Energy adviser visits Fort Leonard Wood

By Mrs. Martha Yoshida (Leonard Wood)April 23, 2015

Energy adviser visits installation
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (April 23, 2015) -- The Army's top energy adviser visited Fort Leonard Wood Tuesday.

Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy & Environment, had a full day's agenda, which included observing energy saving solutions, science and technology demonstrations, a walking tour of a contingency base camp and sampling a lunch prepared at the U.S. Army's mobile test kitchen.

Researchers and developers with the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Capability Development and Integration Directorate and U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center in Natick, Massachusetts, led the demonstration at the fort's Contingency Basing Integration Technology Evaluation Center, a training base camp that is used as a lab to assess capabilities and evaluate new technologies for the Army.

During the tour, CBITEC representatives spoke with Hammack on ways to improve water, waste and energy usage in base camps. Science and technology demonstrations ranged from biodegradable foam for making huts, prototypes for collecting energy data and computerized dashboards to make decisions that reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Justine Federici, NSRDEC engineer psychologist said the objectives for self-sufficient contingency bases need to be efficient and must also include measures for maintaining Soldier quality of life and Soldier readiness.

The CBITEC tour included a lunch of steak and potato wedges prepared by cooks with the 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade which was served to Hammack and hundreds of service members using energy-efficient appliances in a new mobile test kitchen.

The energy data collected from the kitchen demonstration will be used to determine the levels of savings the Army would see if the new kitchen and appliances were used to feed Soldiers at base camps around the world.

Fort Leonard Wood's Garrison command provided an update on the installation's energy program accomplishments and environmental management practices.

By building a culture of energy responsibility through current practices of night/weekend setback programs and ongoing projects to include lighting and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning retrofits, Garrison is setting the conditions for success according to Bobby Rakes, Directorate of Public Works director.

Rakes said additionally, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified projects ranked high on the list of the post's accomplishments to date, including 10 LEED Gold projects (65 facilities) and 19 LEED Silver (25 facilities), all constructed since 2010..

Hammack's visit concluded with a Garrison tour of the Central Issue Facility Warehouse, barracks, and the water treatment plant.

Related Links:

Fort Leonard Wood GUIDON newspaper

Fort Leonard Wood website