To earn their Engineering badges, Webelos I Den, Pack 412, at Heritage Christian Academy in Hopkinsville, Ky., visited the Design Build Echelon Above Brigade (EAB) Barracks Facility at Fort Campbell in March. The Scouts viewed architectural, mechanical and electrical plans for the nearly complete project and were briefed at the job site by Bill Cottle, project manager for contractor Balfour Beatty, and Craig Carder, superintendant for Balfour Beatty. During a tour of the project, Scouts witnessed various types and stages of construction such as civil work, a large mechanical room complete with geothermal HVAC equipment, a barracks common area and a soldiers suite.
"There were lots of good questions asked and answered," said John Reed, senior project engineer at Fort Campbell’s north resident office. "Overall it was a good educational experience for these Webelos to earn their Engineering badges, and an opportunity for us to show their leaders how their tax dollars support our troops."
When completed, the project will include two four-story barracks (204,638 square feet) housing 528 soldiers in 264 living units. Building grounds include covered pavilions, courtyard, soccer field, two softball fields, volley ball courts and horseshoe pits. The design includes sustainable energy features such as high-efficiency material choices and geothermal HVAC units for heating and cooling, which will assist in making the project USGBC LEED "Silver" certified.