Ribbon cut for $6.2M building expansion

Bldg. 13 nerve center for ground transportation, vehicle-management operations
From the left: John Henderson, 88th Logistics Readiness Squadron Ground Transportation Vehicle Maintenance flight chief, Col. Paul Burger, 88th Air Base Wing Mission Support Group commander, and Col. Patrick Miller, 88th ABW commander, cut the ribbon for the renovated and expanded 88ABW LRS Ground Transportation Vehicle Maintenance facility, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Dec. 4. U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/TY GREENLEES

From the left: John Henderson, 88th Logistics Readiness Squadron Ground Transportation Vehicle Maintenance flight chief, Col. Paul Burger, 88th Air Base Wing Mission Support Group commander, and Col. Patrick Miller, 88th ABW commander, cut the ribbon for the renovated and expanded 88ABW LRS Ground Transportation Vehicle Maintenance facility, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Dec. 4. U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/TY GREENLEES

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s main hub for ground transportation and vehicle-management operations just got a major upgrade.

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Dec. 4 for the newly renovated Bldg. 13. Col. Patrick Miller, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander, and Col. Paul Burger, 88th Mission Support Group commander, joined personnel from the 88th Logistics Readiness Squadron to celebrate the Ground Transportation and Vehicle Management/Maintenance facility’s completion.

The $6.2 million renovation of Bldg. 13 allowed for the consolidation of services from Bldg. 60, which could not accommodate inside maintenance of some large snow-removal equipment. The project began in April 2019.

“This is about investment, but not just about investment in the facility, but investment in the team,” Miller said, before he and Burger took large scissors to a red ribbon stretched alongside some vehicles just inside the building. “I’m a big believer that it’s people first. I’m glad that we were able to make this investment into you, so you can continue thriving in the mission.”

Added Burger: “The building is just so good in every way. From a morale standpoint, it affords everyone the opportunity to work in a climate-controlled environment and work on larger vehicles indoors.”

All ground-transportation operations are dispatched from Bldg. 13 and include: taxi and school-bus runs, aircrew and flight-line transportation support, distinguished visitor missions and U-drive support, a fee-free rental car service for military and civilian personnel use on base. Ground transportation also supports special missions such as the Air Force Marathon, Dayton Air Show, aerial point of embarkation and presidential visits.

The Vehicle Management/Maintenance section repairs firetrucks, de-icer trucks, fuel trucks, broom trucks and cargo K loaders to ensure continuous operations on the flight line. It also tracks and manages all installation vehicles for accounting purposes.

The upgraded building also features a fully automated vehicle-washing bay to wash and dry government vehicles.

“The huge open maintenance bay allows my mechanics to bring in firetrucks, K loaders, de-icers, broom trucks and other large vehicles,” said John Henderson, chief of the 88th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s Vehicle/Transportation Contract Management Flight. “All the large vehicles now can drive into the building easily, and it provides a lot of extra room to work on them. This impacts the overall operations by making it easier for my guys to maneuver around these big trucks while fixing them.”

About the Author