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Iraq civil engineer construction project completed ahead of schedule

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Mike Meares
  • 321st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq --  A team of Airmen, Soldiers and contractors completed a 90-day construction project that was akin to sticking a square peg into a round hole, a challenge they completed a month ahead of schedule.

The completion of the project, which included assembling a maze of 23 square offices, into a round, 13,000 square feet steel K-span structure, established a new home for the 321st Air Expeditionary Wing and Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission-Air headquarters.

"There was a lot of hard work that went into the completion of this project and I'm proud of the outstanding work done by our Airmen, Soldiers and contractors and I am certainly happy to call this home for the 321st AEW and ITAM-Air headquarters," said Brig. Gen. Anthony Rock, director, ITAM-Air.

The construction team, from the 50th Signal Battalion Squadron and the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, were responsible for ensuring everything was in place and functioning properly, enabling a smooth transition and uninterrupted mission capability for 321 AEW/ITAM-Air personnel. This included everything from ensuring secure and non-secure
phone and computer lines worked properly to ensuring toilets flushed, and that air conditioners emitted cold air- a necessity.

"It was tough bringing all the pieces of this project to together," said Master Sgt. Lamar Heard, the 447th ECES programs flight superintendent and lead project manager from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii , who started the project as soon as his boots hit the ground in Baghdad. "There was a group of leaders working together to make it happen and it was interesting pulling all those pieces together within the timeline given."

The Soldiers from the 50th SB, a U.S. Army communications team from Ft. Bragg, N.C., installed 179 communication drops, routing more than five miles of communications cable that was neatly snaked throughout the building.

"The joint effort plays a key role in the Iraq effort," said U.S. Army Capt. Ed Boyd, 50th Battalion, Charlie Company commander. "We are glad the 50th Battalion could assist in such a critical mission."

The previous headquarters building was turned over to the government of Iraq and the 321st AEW/ITAM-Air relocated to the new structure at Sather in August, in sync with U.S. military's timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, which is mandated to be completed by the end of the year.

Rock and his team of engineers are in the process of turning over South Sather, 321st AEW's former home, to the GoI.

There are two separate turnover missions in progress. Some parcels of the Victory Base Complex will soon be turned over to the GoI while other parts, like Sather AB, will be turned over to the Department of State, who will have an enduring footprint in Iraq.

The 321st AEW and ITAM-Air advises, trains, and assists the Iraqi air force and Iraqi army aviation command to develop as a professional and credible regional airpower partner, with the ability to maintain internal security and defend against external threats.