Leaders turned the first shovel on the construction of a $22 million helicopter operations facility at JB Andrews, Md., Nov. 2. The building will bring the 1st Helicopter Squadron and the 811th Operations Support Squadron, both based at Andrews, under the same roof. “This project will make our airmen more efficient at a job they already excel at,” 11th Wing Commander Col. Brad Hoagland said in a release. “Pooling all of our resources and personnel for the 811th [Operations Group] just makes sense,” he added. The future two-story, 66,000 square-foot facility will include combined administrative offices, planning and briefing rooms, flight simulators, a fitness center, and other amenities, stated building contractor Haskell. Construction was slated to begin earlier this summer and wrap ?up at the end of 2016. The 1st HS, which is primarily tasked with executive airlift in and around the National Capital Region, flies the UH-1N helicopter.
As commander of Air Forces Central, Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich has been at the heart of almost all U.S. military action in the Middle East, from overseeing airstrikes against Iranian proxy groups to protecting troops as America’s air defense commander for the region. Just before handing over his command to…