Munitions Maker John Ward, blank tool setter, ATK Army Ammunition Plant, Independence, Mo.
By John Ward; Kate Bonamici

(FORTUNE Magazine) – I started in May 2002. I used to be a sales manager for a pre-need funeral plan; I got burned out on that and told my wife I was going to retire. After I played golf all summer, she said, "You're not going to retire--get back to work."

We make blank ammunition. That's the basic military training round. Right now I'm working on the final part of the chain. If it were a combat round, then you would put a bullet in there--instead, we just crimp that end after filling it with powder and primer. On a good day, I'll say, we do 150,000 just on my station.

It doesn't make any difference, combat round or a blank round; we know the government is our buyer. But we're really making it for the grunt out there in the field, so this guy knows that when he gets in a combat situation, if he has to rely on his weapon and he has to rely on his ammo, it's all gonna work every time. Everybody here takes pride in his job, everybody here wants to make it so this guy, no matter what kind of situation he's in, has one less thing he has to worry about. I'm 64. You know, I feel good; I like the job. I don't know if I'm ready to close that chapter of working and get on with retiring. --Interview by Kate Bonamici