As part of its installation support mission, USACE visits installations and hosts workshops where they teach directorates how to implement 3Rs messaging into daily activities. They also hold outreach events and provide materials to equip installation personnel with the knowledge and resources needed to effectively communicate the 3Rs message within their communities.

      That enterprise support is separate from USACE’s Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP) mission, although the two closely complement one another. Through the MMRP, USACE investigates and remediates sites affected by past military activities involving unexploded ordnance, discarded military munitions and munitions constituents. Because complete removal of every potential hazard is not always possible, public awareness is an essential part of long-term risk management, said Nathaniel Garza, environmental protection specialist with the Army Environmental Command at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

      "A munitions response site may go through the remediation process, but even with a subsurface clearance, we still can’t guarantee that we get all of the munitions out of the ground. Some of them go to depths that are beyond our capability to detect," he said. "So for long-term management, we need the public to understand what to do if they encounter a munition."

      Amanda Sticker, the Army’s 3Rs Explosives Safety Education lead with the USACE Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise, said the program supports the Army's environmental mission well beyond cleanup activities.

      "Throughout military munitions response projects, Army and USACE personnel routinely engage with communities, property owners, local officials and other stakeholders," Sticker said. "Whether we're conducting investigations, seeking rights of entry, holding public meetings or sharing project information, the 3Rs message remains an important part of those interactions."

      The 3Rs Program is designed for anyone who lives on, works on or visits Army installations, as well as communities near current and former military training areas. Educational materials are also used at Formerly Used Defense Sites, where USACE continues investigating and cleaning up properties that were once used in support of the nation’s defense. The free resources available through the 3Rs program also help local governments, educators and members of the public understand the potential hazards associated with military munitions.

Munitions Misconceptions

      A common challenge, Sticker said, is overcoming misconceptions.

      "One of the most common misconceptions is that older military munitions are no longer dangerous," she said. "In reality, age does not make a munition safe. Even items that appear rusted, deteriorated or buried for decades can still function as designed and pose a significant hazard."

      Another misconception stems from appearance. Many people assume they can identify whether a munition is safe based on color or condition. Garza noted that paint colors often change over time as munitions weather and corrode, making them unreliable indicators of what an item is or whether it poses a hazard. Likewise, practice munitions can closely resemble live munitions, and damaged or partially buried items may be impossible to identify without specialized training.

      “Most U.S. munitions are painted olive drab green, but over time, that green sometimes turns into a bluish color, which many people, especially those with military experience, associate with practice munitions,” Garza said. “That’s why you should never judge a munition by its color.”

      "The safest response is always to follow the 3Rs," Sticker added.

Tragic Consequences

      As a retired explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) officer, Garza has seen firsthand why that message matters.

      While serving as an EOD company commander at Fort Irwin, California, he participated in a post-blast investigation after two individuals attempted to dismantle a live military rocket they had removed from an operational range.

      "It killed two people," Garza said. "That's one of the reasons why this message is so important. These items can kill you or injure you or harm you, and we don't want that to happen."

      His team responded to about 200 calls a year regarding munitions found on and off the installation. That experience reinforced a lesson that continues to shape his work today: military munitions can appear almost anywhere, and members of the public often do not recognize them.

      "Most people are not familiar with what munitions look like," Garza said. "If you see something that resembles a potential munition, we want you to recognize it, retreat from it and report it so explosive ordnance disposal experts can come and render it safe."

Preventing Tragedies

      The program's impact is not measured only by emergencies. Sometimes it comes through conversations that prevent future tragedies.

      Sticker recalled meeting a veteran during a 3Rs outreach event at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. After learning about the dangers of souvenir munitions and hearing about a recent fatal accident involving inherited military ordnance, the veteran admitted he had several military munitions stored at home and worried about what would happen after his death.

      "I explained that he could contact his local law enforcement agency through its non-emergency number and request a voluntary munitions turn-in," Sticker said. "The relief on his face was immediate."

      For Sticker, that interaction demonstrated the value of the program.

      "While we may never know how many accidents are prevented, knowing that our efforts help people make safer decisions is incredibly rewarding and serves as a constant reminder of why this mission matters," she said. "When someone learns the 3Rs message and understands how to respond safely, they are better prepared to protect themselves, their families, and their communities."

      Today, USACE continues supporting the Department of the Army through outreach efforts, educational materials and Train-the-Trainer events that equip installation personnel to deliver consistent explosives safety messaging within their own communities. The standardized approach helps ensure that whether someone visits an Army installation, lives near a former training area or encounters a suspicious object during outdoor recreation, they receive the same life-saving guidance.

      Ultimately, that guidance comes down to three actions that take only moments to remember.

Follow the 3Rs

      "If you encounter something that you believe may be military munitions, the first step is to recognize that it could be dangerous," Sticker said. "Do not assume that an item is safe because it appears old, damaged or harmless."

      The second step is to retreat. That means carefully leaving the area without touching or attempting to investigate the item.

      The third step — report — is the one that is most often forgotten or ignored, said Sticker.

      “We don’t want to leave the potential munition in place for someone else to encounter. Reporting the item by calling 911 allows trained professionals to safely assess and address the hazard,” she said. “This is especially important because children are naturally curious. An object that an adult recognizes as something to avoid may look interesting or exciting to a child.”

      Those three simple steps — recognize, retreat and report — may seem straightforward, but they remain one of the Army's most effective tools for protecting Soldiers, families and communities from hazards that can remain long after military training has ended.

      For more information about military munitions, explosives safety or the 3Rs Program, visit 3Rs.mil.