Col. Hammond new commander at McAlester ammo plant

Jun. 22—Colonel Michael F. Hammond assumed command of McAlester Army Ammunition Plant during a ceremony Tuesday at the McAlester base.

Hammond thanked his family for their support and those who offered assistance in his transition to MCAAP. He said employees at the base have demonstrated professionalism — and he vowed to give them his best effort.

"I'll give you 110% and more every day as we lead this organization for the next two years," Hammond said.

"When you look at his overall background, his assignments, his education and his logistics and operational experience make him keenly prepared to take over at McAlester," said Col. Gavin J. Gardner, Commander of the Joint Munitions Command and Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command.

Hammond is McAAP's 37th commander and the 20th since the plant transferred from the Navy to the Army on Oct. 1, 1977.

He earned a bachelor's in English from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where he was commissioned into the U.S. Army Quartermaster Branch in 1997, and he earned a master's in transportation and logistics from North Dakota State University.

Hammond's military education includes the Armor Basic Course, Logistics Captains Career Course, Air Assault School, Command and General Staff College, the School of Advanced Military Studies, and the U.S. Army War College fellowship program at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas. He holds a Master of Military Arts and Science degree from the School of Advanced Military Science at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

He comes to McAAP from Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, where he was Director of Future Operations, G5, U.S. Army Sustainment Command.

Hammond also served as a Goldminer 07, Senior Sustainment Trainer, at the Operations Group, National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California; as commander of the 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3ABCT, 1CD, where he deployed in support of OSS from 2017-2018; and as commander of HQ/ACO and Alpha Distribution Company, 526 BSB, 2nd IBCT, 101 ABN DIV, where he deployed in support of OIF, 2005-2007.

He has received the Bronze Star Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters); Joint Meritorious Service Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster); Meritorious Service Medal (6 Oak Leaf Clusters); Army Commendation Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters); Army Achievement Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters); OIF Campaign Medal; Korea Service Medal; and Air Assault Badge.

Officials attending the ceremony Tuesday included McAlester Mayor John Browne, McAlester City Manager Pete Stasiak, representatives of Congressman Markwayne Mullin, and others.

McAAP supplies about one-third of munitions as the Department of Defense's premier bomb- and warhead-loading facility. The plant delivers thousands of Mark 84 2,000-pound bombs, M11 artillery rounds, 105 artillery rounds, and more.

The plant is one of 14 Joint Munitions Command installations and one of 23 organic industrial bases under U.S. Army Materiel Command. McAAP is the site of production, storage, distribution and demilitarization.

Civilian Deputy Brian Lott relinquished command after serving as the civilian commander since January after previous McAAP Commander Col. Shane Upton was reassigned overseas.

Upton led efforts to save more than $16 million in FY20, implemented COVID-19 precautions, led partnership with the Air Force to secure $70 million for a new multi-purpose production facility at McAAP, and more. He was reassigned to a short stint in the Middle East before heading to Europe to serve as U.S. Army Europe and Africa G4.

Lott started at McAAP in 1991 as a student employee and has held several positions at the base, serving as McAAP's Civilian Deputy since 2019.

Contact Adrian O'Hanlon III at aohanlon@mcalesternews.com