Photo By George Jumara | The Savannah district oversees a multi-billion dollar military construction program at...... read more read more
SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Change is the "watch word" across the military as it undergoes modernization and reorganization. Two initiatives have driven one of the largest military construction periods in the nation's history.
Base Realignment and Closure
The Department of Defense, through various studies, has shown that the U.S. military has more infrastructure than it needs and consolidating operations would not only save taxpayer's money, but create a more streamlined, agile force. The Base Realignment and Closure plan, entered into law in November 2005, designated certain installations for closure while others were identified for expansion. The "expanded" installations created the need for additional living, working, training and health care facilities for soldiers, airmen, and their families who would move under the realignment. The movement of troops and closure of installations had to be completed by Sept. 15, 2011. With the passage of BRAC, the race for facility expansion and improvements was on.
Military Transformation
At the same time, global events—including the aftermath of 9/11—changed the nation's security needs. The Army underwent a massive reorganization focused on modular units, such as brigade combat teams, to fight different kinds of battles in new conditions and environments. Today, the Army Campaign Plan calls for a "balanced Army for the 21st century that is a versatile mix of tailorable and networked organizations… to provide a sustained flow of trained and ready forces for full-spectrum operations and to hedge against unexpected contingencies…" The transformation has brought military units together to live and train in real-world scenarios and created an urgent need for new or improved infrastructure.
Enter the Corps
US Army Corps of Engineers, the design and construction agent for the U.S. Army, was given the mission to build facilities for the relocated soldiers and airmen. The Savannah district, which supports 11 installations in North Carolina and Georgia, began an unprecedented construction effort that has updated, transformed, and revived military infrastructure in the region.
"The military initiatives converged in the last six years and were the basis for a MILCON program that grew from $490 million in fiscal year 2005 to a peak of more than $2.1 billion in 2009," said Peter Oddi, Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management, Savannah district. "Along with the increased workload, we had to incorporate new Army standards for design and construction and work under significant scheduling constraints."
To meet the challenges, the Corps revamped its business processes finding new ways to develop and solicit contracts and provide overall management of the unprecedented construction workload.
"I'm very proud of how the Savannah district team rose to the occasion and excelled in this era of change," Oddi said, "and most importantly we met our customers' evolving needs."
| Date Taken: | 01.03.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 01.03.2012 15:27 |
| Story ID: | 82002 |
| Location: | SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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