Oklahoma senator, staffers visit ammo plant

By Kevin Jackson, AMCNovember 17, 2016

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1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Trevor Price (right) from McAlester Army Ammunition Plant's chemical laboratory demonstrates the use of an advanced technology that enables MCAAP to mix plastic bonded explosives safer, with more energy efficiency and without waste for Luke Holland, ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Sean M. Herron (right), commander, McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Oklahoma, talks to Luke Holland, legislative director for Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), about the demilitarization of an obsolete and unserviceable artillery round and the recycl... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Luke Holland (right), legislative director for Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), observes the explosive fill of a penetrator bomb during a production line tour at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Oklahoma, Oct. 11. It was the Bartlesville, Oklahoma, nativ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

McALESTER ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT, Okla. -- The legislative director for one of the most influential members of the Senate Armed Services Committee made a trip to southeast Oklahoma to get an inside look at the organic industrial base here, October 11.

In that capacity, Luke Holland is responsible for shaping and implementing the legislative agenda for Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and coordinating with the senator's committees. It was Holland's first visit to MCAAP.

During the 90-minute tour, Holland observed the demilitarization of obsolete and unserviceable artillery rounds, and the load, assembly and pack of a penetrator bomb. He also visited MCAAP's "skunkworks", where explosives workers join the research and development community to design, load and test future munitions technologies.

There, he received an up-close look at an advanced technology that enables MCAAP to mix plastic bonded explosives safer, with more energy efficiency and without waste, which is safer to the environment.

"Using this technology saves the American taxpayer and the military customer an estimated 60 percent of the production cost," said Col. Sean M. Herron, MCAAP commander.

Learning about MCAAP's mission made an impression on Holland.

"The work being done at McAlester is exceptional, and I'm glad I got to see it with my own eyes," said Holland. "Oklahoma should be proud to have MCAAP, and I look forward to working to ensure its mission continues to grow as Sen. Inhofe advocates for our military in the U.S. Senate."

Accompanying Holland on the morning tour were Anthony "Lazer" Lazarski, senior advisor for military, foreign relations and veterans affairs, who has visited the plant numerous times since he began working for the senator in 2007, and Col. Scott Jackson, from the Army's Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison in Washington, D.C.

In the afternoon, Inhofe, who had arrived later in the day for lunch with McAlester Defense Support Association members and others, made an unscheduled visit to MCAAP. He was accompanied by staff members, Brian Hackler and Mackenzie McCullough, and McAlester News-Capital reporter, James Beaty.

Inhofe visited a bomb explosives fill and specialty munitions facilities and observed the use of an advanced technology for mixing plastic explosives. It was his first visit to the plant since Nov. 14, 2011.

"The visits were great opportunities to highlight the improvements and high-tech operations that make MCAAP an essential element of the organic industrial base and part of our national security insurance policy, thereby ensuring the Joint Force is ready, reliable and lethal," Herron said.

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MCAAP is one of 14 installations of the Joint Munitions Command and one of 23 organic industrial base facilities under the U.S. Army Materiel Command.

Related Links:

McAlester Army Ammunition Plant Website

McAlester Army Ammunition Plant Facebook