Project to restore storm-damaged cable winds up this month

Published Aug. 6, 2007
By Susan Griggs
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- An $8 million project to replace computer and telephone cable damaged by Hurricane Katrina wraps up this month.

"This program brings Keesler's communications infrastructure back to where it was prior to the storm," said construction manager Irv Rollman from CH2M Hill, the prime contractor providing design and construction services since June 2006.
The undertaking involved about 3 million feet of cable and 3,500 "quad outlets" with two telephone jacks and two computer jacks each.

"We performed work in up to five buildings simultaneously," Mr. Rollman explained. He and project manager Wayne Keller and project engineer Pete Peterson have been responsible for rewiring 14 hurricane-damaged buildings across the base.

Buildings covered by the project include 403rd Wing headquarters, base operations, Taylor Logistics Center, Sablich Center and 85th Engineering Installation Squadron.
Other rewired facilities include the 81st Security Forces, Communications and Contracting Squadrons and Stennis, McClelland, Dolan, Hewes and Garrard halls.
"We also reworked some outside plant splices at Keesler Medical Center," Mr. Rollman said.

Stennis Hall was the largest and most complex building, with more than 2,800 cables and 700 drops, a fiber optic backbone and rewiring for several secure compartmented information facilities.

The contract was performed under the auspices of Elis Ta, program manager for the Air Force Civil Engineering Support Agency.