THV Extra: Past, Present, and Future of Pine Bluff Arsenal

Today's THV takes a look at the past, present, and a possibly uncertain future of the facility in a THV Extra.

The deadly chemical weapons are what have grabbed the public's attention about the Pine Bluff Arsenal. Workers are on a mission to store and destroy them. They handle VX rockets and landmines. Just a pin drop of the chemical is deadly within minutes. The Army also stored and destroyed GB rockets there.

To their knowledge, the weapons were never actually used. They were just made and stored, then sent for destruction.

The arsenal first opened in 1941 when workers carried out only top-secret missions. Larry Wright is the highest-ranking civilian there.

Wright says, "The original mission was the production of incendiary cluster bombs. These bombs were used extensively throughout Europe."

Wright also says the Army chose the Jefferson County area for two reasons: an abundant workforce and its location.

Wright says, "Many of the prior operations here were classified in nature so having a remote location was also beneficial."

Reporter Melissa Dunbar-Gates asks, "Can you tell us anything about those?" Not at this time," he replies.

These days, as missions change here, Army uniforms are hard to find on the military post; most of the workers are civilians and federal employees. The missions are no longer classified.

Since the 9/11 attacks in 2001, business has picked up there, while many workers continue the mission of destroying chemical weapons, others are busy making products that protect soldiers in war time. This is the only place in the country where gas masks are made and refurbished, and it is all done slowly by hand. Each mask is even tested to withstand pressure before it's packed and shipped out.

Workers also refurbish chemical decontamination units here. When a soldier gets involved in a chemical situation, he or she must be carefully hosed off.

However, in the present wartime, what engineers say is in the highest demand are smoke filled grenades that provide cover for troops. They even make colored smoke that troops use to communicate in the field.

Engineer Jon Davenport says, "The soldiers can use them for signaling. They decide what the different colors mean on any day."

As wartime necessities take center stage at the arsenal, the chemical weapons mission comes to a close.

Workers will be finished destroying anything explosive this summer and the remaining mustard gas in 2012. That will completely end the mission of chemical weapon destruction.

Public affairs officer Raini Brunson says it's a noble mission.

Brunson says, "We're happy because when this mission is over we will have made the world that much safer. All of us coming here knew we were working ourselves out of a job."

In the transition, more than 1,000 jobs will be lost. But the arsenal will not close; it will just shift to meet current wartime demands.

White Hall Mayor Jitters Morgan worries about that, since his city was built around the arsenal.

Morgan says, "We depend on them for economics. They trade in our stores, our little hardware store, our grocery store, our restaurants, car washes, anything. We do not have industry. We're a bedroom community."

Many White Hall residents work at the arsenal. Morgan says those people are also the community volunteers, making a difference at the schools, in churches, and with youth programs.

Morgan says, "Scouts, Girl Scouts, soccer, football, baseball?all those things for the kids, it's all volunteer."

The future of the Pine Bluff Arsenal lies partially with the production lines at the arsenal, so when they're done destroying weapons the manufacturing lines will continue. In one room they pack little parachutes, attach them to giant parachutes that will be attached to spotlights. They are dropped to light the way for ground troops in the middle of the night.

Officials are filing requests with the Army to send more manufacturing to the arsenal to create jobs. They're already adding more production lines by September to produce in mass those smoke filled grenades. Wright says, "The future at the arsenal lies in our value to the soldier, our ability to produce products that save lives that defend the soldier, and the chemical and biological defense manufacturing, the ammunition manufacturing. That's our future."

As things change at the arsenal, one thing Wright says will never change is that they will always have an ever-changing mission.

It's important to note the arsenal will not be closing when chemical weapons destruction is over. It will remain open as a manufacturing facility, making protective gear and personal defense devices for soldiers in the Marines and Army.