Photo By Brian Schlumbohm | At some of the construction sites, the soil was thawed prior to constructing the...... read more read more
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON – Airplanes need hangars. Pilots and crew members use a sheltered space to perform maintenance tasks, enhance an aircraft’s capabilities, and to keep it clean, safe and secure. For the Air Force at Eielson Air Force Base, “it” is two squadrons of F-35A Lightning II fighter jets now stationed in the far north.
Understanding the need for supporting infrastructure for one of the nation’s most advanced weapon systems, the Department of Defense invested about $600 million on a beddown program at the installation located near North Pole, Alaska. Also known as the “joint strike fighter,” the two squadrons consist of 54 aircraft that now have the proper facilities to support their missions thanks to the design and construction work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District.
The final turnover
In April 2024, the Alaska District participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Air Force in celebration of completing an alternate mission equipment, or AME, storage facility at the installation. It was the last project of an eight-year-long program executed between 2016 to 2024 for the incoming planes, pilots and crews – about 1,500 airmen total – and their families. In all, about 25 new projects were built such as hangars, a missile maintenance facility, weather shelters, ground equipment facilities and more.
“The significant portfolio of worldclass facilities constructed by USACE in support of the F-35 program in Alaska is a testament to our commitment as the primary design and construction agent for our military partners,” said Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, district commander. “This infrastructure is built to last and will help our partners strengthen the stability and security in the Indo-Pacific Region and Arctic for many years to come.”
The AME facility provides valuable storage capabilities for the 354th Fighter Wing’s combat readiness and, like many of the other projects, protects personnel from the arctic climate. It houses equipment and components that enhance the F-35’s weapons portfolio and will facilitate functions for the management, maintenance and inspection activities of “alternate mission equipment” for the squadrons’ fleet.
“This facility symbolizes the Air Force’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation and projecting air power in the Pacific theater,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Higgins, commander of the 354th Civil Engineering Squadron during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Experts in Arctic engineering
Since 1946, the Alaska District has served as the nation’s leader in arctic engineering and construction. During the beddown, engineers and construction personnel applied extensive cold regions expertise to the F-35 projects.
“It was one of the most difficult programs I have led because critical utilities were not in place, and required winter construction in a sub-arctic environment,” said Monica Velasco, who commenced the effort as the program manager and later became the district’s Chief of the Construction Branch in 2018.
Velasco was referring to a three-mile underground concrete utility corridor, known as a utilidor, where one mile was upgraded, and two miles were constructed. The system now provides steam, condensate and water to facilities at the new F-35 complex. Emerging environmental regulations, the interconnectivity and proximity of the 25 projects as well as manpower issues added to the challenge, she said.
Regardless, the teamwork between USACE, the Air Force and contractors was one of the most rewarding parts for her.
“We came together and committed to successfully delivering this program,” she explained. “We thought innovatively on methods for thawing permafrost and worked with each other to share lessons learned in order to improve.”
During an interview with Airman Magazine in 2019, Velasco explained that several of the construction projects were built on top of warm permafrost, which presents unique challenges for design and construction. Typically, there are three options when dealing with permafrost: keep it frozen, thaw it or excavate entirely. Maintaining the thermal state of the soils is critical to prevent foundations from moving.
At some of the construction sites, the soil was thawed prior to constructing the foundations. For construction of the missile maintenance facility, contractors inserted pipes in a grid pattern at the site to carry hot water down underground to thaw permafrost. The water was pumped back to the surface for reheating and the cycle continued until the ground was melted evenly across the site. After construction was complete, the building’s heat now ensures the soil does not freeze again.
Where thawing or excavating material may have been too expensive or impractical due to the depth or thickness of the permafrost, thermosyphons were used to keep the soils below frozen. Reminiscent of a design for in-floor heating in a family dwelling, insulated piping was installed about 25 feet below the surface that used liquid carbon dioxide to absorb the surrounding soil’s heat. As the fluid heated, it would transform into a gas naturally and travel up syphons where it would cool and become liquid again. Gravity would draw the liquid down and the cycle repeats on its own.
“The Alaska District team is no stranger to construction in the Interior Alaska region and the challenges it presents,” Palazzini said.
Staying ready in the Arctic
In 2019, the DOD’s Arctic Strategy outlined a desired end-state where “the Arctic is a secure and stable region in which U.S. national security interests are safeguarded, the U.S. homeland is defended and nations work cooperatively to address shared challenges,” according to a DOD news release. It was imperative that the beddown program did not interfere with the Air Force’s operations in Alaska – the state that makes the United States an Arctic nation.
“The cold weather considerations made the construction at Eielson unique,” said Col. Curtis Dougherty, 354th Operations Group commander. “Also, there was a lot of complexity during construction to retain and sustain the capacity to receive forces from around the world in support of both high-end training exercises, like Red Flag-Alaska and Northern Edge, and force projection into the Indo-Pacific Theater while adding the facilities and runway environment for two fifth generation flying squadrons.”
Critical for the Air Force to maintain its readiness, the F-35 flight simulator project was an important milestone to complete early on. This facility allowed aircrews to train on the next generation of fighter jet before the planes made their official arrival to Alaska beginning in April 2020. At the onset of the program, Eielson did not have a simulator that met the requirements of the jet. Without it, servicemembers would have needed to travel elsewhere to be certified, potentially putting the ability to deploy the aircraft at risk, let alone train, before they were received.
“The flight simulator stands out to me because it was the first project of the F-35 beddown program and it brought the Air Force, contractors and USACE truly together,” Velasco said. “It was the beginning of a great story.”
Supporting the personnel
While the bulk of the beddown’s projects directly support the fighter jets and missions such as the facilities for squadron operations, weapons, and a fuel truck shelter as examples, the Air Force needed a new satellite dining facility and school age center for the large influx of servicemembers and families heading to Alaska.
The dining facility serves about 900 meals per mealtime in support of the 1,500 operation and maintenance specialists associated with the F-35 mission. Located near the central hub of the F-35 complex, the convenience of the eatery cuts down on a 40-minute roundtrip to the existing dining facility located on the other end of the installation.
Meanwhile, the school age center is designed to support the enrollment of about 240 children that accompanied the families of the Airmen alongside the aircraft. At the time, the existing facility was at maximum capacity of about 100 with a waiting list.
“These projects were crucial in providing a good quality-of-life standard for personnel at Eielson,” Velasco said. “Otherwise, the strain on the existing school and dining facilities would have affected the Air Force’s morale, welfare and mission readiness.”
Now that the major infrastructure effort is complete, ensuring the Air Force’s full capability to deliver that combat power to the combatant commander around the clock and on short notice is the most rewarding part, Dougherty said.
While these projects are built to last, USACE’s history constructing the Eielson F-35 beddown program will serve as a demonstration of its own readiness for when the sixth generation of fighter requires its own engineering solutions.
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2024 18:47 |
| Story ID: | 479074 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Hometown: | ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, US |
| Hometown: | EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, ALASKA, US |
| Hometown: | FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, US |
| Hometown: | NORTH POLE, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 356 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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