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Air Force begins work on Tyndall AFB rebuild with PMO

  • Published
  • By Veronica Kemeny and Brian Garmon
  • Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) --  Following Hurricane Michael, the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center and its partners established a program management office at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, to lead redevelopment and reconstruction efforts.

The Air Force initiated several task forces to aid in recovery. One goal is to focus on installation facilities and infrastructure with a mission to assess facility damage, determine usability, and preserve capability. The Program Management Office continues those efforts, which are expected to take upwards of five years and cost approximately $3 billion.

“The work that lies in front of us is extensive, but the PMO office will ensure the Air Force has a 21st century installation to carry out the missions of today and the future,” said Col. Scott Matthews, Tyndall AFB PMO director. “One of our top priorities has been ensuring our Warfighters have been able to return to workplaces safely in this process.”

Several of the short-term objectives of the office include rapid repair and construction of temporary facilities to meet the near-term mission needs. The completion of detailed assessments of damaged facilities will help inform decision-makers as they plan for the future of those facilities.

The mission of the PMO, Matthews added, is to repair, reshape, and rebuild Tyndall AFB to support both near-term resumption of mission operations and long-term redevelopment of Tyndall AFB as the model Air Force installation of the future.

Beyond assessment lies the task of redevelopment. The PMO intends to conduct fast-tracked redevelopment planning that will provide a unified, long-term vision for the installation that meets current needs and allows flexibility for future mission needs.

”This week we have several temporary work facilities arriving,” said Matthews. “And we are excited that the base’s F-22 flight simulator building will be the first building on base to have a permanent roof. The building will be completely dry.”

Brian Stahl, PMO deputy director, emphasizes the importance of providing resources and expertise through the PMO to ensure stability of current and future missions.

“The Tyndall PMO has fully integrated with the 325th Fighter Wing personnel to provide resources expertise and manpower to rebuild the installation and prepare for current and future missions,” said Brian Stahl, deputy base civil engineer. “We have worked hand-in-hand ensuring the recovery effort is going smoothly.”

The incorporation of cutting-edge construction standards and a focus on the emerging requirements for installation resiliency is at the forefront of the PMO office as well.

“The PMO and Air Force have an excellent opportunity to incorporate “Smart City” functionality into the Tyndall reconstruction designs that interconnect the base facilities and utility infrastructure to ensure they provide resilient warfighting capabilities,” said Mike Rits, Air Force Civil Engineer Center resilience subject matter expert.

According to Amy Vandeveer, AFCEC installation planning SME, believes the future is bright for the installation to thrive again.

“We are really excited about being able to implement a 21st century installation,” said Vandeveer. “We have multiple opportunities that will make this installation good for the next 70 to 80 years. Tyndall will be leading the way.”