Chièvres Air Base undergoes transformation

By Mr. Keith R Houin, U.S. Army Garrison BeneluxApril 29, 2015

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Members of the Chièvres/SHAPE community are beginning to see major changes and improvements on Chièvres Air Base as U.S. Army Garrison Benelux makes efforts to meet the goals of the European Infrastructure Consolidation as well as facilitate a long-planned move of operations from Caserne Daumerie to Chièvres Air Base.

The Caserne Daumerie move and other improvements on the air base will consolidate most services in the same area and make it more convenient for patrons of garrison services as well as Army and Air Force Exchange Service, or AAFES, and Defense Commissary Agency, or DeCA, services.

The PXtra facility is planned to be converted to office space and PXtra service will be moved to the main store and a new 3,200 square feet extension to the facility. The new extension and consolidation of AAFES services will make it more convenient for customers to get all their shopping done in one location rather than having to go to multiple facilities, AAFES manager Joe Escobar said.

Work on the extension has begun, but in the interim some of the PXtra operations will be conducted from the newly erected tent in the Chièvres Main Exchange parking lot until the extension is completed, Escobar said.

Additionally, Escobar said the dry cleaners will move into Building 20081 -- the same building as the laundromat in what used to be the Corps of Engineers office.

Despite every effort to minimize loss of services to the customer, some things will no longer be available, Escobar said, the Möbel Krings-Maraite furniture contract ended March 31, and they won't renew their contract. Video rental and express food will also no longer be available."

The PX will also get a new $3.6 million Heating Ventilation and Air Condition systems. The new system will reduce energy waste and provide better temperature control in the main exchange to include the new section under construction, said Chris Papaioannou, the garrison's director of public works.

There is no firm date on when the current PXtra will shut its doors but the move will be completed by May 15.

Customers will have already noticed numerous changes within the main exchange. In the coming weeks customers will see more changes as the current customer service area is prepared to become military clothing sales. Customer service will soon be located at the front of the store to provide more convenient service to patrons and to be more in line with similar type stores shoppers are used to in the States.

The post office, also in the PXtra facility, will make a temporary move to Building 8 on Caserne Daumerie May 8, according to Dona Brooks, the director of Human Resources. The Postal Finance Window and the Official Mail Section will be closed on moving day, and the Personal Mail Delivery Section will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to allow personnel to move the mail and equipment from one facility to the other. It will re-open from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Building 8 on Caserne Daumerie to allow customers to pick up any mail they may have.

Addresses and receptacle numbers won't change, but combinations of the mailboxes will. Your new combination will be placed in your current receptacle within the next couple of weeks.

The post office will move back to Chièvres Air Base when the renovations of the old PXtra and Bldg 120 are complete.

SATO travel office will move from Chièvres Air Base PXtra to Caserne Daumerie Building 20024 Room 108. The office on Chièvres will close April 30 through May 4 to allow for the move. Normal operations will resume May 5 in the new location.

The PXtra facility won't be the only changes over the next few months.

The Chièvres Community Activity Center has been undergoing a face lift for the past several weeks. The entire facility has been painted and new flooring will be coming for the Fitness Center and the old Patriot Lounge. There is a lot of new graphic material on the walls both in the Fitness Center and in the large area around the basketball courts.

"Inside the fitness center, we are eagerly awaiting the installation of a Cardio Theater," said Craig Larsen, the director of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation. "There are six new TVs, which will shortly be tuned to different stations, mounted to the wall. Attached to the cardio machines will be devices that allow you to plug in your headphones and choose which TV you want to listen to while you are working out. Both Sky Satellite and AFN are being installed, and the plan is to have a variety of programs playing to include sports, news, movies and other popular programs."

Outdoor Recreation and Equipment Rental has moved to the Community Activity Center as well, Larsen said.

"This move makes (Outdoor Recreation and Equipment Rental) much more accessible to the community, and they will be able to see all that we have to offer." The new hours of operation are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 5:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 6 p.m.

There will also be changes in the Brussels and Schinnen communities. The Brussels community may see works begin as early as this fall, but the Schinnen community isn't expected to see any major changes until 2017.

"Actions to facilitate the return of the sites and the movement of the work force and equipment to different facilities are already underway, but most of these actions have had no effect on the supported community," Papaioannou said.