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News
Air Force DCGS-1 facility set for May occupancy
March 25, 2009
by Maj. Brent Legreid
Langley-Monroe Resident Office
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va.—It takes a village to complete a military construction project the scope and complexity of the Air Force's $40 million Distributed Common Ground Systems Facility. As the anticipated May delivery approaches, some of the more tedious work is just beginning. Many of Norfolk District's best have descended upon the DCGS-1 construction site to help pull the project over the finish line and ensure the Air Force has an exceptional facility.
Kellie Jones, a mechanical engineer in the district, has worked closely with the project delivery team, especially Al Young, construction representative. Together, they are ensuring that this massive, 120,000 square foot facility has all the right heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) to keep several hundred computers humming and operators comfortably working at the proper temperature.
The DCGS-1 project is the largest of four similar systems under construction across the Air Force that will consolidate information from multiple intelligence-gathering platforms and distribute it to various Defense Department users, said Air Force officials.
Jones said she likes to work on projects like the DCGS-1.
"Working with the construction field offices is what I enjoy most about my position," said Jones. They do a great job, often faced with many challenges. I am glad that I have the opportunity to assist them in getting the job done and assuring that the customer gets a good quality facility."
The "village" concept was in full operation long before DCGS-1 construction began in June 2007. Corps contracting officers was involved early in verifying design and construction needs while experts in our engineering branch worked critical site preparation requirements.
The project received considerable quality assistance support from Charles White, structural engineer and Eddie Carr, electrical engineer. These experts shared years of experience and knowledge at critical times to complement the resident office team.
"We follow the three-phase quality assurance model on a daily basis like all other district projects," said Young. "However, sometimes we require added help from the district on specific features like HVAC, electrical or structural design."
Closing out the DCGS-1 project may likely extend after the grand-opening ribbon has been cut. There is a lot of paperwork and documentation remaining before signing the project over to the Air Force, but Toni Hoag, resident team administrative assistant, is well on her way toward having the DCGS-1 ready for delivery.
DCGS-1 project team members also include Pat Devereux and Oscar Aujero, both civil engineers. Kate Field is the administrating contract officer and resident engineer.