McAAP gets a new commander
McAlester Army Ammunition Plant has a new commander.
Col. Gabriel W. Pryor relinquished command to Col. Curtis S. Perkins in the change of command ceremony at the McAlester base Wednesday.
'This change in command marks more than a transition of leadership,' Pryor said. 'It's a moment to reflect on our journey here, to honor the team and to recognize the strength that lives in this installation and its people.'
McAlester Army Ammunition Plant is the Department of Defense premier bomb and warhead-loading facility. It supplies about one-third of munitions across the Department of Defense. The plant delivers thousands of Mark 84 2,000-pound bombs, M11 artillery rounds, 105 artillery rounds and more.
McAAP is one of 14 Joint Munitions Command installations and one of 23 organic industrial bases under U.S. Army Materiel Command. It is the site of production, storage, distribution and demilitarization.
Officials said armies historically use a flag or other symbol to serve as a rallying point under which their soldiers would gather before combat and reorganize during battle. The passing of the colors during the change of command ceremony symbolizes the original purpose and represents the official transfer of command.
Brig. Gen. Daniel J. Duncan opened the Change of Command ceremony. He thanked McAAP's community partners and elected leaders, thanked Pryor's family for their support and thanked Pryor for his service.
'It just shows how much he takes care of people and not just the mission,' Duncan said about Pryor's leadership and his priority of McAAP employees' safety.
Pryor was commissioned in May 1999 as a Second Lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps from the Army ROTC program at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington. He earned a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington.
He held several positions in his military career, including Distribution Branch Chief, Aide-de-Camp to the Deputy Commander and Joint Planner, USTRANSCOM, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, 2015-2017; Battalion Commander, 47th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, Division G4, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas, 2018-2021; and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant Commander, McAlester, Oklahoma, 2023-2025.
Pryor earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, and a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Pryor's military education includes the Ordnance Officer Basic Course, Combined Logistics Captains Career Course, and more.
His awards and achievements include the Bronze Star Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (4 Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (bronze campaign star), Iraq Campaign Medal (4 campaign stars), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NATO Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (3 numerals), Joint Meritorious Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation (3 Oak Leaf Clusters) and Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge.
Over the last two years, McAAP has met 100% of their delivery days. The depo operation has experienced the least amount of accidents and injuries than it has in the last 10 years, according to the McAAP
'These accomplishments that I'm telling you about, these are not a commander's success. This is a team's success,' Pryor said.
He thanked the men and women of McAAP for teaching him about leadership, grit and excellence.
'This was not just a duty. It was a blessing,' he said.
Perkins was commissioned in December 1999 as a Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster branch from the Army ROTC program at South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, South Carolina.
He has earned a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Master of Arts in procurement and acquisition management from Webster University, and a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering technology from South Carolina State University.
Perkins has served in many positions during his lengthy military career, including Assistant Brigade Logistics Officer and Forward Support Company Commander, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Hood, Texas; Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, and Deputy Support Operations officer, 404th Division Aviation Support Battalion, Fort Carson, Colorado; S3 Operations Officer, and Brigade Resource Manager, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas; Brigade Support Operations Officer and Executive Officer, 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, Fort Stewart, Georgia; and Plans Chief, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, and more.
His military education includes Quartermaster Officer Basic Course, Combined Logistics Captain's Career Course, Army School of Advanced Military Studies, Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College.
His awards and achievements include the Legion of Merit (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters) and Joint Service Commendation Medal.
Perkins thanked the McAlester community for coming together to make this possible. He said he appreciates the community he has been brought to serve and said he will be the best commander he can to support the community and McAAP.
'Our mission remains instrumental to national defense, and I'm proud to serve with this dedicated team,' Perkins said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
31 minutes ago
- CBS News
Pilot killed in Beverly plane crash identified by his family as Geoffrey Andrews
The pilot killed in a small plane crash in Beverly, Massachusetts on Thursday has been identified by his family. Geoffrey Andrews was piloting the plane when it crashed shortly after takeoff Thursday on Sam Fonzo Drive in an industrial park near Beverly Regional Airport. A second man in the plane was injured. He has not been identified. Police said it appears Andrews was attempting to take off when the plane crashed. The FAA said the plane had just left Beverly and was heading to Ticonderoga Municipal Airport, which is about 100 miles north of Albany, New York. "We thank the investigators who we trust will conduct a thorough investigation into what caused this catastrophic loss of life. We also pray for his passenger in the plane and are sending his loved ones strength through this difficult time," said Andrews' family in a statement. His family said Andrews was a staff scientist at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and graduated from Lehigh University and got his doctorate from Purdue University. They said he loved to fly and was working to become a certified flight instructor. Andrews is survived by his wife, Gentry, who is expecting their first child in October. "Beyond his love for flight, Geoffrey was a charismatic, beautiful soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and always had a kind word for others. He was so excited about the upcoming birth of their baby," said his family in a statement.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
5K raises money for organization helping to combat homelessness in Los Angeles
Union Rescue Mission hosted their 'Just Help 1' 5K Run/Walk at Griffith Park on Saturday morning. Saturday's event, the 8th annual edition, raises money for individuals and families experiencing homelessness across L.A., organizers said in a media release. 'Participants will run, walk or cheer as every step supports URM's transformational programs, shelters, meals and long-term recovery services for those in need,' URM officials said. KTLA 5's Erin Myers spoke to Union Rescue Mission CEO Mark Hood just as the 5K officially kicked off on Saturday morning. L.A. City Controller: Immigration raid protests cost taxpayers over $30 million 'It's just a great event…it's a way to not only raise awareness, but 86 cents of every dollar that comes into this event goes back to transforming lives, getting people off the street and helping them find their way home,' Hood told KTLA. 'It's such a crisis…there are more homeless people in Los Angeles County than any other county in the United States by far. It's a big problem, but I'm very happy [to say] we are a solution.' According to the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, the L.A. County homeless population was estimated to be 73,512. The data also indicated that the City of Los Angeles had a homeless population of 45,252. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
My husband has an identical twin. I can't tell them apart over the phone.
I never believed in love at first sight until I met my now-husband. I couldn't recognize him from his identical twin brother over the phone. We ended up having fraternal twins, and I got to experience the twin magic first-hand. The first time I met my husband, I had all the cliché love signs. I felt butterflies in my stomach, and my heart was beating fast. I never believed in love at first sight until I actually fell in love with him the moment I saw him. We didn't even talk then. I just knew this was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. When I told a friend of mine who knows him, she asked me, "Are you sure it's not his twin brother?" When we started dating, when we went out together, people would greet him with his brother's name. He never corrected them. Whenever I called him on their home's landline, I never knew if it was him or his twin brother who answered the phone; they had the exact same voice and even way of speaking. They were famous for pulling pranks, and I was always afraid they'd play one on me. On our wedding day, his twin brother went early to the photographer's studio, and my now-husband hadn't arrived yet. We joked that we could take photos with his twin brother in case my husband didn't arrive in time. Years later, I was pregnant with fraternal or non-identical twins. It was so surreal having twins whose dad was also a twin. I had an emergency C-section and gave birth to my twins early at 35 weeks. When they were in the NICU, the nurses separated them. My son started not to eat; he had an NG-tube, but he wasn't thriving, and his sister was always crying and not sleeping well. One nurse decided to put them together. They held hands, my son started to eat again, and they both were calmer and sleeping better. Knowing that this bond they formed in the womb was continuing after birth made me very emotional. When they were babies, they had their own secret language. My daughter would translate to us what her twin brother wanted or was saying because he had delayed speech. Even now, as tweens, when we're out together, they unintentionally hold hands. It warms my heart to see them grow together, each with their own unique character, yet so close to each other. When they were almost a year old, their uncle came to visit us. It was their first time meeting him since he doesn't live in Canada. They were so confused, and it was hilarious watching them not knowing which one was their dad. Last year, we had sort of a "twins reunion." It included our twins, my husband and his twin brother, and their oldest brother's identical twin girls. It was funny comparing notes and inside jokes and seeing how twins' dynamics are different from ours. Although they're twins, I still have to remind myself that they are also two separate individuals. I learned a long time ago not to compare them to each other, whether in their milestones or academically. I hope they continue to support each other while embracing their individuality. And I can't wait to see what they'll do next. Read the original article on Business Insider
