138th Year... and still on the job!	Thursday April 13, 2006

Inspectors give high ratings to chem depot

It's taking the Defense Department longer than expected to get rid of Pueblo's stockpile of chemical weapons, but the Army personnel taking care of the aging and sometimes leaking shells continue to receive high marks for their work.

The depot recently underwent a surprise inspection by officials from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which monitors weapons still being stored until they are destroyed under the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty.

Afterward, the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot received exceptional ratings for the third consecutive year for teamwork, safety and weapons inventory accountability.

The inspection team consisted of six international experts selected from 169 different countries that belong to the CWC and a national escort team from the Department of Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Inspections are held yearly with no advance notice and only a telephone call to the depot’s Treaty Compliance office two to three days before inspection. At that time, depot teams assemble and the entire depot is committed to the success of the inspection, said depot spokeswoman Lori Waters.

Michael Trujillo, treaty compliance officer at the depot, said, “Our skilled Chemical Operations Division employees were commended for their efficiency and expeditious completion of the inspection that set yet another CWC record for excellence. Lt. Col. John M. Riley provided the leadership and a relaxed, methodical atmosphere in which to stay one step ahead to carry out our mission.”

- John Norton