Photo By Alfredo Barraza | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District Program Manager Alex Bryant talks with...... read more read more
VICENZA, Italy -- U.S. Army Garrison Italy in Vicenza has numerous units that rapidly deploy to support allies, reinforce deterrence, and respond to crises anywhere across Europe or Africa and beyond. This ability to rapidly respond throughout Europe and Africa is an essential part of the U.S. Army’s mission.
However, rapid response is easier said than done. Organizing and transporting the people, equipment, and vehicles necessary for a rapid deployment can be messy without proper planning or infrastructure. This is where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District enters the equation, in collaboration with host nation partners, the garrison and various tenant units within USAG Italy.
Over the past 15 years, Europe District has managed the design and construction of many projects supporting deployment operations.
“Providing high quality facilities that enable and expedite rapid deployment of our U.S. Forces is exciting and also rewarding because our daily effort significantly assists the U.S. Army in accomplishing its mission,” said Europe District Construction Branch Chief Bryce Jones.
Deploying
Since Del Din’s construction in 2012, Europe District has managed several projects on the installation designed to modernize facilities and reduce rapid deployment time. Some recent Del Din projects include:
- A Power Projection Platform container yard, allowing efficient staging of containers and equipment necessary for deployment.
- A large wash rack to facilitate vehicle cleanliness and deployment.
- An upgraded data center, supporting the operations of combatant commands.
- An aid station renovation, currently in construction, supporting the medical needs of the Soldiers.
On the other side of Vicenza is Caserma Ederle, where Europe District is finishing renovations of a headquarters building used by one of the battalions of the 173rd Airborne Infantry Brigade. Europe District is also renovating multiple barracks buildings, which will provide much-needed barracks space for the numerous tenant units within U.S. Army Garrison Italy.
“As a former member of one of the 173rd Airborne Infantry Brigade and current member of the USAG Italy community, I have been able to see how the work we do at USACE not only supports our warfighters accomplishing their mission, but also also takes care of their family and the community. Day in and day out, it is motivating to know that at USACE Europe District, we are not only supporting our units in their ability to deploy and meet our nation's security needs, but also providing infrastructure and facilities that sustain our overseas military community,” said Europe District Resident Engineer Ryan O’Deens.
When units deploy from Vicenza, they must travel over 100 kilometers (70 miles) to Aviano Air Base. The projects at Del Din help reduce overall deployment time on the front end of that journey, and while the Soldiers are on the road, operations at Aviano are already prepping for their arrival.
Two key projects at Aviano shave valuable minutes off the time it takes to deploy. The first of these is a new, modern warehouse to store equipment and supplies in convenient proximity to the aircraft. The second is a high dock facility allowing trucks to load and unload cargo near the airfield quickly and conveniently. These projects allow equipment to be prepped and loaded onto aircraft while Soldiers are still enroute to Aviano.
Training
In addition to reducing deployment time, Europe District has also completed multiple projects designed to support the training regimen of the units within the Vicenza military community. Keeping the Soldiers in top fighting condition is essential to helping them complete their mission.
To this end, Europe District managed construction of an obstacle course around the circumference of Caserma Del Din, and, in 2022, finished a turf field to facilitate training, exercise, sports and Army combat fitness testing.
For more technical skills, Soldiers use an aircraft static loader trainer to practice loading and unloading aircraft. Europe District also delivered two Airborne refresher training facilities, one at Del Din and a jump tower at Ederle, where Soldiers can simulate jumping out of an aircraft and practice landing safely.
“It’s pretty cool to stop and realize the impact our projects make that we execute in collaboration with the USAG Italy, tenant units and host nation partners. Our projects facilitate the U.S. Army’s mission, enable outstanding Soldier training, reduce rapid response time, and provide a great place to live and work. I love it!” said Europe District Construction Branch Chief Bryce Jones.
Constant improvement
As Europe District continues renovations on the barracks buildings on Caserma Ederle, there is another, bigger project on the drawing board for Caserma Del Din. This is an access control point at the north end of the installation. This security gate will give deploying troops direct access to the nearest highway, allowing them to bypass the city of Vicenza and associated traffic, making travel to Aviano even faster.
This project is still in design, with construction not expected to begin until approximately December 2026. Europe District will manage construction on the installation, while working in close coordination with USAG Italy and the host nation government, who will construct the road leading up to the base.
| Date Taken: | 09.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.22.2025 05:23 |
| Story ID: | 548871 |
| Location: | VICENZA, IT |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Europe District constructs multiple projects in Italy to support Army readiness, by Hannah Mitchell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
