PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. – Six new graduates have been added to the growing roster of alumni from a highly specialized and unique U.S. Army graduate school with a mission to ensure that critical knowledge and expertise in armaments development is available to meet future national defense challenges.
The Armament Graduate School (AGS) here is operated by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center, which plays a vital role in the research and development of more than 90 percent of the Army's armaments and munitions.
The Armament Graduate School was established to support the Armaments Center mission by developing personnel who are broadly trained and well-versed in armaments engineering and research. No comparable institution with such a specialized curriculum is believed to exist.
At the most recent AGS graduation ceremony on Oct. 24, Master of Armament Engineering degree certificates were presented to Michael R. Beattie, Justin Peter Kuo, Nicholas Connor Lavigne, Eric Alexander Lynd, Adrian Alberto Sanchez, and Warren Erik Venema. Including the latest graduates, the AGS has produced two graduates with PhDs and 40 with Masters.
In her remarks, Cynthia L. Perazzo, Executive Director of the Weapons and Software Engineering Center, part of the DEVCOM Armaments Center, noted the broader significance of the AGS ceremony.
“I want to welcome everyone here today for a ceremony that not only celebrates the individual achievements of these graduates, but also marks one more graduating class from the Armaments Center that will benefit not just these graduates but the Soldiers who will benefit from the work that they do,” she said.
Perazzo noted that while Armaments Center Director Chris Grassano was unable to attend, he sends his hearty congratulations.
Perazzo also thanked the families of the graduates for their sacrifice during a period of intense study and focus. "We all know how hard it is to do what they’ve done,” she said. “It’s taken many hours away from their families. So, thank you for lending them to us during this time.”
Eric L. Moore, Deputy to the Commanding General, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, delivered the commencement address, noting how the ceremony dovetailed with the Army’s goal of making people its top priority.
“Each member of the DEVCOM workforce represents a critical piece to our ability to support the Army’s Transformation that will ensure war-winning future readiness,” Moore said. “I’m a firm believer that our ability to drive the continuous transformation of our Army is realized through prioritizing people, and ensuring we are developing tomorrow’s leaders and technical experts today.”
Moore added that the time and investment that Armaments Center leaders are putting into their people is a testament to that overarching objective. “This is a very unique, one-of-a-kind school. I know it’s going to grow; it’s going to do even better.”
Moore also acknowledged the academic rigor required by the AGS curriculum, while also adding a light-hearted comment of how those strains can affect students.
“They were challenged with an extensive academic workload – including the herculean task of passing advanced engineering math, which we talked about a little bit,” he said. ““I even hear some folks had to pray a little bit and cry,” he added, sparking light laughter in the audience.
Moore concluded by urging graduates to focused on what he called the 3 C’s: Character, Confidence and Commitment. “They not only work as a leader, they work in everything that you do in life. Focus on character, not reputation, because reputation is controlled by others. Character is controlled within.”
Later in the ceremony was a presentation of the Chancellor’s Award for Exemplary Faculty Service, a selection made by Chancellor Donald E. Carlucci, who also serves as Senior Research Scientist for Computational Structural Modeling at the Armaments Center.
Among his many contributions, Thomas Recchia has been a faculty member from the very inception of AGS and is involved in teaching several classes, including exterior ballistics and computer vision for armament applications.
Also, Recchia, who is currently serving as the assistant provost, has been essential in the support of the school’s efforts to obtain accreditation. In addition, Recchia was the research advisor for the very first student to receive a doctorate from the AGS, Tomas Bober.
“In all of these activities, Tom has demonstrated extraordinary energy and zeal, above and beyond what is normally necessary to meet the challenges of each task,” the award citation said. “His dedication to duty is truly astounding.”
The AGS is unique in that it integrates chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering disciplines while encompassing statistics, applied mathematics, material science, and the scientific method. By virtue of a unique, accomplished faculty, the program produces graduates who can apply broad technical, scientific, and engineering principles to armament engineering operations, evaluation, design, and development.
The Armament Graduate School received statutory authority to grant graduate degrees from the U.S. Congress and President. AGS is undergoing an accreditation review by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, its federally designated accrediting authority, and by the U.S. Department of Education.
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