They are not yet ready to provide a grand opening date, but US Air Forces in Europe officials believe the date is drawing near to open the problem-plagued Kaiserslautern Military Community Center. Delays and cost overruns on the project drew the ire of Congress, the eye of criminal investigators, as the Air Force Office of Special Investigations joined with German officials to sort out possible corruption by German contractors, and prompted USAFE to seek help from Germany’s Federal government. Now, USAFE’s KMCC resident director, Col. David Reynolds, says, “We’re definitely encouraged by the progress since spring.” Reynolds said the German construction schedule shows the food court, mall concessions, BX, theater, and 350-room visiting quarters opening in phases over summer 2009. He added, “It’s important to understand with a complex of this size, 844,000 square feet, we can’t go from construction completion right to the grand opening.” The logistics for the move for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, alone, which will take over an area five times the sales space it currently has, are “immense and will consume thousands of man-hours” after the end of construction, said Reynolds. (USAFE report by Darlene Cowsert)
Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, nominee to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Defense Department needs to upgrade its electronic warfare capability and its EW training ranges; just as his predecessor said at his own confirmation hearing.