ORD celebrates new campus, lost comrades

By Mr Patrick Buffett (IMCOM)September 22, 2011

Salute
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
ribboncut
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Members of Team Lee " including leaders, Soldiers, Marines and engineers involved with the creation of the Ordnance Campus " participate in the cutting of the ribbon marking the dedication and opening of the 3-million-square-foot facility. Eight trai... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEE, Va. (Sept. 22, 2011) --In one of the largest ceremonies marking the ever-changing landscape of Fort Lee, Col. (P) Clark W. LeMasters Jr., chief of Ordnance and Commandant of the Ordnance School, led the Ordnance Corps, past, present and future, through the final chapter of its new beginning here.

The Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005 brought elements of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and Redstone Arsenal, Ala., as well elements of the Transportation Corps, the Air Force services school and the Navy's A School to Fort Lee, ensuring the historical installation would continue training Soldiers well into the future.

The ceremony combined three distinct events, the culmination of phase two of the rise of the ordnance campus, the dedication of nine facilities and a day of remembrance for ordnance Soldiers who have died in service to their country during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nine buildings and the fly-over bridge were dedicated during the ceremony, with family members witnessing and participating in the formalities.

Billingsley Hall, Boyd Hall, Judkins Hall, Rose Hall, Stever Hall, Randolph Hall, Toftoy Hall, Vincent Hall, the Samuel Sharpe Dining Facility and the Bishop-Anderson Bridge were dedicated in the names of dedicated Marines and Soldiers who served America and the Ordnance Corps.

Vincent Hall, named for Brig. Gen. Thomas K. Vincent, an ordnance officer during World War I, WW II, and the Korean War, was also recognized by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program and received a LEED silver certificate for meeting stringent criteria for its design and construction. The "green" facility will save taxpayer dollars in operating costs over the years.

"Today holds a great deal of meaning for Fort Lee, the surrounding communities and the Ordnance Corps," LeMasters said. "It marks the official close of a journey that began years ago with the BRAC 2005 decisions and ends today with this ribbon-cutting ceremony. As you look around this campus and this beautiful parade field in front of you, it's hard to believe that just a few years ago this was a patch of pine trees and brush. This is not Redstone Arsenal nor is it Aberdeen Proving Ground, but it is the best of both combined here at the center of the universe for logistics training - Fort Lee. Now truly support does start here and will continue on into the future."

LeMasters said that the ceremony meant many things to the hundreds of people gathered to witness the historical event unfold.

"It is an end, a beginning, a culmination of millions of dollars of construction, tens of thousands of hours of planning, building, checking, unpacking, packing and repacking again, counting and praying at times. For some, it was what you did for the last few years, and for others, it was a labor of love."

He thanked everyone who worked to complete the mission.

With the bronze plaques unveiled and the ribbon cutting completed, the ceremony turned from triumphant to solemn when young ordnance Soldiers carried dog-tags with the names of 53 Soldiers killed in action since 9/11.

Ground breaking for the campus began in 2007 when the once wooded area began the transformation.

Four years later, it has become a state-of-the-art training facility that spans 3-million-square-feet, and 30 buildings that will house training for more than 4,000 Soldiers and Marines per year.

Courses offered at the Ordnance School include explosive ordnance disposal/munitions, wheeled and tracked vehicle maintenance, small arms repair and a dedicated Marine Corps maintenance training facility. Students learn to troubleshoot, diagnose and repair mechanical and electrical systems on vehicles and advanced weapon platforms.

BRAC was completed ahead of the schedule and under budgeted costs.