YPG employees test weapons day in and out

For almost 50 employees at the Yuma Proving Ground, you could say the average workday is kind of like the movie "Groundhog Day."

Day in and day out, the alarm clock goes off, they start work around 6 a.m., and they essentially do the same thing - every day.

But at YPG, there's no Bill Murray. And with the almost-perfect weather in Yuma County, the sky is generally bright blue and clear.

The gunners who test weapons systems at YPG do essentially the same thing every day, but they do get to mix it up a little.

Gunner Richard Butz said right now, they're testing about 16 different systems and their job makes a difference because the weapons they test will eventually end up in theater.

And it's the people they work with that make the job interesting, said Gun Crew Leader Ernest Ballard.

"It's important to work with a good group of guys," he said.

On Friday Butz, Ballard and several others tested the Alpha 6 Paladin Tracked Vehicle, which is a version of the self-propelled Howitzer cannon.

YPG, located 25 miles northeast of Yuma, is in an ideal location for the Army to test weapons systems for desert environment, hot weather and long range - it's the perfect combination for a test facility in the desert southwest that's larger than the state of Rhode Island.

The 155 mm shells for the Howitzer can weigh up to 102 lbs., and Ballard said it's important to know that everyone in the team is able to mentally and physically perform his or her job responsibilities.

With 18 years in the field, 16 of which he's spent at YPG, Ballard said being careful is especially important in the summer, when temperatures can get up to 115 degrees.

Butz said it helps to wear long, protective clothing. That way, he said, when the wind blows it cools them off.

Though it can be challenging learning new weapons systems, Butz said that's also what makes the job interesting.

"If you're hands on, it's a piece of cake," Butz said about getting the hang of a new system.

There's a safety issue too - after all, the gunners are firing very large weapons.

Maintenance and performance checks follow every time the cannon is fired. Before the next round is fired, Ballard waits and communicates with the team.

He fires the Paladin from about 100 feet away behind a wall of two-foot reinforced concrete that's 15 feet tall. Then there is another wall between them and the cannon, which is located inside a structure where the group watches the cannon fire on several TV monitors while others collect data about the test.

It may be a lot of the same, but at the end of the day, Butz said "it's a fun job."

"Where else can you blow stuff up and get paid for it."