JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING, Washington D.C. –
The Joint Base Anacostia- Bolling (JBAB) Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) celebrated a major milestone by the completion of the very first awarded contract at JBAB on March 12th.
The renovations occurred at Bldg. 361 and Bldg. 362, where the Ground Transportation and vehicle maintenance units operate. The Ground Transportation unit which is a part of the Deployment and Distribution Flight in the Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) is in charge of moving people and equipment around the National Capital Region (NCR). It also supports the Air Force Honor Guard, the Air Force Band, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the Chief of Space Operations.
New floors, ceilings, and lighting were a key part of the renovation process in Bldg. 361, said 1st Lt. Tyler Ledford, commander of the vehicle management flight.
“This is just the first project of many to this compound,” said Ledford. “The goal is to turn this compound into one of the premier facilities in the Air Force.”
Bldg. 362, home to JBAB’s vehicle maintenance flight, had similar renovations made to its interior. Airmen assigned to the Ground Transportation unit help service and manage vehicles at this location for the entire NCR. In the 11 LRS, the Vehicle Management Flight services and manages the vehicles for the NCR. Our flight consists of vehicle mechanics and fleet management and analysis (FM&A) Airmen.
“A renovation like this is extremely important because personnel health and readiness are a top priority," Terry Agena, Base Infrastructure Flight Chief. "Damaged walls and asbestos filled floors can have a major impact on the safety of our workforce.”
Other renovations included: the replacement of ceiling tiles, the replacement of the floors and to complete the project walls were repaired and repainted.
These renovations will help improve JBAB’s readiness and mission effectiveness because personnel will have a safe and clean environment to work in. This is not just a “facelift” for the squadron, this is an entire overhaul that will help the squadron become a more livable workspace that is comfortable for everyone.
This is the first Air Force contract awarded at the 11th Contracting Squadron since the 11th Wing became the host unit at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling on June 28, 2020. These renovations are the first to be completed.
Gold Belt, an 8(a) contractor, was the company that JBAB worked with to complete the 28-million-dollar project. The 8(a) BD Program was developed to enable federal government Program Managers to save time, effort, and cost in the procurement process and to protect the interests of small business concerns. Overall, this program serves to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. 8(a) BD Program allows for direct contracting without a lengthy competitive process. This allows a project to get started in days instead of months.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Alexander Dials, the 11th CONS construction flight commander described the collaborative effort behind the project. Capt., Dials said:
“There was a big lift by all the mission partners here since Bldg. 361and 362 are LRS facilities for vehicle management and OPS,” said Dials. “We had to work with LRS to see what was needed, the Comptroller Squadron to acquire the funds, and the civil engineers to scope out the requirements. It was a lot to get done in 5 weeks.”
These renovations will increase JBAB’s mission capabilities to project force through the LRS to better manage vehicles and set up position and location for their Air Force leadership to work out of is vital to the installation.
This is just the first of 28 different contracts dedicated to improvements at JBAB. For the next two years, various contracts will be awarded to ensure JBAB can meet mission requirements and support all the operations throughout the NCR as a top-tier Air Force installation.