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NAVFAC Southwest Starts Construction on Counter IED Training Facility

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090126-14
Release Date: 1/26/2009 4:46:00 PM

By Lee H. Saunders, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest Public Affairs

POINT MUGU, Calif. (NNS) -- Naval Base Venture County (NBVC) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 15 for the construction of a $5.4 million facility to train Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel in counter improvised explosive device (IED) awareness and reaction at Point Mugu, Calif.

"The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization Battle Course will serve to train and equip troops from all services," said Lt. Jeremy Weikel, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest construction project manager for the Naval Base Ventura County project. "The ultimate goal is to increase awareness and reaction involving IEDs leading to the mitigation and prevention of battlefield casualties. It is our goal that this training course will significantly contribute to the mission readiness of the Navy and the entire U.S. military as a whole."

NAVFAC Southwest is managing the construction project. Primary contractor is J. I. Garcia Construction, Inc. of Fresno, Calif. TAM+CZ Architects of Fresno, Calif. is the design consulting firm for the project. The 31st Seabee Readiness Group at Naval Base Ventura County will operate the facility.

IEDs have caused a large number of casualties in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. The new training facility will provide Naval Expeditionary Combat Command Forces with sophisticated and integrated IED response training in a challenging environment that can simulate different road surfaces and urban environments encountered throughout the world. The construction project builds a facility that includes a village typical of Iraqi and other urban environments U.S. military forces may experience around the world.

"The Naval Construction Force has played a significant role in the global war on terrorism, in particular Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom where we have provided civil and military construction support throughout the theater of operations," said Lt. Cmdr. Scott A. Anderson, chief staff officer for 31st Seabee Readiness Group.

"Inherent to what we do is the ability to be mobile which results in a tremendous amount of road time as we transport personnel, materials and equipment in the execution of our construction mission. Our convoy security elements which are a critical element to the defense and mobility of each of our Naval Mobile Construction Battalions are the enablers that allow us to traverse those roads safely and effectively. This training facility will provide those Seabees as well as other Naval Expeditionary Combat Command Forces, the opportunity to enhance their skills in a safe but realistic environment and will undoubtedly make them more effective in the combat environment they will face when forward deployed."

Construction will include new roads, repair and upgrade of existing roads, a network of traffic signals, a training road overpass, traffic circle, guard rails, curbing, fencing, culverts, search house facilities, small replicas of Iraqi homes, courtyard walls, two observation towers, a Range Support Facility including classroom space and debriefing room for post-training evolution lessons learned, and other buildings and infrastructure.

"Although this project may present some challenges along the way--as all projects sometimes do--I am very excited and very proud to be a part of providing and equipping our troops with the necessary skills and training needed for battlefield experiences, and hopefully make them much more likely to come home safely," said Weikel.

Construction will start in February 2009 and complete in late summer 2009.

The official party for the groundbreaking included NBVC Commanding Officer Capt. Brad Conners, 31st Seabee Readiness Group Chief Staff Officer Lt. Cmdr. Scott Anderson, NAVFAC Southwest Construction Project Manager Lt. Jeremy Weikel, J.I. Garcia Construction, Inc. President Joe Garcia, and NAVFAC Southwest Design Project Manager Alberto Sanchez.