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Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCING THE NEW FORT LEE
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BRAC PROJECTS WRAPPING UP
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TRANSFORMING A BASE
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ORDNANCE, TRANSPORTATION ARE THE NEW GUYS ON THE BLOCK
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NOT ALL CONSTRUCTION COMES FROM BRAC
2 20 The Progress-Index
Fort Lee Operation Expansion III was created by the staff of The Progress-Index. This publication may not be reproduced, in full or part, without the express written consent of The Progress-Index. Copyright 2011 Times-Shamrock Communications, all rights reserved. www.progress-index.com Phone (804) 732-3456, Fax (804) 861-9452 Publisher - Cindy Morgan Editor - Brian J. Couturier Advertising Director - Mike Gochenour Pre-press Manager - Travis Wolfrey Staff Writer - F.M. Wiggins Photographers - Patrick Kane • Natalie Allen • Daniel Lin Graphic Artists - Marc Calindas • Jennifer Rouse Account Executives - Dana Snow • Wendy Bond Linda Smith • David Pegram 4
Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
INTRODUCING THE NEW FORT LEE
A wide aerial view of Fort Lee.
The transformation at Fort Lee has been nothing short of amazing. In the span of about five years, what was once a relatively small military outpost has been transformed into one of the Army’s most modern and advanced training centers. As a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005 — known simply as BRAC — Fort Lee was selected to grow and to be the major logistics training center for the Army. The post has undergone a $1.2 billion construction and renovation boom over the past few years. Construction has been the operative word on post. The 39 major construction projects for a total of 56 buildings were
Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
completed ahead of time and under budget, Army officials say. All told, the military has added 4.5 million square feet of building space to Fort Lee. With BRAC, Fort Lee will house oncescattered elements of the military, from Texas to Maryland, on nearly 6,000 acres. The post’s daily population, including families, is doubling to 40,000. Fort Lee will train nearly a third of the Army, and already soldiers are on post where they learn to feed and move the military, and even properly bury those who have died in their nation’s service. The military’s mortuary service is based at Fort Lee. The fort will also become the home of the Army Ordnance School, which is shifting from its nearly century-old home at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The campus will ultimately train about 26,000 students a year. So, Fort Lee will be a major home to Transportation, Ordnance and its traditional tenet of Quartermasters. In essence, Fort Lee has become a large military training installation with an Army
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some of the barracks for soldiers, some of the dining facilities have all been built to support the growing military base. One of the largest non-BRAC projects is under construction — a $120 million military hotel is not expected to be completed until about June 2012. The 1,000 room, 530,000-square-foot Army lodging facility is one of the biggest construction projects ever in the Tri-Cities. Construction continues on the Army Lodging Facility. All told, BRAC and related Logistics University, a Transportation School projects have turned Fort Lee into the logisand an Ordnance Campus — among the major tics capital of the military and perhaps the tenants at the base. world. Also, there has been a slew of non-BRAC related construction. Things like convenience stores, day care centers, a library, a chapel, renovation of a theater, an auto care center,
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BRAC PROJECTS WRAPPING UP It’s just about a wrap for construction projects related to the multi-year Base Realignment And Closure expansion at Fort Lee. The last major BRAC-related construction project on Fort Lee was completed ahead of schedule when the Central Issue Facility was finished in early July — nearly two full months ahead of schedule. The only other BRAC project at Fort Lee is nearly complete — a $3 million Mifflin Hall parking lot should be completed by the end of August. The completion of the parking lot will largely close the books on BRAC, ahead of the official deadline of Sept. 15.
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From 2006 to 2011, Fort Lee has been awash in construction. There have been 39 major construction projects for a total of 56 buildings and all the projects were completed ahead of time and under budget, Army officials say. All told, about $1.2 billion has been spent on BRAC projects. Former Garrison Commander Col. Michael Morrow said that all the projects were completed ahead of time and under budget. He said having such a large and long-term construction project come in early and under budget was a significant accomplishment for the Army post.
Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
The Central Issue Facility.
“It’s been five great, challenging years,” said Col. Ed Gully with the Combined Arms Support Command BRAC office. “We’ve added 4.5 million square feet of building space with 56 new buildings and four renovated buildings in the last four years.”
Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
Gully said that the construction began with the first BRAC project on post the Sustainment Center of Excellence headquarters, which had a ribbon cutting in January 2009. “That was completed in 18 months,” Gully said. One of the biggest challenges in the growth of the post though was the Ordnance Campus. The site started out essentially as virgin woodland, Gully said. But within two years it had 50 miles worth of site infrastructure on the site. Now it’s home to one of the largest Army Dining Facilities in the United States and five barracks that each house 624 sol-
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diers. “It was a really aggressive time line,” Gully said. “It was also an early domino in the process.” As each building was completed the Army waited to take over the building. It took as little as 30 days and for larger buildings like the SCOE headquarters up to two months for furniThis building has been renovated as the Defense Contract Management Agency headquarters. ture to be installed along with wiring for computers and audio visual equipment. “It’s been a remarkable effort,” Gully said. In July, the last three projects on post were coming to a close with a Central Issue Facility being completed the first week of the month, the renovation of the former CASCOM headquarters as the Defense Contract Management Agency completed and furniture being moved into the building and the parade field for the SCOE headquarters wrapping up. Three of the BRAC projects for growth at Fort Lee actually weren’t on post, including an Explosive Ordnance Disposal facility at A.P. Hill. “There’s no doubt in mind that we’ll be done by Sept. 15,” Gully said. “It should be really anti-climactic.” Since the BRAC law was signed in November 2005 the post has seen numerous projects started and completed including the Sustainment Center of Excellence Headquarters building, the massive Army Logistics University, sprawling Ordnance Campus and the transportation school.
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Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
TRANSFORMING A BASE Nearly six years ago and more than 100 miles away a decision was made that forever changed Fort Lee and the surrounding area. In November 2005 then President George W. Bush signed into law the recommendations of the Base Realignment And Closure Commission. Since then the post has undergone a tremendous transformation. The amount of building space has doubled on post. The population of the post too has grown — more than 5,000 permanent party military members, more than 5,000 civilian per-
manent party civilian employees, more than 2,000 contractors, an average daily load of more than 9,000 military students and an estimated 22,000 family members.
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Morrow said that he’s never Even compared to 2008 been a part of such enormous when there were approxichange and transformation of a mately 4,100 permanent party military, 3,300 cipost in a very short amount of time. vilian permanent party, “The most amazing thing is 1,500 contractors, 2,800 we didn’t slow down training,” students and 12,000 famMorrow said. “All of that conily members — the growth becomes clear. tinued.” The BRAC growth has been an Col. Michael Morrow, garinvestment of $1.2 billion in the rison commander during Col. Michael Morrow was garrison much of the growth, said post and in the Army. commander of Fort Lee during a “It means we can give them the that the leaders that came key part of the BRAC process. same or a better product in the before him did much of the soldiers that we train here,” Morrow said. planning for the growth. “I got to do a little That growth has meant the opening of a bit of the planning and a lot of the execunew headquarters building, an entire learntion,” Morrow said. ing campus that was erected on what was By the end of July most of the major pieces once nothing but forest, a new central locaof BRAC-related growth on post would be completed, Morrow said. “We can claim suc- tion for soldiers processing onto post, new housing, the growth of the Army Logistics cess a couple of months ahead of time,” he Management College into the Army Logistics said.
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Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
University with a state-of-the-art simulation and modeling center and the arrival of some very large learning aids including tanks and airplane shells. In all, a total of 6 million square feet of facilities have been added — nearly doubling the footprint of the installation all within its physical boundaries.
A C-130 fuselage for training is moved towards a hangar bay on Ft. Lee grounds for Air Force Loadmaster training.
Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
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ORDNANCE, TRANSPORTATION ARE THE NEW GUYS ON THE BLOCK The growth on post related to BRAC has brought two new schools to Fort Lee — the Ordnance School and the Transportation School. Only a few special areas under each school will not be taught at Fort Lee, including advanced training for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Military Occupational Specialty and training for railroad engineers and waterborne operations. The Transportation Management School will teach soldiers the 88N Military Occupation Specialties — Transporation Management Coordinator. Earlier this year George W. Atkinson, deputy assistant to the commandant of the
transportation school and director of training, said that there’s a misconception — even among some soldiers — that when they show up to an airfield the Air Force loads the plane. “I’ve been with the Army 40 years and I’ve seen it happen that a plane takes off, and the soldiers haven’t packed their gear, so there’s no one on the plane and nothing on it,” Atkinson said. The soldiers that learn the 88N MOS will help deploying units pack mission critical vehicles and equipment onto ships or into airplanes. “The Air Force will tell us where to tie it down and where to put it, but we have to
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Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
The fuselage of an Air Force C-17 cargo plane is one of many new training facilities at Fort Lee.
know how to get it on the plane,” Atkinson said. For that reason, the Transportation School on Fort Lee has two real aircraft that soldiers train with — a C-130 and a C-17. At Fort Eustis, where some elements of the Transportation School remain, soldiers
Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
trained on mockups of the planes. Atkinson said that as far as simulations go, they worked for the time, but the planes are a much better simulator. “They allow us to really concentrate on safety,” Atkinson said. “We can impart the safety tips and it’s much more personal to the soldier because they can experience it.” While some of the transportation ccourses have moved to Fort Lee, including the Advanced Leadership Courses for Non-Commissioned Officers, which is located at the Army Logistics University, several other training courses are still at Fort Eustis. “They have very unique facilities at Fort Eustis,” Atkinson said. Some of those facilities included 27 miles of railroad track that can allow a train to get up to speeds of 35 mph — the necessary speed for locomotive engineer training and certification. The post also offers the 7th Sustainment Battallion,
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tions and maintenance. The 757th Transportation Battalion out of Milwaukee, Wis., built the 230 feet of track now used on Fort Lee for 88N training. Additionally, the training for 88M — Motor Transport Operations — is conducted at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. While the Transportation Management School at Fort Lee is no small facility, the Ordnance Campus is just that — a massive training campus where soldiers train in one of more Ordnance corps soldiers train on repairing a gun system than 20 different Military Ocat Fort Lee’s Ordnance Campus. cupational Specialties. which has watercraft essential for training Dr. Richard Anderson, director of train88K and 88L Military Occupation Specialing with the 54th Ordnance Battalion, said ties, which deal with watercraft. that there are 33 different specialities that Three Military Occupation Specialties are trained in the Ordnance School — most trained at Fort Eustis are exclusively reof those are at least in part represented on serve units that deal with railroad operaFort Lee now. Just one of the few that is not
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Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
for all branches so it only made sense to locate the training at one facility. “You provide a skill set that is vital to members of our units,” Bianchi said in March at the opening of the new wing. “Their success is a reflection of your hard work.” Anderson said that while the integration Newly-dedicated Dixon Hall can house 256 students at a time for classes and consolidation of and allows students to troubleshoot in a hands-on environment. some schools has crelocated on post is the 94S — Patriot missile ated some challenges, repair. “The soldiers will learn basic elecbut everything is proceeding smoothly. “The tronic repair here, but the rest of the MOS concept was to create a campus here, and is trained at Fort Sill, Okla. because that’s with the exception of the North Range and where the Patriot missiles are,” said Ander- the training that we have to do at Fort A.P. son. Hill, that’s what we’ve done,” Anderson said. In addition to soldiers, Marines are trained at the Ordnance School. “There’s a Marine detachment which does co-located training,” Anderson said. That’s been one of the major focuses of the BRAC growth on post — having different branches of the Armed Services training at the same facility. At the Transportation Management School, airmen also learn transportation management. The Joint Culinary Center of Excellence is where soldiers have long learned how to prepare meals in the Army. Marines have also trained there for a number of years an now through BRAC sailors and airmen also now learn how to cook in the military on post. During the opening of the new wing that was built for sailors and airmen, Navy Rear Adm. Robert Bianchi, assistant deputy chief of staff for fleet readiness and fleet supply officer for Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk said training soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen the basics of cooking, including food safety, is the same Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
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NOT ALL CONSTRUCTION COMES FROM BRAC While the post has been growing due in TEMF on post. Construction on the TEMF was large part to the Base Realignment And Clocompleted about nine months ago. sure process, Fort Lee is also growing with One of the largest non-BRAC projects is other construction projects on post. under construction — a $120 million miliSome of the projects that have been comtary hotel is not expected to be completed pleted include the expansion of the post until about June 2012. The 1,000 room, Shoppette on Sisisky Avenue. 530,000-square-foot Army lodging facility John Royster, Fort is one of the biggest Lee master planconstruction projects ner, explained that ever in the Tri-Cities. the renovations and Other construction changes to the Shopcontinues on post inpette were paid for cluding two Advanced through non-appropriIndividual Training barated funds generated racks for the Quarterthrough a portion of master School. Both are Army Air Force Ex300-person barracks change Service sales buildings that are built at the location. to the current Army Construction equipment sits during a rainy “It gave us a bigger standard and built closday outside of the Navy barracks under construction. Shoppette, a Popeye’s, er to the campus where Firestone auto care center, car wash facility the student soldiers will be learning. and more gasoline pumps,” Royster said. The new Army standard calls for barIn addition to those renovations, Royster racks to be about a 10-minute walk from the said that other non-BRAC construction on school house. Currently most of the barracks post has been completed for the only FORfor the Quartermaster School are located SCOM — Forces Command — unit on post, much further away and students are taken the 49th Quartermaster Group. by bus to the learning area. Buildings include a new barracks and a As the new barracks are completed some Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility or of the older buildings will be demolished. TEMF. One of the two new barracks buildings will Fritz Brandt, Fort Lee project manager strictly be for use by Marines. from the BRAC construction office, said that Two additional barracks buildings, for 600 the TEMF has been constructed on a stansoldiers each, are being built for the Petrodard military construction pattern and is leum and Water Department. In addition to a medium sized facility. “It includes more the barracks a new battalion headquarters stands for the vehicles,” Royster said. and dining facility with a capacity to feed Brandt added that it is the first modern 1,300 soldiers in 90 minutes is being built 20
Fort Lee: Operation Expansion III
soldiers to train for the Petroleum with the M4 or and Water DepartM16 rifles, M9 pisment. Other projects that tol and M249 Light Machine Gun. will be coming in FisInto the 2013-2014 cal Year 2011 infiscal year, Royster clude: a Company Opsaid more barracks erations Facility for the 49th Quartermasare planned but that they are not ter Group, at a cost The petroleum and water department barracks yet in the design of about $5 million, a are under construction. Training Support Center phase yet. “It has been that will allow soldiers to use the EST 2000 approved for the [Training and Doctrine Command] future year defense program,” electronic trainer for about $5 million; and a Qualification Training Range, which will be Royster said. “We’ll be able to build more up to date barracks.” built at the range complex across Temple Beyond 2014 though, Royster said no Avenue and adjacent to River Road. projects are planned at this point due to Brandt said that the Qualification Traincuts in federal funding. While none are curing Range or QTR is a new Army standard rently planned, based on the size of Fort Lee design range capable of allowing soldiers and it’s population several projects are needto train with multiple small arms weapons ed including fitness centers and pools. systems. The design for Fort Lee will allow
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