Photo By Jared Harral | In May 2025, Pacific Air Forces Civil Engineers advanced their "weaponizing...... read more read more
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Pacific Air Forces Civil Engineers have a vision: weaponize construction in the Indo-Pacific.
In May 2025, that vision took a step forward during a “Weaponizing Construction in the Indo-Pacific (WCIP) Working Group,” focused on improving military civil engineering project delivery by enhancing collaboration with industry partners. Headquarters PACAF Civil Engineers led the effort in coordination with the Air Force Installation Contracting Center Operating Location PACAF, the 766th and 722nd Enterprise Sourcing Squadrons, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Requirements and Acquisitions Division, and Air Force Contract Augmentation Program V civilian contractors.
Over three days, participants from Fluor Intercontinental, Inc., KBR Services, LLC, Environmental Chemical Corporation, Amentum Services, Inc., IAP Worldwide Services, and V2X, Inc. analyzed the current landscape and explored obstacles contractors face throughout the project lifecycle, what PACAF/A4C refers to as the “Engineering Kill Chain,” from planning and programming to design and construction. Discussions brought forward contractor perspectives on risk assessment, cost structures, and contracting procedures, with analyses of past project difficulties.
1st Lt. Jessica Kinman, a member of the Washington Air National Guard deployed with the 240th Civil Engineer Flight, currently assigned to PACAF/A4C, served as the facilitator for the WCIP Working Group. She emphasized the importance of such forums, noting that industry partners bring invaluable, experience-based perspectives that are critical to successfully executing multi-location construction projects.
“Our industry partners enabled us to proactively identify process inefficiencies and emerging challenges at new sites that could impact military contract fulfillment, facilitating early intervention,” said Kinman. “The diverse working groups were fundamental to fostering optimal brainstorming and rapid problem-solving.”
To illustrate how this integrated approach can drive results, participants examined a case study on the U.S. Navy Seabees’ implementation of the “Whole of Engineering” concept at China Lake, California, following the devastating earthquakes of 2019, as well as the successful airfield ramp construction project at San Clemente Island, California, in 2022.
Building on these lessons, PACAF engineers are pioneering their first “Whole of Engineering and Industry” strategy through the 513th RED HORSE Squadron’s adaptive rehabilitation of Tinian North Field, utilizing insights derived from both China Lake and San Clemente Island.
The latter part of the workshop focused on unlocking new opportunities through strengthened partnerships. Attendees pinpointed areas where increased collaboration and closer teamwork could streamline processes and deliver significant benefits, envisioning the application of these principles to future joint efforts. Strategies and best practices for effective military-contractor partnerships were shared, including communication protocols, risk-sharing models, and contracting regulations.
The event concluded with the development of action plans and the definition of key performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of future collaborative efforts, solidifying commitments and outlining next steps for execution.
“The team successfully documented opportunities covering a wide range of areas – programming, design, contracting, regulations, and construction processes – all of which are projected to deliver considerable value and benefits to the team,” Kinman said. “While some represent ‘quick wins’ that can be addressed immediately, others are strategic, medium- to long-term actions requiring congressional waivers or approvals to optimize operations at new construction locations. Our next steps involve allocating these tasks and designating the appropriate parties to drive their realization.”
PACAF Command Civil Engineer Col. Kevin Osborne underscored the need for strong industry partnerships to operate at the “Speed of Need” as we drive to weaponize construction in the Indo-Pacific through the implementation of superior technologies.
“This working group demonstrates our proactive approach to leveraging industry expertise to enhance warfighter readiness and reestablish deterrence through superior capabilities,” said Osborne. “Our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific demands that we constantly adapt and evolve as we continue to set the theater.”
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.23.2025 15:02 |
| Story ID: | 543645 |
| Location: | HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 1,113 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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