The CHAIRMAN. Any objection to doing it? Because these things have been carefully scrutinized by Mr. Kelleher and myself. I will go into each of them, but I was just trying in the interest of saving time Mr. GAVIN. Would the chairman yield? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. GAVIN. I think in view of the fact that the Military Academy is on page 5, let's go through page 5 and clear up the Military Academy. The CHAIRMAN. That is right, exactly. Mr. RIVERS. Did we approve Fort Stewart? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. KELLEHER. Fort Stewart is next to Rucker in the book, Mr. Chairman. Mr. RIVERS. I move The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, Fort Bliss Mr. BATES. There is enough land left down south of the Mason Dixon, isn't there? We don't want to cramp you too much. It is all right? The CHAIRMAN. Fort Bliss Mr. HARDY. This stuff has been analyzed by Mr. Kelleher? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. Kelleher and I worked on each one of these items. We know them by heart, almost. Mr. GAVIN. What page The CHAIRMAN. Fort Bliss, Fort Hood Mr. HARDY. Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to accept your evaluation. of it. The CHAIRMAN. All right. Members of the committee Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Chairman The CHAIRMAN. I will read: Fort Bliss, $13,734,000. Mr. KELLEHER. Right. General SHULER. Fort Bliss, Tex.: Fourth Army; installation located adjacent to El Paso; initially occupied in 1893; designated "permanent." Mission: United States Army Antiaircraft Artillery and Guided Missile Center acts as coordinator between United States Army Antiaircraft Artillery and Guided Missile School, 1st Guided Missile Brigade, and United States Army Air Defense Board in study, development, evaluation, and teaching of tactical, technical, logistical and training doctrines and programs concerning antiaircraft artillery and guided missile of interest to commander, continental armies. Supervision of training of general reserve and Zone of Interior type units. Total cost (based on price when acquired), $72,520,619. Cost of improvements (permanent and other), $69,654,278. Present strength: Military 19,642; civilian employees 2,205. Line items requested for fiscal year 1959 authorization ($13,734,000 total): Communications center (first increment). Thirteen guided missile guidance laboratory buildings. Six missile and radar maintenance support buildings, TAS Wing addition, Ordnance field maintenance shop Two Trainfire I ranges Guided missile control tower (GMT) 12 barracks, 80-man (GMT) One-thousand-man consolidated mess (GMT) Extension of electricity to 10 new Nike sites (GMT) Detailed justification follows: Communication center (first increment) ($490,000): Facility requested will house a 10,000-line telephone exchange; 9,000 square feet of floor is required to properly install the type of dial equipment for long line equipment for the satellited installations contemplated under this project. Existing building is such that it cannot be used to maximum advantage as load bearing partitions and columns prevent its efficient use. The building is located within a built-up area which does not permit any expansion to the building. In addition, the existing structure is considerably deteriorated, and rehabilitation of the structure cannot be accomplished with advantage to the Government. Current demand for telephone service far exceeds the capabilities of the present equipment in its maximum extended condition. The existing building will be used as a maintenance shop upon completion of new facility. A new structure must be furnished to provide expansion that is urgently required. Failure to provide this facility will result in whole areas within Fort Bliss being without telephone service as new increments of the expansion program are completed. Thirteen guided missile guidance laboratory buildings (Nike-Hercules) TAS ($4,996,000): This project is required to provide classroom, administrative, supply, and laboratory space having physical characteristics and adequate space to accommodate the expanded NikeHercules training mission assigned to this installation. Each building will provide 2 laboratories, approximately 62 by 100 feet with 25 foot ceilings, and an area approximately 20 by 62 feet 6 inches at the center of the building divided into 2 floors, for administration and supply. Existing facilities consist of converted cavalry stables which are deficient in size thereby necessitating overcrowding of equipment, and student instruction on a 16 hour per day basis. Upon completion of the proposed laboratories the existing facilities will be released for other school administrative purposes. Failure to provide this project will result in the Nike-Hercules program being adversely affected in time phase, and standards of instruction. Two administration and classroom buildings, TAS ($2,932,000): This item is required to provide adequate administration and classroom facilities to support the expanded SAM program. Existing facilities consist of mobilization-type buildings and modified_old cavalry stables, which are located under the flight pattern of El Paso International Airport. The almost constant noise of aircraft taking off or landing seriously hampers class instruction. Failure to provide requested construction will result in the continued use of austerity facilities, which reduces morale and hampers the effectiveness of the curriculum presented. Upon construction of suitable structures, the currently used structures will be continued in service for administrative and storage space. Two guided missile assembly and test buildings, GMT range ($686,000): These buildings will provide additional essential facilities for the assembly and testing of missiles necessary to support 26 training sites at McGregor Range required under the expanded SAM program. To prevent damage to sensitive components of the complex electronic systems by highly abrasive and electrically conductive dust prevalent in this area, all unpacking, assembling, adjusting, and testing of missiles must be done under conditions as dust free as possible. Existing assembly and test buildings do not furnish adequate facilities to service the number of missiles that will be required under the expanded SAM program. Deferment of this construction will hamper the use of new launching sites due to lack of assembled missiles and result in failure to meet the expanded SAM mission assigned to this installation. Six missile and radar maintenance support buildings TAS ($549,000): The buildings requested are required for use in the maintenance, repair, and spare parts storage of Nike missiles and component equipment. They will be sited functionally in order to support efficiently the guided missile laboratories in a ratio of 1 support building per 2 laboratories. At present the support activity is being carried on in former cavalry stables and World War II type buildings. These buildings are widely separated from the function that they are supporting and have so little space that they are unsuited for their present primary mission. Additionally, they are neither dustproof to prevent damage to delicate and expensive instruments during frequent windstorms, nor of proper width and overhead clearance. Consequently, the training mission is adversely affected to such a degree that instruction and support thereof is accomplished with marginal results. Existing facilities will be released for other school administrative purposes. Failure to provide this project will adversely affect the missile program. Nike technical maintenance buildings, guided missile training range ($81,000): This building will be located at McGregor Range and is designed for maintenance and minor repair of launching and handling equipment for the Nike-Hercules system. The basis is the expanding SAM program. At present no facility is being used as the Nike-Hercules program has not yet progressed to the point where this type facility is required. Failure to provide this building will result in a requirement to haul this equipment back and forth from the range to Fort Bliss, a distance of 30 miles, and use already overtaxed shop space. There is no similar facility at Fort Bliss. Wing addition, Ordnance field maintenance shop ($636,000): Additional Ordnance field maintenance shop space is essential to house the increased Ordnance maintenance supply activities which will be generated by the scheduled addition of the Nike-Hercules and Hawk missile systems to the guided-missile program at this station. Guided missile direct support operations are currently conducted from shop vans organic to TOE organizations, due to nonavailability of covered shop space. Current facilities for Ordnance support of both general purpose equipment and guided missile ground guidance and ground handling equipment is severely overcrowded; in addition, 4,000 square feet of these facilities consist of a former dairy barn which does not provide satisfactory conditions, nor lend itself to modification without excessive cost. Failure to provide additional space will result in greatly reduced efficiency in Ordnance operations at increased costs since repairs would be limited to exchange of subassemblies, thereby necessitating evacuation of items to depots for repair with a resultant requirement to maintain greatly increased stocks of replactment subassemblies and equipment. It is estimated that construction of this facility will result in the accrual of a total annual savings in excess of $100,000. Training facilities, 10 Nike sites ($1,330,000): Item is required to provide the final increment of the total of 26 Nike training sites to accommodiate the expanded SAM program at McGregor Guided Missile Training Range. Failure to provide these facilities will cause a serious delay in the SAM training program. Two trainfire I ranges ($174,000): Trainfire I has been adopted as the new basic rifle course by the Army. This project will provide for the essential training facilities required for rifle instruction based on this new training concept. Facilities which are outmoded by Trainfire I are currently being utilized. Guided missile control tower, guided missile training range ($30,000): The expanded surface-to-air missiles program requires the addition of 10 Nike firing points. Consequently, the capability of the previously programed control tower will be exceeded and the present structure will be required in order that the entire Nike launching area may be properly controlled. The control tower to be provided by this project is required to assist the central range control in coordinating visual, radar, radio, and telephone elements to insure safe and efficient operation. Thus, if the requested facility is not provided, firings from all sites will not be possible and the planned and necessary output of trained units and personnel will not be met. Twelve barracks (80-man), guided missile training range ($1,016,000): This item is required to provide barracks for troops in training under the expanded SAM program. This program calls for the training of 2,000 men in launching and firing of guided missiles. Currently, spaces for 1,040 men exist. Failure to provide the requested facilities will result in housing of troops in tents, with the consequent low morale and sickness among men. In addition, tentage is short lived due to the high winds prevalent in this area. Operation under austerity conditions will seriously hamper the training mission assigned to this installation. Consolidated mess (1,000-man), guided missile training range ($296,000): This messhall is required to feed personnel under the expanded SAM program to be stationed at McGregor range camp. One 1,000-man messhall has been authorized in a prior program; however, total requirements for messing facilities will be in excess of 2,000 personnel. This will include permanent-party personnel of 575, both officers and enlisted men, as well as approximately 1,500 officer and enlisted trainees and numerous visiting personnel. The frequent high winds and blowing sands in this desert area make it essential that a mess be provided. Any attempt to feed this number of personnel with field ranges and tents would decrease effective training time and the capability of personnel to absorb training to an acceptable extent. Two bachelor officers' quarters (34-man), guided missile training range ($233,000): These bachelor officers' quarters are required to complete the housing for permanent-party officers and officer trainees at McGregor guided missile training range under the expanded surfaceto-air missile program. If this construction is deferred, the use of tents will have to be continued. Due to climatic conditions and the prevailing high winds, tentage deteriorates so rapidly as to make the cost of such housing exorbitant. The housing of troops in tentage produces low morale, with resultant loss in efficiency of the training program. Since this facility is to be used for an undetermined period, the requested construction, over a long period, will result in saving of funds to the Government by nonuse of tentage. Extension of electricity to 10 new Nike sites, guided missile training range ($285,000): With the completion of 10 additional Nike launching sites in the regular 1959 military construction, Army, program, a requirement exists for the use of commercial power with converters to provide a cheaper, smoother, and more dependable source of power. It will also allow training of personnel in the various types of power sources they will encounter during unit operation. If this project is deferred, it will necessitate the use of generators, with consequent loss of efficiency in the training program and with an increase in the cost of training. Commercial power will be available at adjacent sites. Monetarily, commercial power costs are approximately one-third of the cost of power provided by engine generators. Four hundred ten family quarters (Capehart) ($0): This project is required to provide an increment of the permanent family housing for officer and enlisted personnel assigned to this station. Existing housing shortage cannot be alleviated by available suitable rental housing within adjacent communities. The nonavailability of suitable housing has caused approximately 1,200 military personnel to purchase homes in order to obtain family quarters during their tour of duty at this station. Number of units: Requested by Army: 410. Approved by OSD: 410. Estimated cost: $6,765,000. Authorization: Public Law 1020, 84th Congress. Current assets: Requirements (based on long-range troop strength): Officers and upper grade enlisted men.. Lower grade enlisted.. Essential civilians-- Total---- 457 800 490 410 2, 190 4,347 5, 818 1, 649 7, 467 The construction of this project will enable the Department of the Army to provide 75 percent of the maximum gross housing requirement based on the long-range troop forecast. |