History
The history of Ordnance College is as old as the British legacy itself. The art of equipping the soldier and training was supervised under various Ordnance arsenals established by the British in the subcontinent. The College traces back to the training of officers at Royal Military Academy Woolwich which was established in 1741 to educate the military branch of the Board of Ordnance. Ordnance College in undivided India was originally established in 1925 at Kirkee.
On the independence of Pakistan, it was moved to Malir Cantonment. This institution remained a part of the Ordnance Centre till 1984. Since then it was given a status of an independent entity as Ord School, later the School was upgraded to Ord College in 2012. The institution is training 800 to 900 Ordnance Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers, soldiers, and civilian students including students from allied countries. With the strenuous efforts and urge to achieve professionalism par excellence, the College has emerged as the first quality training institution of Pakistan Army certified by ISO 9001:2008.
Army Ordnance College Location
Ordnance College is located in Malir Cantonment 30 Kilometers northeast of Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, and is the biggest and most thickly populated city of Pakistan. Karachi is located in the south of the country on the shores of the Arabian sea and experiences a moderate climate throughout the year. The months of December and January are slightly cold. At times cold spells lasting two to three days, caused by cold Siberian winds blowing over Balochistan province, may be experienced during these months. May and October are hot; the maximum temperature occasionally exceeds 35°C. It rains normally during the monsoon in the months of July and August.
Educational Philosophy
The institution has been assigned the mission to impart training on Ordnance matters to all ranks of Ordnance corps, Students from friendly countries, and Defence Procurement to officers of all arms/services and sister services. The Syllabi of courses are quite comprehensive, realistic, and embrace a wide range of subjects in accordance with the latest trends in the changing scenario.
Army Ordnance College Functions
- Impart Basic, Mid Career, Special and Advance training on Ordnance matters to all ranks (military and civilian) of the Ordnance Corps
- Impart training in Defence Procurement and Contracting, Fire Fighting, Ammunition and Material Management to officers of all arms/services, other defense organizations, and foreign countries
- Conduct “Technical Trade Tests” for Ordnance personnel in accordance with the laid down standards
- Explosives Ordnance Disposal / Improvised Explosives Devices/training spec in ctr insurgency
- Disposal of unserviceable land ammo
- eARMS and HRMS training with especially focusing on Supply chain management
- Carryout:
- Research & Development on the doctrines/concepts of Ordnance logistic support
- Inspect, repair ammunition, General stores, and clothing
- Inventory Management
Army Ordnance College Faculty
The faculty members of Ordnance College including Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers, and Non-Commissioned Officers are amongst the selected lot of the Corps who are appointed as instructors, based on their performance in various domestic/foreign courses and practical experience in respective fields. Being custodians of all general and technical stores used by the three services of Pakistan, Ordnance Corps is looking after an inventory of above 50,000 items.
To have efficient handling of these stores in Ordnance base and field units by all ranks, and to be operationally ready for all types of eventualities, faculty members put their best to train all ranks for the job. This is achieved by imparting both theoretical and practical training. The faculty members also keep themselves abreast of the latest research and developments taking place in the specialist fields of Ammunition/Mechanical Transport/ General Stores, Clothing, Signal, Electro-Medical, Armament and Engineers Equipment including latest trends and procedures related to various disciplines.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Students in pursuit of their professional training resort to various extracurricular and sports activities to neutralize the effects of the training schedule. The following extracurricular activities/sports are pursued by the students:
- Training/Recreational films
- Library with over 3500 Books
- Trips to Somiani Beach etc
- Current Awareness Services
- State of the art Squash Courts
- An audio/visual library is also available in the College which has training films, war, and historical movies
Physical Training Facilities
- Services Club (Swimming, Tennis, Squash)
- Ordnance Sports Complex
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Cricket
- Football
- Gymnasium
- Jogging Track
Conclusion
Ordnance College is prospering day and night in the fulfillment of its assigned tasks through the untiring efforts of its faculty and other administrative staff. More emphasis is being laid on the practical training aspects in all fields by introducing the latest teaching techniques and eliminating the examination-oriented efforts by the students. May Allah Almighty help us in producing better professionals for a better Pakistan.