New Gateway to the Air Force

Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment officials at Lackland AFB, Tex., are planning a new $21.8 million facility at the base that will serve as the primary in-processing and information center for all USAF recruits entering basic military training. “The building will be the first thing that Air Force recruits and their families see,” said Ben Kindt, AFCEE capital investment execution branch chief. The 70,000-square-foot building will feature modernized information stations, a multi-story glass atrium, and an outdoor 3,000-person auditorium to support BMT graduation-week activities. Its front entrance, dubbed the “Gateway to the Air Force,” will have six pillars—each representing one of the Air Force’s core values (Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do) and one of its operational domains (air, space, and cyberspace). Award of the construction contract is anticipated in August. (Lackland report by Robert Ginsberg)