News

Robins breaks ground on $21 million software facility project

  • Published
  • By Amanda Creel
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Robins Air Force Base, Ga. --  A few shovels tossing dirt signaled the all clear for construction crews to begin demolishing the only building standing between Robins and a new software support facility Feb. 19.

The small building, known to many as "The Pizza Hut" because of its shape, came crashing down just moments after base leadership and Congressman Jim Marshall broke ground on the new software support facility.

The new $21 million facility will be a two-story building designed to help take Robins' software maintenance mission to the next level.

The new facility is expected to enable the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center to maintain its place as the Electronic Warfare Center of Excellence for the Air Force and position it to become the Electronic Warfare Center of Excellence for the Department of Defense.

The construction of the new software support facility will join three existing software facilities, Bldg. 226, 227 and 330, together to form a software support complex. It will also allow the 850 software employees to be located under one roof, rather than being located in six different buildings throughout the base.

The loss of "The Pizza Hut," which functioned as a secured access point for some of the existing software facilities, is just a blip on the radar compared to the promise of new work and jobs to the Middle Georgia area with the addition of a new 70,000 square foot software facility. The facility's construction is expected to bring approximately 360 high-tech jobs by 2012.

Maj. Gen. Tom Owen, commander of the WR-ALC, said the software facility would never have become a reality without the assistance of both Senator Saxby Chambliss and Congressman Jim Marshall.

However, Congressman Marshall and Gen. Owen credited the men and women who work at the existing software facilities as a key element in helping to secure the funding to construct the facility.

"The bottom line is the fundamental credit for getting this done goes to the people who work in this facility and turn out a great product day in and day out," Congressman Marshall said.

Congressman Marshall said he was concerned the project might never meet fruition after years of trying to obtain authorization and funding for the facility.

He said, however, the dedication and commitment of members of the Robins software workforce helped tip the scales in 2007 and helped the project become the only member-authorized project to get funding in 2007.

He said it was not only the past performance of this workforce that led the way for Air Force officials and member of Congress to approve the venture, but the anticipation of what this workforce was capable of in the future.

General Owen said the addition of the facility would allow Robins software maintainers to continue their present mission while increasing the 402nd Software Maintenance Group's core capabilities.

He added the facility would allow Robins to continue to distinguish itself as an instrumental part of the vital defense mission for years to come.

Chris Moore, deputy director of the 402nd SMXG, agreed the facility would allow Robins software maintainers to continue to excel.

"The facility is going to posture us for a bright future for many years to come," Mr. Moore said.

The existing software support facilities presently support Special Operation Forces, Air Combat Command and Air Mobility Command weapon systems. In addition to the existing missions of the group, future workloads for newer systems such as the F-22 Raptor, the Joint Strike Fighter, Global Hawk and Predator are anticipated.

"We are just trying to keep these birds flying as long as they can," said David Smith, maintenance operations officer for the AC-130H Spectre.

Some of the groups many specialties include tactical communications, radar airborne avionics, Global Positioning Systems and electronic warfare.

After the groundbreaking, members of the official party were also treated to a tour of some of the existing software maintenance facilities. Software technicians were on-hand to explain some of the testing equipment used by the 402nd SMXG to help the Air Force keep many of their weapon systems at optimal performance levels.

The test stations allow the testers to see exactly what the controllers see by reconstructing their controls and gauges of the systems in the software labs.

Members of the tour were treated to an inside glimpse of the Software Integration Laboratory, where software test engineers are able to load new software for testing into the actual equipment used on the aircraft.

"We can find errors before we go to the flightline," said Guy Meanders, project software manager for the MC-130H Combat Talon II. The process saves money and time by not installing the software or updates onto the aircraft until it has been proven in the testers.

The testing machines allow software testers to add certain terrains, such as mountains, and certain weather conditions to ensure any software used is ready to help aircraft achieve its missions.

Scott Thompson said the pilots who fly the Combat Talon II are flying low to the ground in a variety of dangerous locations and conditions. "Sometimes they can't see anything but their controls, so (the software) has to be perfect," he said.

The construction of the new facility will be managed by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in partnership with the 78th Air Base Wing civil engineers and the 402nd SMXG. McKnight Construction will be responsible for the building of the structure, which is expected to be ready for occupancy by January of 2010.