advisory center at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, shows a veteran attending the Oklahoma Military Connection hiring event at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in McAlester a list o... VIEW ORIGINAL
advisory center at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Okla., talks to a
veteran about his resume during the Oklahoma Military Connection hiring
event held at the Armed Forces Reserve... VIEW ORIGINAL
personnel advisory center at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Okla., shows
Air National Guardsman, Master Sgt. Marvin Winterlock, 137th Force Support
Squadron, Will Rogers Air Natio... VIEW ORIGINAL
McALESTER, Okla. (April 13, 2015) -- McAlester Army Ammunition Plant is teaming up with the Oklahoma National Guard to meet both organizations' needs -- more civilian employees to produce munitions for the nation's warfighters and jobs for troops needing full-time employment.
For the second time since September 2014, MCAAP participated in an Oklahoma Military Connection hiring event for members of the National Guard, Reserve, separating service members and veterans.
MCAAP representatives spoke with more than 40 attendees during the event at the Armed Forces Reserve Center here, April 2. In addition, they also talked with civilians from the general public who participated during the last two hours of the event.
Daniel Rodriguez, a 10-year Army veteran who left the military in August 2003, was one of them. He learned about the hiring event from a veterans' representative at the unemployment office in Okmulgee.
Like many people living in southeast Oklahoma, he has worked in the oil industry and has experienced its highs and lows. He would welcome a job at the ammo plant.
"I would love to work [at MCAAP],"Rodriguez said. "It's close to home and after being away from my kids all those years, I want to make some of that time up. I've been on the pipeline the last five years. The ammunition plant would be a great opportunity for me."
Rodriguez lost his job five months ago during the downturn in the oil industry. He received several solid leads from employers at the hiring event and some took his resume. He is hoping to land a stable job.
"I want something more steady with oil being up and down," he said. "I want it not just for me, but for my family."
MCAAP participated in its first hiring event at the Fort Sill Armed Forces Reserve Center in Lawton, on Sept. 25, 2014.
The plant's participation evolved from an introductory meeting between Col. Joseph G. Dalessio, MCAAP commander, and Maj. Gen. Myles L. Deering, then Oklahoma Adjutant General, on Sept. 4, 2014.
Dalessio told Deering that he's trying to hire more employees. The general told him some National Guardsmen need full-time employment and referred him to Col. Warren Griffis, director of the Employment Coordination Program for the Oklahoma National Guard, who organizes hiring events for Guardsmen and veterans.
The collaboration has been good for the ammunition plant.
"We're pleased to partner with the Oklahoma National Guard in a way that is beneficial to both of our organizations and veterans in the area," Dalessio said. "We've hired several veterans from our participation in the hiring events and I'm hopeful that we'll hire more veterans, as well as members of the general public, from the event just held here."
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McAlester Army Ammunition Plant is the Department of Defense's premier bomb- and warhead-loading facility. It is one of 14 installations of the Joint Munitions Command and one of 23 organic industrial bases under the U.S. Army Materiel Command, which include arsenals, depots and ammunition plants. MCAAP is vital to ammunition stockpile management and delivery to the Joint Warfighter for training and combat operations.
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