Furnishings Program expands to include Air Force project

By Amy Newcomb, U.S. Army Engineering and Support CenterNovember 17, 2015

Furnishings Program expands to include Air Force project
Leslie Yarbrough (left), program manager, and Sara Cook, a project manager, U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center Huntsville Furnishings Program, complete a quality assurance inspection on equipment purchased as part of a $385,000 project within t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center Huntsville's Furnishings Program team recently completed quality assurance (QA) inspections on three projects totaling $1.25 million worth of furnishings and equipment at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

QA inspections included an Air Force facility, which is an expansion of the program's scope. The Furnishings Program purchases barracks and administrative furnishings and equipment for Army and Navy installations.

The $242,000 unit-funded project for the Air Support Operations Center (ASOC) building provided equipment that will contribute to the level and quality of training for the 15th Air Support Operations Squadron's joint terminal attack controllers who support the 3rd Infantry Division, said Senior Master Sgt. Michael Gleissner, 15th ASOS operations superintendent.

"The furniture that we have here through the folks at Huntsville Center will meet our requirements in that it has plenty of the capabilities that we require for our IT equipment and any training we do," Gleissner said. "The manufacturers were more than helpful and subsequently that was what resulted in the furniture we have here."

While at Fort Stewart, Furnishings Program team finalized a $385,000 project within the Gray Eagle Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) cantonment area that included a company operations facility, tactical equipment maintenance facility, operations and storage facility, and control tower.

They also completed a follow-up QA site visit for $593,000 of furnishings and equipment for the Sky Warrior - Unmanned Aerial Surveillance Facility to ensure the unit's functional requirements were still being met.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Systems Repairer Spc. Nathan Kennedy, 3rd Aviation Regiment, works in the Sky Warrior facility and from experience understands the importance of having equipment that helps meet mission requirements.

"The tool benches are nice from a stationary point of view … we utilize the benches a lot as far as plugging our logbooks in, and putting the parts on, so we don't have them scattered out all over the floor," he said. "The lockers, a long with the toolboxes, help with excess parts from the aircraft."

Kennedy and fellow UAV systems repairers can label lockers with specific aircraft numbered parts for easy access, as well as carry heavy equipment through the hangar on carts and tables with wheels, which makes their jobs easier, he said.

"I spent 10 months in Afghanistan where we had clam shells for 12 aircraft. We didn't have the tool benches, we didn't have the lockers," Kennedy added. "I definitely looked forward to coming back here and having the extra [equipment] because we definitely had stuff laying out on the floor and in cardboard boxes."

The Furnishings Program takes pride in helping customers meet mission requirements.

"Most of our projects are started years in advance," said Leslie Yarbrough, program manager for the Furnishings Program. "Through the requirements gathering process and having a great relationship with our customers, we are able to ensure products meet the functional need for mission specific daily operations."

The Furnishings Program interior designers are available during every step of the process.

"Our project managers, interior designers and contracting staff are what makes the program successful," she said. "We have people who care about the Soldiers in the field, meeting the mission and ensuring the job is done accurately."

During the procurement process, contracting staff and interior designers use cost reduction methodology, which ensures cost avoidance and saves the customer money.

"By doing this our customers are able to procure additional furnishings in the field to help the Soldiers," Yarbrough said. "They would not have been able to get additional furnishings if they had purchased furniture on their own or gone through a different procurement agency."

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