MILITARY: Marine building boom extends to region

General says upgrades are 'right thing to do' for troops at war

By MARK WALKER - Staff Writer | Saturday, November 8, 2008 3:08 PM PST ∞

CAMP PENDLETON ---- Maj. Gen. Michael Lehnert says he has one goal as he oversees the biggest boom in Marine Corps construction in three decades.

"We need to do as good a job as we can taking care of our married and our unmarried Marines as we ask them to make extraordinary sacrifices in two different wars," Lehnert said during a recent interview in his office.

"That's heightened the need to get this done. It's a readiness issue, and it's the right thing to do."

As commanding general of Marine Corps Installations West, Lehnert is responsible for making sure housing and infrastructure needs are met at small and sprawling Arizona and California bases.

Those needs will cost $4.7 billion and will take place over the next four years.

Lehnert is readying the region's bases to shelter and provide facilities for what ultimately will be about 6,366 additional Marines and sailors. About 3,700 of those additional troops will call Camp Pendleton home.

Thirty-eight new bachelor enlisted quarters housing more than 40,000 Marines are being built at Camp Pendleton.

Regionwide, the number of family houses is going up from about 19,000 to 23,000. When all the work is done, Lehnert said, the bases will look fundamentally the same from the outside.

Not so inside the fences.

"We will see Marines coming back from overseas or arriving with their families after driving hundreds of miles and being able to pull up to a house and have the spouse say, 'Honey, this is really something,' " Lehnert said.

"I don't want any more stories of families pulling up to a base house for the first time and the spouse breaking into tears and saying, 'Honey, why are you doing this to me?' "

New base stores, known in the military as exchanges, also are going up, as are offices, recreational facilities and troop-training complexes.

In addition to those at Pendleton, major projects are under way at the Marine base in Yuma, Ariz., Twentynine Palms in the Mojave Desert, in Barstow, and at San Diego's Miramar Marine Corps Air Station and Marine Corps Recruit Depot.

To accomplish everything on his construction list, Lehnert also is hiring. He's especially looking for civilian architects, environmental planners and designers to help accomplish a lengthy to-do list.

'Long overdue'

Improving decades-old infrastructure and housing is the result of promises made by Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway and his predecessor, Gen. Michael Hagee.

"They saw the bases, listened to the concerns and each made firm commitments to taking care of our Marines," Lehnert said. "We want to see families living in new houses, going to new gyms and day care facilities and shopping in new, well-equipped base exchanges. It's all long overdue."

Congress and the president approved the work as part of the Defense Authorization bill, leaving little chance any will be dropped or slowed down if a new administration cuts the overall size of the Pentagon budget.

Pentagon planners do expect a slowdown, possible freeze or even cuts in spending in the coming months. Most anticipate the first cuts will come in new weapons systems.

The continuing construction work isn't tied to weapons systems, and it represents one bright spot for the slowed construction sector of the wobbly economy.

"The amount being spent has ripple effects throughout this county and into Riverside County," said Marney Cox, chief economist for the San Diego Association of Governments, a regional planning agency. "It helps keep us from falling off a cliff."

Military construction projects must abide by state and federal rules, including paying prevailing union-scale wages, keeping many contractors from bidding on the work.

Borre Winckel, head of the Building Industry Association of San Diego, said the military construction boom is unquestionably benefitting local supply and equipment providers.

Most of the contractors in his association, however, don't bid on the work because of the rules and wages associated with government contracting, he said.

Economic bright spot

Lehnert said he believes some of the housing projects and quality-of-life upgrades already completed are resulting in high re-enlistment rates.

Lehnert said he and other Marine officials were particularly happy that the work is coming at a time when the economy and the construction industry are in the doldrums.

"There's a heck of a lot of work to be had, and I'm trying to get the word out," the general said, pointing out that the work schedule calls for projects well into 2012. "They're planned out for years, but our leaders could decide to help jump-start part of the economy by deciding to expedite the work."

About $1 billion worth of work is planned for the fiscal year that started in October. Adding more money now rather than two or three years from now is one way a new administration may want to rapidly invest in infrastructure economics, Lehnert said.

"The Department of Defense can help level off the valley we're seeing in this tough economic time," he said.

Lehnert employs a little psychology in his effort to help assure quality work ---- the architect and builder of each major project must install a brass plaque containing their names and the name of their firms.

"We want them to be able to come back 20 or 30 years from now and be proud of what they've helped accomplish for the quality of life for our Marines," he said.

Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Michael Lehnert is looking to hire architects, construction planners and designers.

A Department of the Navy Web site where interested applicants, particularly recent college graduates, can post resumes is where to start the process.

General construction workers looking for a job and not affiliated with any union hiring hall or contractor also can post resumes on the site, https://chart.donhr.navy.mil/.