Innovative Bunker Provides Vital Support To Air Force Program

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The 5,000 sqft. munitions bunker includes eight modular sections.

Lt. Col. Arnold Bowen, 412th Maintenance Group Deputy Commander, cuts the ribbon to officially open the munitions bunker.

Joseph Haydon, ARMAG Corp., and Roger Otis, 412th Test Wing Plans and Programs Office Director.

Giancarlo Casem, 412th Test Wing Public Affairs

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. —
A new munitions bunker is now officially open for business following a ribbon cutting ceremony on Edwards Air Force Base, California.

“I tell you right now, it has been a long time since we’ve had anything new out here,” said Lt. Col. Arnold Bowen, 412th Maintenance Group Deputy Commander. “We look forward to going forward and having more things come to this section as our programs advance.”

The new bunker is 5,000 square feet and can be internally configured through eight modular sections. It is designed to store high-class munitions as well as the future in mind, namely the Long Range Stand-Off program, Bowen said.

“That Long Range Stand-Off program is vital to the future of the Air Force,” Bowen said. “We needed to be able and go and support that in a first-class fashion and this facility will allow us to do that.”

For the facility’s designers, ARMAG Corp., it was a challenge to build a bunker this size because of the size of their team due to being small business company.

“This is our largest facility to date, so when we started kicking this off, it was kind of ‘can you do this?’ said Joseph Haydon, ARMAG Corp. “We’re a small business; never thought we’d build something of this size many years ago. We were just thrilled for the opportunity and the outcome and I hope the (412th Test) Wing will appreciate this and be used well.

Bowen assured Haydon that the new bunker will be indeed put to use. It also ensures that the MXG is ready for the future and whatever mission requirements the group and the Munitions Flight receive.

“With the $900 million program that is the LSRO program, we know that it is just a matter of time before we get more robust requirements coming to us,” Bowen said. “This facility is going to allow us the capability to store warheads, if needed, it gives an increased foot print out here it also doubles our capacity.”