Basic Military Training construction project begins this fall

Published Sept. 28, 2009
By Mike Joseph
37th Training Wing Public Affairs

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Change is coming to the Lackland Air Force Base skyline this fall as work begins in October on the first of 13 new Basic Military Training facilities.

With a price tag of nearly $900 million, the eight Airmen training complexes and four associated dining-classroom facilities will be located on two campuses.

The campuses replace existing 1,000-man recruit housing and training buildings currently scattered around the base. The recruit housing and training buildings were built in the late 1960s and early 1970s to replace the World War II-era military open-bay barracks.

Each Airmen training complex is projected to cost $75 million and accommodate about 1,200 basic trainees. The dining-classroom facilities are estimated to cost $32 million each. Each Airmen training complex will have its own running track, drill pad, a war skills area and utility infrastructure.

The renovation of existing facilities to relocate offices out of the construction area is nearly complete, said Howard Steck, assigned to the 37th Civil Engineer Squadron.

"It's one monster project. It will be one of the biggest (military construction projects) we've seen on base in many years," said Camilo Morales, a 37th CES project manager.

Construction of the two new campuses will be phased over a nine-year period. Building on the east campus begins first. The west campus construction is scheduled to begin in February 2013.

Only one military open bay dormitory remains on base, located in the upcoming construction zone. The History and Traditions Museum has procured the building and it will be moved behind the museum in September.

In addition to the campuses, a new $20 million BMT processing and information center is on the drawing board for the southeast corner of Truemper and Carswell, directly across from the west campus.

Mr. Steck said the contractor will begin erecting construction fences for the east campus sometime in mid-October. Work on the Airmen training complex begins in November with a projected October or November 2011 completion date.

An adjacent dining-classroom facility will serve two Airmen training complexes; work is slated to start in February 2010 and should be completed at the same time as the first Airmen training complex.

By staggering construction, Mr. Steck said work on a new Airmen training complex building should begin every 12 months. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, 18 months into the project, an estimated 500 to 750 construction workers will be on the east campus daily.

"It's going to be incredible, how many people we're going to have out there," Mr. Morales said.