SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – Scott Air Force Base is one step closer to its new joint operations and mission planning center following a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction Sept.30.
Leaders from Scott’s 375th Air Mobility Wing, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District and mission partners took part in the event to officially kick off the construction phase of the $84 million project. AFCEC awarded the construction project to Zodiac – Poettker HBZ, Joint Venture II of St. Louis, Missouri, July 8, and expects it to be complete by fall 2023.
The new 172,000 square-foot, joint facility includes modern construction techniques to provide energy efficient and secure workspaces that meet the Air Force’s required standards. In addition to the building, the project includes supporting infrastructure and utilities.
“Today is a great day not just for Scott Air Force Base but for the entire Department of Defense. The construction of this Joint Operations and Mission Planning Center is critical to the military’s ability to respond whenever and wherever it’s called,” said Col. Chris Robinson, Scott AFB installation commander and commander, 375th Air Mobility Wing. “From right here at Scott AFB, the men and women who will work in this building are going to be on the front lines of coordinating and managing missions all across the globe. I am thrilled to start the construction and to celebrate with our mission partners – U.S. Transportation Command, Air Mobility Command, 18th Air Force and the 618th Air Operations Center.”
The two-level, state-of-the-art building will house personnel from Air Mobility Command, the 618th Air Operations Center, the Department of the Air Force and U.S. Transportation Command’s TC-J3 Force Flow planning mission.
Combining strategic operations in one modern, right-sized facility enhances mission operations and increases capacity required for air mobility planning, global combat and reconnaissance operations, said Col. Dave Norton, deputy director of AFCEC’s Facilities Engineering Directorate.
The AFCEC directorate provided design and planning for the JOMPC project and will oversee construction, ensuring the project delivers on time and within budget.
The new construction is the result of a collaborative partnership between AFCEC, the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron and USACE, Louisville District.
“Resilient infrastructure is a key enabler for solidifying Air and Space Force installations as power projection platforms,” said Norton.
AFCEC’s engineering experts work with Department of the Air Force decision makers to deliver sustainable infrastructure solutions for mission commanders, ensuring they have capabilities to successfully conduct their mission, Norton added.
