Robins looks ahead with $36.5 million in projects Published Oct. 17, 2014 By Jenny Gordon Robins Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Progress is about looking and moving ahead. If there's a little noise and discomfort associated with it, then you're in the right spot at Robins. That's because funding which arrived at the end of fiscal 2014, will go toward various restoration modernization and sustainment projects across the installation - a total of 156 projects totaling $36.5 million. To highlight a few, there will be a pretty substantial mass notification project taking place in Bldg. 301 with the installation of a Giant Voice system - a public address system used to notify employees of dangerous weather conditions and the like. Its next-door neighbor in Bldg. 300 will be receiving $9.4 million in much-needed replacement to its heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in Bays B, C and D. "Those are a big deal because those units are over 40 years old. They don't work all the time and must be maintained regularly," said Becky McCoy, 78th Civil Engineer Group Engineering Division chief. The flight line will also undergo various sustainment projects, including airfield projects that will improve pavement conditions on heavily-used taxiways and aprons. "Preventative maintenance is key to ensuring the airfield is an effective weapons system equipped to support the safe launch and recovery of mission aircraft," said 1st Lt. Kayley Squire, Airfield Operations Flight commander. "Improvements are a collective effort, from the combined work between airfield management, civil engineering, safety and more, to the cooperative support from our affected mission partners." A $130,500 project will remove the BAK-9 Aircraft Arresting System - installed during the 1960s - since the system was identified as a redundancy and was decommissioned in 2013. The system acts as a safety net for tailhook-equipped aircraft should they need emergency assistance when landing. "Robins also maintains a BAK-12 aircraft arresting system, which is the Air Force standard. Removing the remnants of the BAK-9 will remove an unnecessary obstruction from the airfield and increase ground safety," she said. Keep an extra eye out over the next year as you're driving around the installation. A $178,000 project will involve restriping major roadways and crosswalks. Portions of Perimeter Road will also be repaved. There will be a traffic light upgrade at Richard Ray Boulevard and Robins Parkway; a $187,000 project to install security cameras in the dormitories; a $1 million upgrade to its fire alarm systems; and $216,000 toward fitness center equipment. Several demolition projects are in the works, to include 13 facilities and remaining Chief's Circle quarters. And last, but not least, several buildings will receive new roofs, including Bldgs. 97, 98, 100, 920, 314, 354, 663, 765, 922, 1301, 1304 and 130. Each October, teams from the 78th Civil Engineer Group, the comptroller and contracting meet early in the fiscal year to plan and determine the following year's programs.