35th CES officially opens new complex

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez
  • 35th Fighter WIng public affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  While fully operational beginning in April 2007, the ribbon was officially cut on the new 35th Civil Engineer Squadron complex Nov. 13.

The $43.7 million complex was funded by the Government of Japan. Construction began in March 2005, although the project was originally programmed in 1986. The new complex, consisting of five buildings, provides 220,000 square feet of new facilities.

Previously, CE functions were spread out and housed in undersized 1950s-era buildings. With the new complex, most of the main CE functions are centrally located, with the exception of a few units servicing specific areas of the base.

"The new complex decreases travel time and puts us closer to the airfield, allowing for faster airfield repair and snow removal operations," said 1st Lt. Mario Tellez, 35th CES chief of host-nation construction.

The new three-story CE administration building, Building 793, is home to CE command, the engineering flight, readiness flight, resources flight, environmental flight and the Army Corps of engineers. These functions moved from a 30,000 square foot facility to the new 43,000 square foot facility.

CE operations are now housed in Building 790. This is the largest building in the complex at 92,000 square feet. CE personnel were involved in designing this space to meet their needs from day one, according to Lieutenant Tellez.

Covered storage for Prime BEEF, readiness, housing maintenance and explosive ordnance disposal was increased by 25 percent in the new covered storage building, Building 794. This building also is home to self-help, allowing for better customer service and more efficient operations.

The heavy operations building, Building 795, provides 54,000 square feet of year-round indoor operations and maintenance space. It also provides quick access to the runway, reducing the number of CE vehicles driving through the main base.

Lastly, the entomology building is Building 936. The new pest management facility meets safety standards and provides increased pest chemical storage capacity, with more efficient daily operations.

In addition to the new complex, the 35th CES is undergoing some organizational transformations, but these will not affect service to the base populace, according to Lieutenant Tellez.