AFCEC’s installation planning team's work at Clear Air Force Station a success

  • Published
  • By Roger Gragg
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --  In November, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Planning and Integration Directorate showcased an emerging capability as they sponsored an installation planning team to assist Clear Air Force Station, Alaska, plan for the support of its developing mission.  This was the first time AFCEC used the new format to support an installation, and feedback indicates it was a success.

At the request of Air Force Space Command and Clear AFS, AFCEC reached across the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center enterprise to create a composite installation planning team, or IPT, to identify and scope requirements to support the bed down of the Long Range Discrimination Radar, or LRDR. The task was to assess the impact of possibly locating the LRDR at Clear and identify needed infrastructure and support facilities, provide courses of actions for station leadership and develop requirements documents for identified requirements.

The team performed an independent review of existing development plans, provided a planning strategy to support the bed down and provided recommendations for future Clear AFS projects.  They were able to identify gaps and provide project support to facilitate the development of military construction and sustainment, restoration and modernization projects required.

"The intent of the IPT is to focus on efforts that provide a return on investment in areas such as encroachment support, facility space management, planning, requirements development and programming as well as other civil engineering support capabilities," said Paul Scoggins, project lead and member of AFCEC's Installation Complex Development Branch. "The IPT intends to leverage personnel from across AFCEC and AFIMSC portfolios to support base needs utilizing a cross-functional approach."

The team included members with skillsets in planning, space management, land-use, engineering and electrical.  It also included members from the Air Force Services Agency, Air Force Security Forces Agency and Clear's major command, Air Force Space Command.

"It was very helpful to have a MAJCOM rep as part of the team to validate projects, timeline and execution method," Scoggins said.

The existing installation development plan was well thought out but didn't take the potential bed down into account, Scoggins said.  The team offered possible improvements to the plan to include: dorm size and placement; relocating the fire station, with an expandable heat facility for future build-up; expansion of new electrical substation; repair existing wastewater plant versus building at a new location; identify alternate entry and egress from the installation to mitigate risk to mission resiliency; and advocate for an asset visibility team to conduct an assessment.

The team took the additional step of preparing requirements documents, such as the Air Force Form 1391s, to facilitate efficiency of getting the needed construction.

"The installation will still have to complete a more detailed cost estimation for their (project documents), but we were able to give them a head start to assist in that process," Scoggins said.  "The station commander believes we helped save his team 5-6 months in telecom and VTC time."

The current IPT construct is similar to the assistance teams provided by the former Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment, or AFCEE, with the primary difference being the scope of issues now being supported due to the expanded pool of expertise within the organization, said Robert Rushing, director of the Comprehensive Planning Division.

"AFCEC offers a more diverse portfolio of expertise than AFCEE did so the range of assistance we can readily provide is greater," Rushing said. "And when we include our AFIMSC family and their functional expertise, it further enhances what our IPTs can do."

As planning and integration continues to expand the program, the goal is to have six support teams with the capability for 14 assignments annually. In the future, installations will be provided the option to fund the IPT when centralized funds are limited, making it easier to obtain the services they need.

"Clear AFS was our first IPT, but the response we have received from installations is that they are excited to see this service reinvigorated," Rushing said.  "I am confident this (planning and integration) initiative will have a positive impact at our installations and to the enterprise."