McAlester ready to reap base benefits

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) Officials say McAlester could gain as many as 159 civilian contractor jobs as a result of the recent base closing across the country. <br/><br/>Congressman Dan Boren says the additional

Tuesday, May 17th 2005, 5:58 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) Officials say McAlester could gain as many as 159 civilian contractor jobs as a result of the recent base closing across the country.

Congressman Dan Boren says the additional jobs would be gained from closed or realigned Army depots and ammunition plants.

McAlester is set to pick up production of the sensor fuzed weapon/cluster bomb and a missile warhead from the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant. The Department of Defense also wants the plant to take over storage and certain functions of the Red River Munitions Center in Texas.

In addition, the munitions maintenance functions currently handled at Red River will be reassigned to McAlester and the Bluegrass Army Depot in Kentucky.

Statewide, Oklahoma is set to gain nearly four-thousand jobs through closure and realignments elsewhere.