Kristen Bergeson, Author at America's Engineers

Solar panels on a building at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, show signs of damage following Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. Their restoration is one of many projects resulting from the Navy’s expanded partnership with Huntsville Center’s Resource Efficiency Manager Program. (U.S. Navy photo)

Following years of energy-saving successes at Naval Base Guam, the Navy is expanding its partnership with the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville’s Resource Efficiency Manager Program.

Huntsville Center’s REM program improves installation energy programs by developing site energy and water plans that achieve energy efficiency, reduction, security and resiliency through sustainable and renewable resources. REMs, contracted energy management experts, help energy managers increase energy awareness, collect data for reporting site energy use and management and achieve energy goals and mandates.

REMs have been working with energy managers at Naval Base Guam for over six years to conduct building audits, identify energy conservation measures and develop project documentation for third-party financed energy projects, said Russell Moebes, REM Program project manager.

“They saw the energy savings and projects that have come out of Guam, so they shared those success stories within the Navy and wanted to get REMs out to other installations to help meet their energy goals as well,” said Moebes.

Huntsville Center’s REM Program now has contracts to provide 16 total REMs to Navy Atlantic, Navy Pacific and Navy Far East. Each contract has four unexercised option years and additional unexercised optional REMs if installations need additional support with larger integrated project development.

“Not only are these contracts going to result in cost savings for the Navy, they are also focused on improving energy resiliency, so installations can self-sustain their critical missions,” said Moebes.

For more information about Huntsville Center’s Resource Efficiency Manager Program, visit https://www.hnc.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheet-Article-View/Article/490651/energy-division-resource-efficiency-managers/.

The Hunter Army Airfield Warrior Restaurant near Savannah, Georgia, recently received a full-scale renovation that included all new furniture via a contract awarded by the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville’s Furnishings Program. (Photo by Chris Putman)

The Hunter Army Airfield Warrior Restaurant near Savannah, Georgia, has experienced a nearly 600% increase in diners following a full-scale renovation that included all new furniture via a contract awarded by the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville’s Furnishings Program.

The contract, valued at $351,000, provided the dining facility with a variety of seating options such as private nooks, window seating, lounge areas, and high-top tables with stools in conjunction with standard dining tables and seating, said Stephanie Hardin, Furnishings project manager.

The aim was to create a more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environment for customers, most of which are soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, said Sgt. 1st Class Gerrick C. Smith II, the warrior restaurant manager assigned to the 287th Quartermaster Company.

“The Army plans to modernize all of its dining facilities with a college-campus dining concept, but we were chosen to pilot it, so for now, this is the only one of its kind,” Smith said. “We’re just glad to be able to offer this level of dining experience to soldiers.”

Prior to the Warrior Restaurant’s grand reopening in April, the facility saw an average of only 50 customers per meal.

“Our utilization rate has gone up immensely since then,” he said. “Sometimes, we’re over 500 people at one meal, but on a regular basis, it’s closer to 300. Huntsville Center played a big part in that.”

The remodel, which also included food trucks, “grab-n-go” kiosks, and made-to-order meal stations, stems from the Army’s readiness and modernization priorities that were codified in July 2019 when the Army revised Army Regulation (AR) 30-22, the Army Food Modernization Program.

The program’s overall objective is to field a modernized culinary service program that meets Soldier’s needs and desires.

For more information about Huntsville Center’s Furnishing Program, visit https://www.hnc.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheet-Article-View/Article/1910931/facilities-division-furnishings-program/.

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