OICC Florence attends Topping Out Ceremony for new CH-53K Maintenance Hangar

Photo By Ashley Snipes | U.S. Navy LCDR Brian Mack, operations officer, Officer in Charge of Construction Florence signs a ceremonial beam on October 25, 2023 aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River. Contractor of record, Archer Western of The Walsh Group, hosted a Topping Out ceremony for OICC Florence and Marine Corps representatives to gather and sign the final roof beam before it was lifted into place at the top of the new structure.  

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, NC, UNITED STATES

10.25.2023

Story by Ashley Snipes 

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Officer in Charge of Construction Florence

The new CH-53K maintenance hangar aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River received its final roof beam in a special “Topping Out” ceremony commemorating the construction milestone on October 25, 2023.

Contractor of record, Archer Western of The Walsh Group, hosted the event for OICC Florence and Marine Corps representatives to gather and sign the beam before it was lifted into place at the top of the new structure. The tradition of topping out a building goes back hundreds of years, and was a means to either bring luck or ward off evil spirits for the new occupants. The original tradition adapted from placing a branch atop the highest part of the building to securing the final steel beam when steel became the dominate material.

Marines, Sailors and Civilians have been able to see the main truss structure of the hangar already as it extends 80 feet into the air. It can also be viewed from the water’s edge on MCB Camp Lejeune in the Paradise Point area.

“The new truss structure uses cylindrical steel instead of the I-beam to prevent water from pooling and accelerating deterioration,” said Ali Zainulabdeen, construction manager for package 7 which includes P378. “There’s more strength to hold the structure, and there’s less cost for maintenance over time.”

The new hangar will be roughly 297,000 square feet and includes maintenance, operations, and administrative spaces for three CH-53K aircraft squadrons. The previous maintenance hangar received damage during Hurricane Florence and was demolished in order to make room for the new facility.

"The Type II Modified hangar is the design which is function built to support any rotary wing or tilt rotor squadron at MCAS New River," said U.S. Marine Corps LtCol William "Upgrade" Oren, director of installations and environment for MCAS New River. "It allows for additional storage space for support equipment. It's truly a one-off design."

Once complete, the hangar will be able to house up to nine CH-53K helicopters for maintenance.

“The entire hangar spans about two football fields, or 3 soccer fields,” added Zainulabdeen. “It’s hard to visualize that size.”

The squadrons will also have an extra 527,000 square feet available on the ramp for the aircraft.

Also included in the project is a 600-space parking garage. Personnel working in the area will be able to use the parking garage in spring 2024, which is a welcomed addition to the area which is known for its lack of parking in close proximity to workspaces.

OICC Florence provides world-class engineering, construction, and acquisition services supporting the Marine Corps’ recovery from Hurricane Florence and deployment of the Joint Strike Fighter, re-establishing the readiness of expeditionary forces for MCIEAST and II Marine Expeditionary
Force.

• Date Taken: 10.25.2023
• Date Posted: 10.27.2023 13:40
• Story ID: 456681
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, NC, US
• Hometown: JACKSONVILLE, NC, US