CENTCOM 5-Year Plan for Updated Structures

13 September 2006 Story by Spc. Chris Erickson U.S. Central Command Public Affairs

CENTCOM Headquarters

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Construction recently began here on the second in a group of buildings for U.S. Central Command, a project that is set to spread out over the next five years. The construction was prompted by many factors, including the number of people who work at CENTCOM, space allotted to those people and conditions of the existing buildings. Most combatant commands never come near their surge capacity - the number of people able to work in a given environment. While it might not be met, the surge capacity exists just in case something in an area of responsibility should occur.

"We're already at our surge capacity," said Capt. Barbara Sisson, deputy engineer for CENTCOM.

She said that once the construction is finished, there will be more shared conference rooms, individuals will have more space to work and directorates won't be spread out over large areas - a boon for Command and Control.

CENTCOM Headquarters

The end result of the construction projects will provide a work environment that will accommodate between approximately 3,800 and 4,000 people and, most likely be able to withstand any Base Reduction and Closures that could happen in the future.

It's an important strategic location for the DoD," said Sisson.

Central Command is the U.S. military authority in the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and the Horn of Africa. It is the combatant command overseeing both Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Not only is the base important for the Department of Defense, but five years worth of construction could prove beneficial to the local economy, as well.

Some of that construction has already started. The new structure for CENTCOM's coalition partners will be Coalition Village III.

"Some members of the coalition have already moved into the building, and the remaining members will be housed there by the end of the calendar year," said Sisson. The building is poised to provide a work environment capable of holding approximately 450 people.

The construction, however, won't happen overnight. The buildings are all due for construction at different times. Besides the Coalition building, the Joint Intelligence Center, Central Command (JICCENT) is the only building where construction has recently begun.

The groundbreaking took place in mid-August and the building is scheduled to finish in January 2009, when it will be the place of work for close to 1,300 people. The three-story addition to the headquarters building is scheduled, at this time, for completion two months later.

After that, people must be shuffled to new offices so the teardown and renovation of the current building can commence.

The CENTCOM headquarters will become two connected buildings. The planned addition plus the current structure's future renovation will hold an estimated 2,400 people. Once that has all happened, the two-story structure is scheduled to be finished and operational by winter 2011.

"What we're going to end up with here is a completely brand new CENTCOM headquarters building, attached to the Joint Intelligence Center," said Sisson.

She went on to say that upon completion, the buildings would better serve CENTCOM's needs. Not only would everything be up-to-date, but the updated buildings will be able to withstand hurricanes up to category four.

Due to the number of people the buildings will then house offices for, a parking garage has also been planned. The 900-space parking garage's cost will be split, added into both the cost of JICCENT and headquarters.

Also, a smaller building - the Coalition Reception Center - will be the new structure for service members and civilians arriving here so in-processing can begin for CENTCOM.

A CENTCOM memorial will also be built next to the headquarters building, and will be funded by a private organization. The current coalition village's trailers, once empty, will be taken out and the space they are in could be reverted to a parking lot.

The engineer's office here is also overseeing the building of the forward headquarters for CENTCOM, and continually plan and program construction across Central Command's area of responsibility.