Photo By Christine Paul | A CH-47 Chinook helicopter sits inside the New Century aviation hangar in New Century,...... read more read more
Originally built in the 1940s as a U.S. Navy Reserve facility, the Aviation Support Facility Olathe located in New Century, Kansas, is currently home to Bravo and Delta Companies, 7/158th General Support Aviation Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve. Supporting U.S. military missions across the nation and around the world, the units provide critical maintenance to a fleet of CH-47 Chinook helicopters and consist of the pilots and crew members who execute the mission.
As the future of warfare continues to change, modernizing vital military support facilities like the New Century aviation hangar is critical to ensure the U.S. remains a global superpower. The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently working to modernize the facility, with several projects underway.
First on the “to-do” list was a full bathroom renovation. Approximately 65 individuals work full-time at the hangar but on a drill weekend, there can be upwards of 200 people working at the New Century facility. Nearly complete, the bathrooms in the hangar have been renovated to provide modern facilities to the units.
“This building was built in approximately 1942 and there have been some upgrades [over the years,] but it was still pretty outdated,” said Kody Kemerling, guard and reserve program manager at the Kansas City District. “[The renovated bathrooms] will definitely give them nicer facilities to use.”
Next on the list is the hangar door renovations. According to Kemerling, the four hangar doors are original to the building. While no work will be done to the doors themselves, the electrical and mechanical components will receive a full upgrade.
“Basically, any moving part on the doors will be completely rebuilt or replaced so they’ll be working properly,” said Kemerling. “It will give them many more years of service.”
Other projects include replacing the tarmac aprons outside of the hangar and an energy project, which will convert much of the facility’s energy sources to more resilient and sustainable options. This includes replacing all lighting to LED, installing a rainwater harvesting system, adding an additional generator to provide backup power to the facility and potentially installing a solar power array for an additional power source.
Investing time and money into such an old facility might not seem logical to some, but according to Kemerling, the amount of space at the hangar is rare and is worth renovating to keep it functional now and into the future.
“A big part of why we continue to renovate this facility is because newer facilities that function in the same manner don’t have the space that this building does,” said Kemerling. “It allows up to eight birds inside to work on at one time.”
Kemerling knows firsthand how important the New Century aviation hangar is to the U.S. Army Reserve. He served as a U.S. Army reservist for 21 years, retiring on Veterans Day this year. Now, as the guard and reserve program manager in the Military Programs Section with the Kansas City District, Kemerling is able to bring the U.S. Army Reserve perspective to the work he does with USACE.
“I’m making sure we put our best foot forward at USACE and that we’re taking care of them. I want them to feel that they are a priority,” said Kemerling. “These units need to keep their skills up and giving them the facilities they need to be able to operate and continue their mission is very important for national security.”
The hangar door renovation is expected to be complete next summer, construction on the tarmac apron replacement project is expected to begin next spring and the energy project is currently in the design phase.
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2024 10:04 |
| Story ID: | 485536 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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