McALESTER, Okla. -- During his first visit to the ammunition plant here, the Army leader who provides munitions readiness to the nation's warfighters thanked the workforce for living up to the Joint Munitions Command motto -- Ready, Reliable and Lethal.
"I really appreciate all the great work and effort that goes on here at McAlester," said Brig. Gen. Stephen A. Farmen, JMC commanding general, to leaders at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. "I don't take it for granted for a second."
Farmen said he received a note from Maj. Gen. Paul C. Hurley Jr., commanding general, 1st Sustainment Command (Theater), Kuwait, in the days leading up to Christmas thanking him for the delivery of munitions by MCAAP, and other JMC units, which enabled the Defense Department to put pressure on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.
"That's the fruits of the labor," Farmen said. "That's just a clear indication of how important what you do here at McAlester is."
As a testament to its performance, Farmen attached an Army Superior Unit Award streamer to the plant's colors. The streamer was awarded to MCAAP by the Secretary of the Army for exceptionally meritorious service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation New Dawn in Iraq from Oct. 1, 2011 to Sept. 30, 2012.
"You should all be incredibly proud," he said. "This is the crème de la crème -- the gold standard -- when it comes to bomb-making."
The visit also included a traditional command brief covering the plant's core capabilities -- ammunition production, ammunition and missile maintenance, ammunition demilitarization, logistics operations, and off-site rail maintenance.
Most of the general's time was devoted to a tour of the facilities where he met the workforce. For nearly seven hours he toured a myriad of bomb production, missile maintenance, CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon integration, explosives laboratory, less-than-truck load and storage facilities. He also received a windshield tour of the plant's largest outload pad.
Farmen also participated in several hands-on activities, filling a BLU-111 500-pound, general purpose bomb, inserting a railroad tie along the plant's 223 miles of track and firing a test shot on the Sensor Fuzed Weapon range, where he narrowly missed a bullseye.
He also took time to recognize some employees. Commander's coins were presented to Kristi Curtis, Darryl Wagoner, Michiel Edwards and Richard Hilburn for their work to improve safety. Sherri Cooper, Treaver Price, William Surritte, Jason Tucker and Jaren Whitten received coins for supporting the first Ammunition Technician Warrant Officer Advance Course taught at MCAAP for the Combined Arms Support Command at Fort Lee, Va.
"I like getting out and meeting everybody," Farmen said toward the end of the visit. "The more I can see and learn the better."
The visit ended at the Land Management Office where he learned about the plant's award-winning natural resources conservation program and admired a large collection of deer antlers from MCAAP.
Herron was pleased to show the leader of his previous organization, the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Daegu, South Korea, what MCAAP brings to the organic industrial base.
"It was great to showcase MCAAP's unique and diverse capabilities that support the Joint Force," Herron said. "The commanding general left with an appreciation and better understanding of the incredible commitment and dedication of the MCAAP workforce, and what we do for the nation and our Warfighters every day."
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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.
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