The 23d Civil Engineer Squadron is currently managing the construction of the new Guardian Angel facilities, which is slated to begin, March 30, here.

Guardian Angel includes personnel recovery specialists whose mission involves training Department of Defense members and conducting rescue-based operations. The base is improving their capabilities by building them new facilities to group the rescue assets closer together, so as to help better prepare for the future of their mission of saving lives.

“As a commander it is critical for me and my leadership team to spend as much time with our Airmen as possible in order to understand the daily issues and provide immediate feedback and direction,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Dunston, 723d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. “So, having updated facilities that are closer together will increase efficiencies and improve capabilities for the rescue mission.”

The improvements will include an expanded aircraft parking ramp, parking lot and hangar space for the bays; a state-of-the-art rescue squadron complex and a simulator for the new HH-60W combat rescue helicopter.

“The new 41st Rescue Squadron building will be informationally secure,” said William Bryan, 23d CES chief engineer. “This will give us a lot of benefits, including being able to have maps more openly accessible in the building, more secure computers, as well as being able to have the weapons they’ll use in the same facility. They’ll also have state-of-the-art communications. Now, they won’t have to write on a chalk board; it’ll be computerized.”

The new hangar will be specifically designed for helicopter maintenance, being able to house up to four helicopters or two HC-130Js. It will have overhead cranes that maintainers will use to move parts more effectively, along with improved lighting and electrical power readily available.

Bryan went on to emphasize the importance of such a large scale project that Moody will invest over $60 million into.

Bryan said how this project is an incredibly big deal because it will dramatically improve the rescue asset’s quality of life and day-to-day capabilities.  

Though the final complete date for this project is a few years away, scheduled to be done in 2021, Bryan expressed his enthusiasm for an undertaking of this magnitude.

“It’s fun for us,” Bryan said. “As engineers and project managers, we like building things, and that’s what we go to school for. You’ve got professional architects and engineers. You don’t get to do as large a project as this very often in your career.”