Photo By Sgt. Ginnie Lee | Neal Paul, deputy public works officer at the Public Works Division for Marine Corps...... read more read more
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Earlier today, three civilians were formally recognized for their exceptional performance in coordinating a multibillion dollar restoration and construction program in the wake of Hurricane Florence on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Thomas Burton and Neal Paul, both with the installation’s public works division and Megan Hislop with Naval Facilities Command (NAVFAC) Office in Charge of Construction-Florence were each presented with the Department of the Navy Commendation for Meritorious Civilian Service by the Maj. Gen. Julian D. Alford, commanding general, Marine Corps Installations East – Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
Since Hurricane Florence caused significant damage to Marine Corps installations in North Carolina in September 2018, this highly talented trio’s efforts have contributed immensely to the completed and ongoing repairs of 378 roofs, over 400 facilities that support the II Marine Expeditionary Force and 350 miles of training roads, including culvert and bridge repairs across MCB Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River.
Thomas Burton, director of the design branch, coordinated the bidding process with NAVFAC and provided the groundwork for tracking progress and success. He also led the design, direction and execution of 44 architectural and engineering design contacts leading to $1.6 billion in construction for 1,200 facilities.
Megan Hislop, acquisition division director, played an invaluable role in advance of the storm that enabled high-voltage line crews and debris removal personnel to be on hand, giving the installation 90% power within 24 hours of the storm passing. She also directed 65 contract actions within 15 months totaling more than $789 million for immediate storm recovery efforts.
Neal Paul, deputy public works officer, managed a team of 350 engineers directly following the storm to clear roads, restore power, conduct facility damage assessments and complete dry-in and dry-out procedures for nearly 400 buildings. He used innovative solutions to bundle projects and use the existing Utilities Energy Savings Contract already in place.
The unwavering and relentless support and dedication of these three civilians gave installation leaders the ability to advocate to Congress for $1.6 billion in supplemental sustainment funding and $1.5 billion in additional military construction funding specifically to support Hurricane Florence recovery efforts.
“These people have moved mountains and have been the driving force behind our collective success for the last 20 months,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Miguel Dieguez, assistant chief of staff, Facilities and Environment, Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
Addressing the crowd in attendance, Dieguez expressed excitement about the base’s immediate future. “This will be an unprecedented 4th quarter (for FY20) in the history of this base. (We) are on track to award $2 billion dollars of construction contracts in the next three months. It’s been a long time coming, a lot of hard work--a year in development. This team has done an amazing job to recover this base. You guys do it day in and day out without any fanfare, without any glory. You are the unsung heroes.”
| Date Taken: | 06.30.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.07.2020 13:24 |
| Story ID: | 373479 |
| Location: | JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navy and Marine Corps Civilians Recognized for Installation Hurricane Recovery Efforts, by Victoria Long, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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