General visits ammo plant, thanks workforce

By Kevin Jackson, AMCMarch 22, 2018

JMC Visit 01
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Heidi J. Hoyle, commanding general, Joint Munitions Command, thanks explosives worker, Chandler James, for her work supporting warfighters during her visit to the M1122 155mm artillery training round production facility at McAlester Army A... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
JMC Visit
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JMC Visit 03
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Building supervisor, James Mason, talks to Brig. Gen. Heidi J. Hoyle, commanding general, Joint Munitions Command, about 105mm howitzer ammunition as an employee prepares to open a box and put the munition through the renovation process. The visit to... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
JMC VIsit 04
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Jeremy "Bubba" Harris, explosives operator supervisor (area foreman), explains the demilitarization of unserviceable 155mm artillery rounds to Brig. Gen. Heidi J. Hoyle, commanding general, Joint Munitions Command, during her visit to McAlester Army ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
JMC Visit 05
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JMC Visit 06
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Todd Stone (left), director of Depot Operations, and Gary McCarty, supervisor of the less-than-a-load facility, talk to Brig. Gen. Heidi J. Hoyle, commanding general, Joint Munitions Command, about shipping operations during her visit to McAlester Ar... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

McALESTER ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT, Okla. -- Before she leaves the Joint Munitions Command to head the U.S. Army Ordnance School next month, Brig. Gen. Heidi J. Hoyle returned to Oklahoma to visit a munitions asset on March 14.

It marked a return to the state, where at Fort Sill she had served as commander of the 761st Ordnance Company and operations officer for the 19th Maintenance Battalion. The McAlester Army Ammunition Plant is the final stop of the government-owned, government-operated munitions facilities under her authority she has toured as the commanding general of JMC.

"You have a very important role with your contributions to the warfighter and I know you take personal pride in the work you do every day," she said in her opening remarks to the MCAAP staff.

Hoyle also took time to recognize civilian employees. Steve Qualls, a heavy mobile equipment mechanic in the Directorate of Logistics, was recognized as the JMC and U.S. Army Materiel Command employee of the quarter for the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2017. She presented him a four star note signed by Gen. Gustave F. Perna, commanding general, AMC, and an Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service.

Rhonda Vaughn, the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program manager, received an Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service for her efforts with the SHARP program.

The general also presented her own one star notes to Ammunitions Operations' Precision Munitions Division employees Cody Duke, John Farris, Joseph Fitzer, Brian Jiles, Aaron Rippy and Nicholas Valenta for their work with the Excalibur program.

Hoyle also presented her new "Munitions at the Speed of War" commander's coin for excellence to Ron Dusenberry in Ammunitions Operations' Production Planning Division. He was named the AMC Employee of the Quarter for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2018.

Dusenberry is the fourth consecutive MCAAP employee to receive the JMC and AMC honors.

The U.S. Military Academy graduate spent the preponderance of her six-hour visit touring a bomb line, where she filled and signed a penetrator bomb; 105mm renovation line; outload pad; less-than-a-load; container repair; 155mm demilitarization; M1122 155mm production line; and X-ray facilities.

"My visit gave me the opportunity to better understand MCAAP's operations, challenges and environment; this will help JMC better support bomb production, distribution, storage and demilitarization," said Hoyle following the tour.

The general will depart JMC in April to become the commandant of the U.S. Army Ordnance School, U.S. Army Sustainment Center of Excellence, at Fort Lee, Va.

MCAAP is one of 17 installations of the Joint Munitions Command and one of 23 organic industrial base facilities under AMC.