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US Army Corps of Engineers

Los Angeles District Website

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USACE senior leaders visit Fort Irwin Hospital project

By Brooks O. Hubbard IV

USACE Los Angeles District

Published Sept. 25, 2015

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The new Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital at Fort Irwin, California , 7.6 acre photovoltaic (PV) array and a solar thermal array, will generate 2.4 megawatts of power and the solar thermal array will provide a majority of the hot water the hospital requires. The new hospital project consists of a 216,000 square foot hospital facility which will provide Soldier and family patient care, emergency medicine, and a wide variety of clinical support. The facility stands to become the first LEED Platinum, net-zero, carbon-neutral hospital that will generate all of its energy needs from solar power and renewable energy systems

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Joe Calcara, director of programs, USACE South Pacific Division, and the senior executive project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Irwin Weed Army Hospital replacement construction project and USACE Director of Military Programs Lloyd Caldwell listen to briefers during the project’s Senior Executive Review Group quarterly briefing at Fort Irwin Sept. 22.

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Crews from Corps contractor Turner Construction Company beginning the construction of the hospital’s central utilities plant, which is co-located outside of the main hospital structure. The plant is essential for the management of day-to-day operations of the entire hospital. Joe Calcara, director of programs, USACE South Pacific Division, and the senior executive project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Irwin Weed Army Hospital replacement construction project, hosted the project’s Senior Executive Review Group quarterly briefing at Fort Irwin Sept. 22.

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Joe Calcara, director of programs, USACE South Pacific Division, and the senior executive project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Irwin Weed Army Hospital replacement construction project, hosted the project’s Senior Executive Review Group quarterly briefing at Fort Irwin Sept. 22. After the briefing, the group toured the project site and observed crews from Corps contractor Turner Construction Company beginning the construction of the hospital’s central utilities plant, which is co-located outside of the main hospital structure. The plant is essential for the management of day-to-day operations of the entire hospital.

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FORT IRWIN, California-- Joe Calcara, director of programs, USACE South Pacific Division, and the senior executive project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Irwin Weed Army Hospital replacement construction project, hosted the project’s Senior Executive Review Group quarterly briefing at Fort Irwin Sept. 22.

The project is classified as a USACE “mega” project and requires senior level project management. Calcara has been the senior executive for the project since its contract award in May 2012 and holds the quarterly briefings to review the project’s progress.

“The project is starting to take shape as the steel is in the ground and the skin is being added to close up the facility,” said Calcara.

On July 15, the project met a critical milestone as the first exterior precast panel was installed. The construction phase is more than 40 percent complete.

USACE Director of Military Programs Lloyd Caldwell attended the briefing and met with the senior project management team headed by Los Angeles District Commander Col. Kirk Gibbs and representatives from the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Irwin, U.S. Army Health Facility Planning Agency, RLF Engineering and Turner Construction Company.

“Medical facilities are one of the most critical sorts of projects we build anywhere and this one is an important one,” said Caldwell. “This also is a ‘mega’ project, which means that it is a very large project, and has a level of interest or visibility that indicates that it deserves the leadership attention.”

Caldwell was appointed Director of Military Programs in September 2012. He is responsible for the execution of the Corps’ worldwide program for engineering, construction, real estate, and environmental activities in support of the Army, Air Force, other Department of Defense and Federal agencies, and foreign nations.

“One of the mandates we have when we build these sort of hospitals that we are building is that they be world class medical facilities,” said Caldwell. “They have the ability to deliver world class medical services and that’s what our Soldiers and their families deserve, and that’s what they are going to get by the time this project is complete.“

After the briefing, the group toured the project site and observed crews from Corps contractor Turner Construction Company beginning the construction of the hospital’s central utilities plant, which is co-located outside of the main hospital structure. The plant is essential for the management of day-to-day operations of the entire hospital.