News

Offutt construction projects in full swing

  • Published
  • By Delanie Stafford
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs

If you’ve driven through the Kenney Gate recently, you may have noticed construction equipment working on the hillside below the Tuskegee Hall dormitory. This is all part of an $18.8 million project that will add a new dormitory for Offutt Airmen.

“The new dorm will incorporate all of the latest features and will support our Airmen for decades to come,” said 55th Wing Command Chief Master Sgt. Michael Morris. “Improving the quality of life of our Airmen who play a critical role in our ability to ‘Fly Fight and Win’ will always be a top priority in this wing.”

The dormitory was designed using the new Dorms4Airmen standard and will include 30 modular living units. Each module will have four bedrooms with walk-in closets, an exterior window and private bathrooms. The modules will also have a shared living room area between the bedrooms with a kitchen and laundry appliances.

“It’s a pretty nice unit,” said Douglas Shapland, 55th Civil Engineer Squadron project management element chief. “It is college standards and beyond.”

Design efforts were made to match the appearance of Tuskegee Hall that has a tan brick exterior and a red-tiled roof. The addition of the 120 dormitory rooms will bring the number of available rooms closer to the recommended number listed in the Dormitory Master Plan.

Phase one of the construction project began early this summer and includes adding a road that will provide additional access to the dorms from the intersection of Nelson Dr. and SAC Blvd. This intersection is currently a three-way intersection and will become a four-way intersection when the project is finished.

The vacant Whiteman Hall North dormitory will be demolished the winter and Phase two construction on the above grade structure should be underway by early next year. The estimated completion date for the project is February 2019.

Another base construction project to rebuild the base firing range is now over 35 percent complete and is scheduled to be finished by the end of this year.

The new facility will incorporate many improvements over the former firing range that was demolished in 2016.

The range will include 21 shooting lanes with individual communication links to the control booth combat arms instructors, an automated target retrieval system and glass panels in between the lanes to deflect ejected casings.

One of the biggest improvements over the previous design is an enclosed, climate controlled facility. Before, equipment was prone to freezing during colder weather and limited when the range could be used.

Other improvements include a specialized ventilation system that will filter the air and acoustic wall panels that will reduce environmental hazards.

For the past year, combat arms certification has been accomplished through a contract with a firing range 20 minutes away in Iowa.

Offutt combat arms instructors say they are eager to begin training at the new facility here.

“Right now we go to Council Bluffs from [4 p.m.] to whenever we’re done - sometimes we are there until 2 a.m.,” said Tech. Sgt. Stephano Picchietti, 55th Security Forces Squadron NCO in charge of combat arms training. “The new range will be beneficial for everyone and we'll be able to get back to more of a normal work schedule.”