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CF Replaces "Arty-Sim-ed" Porta Pottie @ Gagetown

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This, from the Canadian Press, shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.:
It sounds like a comic sketch from MASH, but the Canadian Forces have issued a warning after someone blew up a Port-a-Pottie.

In December, an ammunition platoon from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick was called in to investigate after someone levelled a latrine with a pyrotechnic used to simulate the flash and bang of artillery or mortar fire.

The safety notice says the "Arty-Sims" - as they are known to soldiers - should only be used at a safe distance, and never within a confined space.

It says fortunately for the "fool or fools" who threw the simulator, no one was inside the Port-a-Pottie at the time and no one was hurt.

But the toilet was totalled, costing the Forces about $800 to replace.
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It may fall under urban legend, but I remember hearing that something like this happened at Farnham years ago...the same story also explained why they no longer have screen doors at the kitchen.
 
I've seen an arty sim "deployed" in  a shed that was about 10 x 10 and it was quite impressive. I can only imagine what it would have done to a blue rocket! Obviously it's not cool to blow up a porta pottie but I'd love to see the photos!  ;D
 
I was the victim of an enclosed space Arty sim detonation many years ago in Petawawa.  While OPFOR, I was on the second floor of a building on the old NST (MOUT) site.  I had used sections of the partially collapsed ceiling/roof as cover, crawling back under the debris with a perfect firing position towards the top of the stairs.  I then pulled my combat jacket up in front of my face and head and waited for the attackers.

Two soldiers gained lodgement on my floor and I fired at both.  They retreated down the stairs but a third rolled an Arty sim into my "spider hole".  It went off about 2 feet from me, shredding my jacket with debris and shaking the living shyte out of me.  Then all three charged in and "killed" me.

When I emerged, all three started to laugh as I looked like a character from a Stephen King movie, dazed, covered in dust and wild eyed with smoke drifting around me.  The laughing stopped when I attempted to throw the section commander down the stairs.  I couldn't hear right for about three or four days and had headaches for almost a week.
 
On my CLC/JLC/JNCO/IDGAF  we had a DS who decided to sneak up on our trench from the rear one beautiful frozen Wainwright night, and toss an Arty Sim into our hole "to check our reaction time".  I then set to work booby trapping the hell out of the area around my trench... ankle traps, snares, spring branches, the lot.  No more nocturnal visits after the same instructor got a flying branch in the throat.  He's lucky I wasn't angry, or it would have been sharpened.
 
Haggis said:
I was the victim of an enclosed space Arty sim detonation many years ago in Petawawa.  While OPFOR, I was on the second floor of a building on the old NST (MOUT) site.  I had used sections of the partially collapsed ceiling/roof as cover, crawling back under the debris with a perfect firing position towards the top of the stairs.  I then pulled my combat jacket up in front of my face and head and waited for the attackers.

Two soldiers gained lodgement on my floor and I fired at both.  They retreated down the stairs but a third rolled an Arty sim into my "spider hole".  It went off about 2 feet from me,
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They should have been charged, and fined a huge sum of money. It's too bad you didn't  throw the knob down the stairs. There is a safety distance when using pyro, a rule that some dorks forget.
 
Mid Aged Silverback said:
They should have been charged, and fined a huge sum of money. It's too bad you didn't  throw the knob down the stairs. There is a safety distance when using pyro, a rule that some dorks forget.
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Agreed, but ya gotta remember this was the 80's!  You've been around as long as I have and I'm sure that you have seen lotsa stuff happen (like this) that folks would go to jail for today.  It was a different time back then.
 
While out in beautiful Meaford on my SQ one of the guys in the next platoon over to us got up close and personal with an arty sim and it burnt his nice little hooch to smithereens. Same course as well we put one in an empty 7.62 ammo box and that thing must have gone around 75 meters in the area and nearly fell through the OC's tent!
 
Bonko said:
Same course as well we put one in an empty 7.62 ammo box and that thing must have gone around 75 meters in the area and nearly fell through the OC's tent!
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And you're damned lucky it didn't shatter and spray shrapnel among your coursemates.

Dumb, dumb thing to do.
 
Haggis said:
And you're damned lucky it didn't shatter and spray shrapnel among your coursemates.

Dumb, dumb thing to do.
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Concur. Really very stupid.
 
Agreed, Arty Sim in an ammo can, dumb thing to do. In my opinion, the Arty Sim is the most dangerous ammunition item in the CF inventory. Incidents like this Porta Pottie happen frequently. On the plus side at least no one was hurt. It is not available through the internet, but for those with DIN access, the DAER website has a summary of all (reported) ammunition accidents and incidents. If you scroll through them, the Arty Sim seems to pop up a lot. Mostly improper handling and improper disposal, personnel receiving burns from trying to cut open or burn duds, etc.

They may only contain 45g of photoflash powder, but with a little confinement, it can do a lot of damage.
 
My apologies on that last one. Two of our staff did it to illustrate how dangerous it is....the Course WO was not impressed.
 
This accident happened for real, ther is an artcile about it in the Safety Digest (Edition 2 2010) for those who have access to the intranet (not sure if DSafeG is availble on the internet. There are all kinds of safety precautions associated with the item (To prevent
possible injury to ears, these simulators are not to be functioned closer than 15 m to personnel. Personnel closer than 35 m should expect a missile hazard, and must take cover to protect exposed parts of the body such as the face. These simulators will not be used in confined spaces as this will greatly increase the effect of the explosion.) which hopefully are passed on the users.
No excuse for stupidity
 
Unfortunately things like that are common place. Part if it is probably due to the attitude that pers generally have toward pyrotechnics. Before going to a range we conduct TOET's on the applicable weapon. Grenade ranges, rocket range (M-72/84mm), etc usually have a number of A/RSO's. Pyro's we will give to anyone. I have seen cases of untrained personnel handling pyrotechnics with the explanation that the instructions are on it.  Looking back over my military career I can recall several unauthorized uses of pyrotechnics, but at the time the Sgt said to do it and that was good enough for me.
 
Thanks for the info.
By the way, while on the subject of safety, did you know that there are restrictions on the use of the Thunderflash. QUOTE NOT TO BE USED WITHIN 10M OF PERSONNEL AND THAT ALL PERSONNEL WITHIN 30M FROM POINT OF INITIATION SHALL WEAR BALLISTIC EYEWEAR. DURING FUNCTIONING, NOISE LEVELS CAN REACH THE MAXIMUM LIMIT FOR UNPROTECTED HEARING (140 DB AT 10M FROM POINT OF INITIATION) AND THAT SUBASSEMBLY CAN BE EJECTED CREATING A MISSILE HAZARD UP TO 30M UNQUOTE
Thought that I would pass on some explosive safety stuff...
 
Ammo said:
Thanks for the info.
By the way, while on the subject of safety, did you know that there are restrictions on the use of the Thunderflash. QUOTE NOT TO BE USED WITHIN 10M OF PERSONNEL AND THAT ALL PERSONNEL WITHIN 30M FROM POINT OF INITIATION SHALL WEAR BALLISTIC EYEWEAR. DURING FUNCTIONING, NOISE LEVELS CAN REACH THE MAXIMUM LIMIT FOR UNPROTECTED HEARING (140 DB AT 10M FROM POINT OF INITIATION) AND THAT SUBASSEMBLY CAN BE EJECTED CREATING A MISSILE HAZARD UP TO 30M UNQUOTE
Thought that I would pass on some explosive safety stuff...
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To further this, if you find yourself in OPFOR and wearing clothing you are not normally accustomed to, try a few practice throws, lest your arms get hampered by said clothing from different positions causing less than spactacular results on your own position....
 
ammocat said:
In my opinion, the Arty Sim is the most dangerous ammunition item in the CF inventory.
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I thought it was the immersion heater...
 
I've had one of these things go off right in front of me  no more than 10m away the last time I was in Farnham.

That is one bright flash at night. I wish I would have had time to turn away. A very disorientating experience.

Better yet, it was an officer that tossed it right in front of us.  :-\
 
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