The Military Engineer l No. 66593 Hawaii) through privatization, MILCON and demolition programs. By 2011, the remaining 14,100 units will be conveyed to privatized owners. In addition to maintenance, repair and our housing program, our $1.5 bil- lion FY11 MILCON request carefully balances requirements for new mission support, facilities and infrastructure re- capitalization, and joint and COCOM requirements. While we continue to ac- cept some risk in aging infrastructure recapitalization, our Total Force MIL- CON program for FY11 includes proj- ects vital to our Chief of Staffs priorities: two projects ($22.8 million) to continue to strengthen the nuclear enterprise; 40 projects ($448.5 million) to partner with the joint and coalition team to win to- days ?ght; 11 projects ($300.6 million) to develop and care for our airmen and their families; and 33 projects ($460.3 million) to modernize our air and space inventories, organizations and train- ing. These projects provide operations, training and maintenance facilities for new mission beddowns and facili- ties and infrastructure for nuclear and space mission requirements, as well as traditional ?ying missions and mis- sion support. Our program request also includes more than $300 million dedicated to new dormitories, contin- ued revitalization of the Air Force Basic Military Training campus, an addition to the library at Air University, a Center for Character and Leadership Devel- opment at the U.S. Air Force Academy and steady-state billeting at Al Udeid, Qatar—all vital quality-of-life efforts. Sustainability is a key part of my vi- sion to Build to Last and Lead the Change. In pursing improvements to the Air Force physical plant, we must think holistically; we must look at the sustainability of an entire base, beyond the bases footprint, to ensure we make the best possible decisions for the long term. For example, rather than examin- ing the power supply of an individual facility, we now evaluate renewable alternatives for the entire installation and how that facility ?ts into the larger picture. Rather than simply validating the need for space, then programming a MILCON, we scrutinize consolidation possibilities and actively encourage de- molition or downsizing in association with new construction. This holistic view is a fundamental premise of our shift to an asset man- agement culture among Air Force Civil Engineers. Asset management is the foundation of Air Force installation man- agement, a transformation initiated by my predecessor more than three years ago that we continue to evolve by benchmarking with industry, standard- izing processes, incorporating sustain- able principles and developing asset optimization tools to ensure we right- size our installations. The Way Ahead Over the past few years, USACE, NAV- FAC and the Air Force have made great strides in their transformation journey, streamlining and improving MILCON program management and execution. Internally, the Air Force has realized tremendous bene?ts from centraliz- ing MILCON execution in a program management of?ce within AFCEE. The change has driven our execution rates to historic highs, and our agents have lauded our approach and esteemed customer service. However, as with any transformation, were aware our improvements cannot stop with initial success. Incorporating important lessons learned, we continue to scrub our internal processes and stra- tegic goals for the MILCON program, while remaining committed to assisting our agents with their transformational initiatives. The Air Force MILCON proj- ect management of?ce has sought to transcend a mere centralized of?ce and become a truly transformed entity, lead- ing the optimization of our management system, delivery processes, partnerships and leadership. Over the past year, Ive found that leading during a period of high opera- tions tempo, constrained budgets and an uncertain future requires the utmost dedication, ?exibility and innovation. Mostly, however, it takes a team—in my case, an team of outstanding, dedicated military and civilian engineers who partner with our sister services and in- dustry experts to ensure we provide the support our war?ghters need down- range, as well as sustainable installa- tions here at home. Maj. Gen. Timothy Byers, F.SAME, USAF, is The Air Force Civil Engineer. He can be reached through Capt. Lisa Mabbutt, USAF; 703-692- 9396, or lisa.mabbutt@pentagon.af.mil. Staff Sgt. Richard Kahler, USAF, a 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron structures technician, constructs a ?oor for a shower unit in February at Forward Operating Base Hunter, Iraq. Sgt. Kahler was part of a 20-man team that provided a 64-tent living area for the U.S. Army. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller
If you would like to view publication without flash plugin, please click on link below
