Ordanance specialists

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Ordnance Specialist Ordnance is a military term used to define weapons and ammunition. Most armies, navies, and air forces have ordnance departments. It is the responsibility of the ordnance department to design, make, repair, and distribute weapons and ammunition. People involved in the design and manufacturing of ordnance are trained in the field of military engineering. Those who are charged with the repair and distribution of ordnance are called Ordnance Specialists.

Military engineering has become an increasingly specialized science, resulting in engineering subdisciplines such as ordnance, which applies mechanical engineering to the development of guns. Those who choose military engineering as a career can find jobs designing and manufacturing weapons for all branches of the military: the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines.

An Ordnance Specialist is a highly skilled, highly trained person, who transports, stores, inspects, prepares, and disposes of weapons and ammunitions. Ordnance Specialists do all sorts of jobs like defusing unexploded bombs and locating, identifying, and disposing of chemical weapons.

They also load nuclear and conventional explosives and ammunition on aircraft, ships, and submarines. They also inspect mounted guns, bomb release systems, missile launchers to determine need for repair or destruction.

Ordnance Specialists have to lift and carry artillery shells and other heavy ordnance. Some helpful attributes are being able to keep calm under pressure, being able to maintain concentration, and also having an interest in working with guns and explosives.

The training requirements vary, however everyone must go through 15 to 25 weeks of classroom instruction. This instruction includes practice in ordnance maintenance. The training length varies depending on specialty. However the courses typically include maintenance of nuclear weapons, handling, testing, and maintenance of missiles and rockets. Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses. The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps offer certified apprenticeship...