Construction began recently on a new Range Maintenance facility at Fort Indiantown Gap that will replace an udersized World War II-era building.
The new building will support daily range maintenance operations including maintenance activities, administrative functions and shipping and receiving. It will replace Rage Maintenance's current building, which was constructed in 1941 and originally used as a vehicle maintenance shop.
The project was awared at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, initial prep and site work began during the first quarter of 2026. However, construction was paused due to weather and began again during the third quarter of 2026.
“The CFMO (Construction and Facilities Management Office), architectural engineers and designers, and the DPW (DIrector of Public Works) project manager worked closely with us to design a facility that meets every requirement we identified,” said Kurt Spieles, the Range Program Coordinator.
The new structure will be 8,000 square feet of pre-engineered steel with concrete foundation and footers with metal roofing.
“It will include dedicated machine, painting and woodworking shops; a UAS and 3D‑printing workspace; and substantial storage for tools and electronic target components,” said Spieles. “The current building is small, outdated and lacks many of the safety and functional features the team requires.”
The facility will also include a break area, individual offices, an elevated loading dock and separate men’s and women’s facilities.
The Range Operations staff says that they’re looking forward to the improvement in safety for this new building.
Safety will be one of the most substantial improvements,” said Spieles. “Proper ventilation, dust collection and the physical separation of the machine shop and wood shop are essential safety features we simply cannot achieve in the current, cramped facility.”
Spieles said the Range Control Office is taking a very forward-leaning approach, not only to range maintenance, but also to emerging technology.
“We are working closely with UASTIF (Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training and Innovation Facility) leadership to develop state‑of‑the‑art UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) kinetic and non‑kinetic engagements, UAS flight‑maneuver training, UAS gunnery, and other training requirements Soldiers face in today’s contested environments,” Spieles said. “Having a dedicated space to build and repair both quadcopter and fixed‑wing drones is a major step forward.”
Col. Kevin Potts, Fort Indiantown Gap's garrison commander, said the installation's ranges are critical in developing readiness, and the professionals who maintain the ranges deserve the facilities that match the importance of their work and mission.
“The older facility is no longer large enough to house all the equipment needed to properly maintain and upgrade our ranges,” Potts said. “This new Range Maintenance facility will provide a safer, more efficient workspace while positioning Fort Indiantown Gap to support the evolving training requirements of the future.”
Spieles shared that the transition from the old facility to the new one should be a smooth transition since the new construction is fairly close to the old one.
“The engineering and design team conducted an in‑depth site visit to evaluate our current equipment and ensure all requirements were fully accounted for,” he said. “Since we have the right vehicles and equipment to transport our tools and machinery, the move should be quick and low‑stress.”
“Funding limitations delayed the project for several years, so it’s exciting to finally see it become a reality,” Speiels shared. “The Range Maintenance team is excited about moving into their new workspace and using a facility that truly supports the important work they do every day.”
The new facility is being built on the far west end of Range Road across from the Unit Training Equipment Site. The project is projected to be completed in February 2027.