By Toni Maltagliati
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2007 - A former Army sergeant and his family this month are settling into a brand new house in New Burn, N.C., custom-built to insure his war injuries will not keep him from independent living. "Well, we need the house because Eric is in a wheelchair all the time, so we need it so he can get around the house by himself," said Stephanie Edmundson, wife of Eric Edmundson. The former soldier was wounded by a roadside bomb while riding in a Stryker armored vehicle, Oct. 2, 2005, in Iraq, according to Homes for Our Troops officials, which took on the project for the family. The explosion left Edmundson unable to talk, walk, eat or drink, though he does have the ability to move his legs.
The home features wide doorways, an open architecture without hallways, lower counters, sturdy hand rails and other hardware for accessibility.
"He can move his chair with his feet," she said. "So he can help himself. ... Quality of life is important in having Eric home, being able to be a husband and dad."
More than a dozen businesses in the New Burn area donated building materials, engineering services and labor for the project. In the end, the total cost for Homes for Our Troops was $5,000. Since the project came in so far under budget, another home will be built for another wounded warrior, said John Gonsalves, president of the group.
"This is one of nine homes that we're going to dedicate between now and the end of the year," said Gonsalves.
A key-handover ceremony was held Oct. 6, before the family moved in. A military honor guard and local government officials, residents and business owners gathered to watch the former sergeant's wife sit in his lap so he could carry her over the threshold of their new house.
"They are just an awesome family, the three of them together ... their gratitude," said Donna Russell, who with her husband Bill Russell, own the Kit Corp., which acted as lead contractor for the project. "He just brought things home ... for us, so that we understand the sacrifices that they make every day."
The only visual difference for the suburban home on the outside is a long, gradual ramp system at the entrance. Indoors, hardwood floors, crown molding, tile and marble ensure the house blends in well with nearby homes.
"One of the things I always say about our projects is that they end up being a reflection of the community," said Kirt Rebello, chief project officer at Homes for Our Troops. "And if you look at this house, the community really stepped up."
Donating their resources was not a difficult decision for the local business people, according to Donna Russell.
"It just makes us proud to be able to do something so small to touch their lives to make it a little better," she said.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Air Guard Breaks Ground for Expanded Readiness Center
By Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2007 - Officials broke ground here yesterday on a $52 million Air National Guard Readiness Center expansion. When completed, the four-story complex of shining glass and steel will unite the existing ANGRC here with its Air Guard offices in Arlington, Va.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig R. McKinley, Air National Guard director, said the expansion on Andrews reflects new realities in force protection since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"The reason we are here today is that, after 9/11, force protection became a major issue, especially in the city," he said. He explained that the Base Realignment and Closure commission moved government offices at risk of terrorist attack away from downtown areas.
An added benefit from the project is that the Air Guard will have all nine of its directorate offices under one roof. The directorates serve the Air Guard's day-to-day operations of 88 flying units and more than 200 geographically-separated units.
"It will give the commander of the ANGRC a chance to have a span of control over all the people that work for him, and it will streamline and make more orderly the process of command," McKinley said.
The centralized ANGRC campus will be occupied by more than 1,100 airmen and federal employees by September 2011. Clarke Construction of Bethesda, Md., has the contract for the expansion.
"It will be one the most sustainable and energy efficient (buildings) that the Air Guard has built to date," said Ben Lawless, chief of the engineering division in the Air Guard's Installation and Mission Support directorate.
Energy-saving features include interior lighting that will adjust automatically with the amount of natural daylight. Storm water will be recycled and filtered through a special drainage system before it's discharged. Air conditioning and heating controls will be located at work stations and fed underneath the floor which, officials said, provides better occupant comfort and energy efficiency.
Officials will have the project certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is a nationally-accepted benchmark for green buildings.
"It's going to set the example for energy conservation, which is really important to everyone," said Lawless. "I think it's also going to set the tone for the future of the Air Guard in terms of facilities that can be reconfigured for new occupants and new missions and functions."
Lawless explained that moveable wall partitions will allow occupants to simply reconfigure their office space to meet future mission requirements. Officials also hope to lay out an open working environment that fosters teamwork.
The new building will be landscaped with a variety of native plants and trees, and it will be next to Conaway Hall, the existing ANGRC building.
Conaway Hall opened in 1985 and was renamed in 1991 after retired Lt. Gen. John Conaway. Conaway, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony, is a former Air Guard director and chief of the National Guard Bureau. He helped advocate for the ANGRC's original construction. Prior to that, the initial activation of an Air Guard support center was in 1976.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2007 - Officials broke ground here yesterday on a $52 million Air National Guard Readiness Center expansion. When completed, the four-story complex of shining glass and steel will unite the existing ANGRC here with its Air Guard offices in Arlington, Va.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig R. McKinley, Air National Guard director, said the expansion on Andrews reflects new realities in force protection since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"The reason we are here today is that, after 9/11, force protection became a major issue, especially in the city," he said. He explained that the Base Realignment and Closure commission moved government offices at risk of terrorist attack away from downtown areas.
An added benefit from the project is that the Air Guard will have all nine of its directorate offices under one roof. The directorates serve the Air Guard's day-to-day operations of 88 flying units and more than 200 geographically-separated units.
"It will give the commander of the ANGRC a chance to have a span of control over all the people that work for him, and it will streamline and make more orderly the process of command," McKinley said.
The centralized ANGRC campus will be occupied by more than 1,100 airmen and federal employees by September 2011. Clarke Construction of Bethesda, Md., has the contract for the expansion.
"It will be one the most sustainable and energy efficient (buildings) that the Air Guard has built to date," said Ben Lawless, chief of the engineering division in the Air Guard's Installation and Mission Support directorate.
Energy-saving features include interior lighting that will adjust automatically with the amount of natural daylight. Storm water will be recycled and filtered through a special drainage system before it's discharged. Air conditioning and heating controls will be located at work stations and fed underneath the floor which, officials said, provides better occupant comfort and energy efficiency.
Officials will have the project certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is a nationally-accepted benchmark for green buildings.
"It's going to set the example for energy conservation, which is really important to everyone," said Lawless. "I think it's also going to set the tone for the future of the Air Guard in terms of facilities that can be reconfigured for new occupants and new missions and functions."
Lawless explained that moveable wall partitions will allow occupants to simply reconfigure their office space to meet future mission requirements. Officials also hope to lay out an open working environment that fosters teamwork.
The new building will be landscaped with a variety of native plants and trees, and it will be next to Conaway Hall, the existing ANGRC building.
Conaway Hall opened in 1985 and was renamed in 1991 after retired Lt. Gen. John Conaway. Conaway, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony, is a former Air Guard director and chief of the National Guard Bureau. He helped advocate for the ANGRC's original construction. Prior to that, the initial activation of an Air Guard support center was in 1976.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)
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