4th CAB gains new facilities

By Susan C. Galentine, Directorate of Public WorksOctober 5, 2023

4th CAB gains new facilities
FORT CARSON, Colo. — The 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, company operations facility, building 9477, off Butts and Warfighter roads near the Butts Army Heliport, was signed over to the brigade in September 2023. The 777,510-square-foot building can house five company-sized elements. (Photo Credit: Susan C. Galentine) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers with the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, moved into the last new company operations facilities (COFs), buildings 9477 and 9497, for their unit footprint in September 2023, signaling the culmination of more than 10 years of construction efforts to provide the brigade state-of-the-art facilities.

Construction of new 4th CAB facilities began in 2012. The first buildings completed included a brigade headquarters, battalion hangar and an air traffic control tower, according to Tom Wiersma, Directorate of Public Works Master Planning Division community planner.

“These projects are particularly rewarding for the DPW and Fort Carson team because this culminates a decade of thoughtful construction to put our 4th CAB into game-changing facilities,” said Joe Wyka, DPW director. “These COFs enable our CAB to consolidate into their new footprint and provide world-class buildings in which to train and operate.”

Facilities built for the aviation brigade were designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to meet a silver U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating at a minimum, with the some rated higher.

The new 4th CAB facilities include:

  • Three barracks along Warfighter Road
  • Four hangars and an unmanned aerial vehicle hangar
  • Three COFs
  • Two large tactical equipment maintenance facilities
  • A battalion headquarters building, which houses headquarters for five battalions
  • A brigade headquarters building
  • Unit storage facilities
  • A battlefield weather detachment building
  • Additional support facilities

During the decade of construction, 4th CAB units were sprinkled throughout the garrison in older facilities until they could relocate into their new buildings.

“A special thanks to Omaha District Corps of Engineers who has been partners in this process from the original sketches to today,” Wyka said.

Thirteen of the older Butts Army Heliport facilities, some dating back to the 1970s, have been demolished since 2012.

Additional support facilities slated for the Wilderness Road Complex include a fitness center, which is currently under construction and is estimated to open in March 2024, and a fire station, set for completion in December 2024.