U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Thomas Tickner. second from left, joined local leaders to celebrate the completion of the Air Traffic Control Facility. Also cutting the ribbon are, from left, Matt Conologue of Te...
Dover Air Force Base has operated with the oldest stateside air traffic control tower in the Air Force. Now, they have the newest.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District, the 436th Airlift Wing and local leaders celebrated the completion of the Air Traffic Control Facility during an Oct. 26 ribbon cutting ceremony on base.
Sen. Thomas Carper (DE) and Rep. Mike Castle (DE-At large) attended the ceremony and thanked the Corps and project partners for their work on the facility.
"This beautiful structure is all about safety," said Carper. "Getting this built took great teamwork from Dover, the Army Corps and the contractors from Tetra Tech."
The new $16.3 million facility stands adjacent to the old tower, which has been in operation since 1955. Airmen are expected to begin using the facility as soon as equipment is installed.
Col. Manson Morris, commander of the 436th Airlift Wing said the tower will improve overall safety.
"The tower plays a critical role in Dover's airlift mission," said Morris. "It is an outstanding facility, with better equipment to better observe and control the air space around Dover - it will improve the safety of our operations."
The facility will also consolidate two components of the air traffic control mission that are currently in separate facilities. Radar Approach Control will occupy the building with the Tower Chief Control.
"This is a big improvement from a quality of life and a convenience standpoint having both these functions in the same place," said Capt. Matthew Born, operations officer for the Airfield Operations Field. "This will increase collaboration and allow our teams to have more face to face communication."
Born added the new facility will increase the number of positions and training opportunities as they transition from analog to digital equipment.
The Philadelphia District is involved in numerous other projects at Dover Air Force Base, including construction of a flight simulator, fitness center, a medical examiner facility, and a chapel.
Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Thomas Tickner said the Corps is delivering critical projects that directly affect the Air Force's Overseas Contingency Operations mission.
"We've maintained a strong partnership with Dover and we'll continue the trend in the future," said Tickner. "I'm proud of the work our team did with this tower - it was a complex project and will play a crucial role in supporting the mission here."
Lt. Col. Tickner said he was proud the District contributed to Dover Air Force Base winning the 2010 Air Mobility CommandAca,!a,,cs Award for Installation Excellence. The base will now compete for an Air Force level distinction.
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