Wing receiving extreme home makeover

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Rich Curry
  • 507Air Refueling Wing
Over the course of the next five years, several changes are coming to the Reserve campus facilities. 

"Every facility where Reserve or Guard Operations or Maintenance personnel work will be directly affected by the association with the 137th ARW," said Joe Wade, 507th ARW
Facility Program Manager, 507th Civil Engineer Squadron. "We're conducting inventories of our existing space, identifying requirements and identifying areas where we can better use existing space. Some of our efforts will involve reworking existing layout arrangements in facilities," he said. 

SELF HELP projects will help refurbish those areas as needed prior to the 137th team's arrival which is expected to occur this coming January. First quarter FY 08, 507th Communications Flight, Services Flight and the Logistics Readiness Squadron will vacate building 1030 to make room for 137th Maintenance personnel in preparation for the new associate unit. 

Temporary trailers will be set up behind building 1043 to house the CF members while LRS and Services personnel will move to swing facilities in building 4004 and 4005 in the 38th Engineering Installation Group area located at SE 59th and Douglas Blvd. Wing civil engineer personnel will provide self-help remodeling assistance to improve the facilities prior to occupancy. 

The wing's KC-135 aircraft were relocated across base last month as work began on the ramp area to install four additional underground fuel hydrants. The aircraft will not
permanently return to our campus until late summer of 2008 when work is complete on the $1.9 million project. In the meantime, the wing's fuel cell hangar floor got a bit of a lift this month as contractors completed a $165,000 mud jacking floor lift, resealed, and repainted the hangar floor. 

Another $1.4 million project to renovate Building 1067 is slated to run from January to August 2008. It will house both AFRC and ANG AMXS flights. This project will include new furniture. Depending upon congressional funding, construction should begin in 2nd quarter FY 2008 to begin a 12-month project to build a new million dollar consolidated Squadron Operations building. In FY 2009 work should begin on a new, 28,245 square foot Maintenance Hangar. 

Also in the works is a FY 2009 plan to build a new TAFB Hospital facility to be located at the Gott Gate entrance. The 507th Medical Squadron would move to this new location along with the rest of the active duty medical community. Even further out in the future are the FY 2008/09 plans to renovate the old squadron operations facility in building 1048 as a future home of several Mission Support Group functions. 

"We're going to do what it takes to help the wing get through this major transition period," Wade said. "Some of our efforts will be to rework existing layout arrangements as much as possible to maximize what we have and the new construction can take care of the rest."