ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam – The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center’s Detachment 2 successfully led the award of a $28.9 million contract recently to construct new reinforced munitions storage magazines known as “igloos” at Andersen Air Force Base.
The project is the third of a four-phase effort to increase munitions storage capabilities necessary to maintain a high level of airpower, lethality and readiness in the Indo-Pacific theater.
The award is the result of a collaborative partnership between the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, AFIMSC Det. 2, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific and the 36th Wing at Andersen AFB.
Detachment 2 is the design and construction manager and will manage the project with support from NAVFACPAC, the design and construction agent and 36th CES.
The contract calls for constructing 12 new facilities, each with a concrete apron to ensure safe entry and state of the art design characteristics for seismic and typhoon survivability.
AFCEC’s Facility Engineering Directorate, who provides full spectrum engineering expertise and oversees the Air Force military construction program, will monitor construction execution to ensure the project stays on time and within budget.
“Sustainably built infrastructure is a critical element of providing power projection platforms for air and space missions,” said Col. Dave Norton, deputy-director of AFCEC’s Facility Engineering Directorate. “The project is a team effort between AFCEC and AFIMSC engineering experts to deliver high quality infrastructure solutions for greater mission capabilities at Andersen.”
Home to the 36th Munitions Squadron, Andersen AFB is a strategically located installation with the largest munitions storage area in the Air Force. The base provides peacetime and wartime support in the Indo-Pacific theater and serves as a transition point for numerous aircraft en-route to several theater locations.
“The new munitions storage facilities are vital to increasing our efficiency as a lethal fighting force and our capacity to support current and future operations,” said Brig. Gen. Jeremy T. Sloane, 36th Wing Commander. “The ability to safely store munitions on Guam is a must. Weapons safety and surety give us credibility with the community as well as enable us to execute our mission more effectively and give us a competitive edge to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
The effort, expected to be completed in February 2025, is in support of an on-going $48.7 million construction project consisting of 20 new igloos at Andersen, awarded in September 2020.