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Refreshing outlook: Expeditionary to enduring billeting

  • Published
  • By Capt. Daniel C. Werner
  • 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Programs Flight commander
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The skyline of this base changes nearly every day. New building construction is a 400 million dollar industry here with the goal of transitioning from expeditionary to an enduring presence.

Each project alleviates challenges with temporary infrastructure and enhances mission readiness to ultimately deliver decisive combat air power. From hangars on the flightline to additional dormitories in the Blatchford-Preston Complex, permanent facilities provide greater efficiencies and contribute to the overall effectiveness of the air base as a weapon system platform.

The next major enhancement to begin this month is the Coalition Compound (CC) Billet Refresh.

You may have noticed some heavy equipment activity and materials being delivered in the open field between CC and BPC. This is the start of the CC Billet Refresh, a construction project for 20 new two-story buildings with 64 rooms per building and indoor latrines to serve as the future of CC lodging. The CC Billet Refresh complements the dormitory construction to realize the long-term goal of moving the 379th residents out of the existing CC trailers.

In addition, two new BPC dormitories are currently under construction and are scheduled to be complete summer 2013. Two more BPC dormitories were also awarded this year, scheduled to break ground by January, and will complete by the 2014 summer.

Improving base conditions has been a part of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing's history from the beginning. From 2001 to 2004, coalition forces here were bed down in the Logistics Town area, formerly known as Camp Andy. Lodging and workspace consisted of tents and temporary structures.

In 2004, living conditions improved with the installation of 136 trailers to create CC. However, these trailers have a limited lifespan and it costs 700 thousand dollars to replace each one. A complete reset of CC would cost 96 million dollars and be a recurring cost every 7 years. At 52 million dollars, the CC Billet Refresh provides savings and several advantages over the trailers.

These two-story buildings advance the Grand Slam Wing towards an enduring mission and associated quality of life. Residents will note a significant room size increase. An additional 60 square feet was added to each room compared to the existing CC rooms.

A major advantage to these buildings is the addition of indoor plumbing. Those long walks to the cadillacs while braving the heat and elements will be a thing of the past as residents will share common latrine and shower rooms centrally located on each floor. Central heating, ventilation and air conditioning eliminate the inefficiency of individual window units and user maintenance responsibilities.

Building this next phase of lodging creates challenges as well. For the safety of all residents, the sidewalk connection between BPC and CC has to be closed. Equipment and workers will be transitioning around the entire site to accelerate construction so a fence will be assembled to keep pedestrians from entering this area. The 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron began constructing a bypass sidewalk on the west side of the site as a safe detour. Light carts and pavement will be installed this month for additional reliability.

The 379th AEW will continue to develop into an enduring air base. The CC Billet Refresh is only one example of how we are realizing this vision today. Upgrading the living conditions of all coalition forces not only elevates morale, but also facilitates improvement through efficiencies. Our success is achieved through devoted attention to the needs of the men and women who faithfully accomplish the mission every day.