News

Robins receives go ahead on $21 million software support facility

  • Published
  • By Amanda Creel
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Rep. Jim Marshall and members of Team Robins are celebrating the fruits of their labors after securing funds for a $21 million software support facility.

"This was a great team effort, and I am very pleased that Congress has agreed to provide this funding to meet a critical need at Robins, said Senator Saxby Chambliss, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "We know this is important to the personnel at the base and we should break ground on this project as soon as possible."

The 80,000 square-foot facility will help the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center continue to provide software that aids the warfighter.

"It's a great day when the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center receives Air Force and Congressional support for facilities," said Maj. Gen. Tom Owen, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center commander. "The funding of this software facility will help our productivity and put us in a position to take on new software workload like the F-22 Raptor, providing even better Warner Robins ALC support to the warfighter. We are privileged to have our Congressional leaders', Senator Chambliss and Congressman Marshall, backing here in middle Georgia. Their support will help us be even more effective in our contributions to the war on terror."

The bidding process begins this fall and the contract is expected to be awarded by the end of the fiscal year. The 402nd Maintenance Wing and the 402nd Software Maintenance Group are hoping to break ground on the state-of-the-art facility in the spring of 2008. The building will be located in the courtyard between Bldgs. 227, 226 and 230 and will connect the three software facilities, creating one continuous software support facility.

"Ultimately the new software support facility will mean better support for the warfighter," said Col. Mark Atkinson, commander of the 402nd Maintenance Wing.

The facility will allow Robins to accomplish its present workload more efficiently and accept new work supporting other weapon systems, Colonel Atkinson said.

Some of the systems the 402nd SMXG currently supports include Special Operations, Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System and F-15 avionics. The software facility anticipates adding C-17 Globemaster III, F-22 Raptor avionics, Predator and Global Hawk.

The new facility will probably house innovative features or capabilities based on the new workloads the software group secures.

"With this new facility we are pretty much unlimited in terms of our potential to take on future work loads," said Chris Moore, deputy director of the 402nd SMXG.

He said the addition of the new software facility will help Robins meet the requirements associated with the critical role software plays in our weapon systems.

"We are a world-class organization and this just ensures we will continue to be," Mr. Moore said. "Having a state-of-the-art facility really just makes our job easier."

Members of the software team agree the new facility will allow them to continue to support their present mission, while enabling them to broaden their mission to support other weapon systems.

"We can't stop supporting what we are doing now, we have to be able to support our present work and our new workload," said Dave Smith, operations officer for the 580th Software Maintenance Squadron.

Mr. Smith said he is really looking forward to having more space to spread out and create new work areas for personnel and equipment.

"We are having big space problems in this building -- everyone from the lowest level all the way to the supervisors," Mr. Smith said.

Along with more room, Mr. Davis is looking forward to the addition of newer equipment.

"A lot of the equipment is vintage '80s stuff and a lot of our engineers come out of school looking at modern hardware. It will make their transition easier," Mr. Davis said.

The new facility is also expected to create new jobs in the future within the software group, Colonel Atkinson said.

Mr. Moore and Colonel Atkinson credit the congressional caucus with helping Robins continue to expand its abilities to support the software behind the mission.

"This is incredibly good news for Robins. Saxby and I have fought long and hard to get funding for construction of the software facility. I'm proud that we have been able to help Robins get this extremely important funding," said Representative Jim Marshall, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the house Air Force Caucus. "I look forward to seeing Robins become more than the electronic warfare center of excellence for the Air Force. I hope to see Robins become the electronic warfare center of excellence for all military branches."