Photo By Jessica Dambruch | U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll Command staff join U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...... read more read more
To say that Bucholz Army Airfield is tough is an understatement in more ways than one. The modern runway that services U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll rests on the site of a post-battle American bomber field and an unfinished Japanese runway. Innumerable aircraft have made safe landings and found it to be as tough and dependable as its namesake, U.S. Army Private 1st Class Fred Bucholz.
For years, BAAF has withstood the elements. Now, weathered and pocked by constant exposure to high humidity, UV rays and salty air, it is time for a renovation. Thanks to a multimillion-dollar construction award, BAAF will receive the renovation it needs to allow USAG-KA to continue uninterrupted mission support for the Department of Defense. Personnel from USAG-KA Command, Parsons and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gathered Jan. 10 at BAAF to commemorate the impending renovation of the critical mission asset with a groundbreaking ceremony. USACE has awarded Parsons $147 million to complete the project. Parsons is known throughout the Indo-Pacific region for its unexploded ordnance removal expertise and intelligence, defense and critical infrastructure projects. Its partnership with the DOD dates to 1945.
For several of the day’s spokespersons, the project is an occasion to look to the future and honor history. Col. Jeremy Bartel, USAG-KA commander, remarked on the significance of the airfield as a historic and logistical artery that bridges the garrison’s past and future. He described how the 36-year old Bucholz made the ultimate sacrifice to save an officer from certain death. It is in Bucholz’s indomitable spirit that the airfield is maintained. As if in answer to the colonel, a C-17 flight quietly landed and taxied behind him on the airstrip.
“It is a historic, long-time coming-project that has been in the works for over 10 years,” said Blair Jones, USACE Honolulu District area engineer, of the renovation. “We are excited to be a part of this [project] for the community, the garrison and to help support the mission on Kwajalein.”
Jones shared excerpts from a Kwajalein Hourglass dated March 8, 1989. In it, former USAKA Public Affairs Officer J.D. Michael describes previous restoration and resurfacing activities conducted to repair depressions in the runway. The brief project timeline was slated from April 22 to July 30 of that year and drew surprise from the construction experts gathered for the 2020 groundbreaking. The BAAF renovation will take more than one year to execute. During that time, island residents may anticipate that labor will be performed at night with no interruption in airfield operations, according to Parsons Executive Vice President Christian Alexander.
“I want to extend my personal gratitude for placing your confidence in us to restore this island asset critical to our nation’s defense,” Alexander said. “… Our charter is to make the world a better place- and when it comes to working for the DOD, we like to think that ‘we serve those that serve our nation.’ This project is a manifestation of that belief and extends our reach into the Pacific at a time when ensuring U.S. interests—and power projection—throughout this region are vital [and] not merely maintained but enhanced.”
Next, it was time to dig in. Resting in the warm glow of a Lakota helicopter was a fresh pile of sandy earth. Together, personnel chose from a row of engraved shovels and broke ground. The rest is history in the making.
“This project is very significant for the island,” said Jesse Richardson, USACE resident engineer. “It’s a lifeline for a lot of materials and items the people use on this island as well as the mission operations that are essential for the U.S. government. This is something that we’re looking forward to completing and seeing the benefit for not only the people of the island but also mission operations.”
Jones agreed. He thanks the countless experts and personnel who have worked to bring the renovation award to fruition in 2020.
“We are standing on the shoulders of giants [and] the people who have programmed this [project] and worked diligently to get it to the stage where it’s at,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 01.10.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2020 17:28 |
| Story ID: | 368024 |
| Location: | MH |
| Web Views: | 1,116 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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