Wright-Patterson AFB is largest contributor to USACE military construction program

Photo By Katelyn Newton | Military construction at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is the largest contributor to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District’s Military Contruction Program. Many high-visibility projects, like the 224,000 square foot extension of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, have been completed at WPAFB. The hangar, which is pictured under construction in 2014, mirrors the design of the three existing buildings. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Katie Newton)  

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, UNITED STATES

10.18.2022

Story by Charles Delano 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District supports and serves military installations and sites within the five-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.

Of all the Army and Air Force installations, Department of Defense sites and Base Realignment and Closure sites within the district, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base contributed 30 percent or about $752 million of the military programmed construction amount in Fiscal Year 22, not to include Reserve projects.

“USACE military construction supports the WPAFB labs that create the Air Force of the future,” said Gregory Moore, chief, Air Force and Defense Logistics Agency Support Section. “The designs that we are completing today are helping the Air Charles Delano, public affairsForce warfighter of tomorrow.”

Military Construction is comprised of two areas of funding: construction of new facilities and Operations and Maintenance which includes renovations. Fifty-eight percent of the workload at WPAFB are Operations and Maintenance projects. These funds for WPAFB will increase in fiscal year 2023 and 2024 due to planned Air Force Material Command and family housing projects.

For the Louisville District’s military construction program, there are currently 66 projects in the design phase and 71 in the construction phase. Of these projects, WPAFB constitutes 14 design phase projects and 26 construction phase projects.

Currently under construction are the Intelligence Production Complex, hydrant fueling system replacement and Air Force Materiel Command Headquarters renovation.

“The partnerships that are established between Louisville District and WPAFB are key in successfully delivering projects in support of the many missions of the Air Force at WPAFB,” said Rachael Haunz, chief, Military/IIS Project Management Branch, Planning, Programs, and Project Management Division. “We could not deliver the program without WPAFB as a key stakeholder on projects.”

More than five percent or $61.5 million of the project workload at WPAFB has consisted of Energy Conservation Investments, which seeks to improve the energy resilience, energy security and energy conservation requirement of existing missions through military construction.

With the addition of major construction projects at WPAFB, there also comes a myriad of challenges. Market conditions, continued supply constraints and availability of labor continue to challenge contractors and the Military Branch of the Planning, Programs and Project Management Division who have the responsibility of managing the construction projects.

“The WPAFB mission is critical to Louisville District in supporting the war fighter and we value the collaboration of the stakeholder agencies at WPAFB,” Haunz said. “The projects at WPAFB are challenging, complex, schedule and cost driven, and require working together to solve problems.”

The Military Construction Program at WPAFB continues a long history of support for U.S. Air Force mission with memorable projects like the Human Performance Wing Complex and the Hangar Four addition to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

• Date Taken: 10.18.2022
• Date Posted: 10.24.2022 13:10
• Story ID: 431902
• Location: WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, US