Construction to custodians, it’s all contracting

Published Nov. 14, 2016
By Staff Sgt. Dakota Bergl
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind -- When the dirt is turning and the hammers are flying construction on base can be hard to miss, but few people understand the juggling involved in managing those projects.

From construction to the custodial staff, almost all non-military work on base is arranged through the construction management office. The small, four person shop coordinates between the contractors and on-base organizations.

Tommy Patton, 434th Mission Support Group construction engineering technician, said each member of the office is typically in charge of three to four projects at a time, plus any additional duties.

“Everyone in our office stays really busy,” said Patton. “Not only does each of us have three or four projects we have to look after, but we also handle the trash and custodial contracts.”

Patton said the main part of his job is to act as a go-between for the contractors and base organizations. This includes communicating requirements, delays and changes between the base and the contractors.

“Most of what I do comes down to acting as a liaison between our contractors and the base offices,” said Patton. “If the contractor has an issue or delay then I’m the one who takes the information down the line. I’m the one who brings any questions, concerns or info that Grissom might have to the contractors, it works both ways.”

Members also act as inspectors and quality assurance for their projects.

“I have to inspect each jobsite at least once or twice a day,” said Patton “We act as QA for the contractors. Everything has rules, and we are the ones who have to make sure everything is getting done the way it is supposed to. We have to make sure that when someone gets hired for a job they stick to the schedule, and if they fall behind we need to know why and bring that info to the base.”

John Somsel, 434th MSG civil engineering technician, said that one of the most important aspects of the construction management office’s job is ensuring that the contracts are completed correctly and efficiently.

“I believe that our job is to make sure the American taxpayers are getting what they pay for,” said Somsel. “That means that we have to make sure the contractors are doing things right, safely and quickly. If we have to go back and make corrections later then we are wasting money.”

If there is construction on the highway it is easy to tell why the work is happening but on base it can be more difficult to understand why a specific project is being done.

“A lot of the projects we get are because of changing AFI requirements or updates to the AFIs, the rest usually involve updating, basic maintenance or remodeling,” said Patton. “We had to have a new shed built to house our new [gaseous oxygen] carts because the AFI had different storage requirements for those carts than for our old carts. We have had several buildings remodeled recently and most people have probably seen the new fire alarm and mass warning system we are having put in.”

Currently the office is overseeing a number of projects including a new radar, called GATAR, new fuel lines, and a new mass notification and fire warning system on base.

“I’ve been in this office for two and a half years now and it’s never the same,” said Patton. “Every project is different.”

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.

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Construction to custodians, it’s all contracting

Public Affairs Staff