FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES/U.S.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

JANUARY 2010

In This Issue: ATF Teaming Up with

U.S. Military in Afghanistan
By JEFFREY GROH
National Center for Explosives Training and Research
6

SAC Establishes Scholarship

Endowment for
Slain Students

Dallas Field Division

Agent Receives
DOD Commendation
page 8

ATF’s Top Guns:

Best of the Best
Piranha Time—Special Agent/Certified Explosives Specialist Sam Dunnivant, of the Tampa Field Division’s
Panama City Field Office, stands behind a Piranha (a Danish troop carrier) inside an Afghani police compound
in Helmand Province. He and other members the Counter-IED Team are preparing to assist the Afghani Police
and the Danish Army in executing a search warrant at a business. The business owner is suspected of being a
member of an IED network. 
10
Special Agent/Certified Explosives Specialist some rigorous training, followed by a tour in
Overseas Military Person- (CES) Sam Dunnivant had already been to Afghanistan with the newly-formed Counter
nel Get a Helping Hand Iraq, so I knew he would jump at the chance Improvised Explosives Device Team.
From ATF to participate in a unique pilot program with
When I asked Sam if he wanted to participate,
our military personnel. It would require
he didn’t hesitate for a moment.

IED continued on page 4

Inside ATF • 
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 • January 2010
Inside ATF is published monthly by the
Office of Public and Governmental Affairs.
Assistant Director, Office of Public and
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Governmental Affairs: Arthur Herbert
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Inside ATF is printed and distributed for retirees by the
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From the Office of the Director
Let’s Stay Aggressive
BY KENNETH E. MELSON

Last month marked the birthday of Tyrus Raymond Cobb, It shows what you can get accomplished when you get
the great baseball player born in Georgia in 1886. Ty Cobb aggressive. We need to sustain that aggressive approach,
was as competitive a player as ever put on a pair of spikes, and we intend to. We’re beefing up our presence along
and he excelled in every area of the sport. It was no the border by hiring 25 new special agents, six indus-
accident that he was the first player chosen for the try operations investigators, three intelligence research
Baseball Hall of Fame. specialists and three investigative analysts.
Despite all he accomplished as a hitter and a base runner, We are opening permanent field offices in McAllen,
what distinguished Ty most Texas; El Centro, Calif.; and
was his aggressiveness. (Some Las Cruces, N.M., with a satel-
people think he was just plain lite office in Roswell, N.M.
mean. I like to think of him as
We are placing special agents
aggressive.) In any event, he
in the Mexican cities of Juarez
played harder than just about
and Tijuana to work with
any other ball player in his-
police and government
tory. He had ability; but more
officials in that country.
importantly, he had a fighting
spirit. In this respect, Ty Cobb We are working hard at
reminds me a lot of ATF, improving communication
because I don’t think I’ve ever and cooperation with our law
run across an agency with enforcement partners here
more spirit, determination or in the United States and in
dedication than this one. Mexico.
Our recent successes along We are implementing the Span-
the Southwest Border serve as ish version of eTrace, which
an excellent example of this will enable law enforcement
spirit. In 2009 we developed officers in Mexico to input
and implemented our Gun vital tracing information
Runner Impact Team initia- directly into our system.
tive, a 120-day deployment
of personnel to our Houston We’ve implemented several
Field Division. Their mission: Spanish language training pilot
to aggressively target and programs, and we’re stepping
disrupt the organizations up our efforts to hire more
responsible for trafficking firearms to Mexico. staff proficient in Spanish. More Spanish-speaking ATF
employees will ensure effective operations and personnel
And they did precisely that. Because of their outstand- safety along the border, and will help make Project Gun
ing efforts, we are flushing out new firearms-trafficking Runner even more effective than it already is.
schemes and routes. This, in turn, is producing tangible
results in the form of open investigations, arrests, seizures We’re just getting started. But we have our work cut out
and criminal case referrals. for us. Some statistics are indicating that crime in the
United States is at a 10-year-low, but as we all know,
Our GRIT initiative, of which I am very proud, brought violent crime in this country is very much alive and well.
72 special agents and 28 industry operations investiga- The worst of the worst will continue to ply their deadly
tors, analysts and support staff from across the country to trade, and so it is imperative that we stay focused, stay
southern Texas. These experienced and dedicated profes- aggressive, and maintain our fighting spirit.
sionals aggressively investigated more than 1,000 criminal
leads, seized more than 443 illegal firearms and 141,440 I have no doubts about the outcome of our efforts,
rounds of ammunition, inspected 1,100 gun shops, and because there is no agency with more fighting spirit than
opened 276 federal firearms trafficking-related criminal this one.
investigations ––all within the span of four months.

Inside ATF • 
IED continued from page 1

Training in California Ft. Irwin. The training program was designed specifically
for Counter-IED teams operating in Afghanistan. The
The U.S. Army’s Counter-IED Training Program was taught
training is based on suggestions and input from a JIEDDO
at the U.S. Army’s Joint Center of Excellence in Fort Irwin,
Field Team working at Task Force Paladin in Afghanistan.
Calif., in September 2009. Sam’s job during this training
period was to participate as a student evaluator while also The Counter-IED training program included numerous
serving as a mentor to the students, providing them with classified briefings on recent IED-related incidents and
the information they needed to fully understand the inves- trends in Afghanistan. The training program also includ-
tigative side of the IED issue. ed British, Australian, and Canadian
Ammunition Technical Officers who
“The military certainly doesn’t need to
be advised about military and insurgent “The military certainly provided Afghanistan-specific lectures
and PowerPoint presentations on IEDs
issues by a domestic law enforcement
and enemy tactics, techniques, and
agency,” Sam explained, “but they do doesn’t need to be procedures. The British, Australian,
need to understand the complexities
and Canadian personnel also created
of how violent criminal organizations
advised about military practical field exercises involving
operate and how to effectively inves-
Counter-IED teams responding to and
tigate and defeat them. They need to
understand the mentality and behavior
and insurgent issues investigating booby-trapped IED caches
and complex roadside IED scenarios.
of criminal conspirators—the organized
gangs and street thugs ATF is so experi- by a domestic law The intense, 30-consecutive-day pro-
enced in dealing with. gram was administered in strict mili-
enforcement agency, tary fashion: awake at 0500 hours for
“This is one of ATF’s greatest strengths,”
physical fitness; classes/exercises from
he added, “and passing on our experi-
ence is extremely valuable to our forces
but they do need to 0800 until at least 1700 hours, normally
followed by individual team training
tasked with defeating the IED networks
in Afghanistan. As versatile as our mili- understand the exercises. At the program’s conclusion,
the U.S. Marines taught a condensed
tary has become, soldiers and marines
are primarily war-fighters, not criminal complexities of how version of their Combat Hunter Training
Program and ATF taught the first phase
investigators. If we’re going to help them
violent criminal of its Post-Blast Investigation Training
shut down IED networks in Afghanistan
Class. (The remainder of the class was
and elsewhere, we must teach them to
completed in Kandahar, Afghanistan.)
think like investigators.” organizations operate....”
ATF handles more explosives-related in-
—Sam Dunnivant, Deploying to Afghanistan
cidents than any single law enforcement Sam joined me and three other CESs
agency in the country. The military, spe- Tampa Field Division
at March Air Force Base in Southern
cifically the Joint Improvised Explosives California and we all travelled via
Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), military air to Bagram Air Force Base in
recognizes ATF’s expertise in this field. During September Afghanistan. Our team stayed at Bagram for an additional
2009, Sam lived and trained with a multi-national two weeks and Sam went on to Kandahar with the teams
group of students that included U.S. Army and Defense he helped train in California. While in Kandahar they
Department personnel, and military personnel from engaged in further in-country training. Our team travelled
Great Britain, Australia and Canada. to Kandahar two weeks later to produce additional
The Counter-IED Training Program was developed by post-blast training.
JIEDDO staff at Fort Irwin to train U.S. military, Coalition, After receiving further training in Kandahar, Sam then
and Defense Department personnel responsible for in- travelled to a remote forward operating base and worked
vestigating IED-related incidents in Afghanistan. It should with an existing and fully-operational Counter-IED Team. 
be noted that ATF has a CES assigned to Ft. Irwin who is During that time he went on two missions with the team.
instrumental in providing explosives training to other De- The missions involved conducting a search warrant and
partment of Justice entities and to our military personnel at working with explosive ordinance disposal personnel as

 • January 2010
they rendered safe two roadside IEDs.  Sam and other
members of the Counter-IED Team conducted interviews
and identified, photographed, collected, and processed
evidence recovered from the scenes.
Sam lived, trained, and worked with the Counter-IED
Team until all ATF personnel departed Afghanistan.
The Explosives Training Branch is fully aware of the
hardships each ATF field division goes through when
one of their CESs is assisting the Office of Training and
Professional Development in a far away place, and we
are cognizant of the fact that some enforcement activities
are impacted. However, I can’t emphasize enough how
appreciative our military personnel are for our assistance
in the explosives-related arena. Sam spent every minute
with the members of his Counter-IED Team, sharing with
them his vast investigative experience.
These types of collaborations go a long way in solidifying
ATF’s position in the explosives arena both at home and
around the world. Sam gave a briefing about his last
assignment in-theatre to his original unit and thanked
them for accepting him as one of their own. When he
finished his briefing, that unit gave Sam a standing ovation
for his service to them and his willingness to participate in
every aspect of their mission.
I also give Sam an ovation for his professionalism and
willingness to participate in this first-of-its-kind collabora-
tion. I didn’t participate in the same way as Sam did, but I
learned some valuable lessons myself from our participa-
tion with the military. ATF benefits in so many ways as a
result of our participation in a pilot program such as this,
and we can all rest assured that if this particular element
of the military didn’t know ATF previously, they are fully
aware of us now.

Shots Fired—ATF Agent Scott Dvorak (left), with his dog Valdez, and Marin County Sheriff’s Department K9 handler
Dan Marrett, with his dog Terry, walk through the Dominican University of California grounds while searching the campus
on Wednesday, December 9, 2009. Dvorak and Marrett joined with San Rafael police who were looking for firearms after
shots were fired shortly after midnight and multiple shell casings were found. No injuries were reported. Marin Independent
Journal photo by Jeff Vendsel. Used with permission.

Inside ATF • 
Newark SAC Establishes Scholarship
Endowment in Memory of Slain Students
By SA MIKE MOHR
PIO, Newark Field Division
On October 23, 2009, Newark Field Division Special
Agent in Charge Matthew Horace was inducted into the
Delaware State University Alumni Hall of Fame. During
his induction ceremony, SAC Horace announced that he
was establishing the Horace Foundation Endowment,
which includes his personal donation of $10,000, to pro-
vide academic scholarships to Delaware State University
criminal justice majors in the memory of Terrance Aeriel,
Dashon J.I. Harvey, and Iofemi Hightower.
On August 6, 2007, these three students, along with a
fourth Delaware State University student, Natasha Aeriel,
were among friends at a local playground behind an
elementary school in Newark, N.J., when they were
brutally attacked by gang members during an apparent
armed robbery. All four students were shot at point blank
range, execution style, and only Natasha Aeriel survived.
This horrific crime shattered the community and citizens
not only of Newark, but also the campus community and
 • January 2010
Investing in the Future—
Matthew Horace, special agent
in charge of the Newark Field
Division (right), presents the
first installment for the Horace
Foundation Endowment to
Claibourne Smith, Acting Presi-
dent of Delaware State University.
Photo by SA/PIO Michael Mohr
alumni of Delaware State University. This case and subse-
quent investigation drew national attention from all media
outlets.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Carolyn Williams
coordinated a meeting among Newark Field Division
supervisory special agents and various supervisory law
enforcement officials from the Essex County Prosecutor’s
Office and Essex County Sheriff’s Department, regarding
the investigation of this brutal homicide case. The Essex
County Sheriff’s Department Ballistic Laboratory was a key
component in the investigation, using National Integrated
Ballistics Information Network equipment provided
by ATF.
Horace, an alumnus of Delaware State University, felt
inspired to do something to give back to his alma mater.
“By all accounts they were good kids with bright futures,”
he said. “This endowment is being set up to help students
who are pursuing criminal justice degrees. Hopefully this
 Dashon Harvey Iofemi Hightower Terrance Aeriel

will help make it possible for these students to make a
difference or possibly even prevent or solve such crimes
in the future.”
The Horace Foundation Endowed Scholarship is a way in
which other alumni and community members can make a
difference as well. SAC Horace said, “I hope other alum-
ni will be inspired to continue the endowment’s growth
and thereby help more Delaware State University criminal
justice majors achieve their degree and professional
aspirations.
“My professional development started at Delaware State
University,” he added, “and it taught me something about
making a difference. My connection to this tragic incident
on so many levels made this an easy inspiration.”
The mission of the Horace Foundation Endowment for
Criminal Justice Studies is to develop educated, confi-
dent, and caring leaders who will share the values of law
enforcement and contribute to the profession’s excellence.

January 1976:
The Bionic Woman, starring
Lindsay Wagner, debuts on
ABC TV.
January 1863: President
Lincoln issues the Emancipation
Proclamation, ending slavery.
January 1950:
Jackie Robinson signs the
highest contract ($35,000) in
Dodger history.
January 1902: The first
Rose Bowl game is played,
(Michigan, 49; Stanford, 0).
January 1794:
Dr. Jessee Bennet of
Edom, Va., performs the
first successful Cesarean
section, on his wife.
January 1945: Death
marches to the interior of
Germany begin, taking
250,000 Jewish lives.
January 1928: The first
air-conditioned building in
the United States opens,
in San Antonio.
January 1989: Serial killer
Ted Bundy is put to death in
Florida’s electric chair.
January 1972: Sanford & Son,
starring Redd Foxx, premieres
on NBC TV.
January 1962: Navy SEAL
teams are established.
January 1935: Canned
beer (Krueger Cream Ale)
is sold for the first time in
the United States, in
Richmond, Va.
January 1878:
The U.S. Supreme Court
rules that race separation on
trains is unconstitutional.
January 1954: Marilyn Monroe
weds New York Yankees
slugger Joe DiMaggio.
January 1985:
Penny Harrington is sworn in as
the first woman police chief of a
major American city (Portland).
January 1908: For the first
time, a ball signifying the
New Year is dropped at
Times Square.

Inside ATF • 
ATF Special Agent Receives Defense
Department Commendation
By JOYCE M. PATTERSON
Public Affairs Division

The U.S. Army National Training Center presented Special

Agent Timothy M. Kelly with the Commander’s Award for
Civilian Service in early December 2009, recognizing him
for his service to the Joint Improvised Explosive Device
Defeat Organization (JIEDDO). ATF Deputy Director
Kenneth E. Melson and Lt. Col. Kevin Gonzalez, U.S.
Marine Corps, participated in the award ceremony at ATF
headquarters.

Special Agent Kelly, of the Dallas Field Division, was

instrumental in establishing a homemade explosives
(HME) canine imprinting program with the Marine Corps
at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. In addition, he helped
develop an improvised explosive device (IED)-related
course at Fort Irwin, Calif. He also participated in the
development of an HME website and developed an HME
mobile training team concept that will be used at military
bases across the country.
Command Performance—Deputy Director Kenneth Melson
“Special Agent Kelly’s work with JIEDDO mirrors his with Special Agent Timothy Kelly, recipient of the Defense
commitment to ATF,” Melson said. “We are honored to Department’s Commanding General’s Commendation Award.
Photo by Boyd Craun, Visual Information Services
recognize his efforts which embody the proud legacy of
ATF employees who serve in many capacities across this
country and around the world.” and their respective joint task forces in efforts to defeat
IEDs as weapons of strategic influence.
“This partnership with ATF has been instrumental in the
United States’ fight against the insurgency in Afghanistan In 2007, ATF expanded its explosives training programs
and Iraq,” said Gonzalez. to assist U.S. military efforts to combat IEDs used by
terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The program,
Special Agent Kelly is assigned to the Department of under a Department of Justice initiative, includes detailing
Defense’s JIEDDO, which allows ATF experts to train mili- an ATF special agent who is a certified explosives special-
tary personnel, prior to deployment, in the detection and ist to the staff of JIEDDO’s Joint Center of Excellence at
criminal investigation of IEDs. JIEDDO directs Department Fort Irwin.
of Defense actions in support of combatant commanders

 • January 2010
ATF’s Top Guns
By PAUL BOLTON
Special Operations Training Branch

Twenty-four special agents have earned the

Distinguished Expert certificate since the cer-
tificates were revised in 2004. Special Agent
Sterling T. Nixon has earned the honor three
times, Curtis R. Marshall and Jeffrey N. Whitney
have earned it twice.

To earn the Distinguished Expert certificate the

shooter must have scored 100 percent on the
Pistol Qualification Course (PQC) during the static
firearms qualifications, four consecutive times,
over a two-year period. ATF O 3020.1. (Use of
Force Order) is being revised and will require
that the 100 percent be accomplished on the first
PQC of the day, which will make this distinction
even more challenging.
Upon request from the firearms instructor coor-
dinator through the field division, the Office of
Training and Professional Development (TPD)
issues the Distinguished Expert certificate in
recognition of outstanding pistol marksmanship.
Once signed by the assistant director, TPD, a
memorandum and plaque are sent to the recipi-
ent’s special agent in charge for presentation.
Some of the recipients have retired or moved
on, but their record of accomplishment remains.
Please join TPD, firearms instructor coordinators,
and special agents in charge in recognizing the
outstanding marksmanship of the following
Distinguished Experts:
Top Gun—Acting Assistant Director Audrey Stucko, Office of Enforcement
Programs and Services, presents the Distinguished Expert certificate to
Special Agent Sterling Nixon, a program manager with ATF’s Office of
Firearms, Explosives, and Arson. Nixon has won the certificate three times
since it was revised in 2004.
Francis J. Christiano 5/31/06 New York
Kenneth G. Crotty 11/22/07 New York
Thomas S. Fairburn 3/29/07 Pennsylvania
David S.Gorrell 5/2/05 Maryland
Michael P. Hayes 5/4/07 Retired
Eric T. Immesberger 11/28/07 New York
Todd M. Kennedy 5/22/07 Georgia
Curtis R. Marshall 9/14/05 and 8/29/07 Virginia
Michael L. Martin 5/21/07 Michigan
Paul D. Massock 12/2/05 Indiana
Sean T. Netzel 8/30/07 Virginia
Sterling T. Nixon 10/5/05, 10/19/07 and 10/1/09 West Virginia
Salvador C. Noriega 5/2/07 California
Elzie L. Patterson 5/11/07 Headquarters
Joseph L. Perkins 7/22/05 Virginia
Gabriel R. Pinon 12/9/08 California
Robert K. Redd 5/4/09 Virginia
Richard E. Register 6/25/09 Georgia
Michael Santory 6/16/06 New York
James A. Starkey 6/25/09 California
Gary J. Teeslink Jr. 9/14/05 Virginia
Jeffrey J. Ulrich 11/14/05 Florida
Jeffrey N. Whitney 6/21/07 and 5/4/09 Resigned
Stanley Wojis 11/21/05 Retired

Inside ATF • 
ATF’s Office of Science and Technology
Lends a Helping Hand to Military
Personnel Deployed Overseas
By FARRELL O’NEILL
Information Services Division

Noses to the Grindstone—Aranya Keo, Yazmin Rowe,

Fannyta Klopfer (Yazmin’s mom), and Doris Dhima appear
to having way too much fun on the assembly line.

ATF’s Office of Science and Technology (OST), Informa-
tion Services Division (ISD) took a new approach to team
building in 2009. For its annual Organization Day, the
Service Delivery Branch (SDB) and Service Management
Branch (SMB) held an event for ATF employees, con-
tractors, and their family members to support the United
Services Organization (USO) and give back to dedicated
members of our Armed Forces. On Nov. 4, 2009, the ISD
team visited USO’s Warehouse in Ft. Belvoir, Va., and
worked side-by-side to prepare materials and assemble
hygiene packages for our soldiers in Afghanistan, Iraq,
and other locations overseas.
ISD received overwhelming support for its USO Package
Stuffing. Chief Noah Nason and Deputy Division Chief
Erna Beverly joined an assembly line with close to 90
volunteers, including federal employees and contractors.
Working together as a team, the volunteers provided criti-
cal preparatory support and assembled more than 1,600
packages for deployed military personnel.
Colleagues and family members shared a heightened
sense of camaraderie and social responsibility on the USO
assembly line. Iris Yu of the Products Assurance Branch
noted that she felt “really good [about] doing something

10 • January 2010
 for our soldiers.” In fact, she is already looking forward to the
2010 Organization Day.

SDB Chief Antoine Salloum and SMB Chief Walter Bigelow,

who hosted the Organization Day, also launched a fundrais-
ing effort and collected generous donations from attendees. In
total, ATF contributed $950 to support the USO strategic mission
of “ensuring that our courageous men and women…know they
have not been forgotten.”

ISD’s Organization Day concluded with bowling and a pizza

luncheon at Ft. Belvoir’s Bowling Center to celebrate a morning
of hard work.

The USO is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit

organization that provides morale, welfare and
recreation-type services to service members and their
families. USO recognizes the sacrifices that our service
members and their families make on a daily basis, and
That’s the Spirit— ensures that they are both remembered and supported.
Organization Day volunteer To learn more about USO, please visit www.uso.org.
Linda Martin proudly displays
her “Most Spirited” Award.
Photos by Andy Weisburger, Information Services Division

The Gang’s All Here—ATF employees, contractors, and their family members strike a pose at the USO Warehouse in Ft. Belvoir, Va.

Inside ATF • 11
SSA Kraig E. Hankins
Receives Congressional
Honor after 31 Years of
Government Service
By BERNARD V. TEYSSIER
RAC, Ashland Field Office

In September 2009, ATF Senior Special Agent

Kraig E. Hankins retired after 20 years of service to ATF
and a total of 31 years of federal service. The previous
week, Hankins was honored by U.S. Congressman
Geoff Davis (R-KY), who read a summary of Hankins’
distinguished career as both an ATF Special Agent and
U.S. military officer into the record of the First Session of
the 111th Congress.
In his presentation before Congress, Davis spoke of
Hankins’ 34-year career in the military, where he held
a variety of positions in both the U.S Army and the U.S.
Air Force Reserve. His military career culminated with his
retirement from the U.S. Air Force Reserve, in 2008, as a
Lieutenant Colonel.
Congressman Davis also spoke of Hankins’ ATF career,
which began in 1989, in Columbia, S.C. Hankins’ career
in ATF has taken him from Columbia to Charlotte, N.C.,
where he served as a tactical operations officer and field
An Officer and a Gentleman — Ashland Field Office Resident
Agent-in-Charge Bernard V. Teyssier (right) looks on as John Reed,
field representative to U.S. Congressman Geoff Davis, presents
retired Senior Special Agent Kraig E. Hankins with a copy of the
statement honoring him upon his retirement. Rep. Davis read the
statement into the Congressional Record in September 2009.
agent; and to the ATF National Academy, where he served
as senior instructor and as the Chief of the Academy
Operations Branch. Hankins also served as a resident
agent in charge in both Manchester, N.H., and Guam
before returning home to the Ashland area in 2007.
In retirement, Mr. Hankins, a native of Gallipolis, Ohio,
plans to remain in the Tri-State area with his family and
pursue endeavors in the aviation field.

12 • January 2010
Santa Ana PD Recognized for
Achieving 1,000 NIBIN Hits
By SA MICHAEL HOFFMAN
PIO, Los Angeles Field Division

Batting a Thousand—Resident Agent in Charge Howard Sanders (right) presents plaque to Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters.
In the background are members of the Santa Ana Police Department’s Firearms Unit.

In November 2009, Resident Agent in Charge
Howard Sanders of the Santa Ana Field Office and Special
Agent David Krieghbaum, National Integrated Ballistic
Information Network Central Regional Coordinator,
presented a plaque to the Santa Ana Police Department’s
Firearms Unit for reaching 1000 “hits.”
Santa Ana, located in Orange County, Calif., approxi-
mately 30 miles south of Los Angeles, has a population of
about 350,000. The Santa Ana Police Department has used
the NIBIN system since April 2001 and has entered over
7,000 images into the system.
In addition to joining the “1000 club,” Santa Ana has more
hits than all but four agencies across the country. The use
of NIBIN has enabled the department to link numerous
violent crimes, including several homicides cases, that
ultimately led to convictions in court.
The Santa Ana Police Firearms Unit attributes its success
to having a good balance between the number of test
fire exemplars and the number of crime scene evidence
exemplars input into the system.

Inside ATF • 13
Philadelphia Field Division and TPD Provide
Regulatory Updates at Fourteenth Pennsylvania
Drilling and Blasting Conference
By IOI WALT GLAHN
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Area Office
In November 2009, members of ATF’s Philadelphia Field
Division and the Office of Training and Professional
Development participated in the Fourteenth Pennsylvania
Drilling and Blasting Conference at State College, Pa.
The event drew nearly 500 people from the explosives
industry.
ATF was once again invited by the International Society
of Explosives Engineers (ISEE), Pennsylvania Chapters, to
liaison with the explosives industry and present updated
regulatory information at the event.
The conference was geared toward underground and
surface drillers, miners, blasters, engineers, safety person-
nel, suppliers, and other professionals associated with
the explosives industry. The venue provided an oppor-
tunity to showcase the most recent products, equipment,
techniques, and services of these industry members.
Regulatory compliance and homeland security issues were
presented by ATF and state regulatory agencies.
ATF, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection, provided information regarding
14 • January 2010
An Explosive Group — Lending
their expertise to the Pennsylvania
Drilling and Blasting Conference were
(L to R) Walt Glahn, IOI, Wilkes-
Barre, Pa., Area Office; Judy LeDoux,
chief, Industry Operations Train-
ing Branch; Roseann Bressi, area
supervisor, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Area
Office; and Alphonso Hughes, DIO,
Philadelphia Field Division.
federal and state licensing and permitting requirements.
ATF representatives instructed explosives industry
members on the topics of storage and recordkeeping
requirements. Various ATF publications were made
available and handed out during the conference.
This marks the second consecutive Pennsylvania Drilling
and Blasting Conference attended by the Philadelphia
Field Division. It is anticipated that ATF will continue to
attend future ISEE venues.
ISEE board members are working with Division Manage-
ment and have asked ATF to provide in-depth record-
keeping refresher training at the conference scheduled for
Fall 2011. This training will take the form of a structured
workshop made available to conference attendees.
The 2009 conference was sponsored by the ISEE Mid-
Atlantic and Eastern Pennsylvania Chapters and the Penn
State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Department
of Energy and Mineral Engineering.
A Blast From the Past...
Reprinted from the January 1979 issue of All The Facts (Inside ATF’s predecessor)

Inside ATF • 15
 Inside ATF
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
U.S. Department of Justice

November Retirements
Employee Position Location Govt. Service
Jo Ann Richardson Industry Operations Assistant Richmond II (IO) Field Office 36 years
Mickey Smith Investigative Analyst Dallas III Field Office 40 years
George Trevino Supervisory Special Agent Houston III Arson Field Office 24 years

Submitted by Human Resources Division, Employee Benefits Branch

Moves
Employee From To
Jose Oquendo Program Manager, TPD Program Manager, International Affairs
Kent Sanchez IOI, Seattle II Field Office Area Supervisor, Seattle II Field Office

Positions listed are management/supervisory/program manager positions only.

PARTICIPANT SELECTIONS

Imtiaz Baksh - Miami Field Division Geanie Litzman - Dallas Field Division
Randy Boston - Chicago Field Division Veronica Locust - OST
Brenda Bryant - Office of the Director Gloria Makel - EPS
John Campbell - Louisville Field Division Kennisha Miller - OM
Veronica Christian - OM Marianna Mitchem - Denver Division
Ted Clutter - EPS Sonya Mumford - New Orleans Division
Betty Coleman - OM Jan Raby - TPD
Tammy Collis - EPS Theresa Thrasher - Los Angeles Division
Meredith Davis - Houston Field Division Therese Vines - Columbus Division
Shannyn Gardner - Atlanta Field Division Myisha Wallace - OSII
David Greer - TPD Niki Wiltshire - OPRSO
David Harjo - OPRSO Lisa Zaboroswski - OPRSO
Zina Kornegay - PGA

The goal of the SUTL Program is to provide formal and informal learning opportunities that enhance participants’ leadership
skills and competencies. The program will include a mix of formal online courses and individual
learning activities centered on the ATF Leadership Competency model (ATF O 6220.2A).

16 • January 2010