PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- A former Picatinny senior technical executive was inducted into the U.S. Army Ammunition Hall of Fame June 1 for his contributions to U.S. military ammunition.
Patrick A. Serao served a forty-year career with the Department of Defense supporting the development, purchase, and delivery of ammunition to U.S. service members.
During his last job as senior technical executive for enterprise and systems integration in the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center here, he managed more than 400 programs.
He retired from federal service in 2008.
During the four decades he was employed at Picatinny, Serao held various engineering, supervisory and senior management positions.
His engineering expertise influenced the development of insensitive munitions, a technology that drastically improved Soldier safety.
Insensitive munitions have the same lethality as traditional TNT, but are safer to handle because they are far less likely to explode accidentally if dropped, shot or hit by a roadside bomb during transport.
Serao managed a number of important development programs during his career including some for new mortar systems, small arms, individual and crew served weapons and ammunition.
He helped guide the development of the entire family of 120mm mortar munitions by the Army.
In 2003, he was selected to the Senior Executive Service, the highest rank a federal employee can hold.
Four additional individuals were inducted posthumously into the Hall with Serao -- Clifton W. Gray, Dr. Robert Harrington Kent, Dr. Robert J. Eichelberger, and James Q. Wheeler.
Together, they helped assure that U.S. troops were supplied with quality ammunition during a period that spanned World War I through present day.
The Ammunition Hall of Fame is located at the Joint Munitions Command in Rock Island, Ill.
It was established in October 2011 to honor and memorialize former civilian and military personnel who have made significant and lasting contributions to the U.S. Army ammunition mission, according to Keri Pleasant, Joint Munitions Command Historian.
"The program preserves history and gives members of the ammunition community a sense of heritage, honor, pride, and belonging," Pleasant said.
For more information on the Ammunition Hall of Fame: http://www.jmc.army.mil/Historian/HallOfFame.aspx
Related Links:
Announcement of Ammunition Hall of Fame
Army.mil: Science and Technology News
STAND-TO!: Army Science and Technology
Joint Munitions Command Homepage
Social Sharing