Unexploded Ordnance Device Causes Road Closures at West Point, New York

At around 12:30 PM today (November 10, 2021) the West Point Garrison and Community shared news on their Facebook page that an unexploded ordnance device had been discovered at West Point near the DPW Headquarters. To clarify, "Ordnance" is defined by Merriam-Webster as "military supplies including weapons, ammunition, combat vehicles, and maintenance tools and equipment".

The West Point Garrison and Community Facebook post was quick to point out that they believed the device to be older and most likely used for training. They also made it clear that at this time, they don't suspect foul play.

Although it is extremely out of the ordinary for something like this to happen at West Point, it can. Most people are aware that West Point does use live ammunition in training exercisers with the cadets. This is one of the reasons that areas around their training facilities are extremely restricted. It is for the safety of the cadet in training, and also for the general public.

What Roads Are Closed?

The reason The West Point Garrison and Community shared this information with the public is twofold. First, they wanted to obviously let people know what was going on in that area. They also want to make anyone in the area aware that due to the incident, there are road closures. The DPW is located close to places like Eisenhower Hall and the closures are affecting those locations.

Road Closures:

Ruger Road is temporarily closed, between the Garrison HQ and the DPW Traffic Circle. Traffic from Tower Rd toward DPW will be diverted back towards Gillis Field House. Those in the Ike Hall and DPW parking lots will be directed South East via Ruger Rd towards the Plain. (West Point Garrison and Community via Facebook)

When something severe like this is discovered, it has to be handled by the correct authorities, so the closure could last a while. They plan to update the story as it unfolds. The West Point Garrison and Community page included that the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit was on the way to the area.