Albany will condition code the weapons and send them to the Maintenance Center, where these weapons can truly live up to the name 'King of Battle.'