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Dedicated team readying TAC

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., --  Six Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center shops will relocate to the much talked-about Tinker Aerospace Complex later this year.

To prepare, hundreds of Air Force and Oklahoma County personnel are planning through the logistics and organizational issues that must be worked prior to the moves. Each day, they accomplish minor feats that keep the main project on course - relocating six shops into the main facility by end of fiscal year 2009.

"So far, a lot of work has gone into preparing TAC for use and we still have a lot left to do," said Col. Allen Jamerson, 72nd Air Base Wing and installation commander. "We have roughly 1 million square feet that needs to be converted to usable space. Ultimately, it will off-set about 1.1 million square feet in sub-standard facilities that need to be demolished. By the end of 2013, more than 2,000 Tinker employees will call TAC home and the remaining TAC space will likely be used by industry and community partnerships."

TAC was first brainstormed in February 2006, when the General Motors automobile assembly plant unexpectedly closed. In 2008, Oklahoma County purchased the facility from GM and in turn, leased it to the Air Force.

TAC sits on 407 acres in Southeast Oklahoma City. The property houses six industrial buildings and one office building, equating to nearly 4 million square feet of usable space. The main building compares in size to Bldg. 3001, at 2.5-million square feet.

To prepare for the new shops, 76th Maintenance Wing personnel are revamping the main building, Bldg. 9001. Since October, they are clearing away excess steel used in the automobile production process. While they have only cleared roughly 25 percent of the building, they have removed steel from overhead trusses and in concrete trenches, where conveyer systems were set up. To date, there have been few incidents and no major injuries.

"The job they're doing is inherently dangerous, but they're trained on the hazards, they know the hazards going into it and they keep an eye on each other," said Eric Hanninen, TAC Safety Manager.

Harold Davis, 76th Maintenance Group Voluntary Protection Program manager agreed.

"Our goal is to have a 'safe-as-possible' work environment," Mr. Davis said. Officials said there were six concrete trenches throughout the main building. Some were 4-feet deep, while others were more than 10-feet deep. Furthermore, overhead trusses hung down from the ceiling to about 10 feet off the ground.

"It's been amazing to see how Tinker organizations are working together to do something that was unplanned and unexpected," said Jeff Catron, TAC program manager. "We must continue to get great support across the center so that TAC becomes the asset desired. We have taken some great first steps, there is much to accomplish."

When finished with the first phase, personnel will paint the floors, install necessary support infrastructure and move in equipment. The plan will also insure adequate parking, a break room and food services for the workforce.

By the end of this year, the TAC will house three 76th Commodities Maintenance Group shops, one 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group shop, one 76th MXSG shop and one Defense Logistics Agency shop.

"It's an exciting time for us," said Col. Jeffrey Sick, 76th CMXG commander. "This is one of the biggest transformation efforts in the Air Force."

Colonel Sick said for fiscal year 2009 three sheet metals shops, comprised of more than 500 people will consolidate from three separate buildings - Bldgs. 3705, 2121 and 2101. When the entire TAC property is finished sometime after 2013, the 76th CMXG will have consolidated from their existing footprint of 26 buildings to eight buildings, including TAC. Additionally, by then, all but 700,000 square feet of Bldg. 9001 is expected to be used.