# The new look of 5th Special Forces Group



## Ravage (Feb 3, 2010)

http://news.soc.mil/releases/News Archive/2010/Feb/100202-02.html

FORT CAMPBELL, KY. (USASOC News Service, Feb. 2, 2010) - A multi-million dollar construction project is currently under way to give the Soldiers of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) new, specially designed buildings. These updated facilities will accommodate both growing battalions and improve the overall preparation for future missions.  

The facilities we have now are over 50 years old," said Sergeant 1st Class Patrick Marek, 5th Group Engineer Operations NCO."Having these new buildings will cut down on maintenance costs and will give the teams modernized office space."

"The constant maintenance requirement made it virtually impossible to keep the facilities in decent repair," said Maj. Milton Kinslow, 5th Group Engineer Officer." The old facilities were originally built in 1952 and were not designed to last 60 years without significant renovation and refurbishment." 

Each battalion will be assigned a new building that will provide each team with its own office and deployment bay. Having these separate areas allow the teams to keep equipment needed for deployments in the bay, and gives them more room for their personalized equipment.

The old buildings were 35,000 square feet, depending on the floor plan and past renovations."This was part of the challenge of the old buildings," said Kinslow."They were buildings that were designed for a different purpose. Everything was very disorganized and hard to operate out of." Each new building will be around 120,000 square feet and hold approximately 450 people.

"I feel this is a step in the right direction," said Kinslow."These are purpose built facilities, made to house a Special Forces battalion. They are easy to operate in and deploy out of. They are much more efficient than the old buildings."

"We have better temperature control in these buildings," said Sergeant Dustin DeShaney, 3rd Battalion S2 Clerk."In the old buildings, the heat wouldn't work right in the winter and the air conditioners wouldn't work right in the summer."

Before the new buildings were constructed, the entire battalion could not fit into one building. The battalion staff was located in one and the line companies were in another. Now, the entire battalion's assets are centrally located, providing unrealized benefits. 

"Having the whole battalion in one place helps me because now I don't have to worry about securing two different buildings and it allows for easier access," said DeShaney. 
All Special Forces Groups in the Unites States Army will get the new buildings. Half the project is complete for 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and is scheduled to be finished in 2014. 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) out of Fort Carson, Colorado, as well as 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, also currently have construction projects underway.








> The front of 3rd BN, 5th SFG (A) new battalion headquarters. 1st BN, 5th SFG (A) will start moving into their new building in February. (Photo by Spec. Kerry Otjen, 5th SFG (A) Public Affairs)









> The new 5th SFG (A) headquarters building. The entire construction project is scheduled to be complete in 2014. (Photo by Spec. Kerry Otjen, 5th SFG (A) Public Affairs)


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## Whiplash (Feb 3, 2010)

wow looks nice, but MARSOC West is getting a whole new compound on Pendleton which is nice too. good to see that the gov is taking care of our SOF community


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## LongTabSigO (Feb 3, 2010)

About friggin time.  I made the move to Campbell from Bragg back in 1986; we were promised all sorts of things that never got around to being funded. The Legion deserves world-class facilities.


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