71st Flying Training Wing changes its face for the future Published Nov. 20, 2006 By Capt. Tony Wickman Public Affairs Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- Like most nearly 65-year-old patients trying to look and feel better, Vance is undergoing major structural and cosmetic "surgery" to bring it into the 21st century. According to Stan Willoughby, Computer Sciences Corporation chief engineer, many of the changes are for the growing missions at Vance, while others are for quality of life initiatives for people who live and work here. "There are six main areas with multiple projects in them to improve Vance," said Mr. Willoughby. "We have ongoing and future projects in Operations & Maintenance, Medical, Military Construction, Force Protection Enhancement, Base Realignment and Closure for Air Force and BRAC for Army areas." Some of the O&M projects, which are characterized as sustainment, restoration and modernization projects, include the $7.1 million runway repair at Kegelman Auxiliary Air Field, the $1.4 million bowling center upgrade and the more than $300,000 facelift for the 71st Operations Support Squadron building. "These projects impact both the mission of pilot training as well as the quality of life for our members," said Mr. Willoughby. "The Kegelman runway should reopen in October, the OSS building should be complete in November and the bowling center should be complete in February." Other O&M projects currently under review are: a new military working dog kennel, repairing Hangar 170 doors, putting a security fence around Kegelman and improving enlisted dormitories. The base medical community is also going into "pre-op" for expansion. Recently, the Air Education and Training Command surgeon allocated $700,000 for a new life skills facility. The main clinic, also being prepped for treatment, opened a new parking lot to ease traffic congestion Wednesday. "The main facility is also going to get an internal renovation," said Mr. Willoughby. "These renovations include 'way finding,' which is giving people the arrows and office signs to direct them to where they need to go, moving doors, and adding artwork based on the heritage of Vance and Oklahoma. These are purely aesthetics for the patients visiting the clinic." Another upgrade project is creating a medical aid station at Kegelman, where the base conducts "Warrior Training" for Vance people preparing for deployment overseas. According to Lewis Hollis, 71st Logistical Readiness Squadron quality assurance engineer, many of the military construction projects are instrumental to the future development of Vance. "We haven't received programmed MILCON dollars in more than 10 years, but we have had success at getting Congressional inserts into the budget for adding construction projects," said Mr. Hollis. "We are now looking at getting funding for a new fuel cell maintenance hangar, a new squadron facility for the Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals unit that is being stood up, a new community support and professional development center, a renovated control tower, improving the roads on Brown Parkway and conducting dormitory repairs." Other projects on the board include new force protection programs for the 160 acres of land deeded to the base by the City of Enid, including the new Gott Road extension from Southgate Road, as well as BRAC projects for the Air Force and Army. 'We are going to be even more joint, which is a good thing in my mind," said Mr. Willoughby. "BRAC for the Air Force includes the new IFF mission, meaning more aircraft and people. BRAC for the Army includes bringing an Army Reserve unit to the base and building a Reserve Center here." All projects are done with an eye to please, as well as have a common architectural scheme, and for Vance that can be traced to Mr. Hollis. "When I got here in the early 1980s, it was almost all World War II buildings with pastel colors," said Mr. Hollis. "I changed it so all buildings would be pleasing to look at and have a common architectural scheme, being the red roof and rough brick design." The design is the thing he takes the most pride in, and is still in use today. For Mr. Willoughby, who has been at Vance since 1975, his highlight was when the base was the first in AETC to take all base buildings with 4,000 points of information and placing them under a base-wide facility management system in 1978. The base's journey from a World War II training base leased for $1 per year from the city to a 21st century base producing pilots to carry out the Air Force's ever evolving missions has been noticeable. "When I first came here, it was surrounded by a three-strand barb wire fence with a gate shack that allowed you to drive through," he said. "We are moving from a country to a modern base." All thanks to continuing surgery to make it look and feel better.