Army leaders inspecting all facilities prior to investment planning wargame

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Construction work is shown April 26, 2022, in the 1600 block of the cantonment area at Fort McCoy, Wis., on a second new transient training troops barracks project on the post. The $18.8 million project was awarded to L.S. Black Constructors, which is the contractor who built the first barracks building at Fort McCoy, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy. The new contract was awarded Sept. 29, 2020, and the notice to proceed was issued Oct. 28, 2020. The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 780 calendar days. Currently contract completion is scheduled for December 2022. The barracks is different than the traditional barracks located throughout the installation. This new building will be four stories and able to house 400 people in approximately 60,000 square feet. The building is being built with the latest in construction materials and include state-of-the-art physical security and energy-saving measures. The project also is part of the Fort McCoy Master Plan that looks at continuously upgrading the installation’s infrastructure to be prepared for the future. The Army Corps of Engineers is managing the project. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

ALABAMA, UNITED STATES

10.25.2022

Story by Stefan Alford 

U.S. Army Materiel Command   

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – Senior Leaders at active Army installations are currently conducting walk-through inspections of all real property on their sites to identify requirements for prioritization at the annual Facility Investment Plan (FIP) wargame in San Antonio in January 2023.

“Installation leaders are conducting detailed assessments of all active Army facilities worldwide. These walk-throughs will allow us to authoritatively validate requirements through first-hand knowledge and provide a comprehensive understanding of the condition of facilities to guide our investments,” said Gen. Ed Daly, commanding general of Army Materiel Command, which leads the Army’s FIP effort.

Barracks are a subset of the overall real property assessments to ensure planners, as part of the scheduled annual FIP process, have the most up-to-date information on all infrastructure to validate and prioritize requirements during the FIP wargame – from barracks and office buildings to motor pools and quality of life facilities such as child development centers.

The quality of Soldier barracks is an important component of the Army’s People priority and the walk-throughs will emphasize barracks as key to the overall infrastructure with Army leaders physically inspecting all barracks rooms, focusing on mold and assessing any other health, safety or functionality issues that require immediate correction.

“This is about taking care of people, and our efforts will holistically address all facilities where Soldiers work, live and train,” said Daly. “We want to ensure healthy environments for all Soldiers and will immediately take action on any issues that are adversely affecting Soldier readiness, resilience and quality of life.”

The 100-percent room inspections will include structural conditions of walls, ceilings, doors; infrastructure assessments like electrical and plumbing; as well as environmental issues such as temperature, insects/pests, and mold/mildew. In addition, occupant interviews will be conducted to address any concerns.

“We encourage the use of the Army Maintenance Application (ArMA) to submit work orders for immediate response any time a hazard is found within installation infrastructure,” said Andrew Williams, AMC FIP program manager, “whereas the FIP is the Army’s planning method for identifying, analyzing and prioritizing Army facilities investment requirements across a 10-year horizon to construct, repair, and modernize facilities and infrastructure.”

The current inspections “will better prepare commands for the annual FIP wargame in order to ensure an efficient and effective effort,” Williams added. “This is a prerequisite action required to enable accurate and precise decision making as the Army wants to ensure that senior leaders have the most up-to-date knowledge of current facility conditions prior to the FIP wargame to capture requirements in the FIP and prioritize funding accordingly. The American people trust us to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, which requires sustained infrastructure planning to ensure funds are allocated to construction projects according to Army and commander priorities.”

AMC developed the FIP in 2020 and executes the active Army’s FIP cycle, which kicks off every July, based on input from supported commands. It is reviewed and updated annually in three phases: Phase 1 to validate installation master plans, conduct assessments of real property, and prioritize all requirements in synchronization with senior leader priorities; Phase 2 is the FIP wargame; and Phase 3 is the analytics out brief and submission for Army senior leader approval. The approved FIP is then incorporated into the Army’s funding plans and submitted to the Secretary of Defense as part of the Army’s Budget Estimate Submission.

• Date Taken: 10.25.2022
• Date Posted: 10.25.2022 16:42
• Story ID: 431997
• Location: ALABAMA, US