Bellevue Gate operating hours changing Published June 11, 2012 By Ryan Hansen 55th Wing Public Affairs OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- The 55th Security Forces Squadron will implement new hours of operation at the Bellevue Gate starting July 1. The new hours of operation at the gate, which is located on Offutt's Nelson Drive and Bellevue's Lincoln Road, will be 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and it will be closed on weekends and all federal holidays. The new operating hours come as a result of the 55th Wing's efforts to reduce operating costs and better align authorized manpower against mission essential tasks. The wing currently does not earn manpower credit or the associated funding to sustain the current operating hours, but pays those bills at the expense of other activities. "The Bellevue Gate is actually classified as a convenience gate due to the proximity of the Kenney Gate," said Maj. Thomas Segars, 55th SFS commander. "However, we realized that closing it would have had a negative impact on Team Offutt, so we looked at a lot of options before coming up with this plan that will keep it open when most people want to utilize it." Before coming to this decision, the 55th Mission Support Group did an in-depth traffic study to determine the gate's peak hours and discussed its plans to curtail operating hours with city officials and the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce. "Our decision is primarily based on very low utilization rates during weekday off-peak hours and even less use on weekends," said Col. Andrea Tullos, 55th MSG commander. "After the changes go into effect, we'll continue to monitor the traffic and can make adjustments if necessary to find the right balance." The change will also help the 55th SFS better support priorities outlined in the installation defense plan. "Our personnel have been working 12-hour shifts for many years now and limiting the operating hours at the Bellevue Gate will lessen the burden on our defenders quite a bit," Segars said. "In addition, this will help us increase our training capabilities." While some personnel will have to adjust their daily routines a bit, most of the base should see a minimal impact from this change. "We appreciate the willingness of Team Offutt to work with us as we go through this adjustment period," said Brig. Gen. Don Bacon, 55th Wing commander. "I especially want to thank the Air Force Weather Agency for their flexibility and for being such a great partner unit. They will be affected more than most, so we are grateful to them as we try to take some pressure off of one of our most stressed career fields, the security forces." The Kenney and U.S. Strategic Command gates will continue to be open 24 hours a day as before and the Bellevue Gate can still be opened up for mission requirements on an as-needed basis.