Sherrill and Cook Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen School at Picatinny Arsenal

Armament Graduate School Act Enables Picatinny to Offer Accredited Degrees

Washington, DC – Today, Representative Sherrill (D-NJ) announced with Representative Paul Cook (R-CA) the introduction of the Armament Graduate School Act (H.R. 2880) to provide degree-granting authority to the Armament Graduate School at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. The Armament Graduate School (AGS) currently issues certificates of completion for the required coursework. Accreditation will not only attract a wider range of applicants, but reflects the academic rigor required for graduation.

“Picatinny’s greatest asset is its people, and there is no better reflection of that than the world-class education the Armament Graduate School provides,” said Representative Mikie Sherrill. “Enabling the school to offer an accredited degree program is a critical way to continue investing in both Picatinny and our nation’s defense.”

“An effective military must be well-trained and educated at every level,” said Representative Paul Cook. “The Army’s Armament Graduate School plays a crucial role in ensuring the Army’s researchers and engineers are gaining an advanced level of expertise to counter the growing technological threats of tomorrow’s adversaries. The amount of education and rigor at Armament Graduate School exceeds many existing graduate programs and I proudly support providing the school with degree granting authority.”

“The Armament Graduate School develops the comprehensive, high-level expertise in armament engineering necessary to meet our nation’s top modernization priorities now and into the future,” said John Hedderich, Director, US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – Armaments Center. “Granting Masters and PhD degrees to students who complete challenging advanced armament engineering coursework will help attract and keep the best and bright scientists and engineers in a highly competitive marketplace.  The AGS allows our students to become more broadly-trained and well-versed in armament engineering and research.”

“So far, we have six classes of Armament Center scientists and engineers who have matriculated into Picatinny’s Armament Graduate School,” said Dr. Donald Carlucci, Senior Research Scientist for Computational and Structural Modeling, and Chancellor, Armaments Graduate School. “Four of those classes have already accomplished all their coursework to qualify for a Master’s degree, and one has completed the additional coursework, research, and dissertation to satisfy the requirements for a PhD in Armament Engineering. The difficulty of the coursework and the students’ efforts qualify them to be recognized as having completed these uniquely specialized degrees.

Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway and Jefferson Township, New Jersey is home to the Joint Center of Excellence for Armaments and Munitions.  The critical work performed by more than 6,000 people at Picatinny directly enhances the U.S. military’s capabilities and our soldiers’ safety. The Armament Graduate School Act is an important bipartisan effort to ensure our military remains the world’s most lethal and effective fighting force. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Representative Sherrill will continue to ensure Picatinny Arsenal has the needed capabilities for our national security.

###