By Chuck Walker
MOBILE, Ala. – One of the largest military construction projects in the U.S. is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District rebuild of Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida.
After Hurricane Michael nearly destroyed the base in 2018, the Corps and the Mobile District were tasked with rebuilding it and transforming it into the base of the future.
As the home of the new state-of-the-art aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II fighter, the rebuild at Tyndall is using state-of-the-art materials to make the base able to withstand hurricane-force winds.
With the project being one of USACE’s largest and the innovation involved in the rebuild, it was no surprise that Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, USACE Military International Operations deputy commander, visited the base on Feb. 19 to observe the rebuild in person.
“Since Hurricane Michael had its impact here at Tyndall Air Force Base, this rebuild has been a priority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” Gibbs said. “We’ve been working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Air Force, and I knew the rebuild was going well, but I wanted to get here and get eyes on it so I can use it as an example for much of the work we do when we have these types of recovery missions on military installations. It has not disappointed. It’s great construction.”
The rebuild involves 49 military construction projects. Seven have been completed, and another 16 projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
Gibbs toured two projects nearing completion: Hangar 1, which will house the F-35 and one of two new dormitories for the Airmen working on the base.
“I am extremely proud of the progress we’ve made on the Tyndall rebuild thus far,” said Steven Daniels, USACE Mobile District Chief of the Tyndall Program Integration Office. “The work that has been accomplished to date stands as a testament to the dedication, expertise, and resilience of everyone involved in this endeavor.”
Justin McDonald, USACE Mobile District acting deputy of Programs and Project Management, said that the rebuild has been successful in large part due to its partnership with the U.S. Air Force.
“This base was devastated by Hurricane Michael, so it’s essentially been an entire rebuild of the installation while the installation is active,” McDonald said. “It’s been a very impressive operation of a nearly $3 Billion project that we manage in the District, and I think it’s been extremely successful due to the partnership with the Air Force and having all the teams located together to be able to resolve issues as they arise and quickly work challenges to make this a successful project.”
Gibbs said he was impressed with the tour and the progress of the rebuild, and he was also pleased with the teamwork of USACE and the Air Force in rebuilding the installation.
“I can tell you right now, it’s not complete, but I can see that it’s going to be the base of the future, the installation of the future,” Gibbs said. “We’re doing it within budget, and the quality of these facilities, as I see it today, I think would match up to that installation of the future title that they are calling it. The partnership between USACE and the Air Force has been critical to the success of this project.”