Lt. Gen. Douglas Gabram, U.S. Army Installation Management Command commanding general, speaks to Army civilian employees during a listening session at the Children’s Museum Feb. 24 on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Lt. Gen. Douglas Gabram, U.S. Army Installation Management Command commanding general meets with Joint Base Lewis-McChord Garrison Command team and Phil Rizzo, chief operating officer for Lincoln Military Housing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord RCI partner to discuss ways to improve/ expedite between occupancy maintenance on homes Feb 24.

Lt. Gen Douglas Gabram, U.S. Army Installation Management Command commanding general, left, Col. Skye Duncan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord garrison commander, right, and members of the garrison team provide Lt. Gen Gabram a pre-brief prior to an aerial tour of key facilities, ranges and construction projects across the installation Feb 24.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – Lieutenant General Douglas Gabram, commanding general of U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Maj. Gen. Timothy McGuire, IMCOM deputy commanding general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Joe Ulloth, IMCOM command sergeant major, visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord Feb 23 to 25.

During the visit, Gabram, McGuire and Ulloth gained a better understanding of JBLM through several engagements with senior leaders, tours of on-base housing renovations, an employee listening session and recognition events for service members and civilian employees.

“It’s a privilege to be able to visit JBLM and hear from Soldiers and civilian employees firsthand,” Gabram said. “JBLM is one of the largest bases our Army has, and we have big plans to continue to build and improve the infrastructure, housing and workforce here through our Facilities and Housing Investment Plans.”

The Army’s FIP and HIP initiatives are multiyear prioritized directives for constructing facilities and homes to support Army service members, families and employees. These integrated, enterprise approaches save money, increase predictability and ensure all projects are aligned with Army and Department of Defense priorities.

While touring on-base housing, Gabram met with Lincoln Military Housing representatives and viewed several homes actively undergoing renovations.

Lewis-McChord Communities, under Lincoln Military Housing, has approved a budget of more than $100 million to renovate and modernize nearly a thousand homes in the New Hillside, Davis Hill and Heartwood communities over the next decade.

“We’re a proud partner of the community here and are making great strides to improve and build upon the existing housing footprint on JBLM,” said Kevin Clarke, national vice president of construction and environmental services for Lincoln Military Housing. “These newly renovated homes will provide JBLM service members and families with modern and comfortable living spaces with fewer maintenance challenges.”

Following the housing tour, Gabram hosted a listening session to address concerns of JBLM employees, toured the new Children’s Museum — the first of its kind on a military installation — that will open this spring, and visited the Cascade School Age Center to recognize Child and Youth Services and Child Development Center employees for their dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The level of sacrifice and service you all provide is amazing,” Gabram said to CYS employees and CDC program managers. “You represent the gold standard of child care and deserve every ounce of support and appreciation that we can provide.”

Other topics discussed during Gabram’s visit to JBLM include: impact of high-speed rail and the need to eliminate a major at-grade crossing, the re-start of the basewide shuttle service, Child Development Center staffing issues, Digital Garrison mobile app improvements and usability for service members and families, waste water treatment, security of the base and what’s being done to curb illegal dumping in the training areas and the McChord Field clear zone.