(Photo/U.S. Army)
By Troy Turner
The U.S. Army has awarded BL Harbert International LLC a $129 million contract for construction of an Advance Individual Training barracks complex at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
The complex is expected to support up to 600 soldiers and include physical training areas and safety measures such as tornado/storm protection.
BL Harbert International, headquartered in Birmingham, is one of the federal government’s and U.S. military’s top contractors, with a global portfolio ranging from complex embassies and consulate offices to high-tech combat training facilities and secure barracks.
Fort Leonard Wood serves as the home of the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, which oversees training for the Army’s engineer, chemical and military police schools.
The post is named for Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, whose service spanned 40 years as a soldier and surgeon, according to Army materials.
Wood graduated from Harvard University and began his military service as a contract surgeon during the Apache Indian Wars in the 1880s, receiving the Medal of Honor for valor.
At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Wood commanded the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the Rough Riders. His second in command, Theodore Roosevelt, took over the regiment when Wood was promoted, according to Army records.
Wood served as the Army’s Chief of Staff from 1910 to 1914. His last position of service was a governor general of the Philippine Islands, which Spain had ceded to the U.S. after the Spanish-American War. Wood held this position until his death in 1927.
During World War II, more than 300,000 soldiers passed through Fort Leonard Wood on their way to service in every theater of operation.
The barracks contract awarded to BL Harbert carries an estimated completion date of April 24, 2029.
(Barracks construction. Photo/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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