Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Julie Avey | Maj. Gen. Lawrence A. Haskins, Commander California Army National Guard, U.S....... read more read more
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CAMP ROBERTS, Calif. - Military leaders and elected officials from across the state gathered at Camp Roberts, Calif., on May 13 to witness the unveiling of three new California Army National Guard facilities — the Combined Arms Collective Training Facility (CACTF), the Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) facility and a consolidated dining facility (DFAC).
These projects are part of the 42,768 acre, historic post’s ongoing five-year, $102 million renovation, which aims to maintain Camp Roberts as a premier training facility for Guard, Reserve and active duty military forces.
“Our state and federal governments are rediscovering Camp Roberts and all its capabilities,” said U.S. Rep. Sam Farr from California’s Central Coast, who has been a long-time advocate for Camp Roberts and attended the May 13 event. “Now we have to ask how they can ally themselves with other entities and make the most of this great training facility.”
One of the first stops for the group was the CACTF, a world-class, urban training complex designed to provide a full-scale municipal training environment for a broad array of military exercises. Composed of 14 structures laid out like a small town, the site includes a mock church, cemetery, hotel, town hall, jail and several walled compounds.
What can’t be seen at first glance is a vast network of tunnels that connects the structures and adds a layer of subterranean complexity for warfighters and role players alike. To give leadership teams a front seat for all the action, more than 170 cameras are wired throughout the structures to capture training as it unfolds, day or night, maximizing their ability to review and critique troops’ performance.
To add to the realism, the training area is integrated with audio and smoke systems that simulate a broad array of sounds and smells, further enhancing the intensity of the experience. Whether a training scenario requires a call to prayer from a mosque, the smell of an open air market or rampant machine gun chatter and the stench of rotting corpses, the CACTF can accommodate.
“This facility gives us a great capability we’ve never had before,” said Maj. Gen. Lawrence A. Haskins, commander of the California Army National Guard. “Now we can also offer the capability to our local law enforcement partners, so they can take advantage of everything that’s here.”
The construction of the $11 million CACTF was completed in February; to date the facility has hosted several units, including troops from Special Operations Command and the 1st Marine Division.
“We’re working toward our goal of becoming designated as the Western Combat Training Center. There’s actually an initiative by the [Department of the Army] that would leverage assets at both Camp Roberts and the [Army Reserve’s] Fort Hunter Liggett to form a training center,” said Haskins. “We would each retain our posts, but we would work together to offer a capability that currently doesn’t exist in this part of the country.”
The debut of the TUAS facility was also a highlight of the day. It will be home for the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s (IBCT’s) remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) platoon which specializes in operating the RQ-7B 200 Shadow and RQ-11B Raven.
The $4.7 million, three-structure complex comprises an operations building, an RPA hangar and a covered outdoor area to house aircraft or conduct maintenance. This environmentally sound complex has earned a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design-New Construction Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“Camp Roberts really provides the ideal setting for a facility like this,” said Staff Sgt. Scott Boatwright, a platoon sergeant with the 79th IBCT’s RPA platoon. “Our pilots have to log a certain number of flight hours per month to stay relevant. … Here we have consistent weather patterns that are good for flying, combined with plenty of wide open space, plus the post is centrally located, so operators from all over the state can come here and train.”
The site is strategically placed to take advantage of Camp Roberts restricted military airspace and was designed to streamline RPA launch, recovery, maintenance and flight operations.
“This facility not only allows us to support both our Shadow and Raven RPA operations, but even more significant is the fact that now we can combine this capability with ground maneuver forces to conduct enhanced training regularly,” said Col. Jeff Smiley, commander of the 79th IBCT. “Integrating those two components is something we’ve not been able to achieve up until now. It will be a game-changer.”
Smiley predicted this unique facility will generate interest well outside of California.
“Long range, we think this facility has everything necessary to become an RPA center of excellence,” he said. “It will be a draw for operators from across the country.”
Attendees also toured the newly opened 8,600-square-foot dining hall on the post’s main side. This $2.6 million DFAC seats more than 300 people, is equipped with the latest in kitchen equipment and will eventually serve the entire post.
One of the most highly anticipated projects of the Camp Roberts overhaul — the demolition of more than 250 World War II-era barracks — was completed in early 2014, and more than 100 similar structures will be turned to rubble and hauled off before the end of the year.
By design the military construction process is deliberate and methodical and requires long-range planning; the funding for most of these projects was approved by Congress prior to 2007. The remainder of the Camp Roberts revitalization will focus on building renovations, new firearms ranges, full-scope utilities upgrades and resurfacing of the post’s roads and runway.
“The on-going modernization of Camp Roberts is an investment that will not only support the future needs of the military, but also greatly enhance the security and safety of the civilian community by ensuring exceptional training opportunities for our first responder community,” said Col. John Haramalis, Camp Roberts garrison commander.
Reflecting on the closure of Monterey County’s Fort Ord in 1994, Farr said his constituents learned a vital lesson about military facilities in their community.
“What has started here since the base closure is that we’ve reassessed the value of the military in our community,” said Farr. “If we want to keep it around, we’ve got to resource it.”
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2014 17:52 |
| Story ID: | 130851 |
| Location: | CAMP ROBERTS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 989 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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