Eastern To Offer New Degree In Ammunition Management Safety
(Press Release 10-06-08)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

Interns who participate in year-long ammunition management and safety training at the Defense Ammunition Center (DAC) located at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant will now be able to earn credits towards a college degree at the same time.

Eastern Oklahoma State College has recently been given approval by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to grant an Associate in Applied Science in Ammunition Management and Safety to DAC interns before they spend a year in the field.

“Depart of the Army interns entering the DAC training programs are the future leaders of two Army ammunition career programs,” DAC Director Gary Carney said. “The collaboration of Eastern toward their development is greatly appreciated.”

Eastern President Dr. Steve Smith says the program can only enrich and provide college degree opportunities to DAC interns.

"The development of this program is another example of the partnership Eastern has had with the Defense Ammunition Center over the years. 

“For those students that do not have a college degree, this will provide them an opportunity to earn an associates degree as they take their DAC classes,” he said.

Chief of Knowledge Management for the DAC Training Directorate, Dr. Upton Shimp, said that “many of our interns enter the training program without college degrees.

“This partnership affords them the opportunity to increase their academic knowledge at the same time they are receiving highly specialized career training. That’s a powerful combination for leveraging their civilian career opportunities,” he said.

According to Eastern Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Karen Harrison, approximately 60 DAC interns participate in the training now.

“Following standards in Credit for Extrainstitutional Learning policy, credit will be awarded for the DAC training based on the American Council on Education and Institutional Reviews,” she said.

“Eastern will provide 31 hours of general education and supporting electives instruction to complete the Associate Degree.

“The extrainstitutional credit will be awarded to the intern following completion of 12 hours at Eastern as policy requires,” she said.

After DAC interns complete the training at the McAlester facility, they are sent to various places around the world to complete another year of on the job training.

Harrison said that there is no program like this in the state and that existing faculty will teach the general education portion of the degree program. No additional faculty resources are requested to add the associate degree program for DAC.

DAC interns will earn 30 college credit hours for the DAC ammunition management and safety training they receive at the McAlester base.

Near 25 DAC students are expected in the first year of the program followed by 40 students the second and 60 students annually in following years according to Harrison.