COMMANDER’S MESSAGE
District building ‘largest’ freefall simulator
Daniel J. Calderón
YUMA, Ariz. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District is building what is being described as the “largest freefall simulator facility in the world” at Yuma Proving Grounds. During the week of July 22, the District erected 1.6 million pounds of concrete in the form of 16 tilt wall panels for the Special Operations Forces Freefall Simulator Facility. The contractor poured the tilt walls horizontally to the proper scale then lifted each section over the course of several days. It was like a barn raising on a more massive scale. “I’m very excited about this project,” said Leo Pilkington, President of Pilkington Commercial Co., Inc. Pilkington is the contractor on the project. “We have a tremendous facility being built by a great group of people here in Yuma.” Pilkington said the construction crews are all from the Yuma area. The full project includes a Vertical Wind Tunnel (VWT) and associated facilities including an administrative office, flight chamber with control room, and staging and training areas (open instruction), observation area, training equipment storage utility. In addition, the Corps will provide a small parking area for 16 Personally Owned Vehicles, parking for two buses used to transport trainees, and other site improvements and utilities for operation of the new facility. Army Maj. Gregory Povenski, the commander for the U.S. Army Military Free Fall School B Company 2nd Battalion 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), said the facility will be a great asset to his command’s mission. “The freefall simulator will allow us to be self contained here at YPG to teach all of our courses,” Povenski said. “As of right now, due to the lack of a simulator here, we must split our courses over various locations that have these facilities available. Having it here will save time and money due to the removal of our travel requirements to get to and stay at off site locations.”
District teammates: Words cannot begin to describe how thankful I am to have this opportunity to command the Los Angeles District. You may have heard me say during my speech at the change of command ceremony, but I truly am overjoyed that the Army would send me back—not only to the w W7FW&?V??FVB7FFW>( F'WB7V6?f?6??F?F??2?WG7F?F??rF?7G&?7B??W2??f???B?v???V?F?V'FVF?V????F?R????rvVF?W"?66V?W'???B7F?f?F?W26?f?&???&?????B?WfF?fRF??ffW"?'WB???V6???&RW?6?FVB&?WB&V??r'B?bF??2w&VB?&v?F????v????Bv?&???rv?F?V6??b??R???rv?F??W"??6?'F?W'2?B7F?V???FW'2F?6??F??VRFV?fW&??r&??V7G2F?B7&VFRf?VR?B&V?Vf?G2f?"F?R&Vv????BF?R?F?????Bv2?V7W&RF??VWB6WfW&?F?7G&?7BV????VW2?B?V?W&?W2'F?W'2BF?R6??vR?b6????B6W&V??????f???B?&RF???gV?f?"F?Rv&?&V6WF????BF?Rw&VBVff?'G2WBf?'F?F???RF?R6W&V?????V??&&?RWfV?B??v?BF?F?RF??2??'GV??G?F?v?fR??R6??R??6?v?BF??&??&?F?W2f?"F?R?&v?F????F?V?7W&RF?Bv^( F2F?R??2?vV?W2F?7G&?7B??FV?fW"???W"6???F?V?G2F?&?GV6Rf?V&?R&??V7G2?B7GVF?W2f?"?W"'F?W'2??&V??b?bF?R?F???F?B?2V?G'W7FVBW2v?F?F??2&W7??6?&??G??vRv???6???WFRF?Rv?&?vR6WB?WBF?F???BvRv????v?2F?R6&R?bV??R'????F????rG&??VB?B&VG?f?&6R?B?V?f?&???V?BF?Bf?7FW'2&W7V7B?F?66???R??Bf?66?7FWv&G6?????R??&V?V?&W"F?W6Rv?&G2g&???6??vR?b6????B7VV6??'WB?F?????N( ?2???'F?BF???v?&?W'2W&V7BF?R6V6??B?bbF??B?V?2f?"F?R7V6???W&F???2f?&6W2g&VVf??6??V?F?"f6??G?B?V?&?f??rw&?V?G2?V?#"??fW"F?R6?W'6R?b??RvVV??F?RR?2?&?6?'2?bV?v??VW'2??2?vV?W2F?7G&?7B?B????wF??6???W&6??6?????2?F?RF?7G&?7N( ?26??G&7F?"f?"F?R&??V7B?WBW??&RF???b??????V?G2?b6??7&WFRf?"v?B?2&V??rFW67&?&VB2F?R( ??&vW7Bg&VVf??6??V?F?"f6??G???F?Rv?&?B?( ????F?'?F??V???6?FW,;6??66?&F??rF?W&?W7F?V?2?F?RF?7G&?7N( ?2&??V7BV?v??VW"?F?Rf6??G?6??V?B&R&VG?F?GW&??fW"F??r????V'?#B??R6?B??R?bF?R???6???V?vW2v2F?R&?6??r?bF?R6??7&WFR?V?2????&FW"F?66???6?F?BF6??F?R6?'2?B6??G&7F?"'&?Vv?B??3?F??7&?RF???fRV6??bF?R6??7&WFR?V?2??F??6R?( ?v?F?F?W6R?V?2W?F?W?( ???f?&?F?R7G'V7GW&R?bF?RfW'F?6?v??BGV??V??( ?V?26?B?( ???6RF?W?( ?&RW?v^( ???7F'BF?WB??F?R&W7B?bF?R??FW&??7G'V7GW&R??RvFW"??vW"?6WvvR?BWfW'?F???rV?6R?( ?F?Rf6??G?v?????W6Rv??BGW&&??W26&?R?bvV?W&F??rWF?"???F??2G&?6?FW2??F?v??B7VVG2?bWF?s??v?V?F?Rf6??G??2'V????r??gV???F?R( ?f?6??&W.( ?f?"F?R6??V?F?"f6??G?v???&?6RC?fVWB&?fRF?Rw&?V?B?Bv??????rWF?V?v?BgV?????FVB6??F?W'2?6???'2??&??W2?"?&?V?F?&7F?6RF?V?"6??F?f??rFV6???VW2?( ?F?R&?vvW7BF???r?B?V?2f?"?W"?76????2F?&R&?RF?G&?????b?W"7GVFV?G2?W&R?( ??fV?6??6?C?( ??BvR6??6?WF???RF?R6??V?F?"F????F????7G'V7F?"7W'&V?7?v?V??&7&gB&R??Bf??&?R?F?R&??G?F?6??GV7BF?BG&????r?W&R?2??f?V&?RF?W2?W&RBF?R66?????B??W2W2G'V?F?R&W7B??F'?g&VRf??f6??G???F?Rv?&?B?( ??fV?6??6?B??&RF???S7GVFV?G2v???W6RF?Rf6??G?WfW'??V"??6R?B?2W?B'V????r?V?2?B????wF??W?V7BF?Rf6??G?F?&R&VG?F?GW&??fW"F??r'???V'??#B???6R?N( ?2W?B'V????r?V?26?BF?RF?7G&?7B?2&VG?F?'V??B??f6??F?W2?VVFVBF?7W?'BF?Rg&VVf??6??V?F?"?B?G2G&????r?76????&WVBF?V??W&R?2F?R?F???( ?2&V?W"V&?2V?v??VW&??r?&v?F????vR6??WfW"F?R?v?F??W"GWF?W>( GF?V?FRU44^( ?2?76???7FFV?V?B??F?( ?FV?fW"f?F?V&?2?B??F'?V?v??VW&??r6W'f?6W3?'F?W&??r??V6R?Bv"F?7G&V?wF?V??W"?F???( ?26V7W&?G??V?W&v??RF?RV6?????B&VGV6R&?6?g&??F?67FW'2?( ?vR?W7B?v?2?VW??F?Rf?&Vg&??B?b?W"??G2F?Rf7BF?BF?Rv?&?vR6???WFRf?"?W"'F?W'2?2??W?V7WFVB??&V??b?bF?RV??R?bF??2?F????v?WF?W"F?RVff?'B??^( ?&RV?FW'F???r?26???RG&VFv??r&??V7B?"?V?F???????F???"7GVG??"??F'?f6??G??vR?W7B?v?2F?????bF?R&??V7N( ?2&V?Vf?BF?F?RV?BW6W"?B?fRWF?F?R6?'>( ?&WWFF????bW?6V??V?6R?F??2?2?W?G&V?V?6???V?v??rF??RF?BvR&R?W&F??r???6??FR6??vR?f?66?V?6W'F??G???BF?R??7&V6VB6?7G2?bF???r'W6??W72?fR&W7V?FVB???f??rF?F?F???w2F?ffW&V?F???( ?fVR???v?f?"6??RF??RF?BF?R??2?vV?W2F?7G&?7B?2??R?FRW?bW?G&?&F??&??F?V?FVB?BFVF?6FVBV??R??Bv?F???R?????f?'v&BF?F6???rF?R?&?B?b&??V7G2?B6???V?vW2vR?fR&Vf?&RW2?V??R?BFV?v?&?&RF?Rf?V?FF????b?W"?&v?F?????B?2??W&F?fRF?BvRG&VBV6??F?W"v?F?F?v??G??B&W7V7B?B????f?"v?2F??V????b?W"FV??V?&W'26??WfR7V66W72?F?vWF?W"??WN( ?26??F??RF?( ?'V??B7G&??~( ??B&R&VG?v?V?F?R?F???6??2?W76???24??2?F?7G&?7B6????FW#?6??????&W&?6????F????V&?2ff?'2?ff?6W#???f?V?BVF?F?#?Ff?B?6??"7Ffc?F??V???6?FW,;6??w&VrgVFW&W"?'&???2???V&&&B?b?&WfW&?GFW'6????&?7FV?6??V6??B?&???WVFFVâ?#2?CS"?3?#"?"f???#2?CS"?C#??F?R?Ww467F?R?2V&?6?VB???F??V?FW"F?R&?f?6???2?b"3cf?"F?RV????VW2?BW?FV?FVBV?v??VW"f???bF?R??2?vV?W2F?7G&?7B?U44R?f?Ww2?B??????2W?&W76VB?W&V??&R??B?V6W76&??F??6R?bF?RF?7G&?7B?"?bF?RFW'F?V?B?bFVfV?6R?FG&W72???F?F?R??2?vV?W2F?7G&?7BV&?2ff?'2?ff?6R?ED???Ww467F?RVF?F?"???&??S3#s???2?vV?W2?4?r?#3#RR????F?RV&?2ff?'27FfbC?V&?6ff?'2?5?W66R?&??????"?Ww467F?P???&6?#0??0??