Feature Story

CLOSING ON A YEAR OF GROWTH & MATURITY

by: R.D. Gibson

Many lessons were learned in 2020; a year we dare not revisit, reminisce, or remember. Last year was a tough year to write anything because at the forefront of everybody’s minds was COVID-19. Rightly so. To date, according to the Centers for Disease Control website’s data tracker, there have been over 23 million cases of Coronavirus in the United States of America, and over 300,000 deaths as of January 15, 2021.

In a year that many thought was going to bring so many opportunities, many were quarantined at home, mandated to wear masks, distance socially from their family and loved ones, work remotely - telework, reorganize strict work safety policy, but, above all, face the uncertainty of a silent and invisible foe.

The uncertainty was as pervasive as the virus itself - spreading throughout the community. The lockdowns and government restrictions throughout the island proved to be difficult for many. It’s been nearly a year of a slow crawl toward the end of this seemingly never-ending tunnel.

As arduous as it may have seemed, what 2020 taught a lot of people was the concept of grit and perseverance. Creatures of habit, society as a whole had to reconfigure and reevaluate the goals they were working toward manifesting as we moved into a new decade.

Grit and perseverance are concepts many educators try to teach in school. In a world of instant gratification, it has become increasingly more important to underscore, bold, and italicize the need to push through one’s own obstacles to realize the rewards of long-term goals. Angela Duckworth, founder and CEO of Character Lab, researched the concept of grit and perseverance in students. Her non-profit points to helping students thrive.

According to Duckworth’s website, “Grit isn’t talent. Grit isn’t luck. Grit isn’t how intensely, for the moment, you want something.” More, the website describes how talent and luck matter to success, but don’t guarantee grit. Additionally, it describes how grit is about the ‘ultimate concern’ - a goal that is fueled by passion and even when faced with barriers - “even when progress toward the goal is halting or slow” - the goal is still at the forefront.

If there was ever a chance for grit to surface and manifest itself in the industry, it was in the midst of the chaotic unpredictability that shook the entire world. In the same vein, there was a lot of work being done behind the scenes to ensure one of the biggest construction projects in the island’s history was to persevere forward. The Officer in Charge of Construction (OICC) Marianas Corps Marianas is currently overseeing over a dozen projects for the Guam Military Buildup. According to NAVFAC Marianas Commanding Officer Captain Tim Liberatore, “NAVFAC is estimated to deliver approximately $694 million in military construction in Guam for fiscal year 2021.” The number comes in the form of more than 20 Department of Defense construction projects like wharf improvements and bachelor enlisted quarters.

According to Officer in Charge of Construction Marine Corps Marianas Commanding Officer Capt. Steven Stasick, there are several projects under construction for Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, Andersen Air Force Base, and Naval Base Guam. These include, MCB Camp Blaz Main and Commercial Gate, MCB Camp Blaz Main Communication Lines, Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Andersen AFB, Live Fire Training Range Complex at Andersen AFB Northwest Field, and Urban Combat Training Center at Andersen South. Capt. Stasick continued stating many more United States Marine Corps projects are in the design and planning phases.

Capt. Stasick stated, “the buildup of Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz continues as planned.” More pointedly, he mentioned 80-percent completion of the the MCB Camp Blaz Utilities and Site Improvements project, and the completed facilities at Andersen AFB North Ramp are already being utilized, even the first Aviation Maintenance Hangar. There continues to be construction on other projects, including the Corrosion Control Hangar at Andersen AFB, Aviation Squadron Logistics Facility at Andersen AFB, a second Aviation Maintenance Hangar, as well as the Gym and Dining Facility.

He added, “the Mason Live Fire Training Range Complex at Andersen AFB Northwest Field is nearly 70 percent complete.” More, a handful of the projects listed above are on schedule for completion in 2021, with two more projects having been awarded in fiscal year 2021 “and another 17 are in process for award.”

Capt. Liberatore pointed to the unprecedented times through which we have all been living, but stated, “though we were presented with challenges due to COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines, we were able to close out the year successfully.” He explained how military construction projects went as scheduled with all safety protocols in place.

Additionally, he commented how though there was a COVID-19 cluster COVID-19 at one of the contractor barracks, and even with the mandated quarantine, the project schedule remained unaffected. This was largely due to the safety and health protocols that the employees - military and civilian contractors - followed. Wearing face masks, maining physical distance, and hand washing have become ‘new normal’ protocols across industries, and “following these mandates have allowed us to continue our projects on time,” stated Capt. Liberatore.

However, he also alluded to the pandemic causing delays due to restriction on travel, the duration of the deliveries of materials, and an increase of health and safety protocols. More, he commented on how as demand for construction increases in Guam, there will be a noticeable competition for material, labor, and equipment. “Our challenge will be to find innovative ways to control construction costs.” But, he is also confident that NAVFAC Marianas is prepared to address these obstacles.

Stasick spoke about the concerns surrounding the successful, timely completion of construction on large-scale projects. “However, these challenges can be mitigated through sustained collaboration and extensive joint effort across our stakeholder team throughout the build-up process,” he emphasized. This is also manifest in the five-year, $990M multiple award construction contracts for these projects for the build up. “NAVFAC is also making a deliberate effort to forecast and communicate upcoming projects while ensuring that solicitations are spaced out as much as possible to grant our partners in the construction industry adequate time to prepare and submit high-quality proposals.”

Capt. Stasick reflected on how 2020 “was a year of growth and maturity”; stating there were not any significant setbacks. He commented how OICC Marine Corps Marianas continues to prepare staff for when the construction period reaches its busiest. All the while, all of the projects remained active, even operating during the pandemic. “We continue to work closely with our partners in the construction industry to ensure safety and health of the workforce was always our top priority,” he added. More, Stasick commented how projects were released continually for bid and awarded with no interruptions. “This was possible through an extensive team effort from all our partners involved throughout the construction process.”

For Stasick, a lot of the lessons revolved around collaboration with community partners and regulators - all working to ensure the successful progress and completion of MCB Camp Blaz. More, it’s been a learning experience seeing the purposeful use of industry knowledge and best practices, and applying them to Defense projects, which “reduces projects timeline and costs, thereby saving the taxpayer money and meeting DoD mission requirements.”

Additionally, Stasick cites numerous victories last year as build up construction projects moved forward. He highlighted community collaboration and stewardship in Guam through historical, cultural, and environmental preservation projects. The projects brought together MCB Camp Blaz, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Guam Environmental Protection Agency, the Guam State Historic Preservation Office, Joint Regions Marianas, the Department of CHamoru Affairs, and the Guam Department of Agriculture. These include the preservation of the Sabånan Fadang burials, the construction of fences for the protection of 400 acres of forest, the relocation of rare flora and fauna, the proper investigation and reservation of archaeological areas, facilitated access to construction sites for harvesting medicinal plants and ‘collect culturally-important timber’, preparation of artifacts to be transferred to a future Guam Cultural Repository, and road improvements to Route 3A, among others.

Stasick said these are “continued efforts to support responsible construction and environmental stewardship as part of One Guam and Green Guam pillars allows for a sustainable approach to development and demonstrates the DoD’s respect for the land, its people and culture.”

Liberatore began pointing to the obstacles that year 2020 presented to many. He continued, “NAVFAC Marianas is fully prepared to successfully execute current and future military and Department of Defense construction awards and projects this new year.” He added, “Our dedicated team of military and civilian personnel were able to adapt and make necessary adjustments to fulfill our mission of delivering facility, construction, expeditionary, acquisition and business solutions that enable the mission objectives of our supported commands.”

Stasick added, “2021 promises to be one of the best years yet for OICC Marine Corps Marianas...We will ensure that we continue to build responsibly by working hand-in-hand with our construction partners, local and federal agencies and the Government of Guam and take deliberate, collaborative measures throughout the construction process.”

Victories and obstacles happen every year - an inevitable part of life, right? This piece started discussing a year from which we can only learn; that we can humbly recognize as a time in history where as human beings we were not in control of much of anything. But, what we were in control of, we could also use as a learning opportunity. In that, we practice true grit - identifying a goal and seeing it through its lightest and darkest moments. Along the way we discover just how gritty we are; looking back at the highs and the lows and seeing what worked and what did not, celebrating the victories - however small, along the way.