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The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, center, listens as 1st Sgt. Carson J. Downey, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation Regiment, briefs in the room of Sgt. Markeece Watkins, HHC 1st Bn., 5th Avn. Reg., left, during a barracks tour at Fort Polk, La., April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, left, looks at license plates displayed on the ceiling with Fort Polk leadership and personnel during a visit to the Dogwood Terrace Community Center at Fort Polk, La., April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, left, listens as Fort Polk Garrison Commander Col. Adam J. Barlow, right, briefs during Gillis’ barracks tour at Fort Polk, La., April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, right, listens as Corvias Senior Vice President of Asset Management Peter Therrell, left, briefs during Gillis’ visit to Fort Polk’s solar farm April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, right, listens as Corvias Executive Vice President of Renewable Energy and Utilities Management Pablo Varela briefs during Gillis’ visit to Fort Polk’s solar farm April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, left, listens as Corvias Senior Vice President of Asset Management Peter Therrell, center, briefs during Gillis’ visit to a home in Palmetto Terrace at Fort Polk, La., April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, left, listens as Nathan Jerrnigan, director of public works, and 1st Sgt. Carson J. Downey, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation Regiment, brief in the room of Sgt. Markeece Watkins, HHC 1st Bn., 5th Avn. Reg., during a barracks tour at Fort Polk, La., April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, left, listens as Fort Polk Garrison Commander Col. Adam J. Barlow, right, briefs during a visit to the Dogwood Terrace playground undergoing renovations at Fort Polk, La., April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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From left: Lt. Col. Garrett Barr and the Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, listen as Fort Polk Garrison Commander Col. Adam J. Barlow and Nathan Jerrnigan, director of public works, show Gillis structural damage at one of Dogwood Terrace's playgrounds undergoing renovations at Fort Polk, La., April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, left, listens as Maj. Gen. Jason A. Curl, Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk commanding general, speaks during a command brief at Fort Polk headquarters, Fort Polk, La., April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, left, listens as Corvias Executive Vice President of Renewable Energy and Utilities Management Pablo Varela shows him one of Corvias’ hot water system upgrades in a Palmetto Terrace home at Fort Polk, La., April 15. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)
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FORT POLK, La. — The Honorable Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, visited Fort Polk April 15.
The tour included visits to housing for Soldiers and families, the newly installed $29 million solar energy project and the current and future sites of the Army’s Rotational Unit Billeting Area.
The visit highlighted Fort Polk’s efforts to improve installation quality of life while supporting the Army’s energy resilience and combat readiness goals. Among the priorities were barracks renovations. Since 2010, 34 barracks have been renovated at a cost of $500 million. The initiative aligns with a Department of War task force overseeing departmentwide barracks improvements, which Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addressed last November.
“For far too long, this department has failed too many of our warfighters,” Hegseth said in a Nov. 25 video posted to department social media outlets. “Every member of our joint force deserves housing that is clean, comfortable and safe.”
Gillis saw the renovated barracks firsthand, including upgraded rooms for Soldiers, a lounge area with a pool table and a newly installed laundry room. He also spoke with Soldiers about their quality of life and any concerns they had.
He also toured newly renovated Corvias homes, where improvements include ground-source heat pump installations, hot water system upgrades, smart home controls, electric meter upgrades and new LED lighting.
Gillis then visited Fort Polk’s solar farm and future microgrid site, a $29 million project that provides energy benefits to more than 1,800 homes, supporting affordability, efficiency and reliability. The project is a partnership among Fort Polk, Corvias, CRC Innovations and Onyx Renewables.
“This installation has always been about readiness, not just on the battlefield, but in every aspect of Soldier and family life,” Maj. Gen. Jason A. Curl, Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk commanding general, said during the solar farm’s ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 5. “This project is a major step in that endeavor. This new energy capability provides greater independence and resilience to our families to have reliable power, no matter the challenge. It’s an example of innovation and sustainability in action.”
These efforts demonstrate the Army and Fort Polk's continued commitment to improving quality of life for Soldiers and families while enhancing energy efficiency.
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