Capt. Joe Voboril is the commanding officer at Naval Station Newport (NAVSTA). The sprawling base is home to 46 different commands and preparing to become home to the Naval Supply Corps School (NSCS). Voboril leads a team responsible for ensuring the move occurs smoothly and all major construction, demolition, maintenance and renovation work is completed on time. He recently took some time to speak with Providence Business News about the impending move.
PBN: Where is the school coming from and how will it utilize the new Newport facility and base in general?
VOBORIL: The Naval Supply Corps School has been located in Athens, Ga. for the past 50 years. The decision to realign the activities from Athens to Newport was made by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) in 2005 and passed into law by Congress. Once the recommendations of the commission were accepted by Congress, the process for implementing the tasks began. To make certain that the end-users would be provided with everything they needed to accomplish their missions, design and function meetings were held, architectural and engineering firms developed the specific requirements into requests for proposals (RFPs) and the responses were reviewed in accordance with the appropriate acquisition regulations. In the case of the NSCS, H. V. Collins was selected as the contractor.
One of the reasons for realigning the activities was to provide a higher quality of life for the sailors participating in the training. NAVSTA Newport has a complete array of support services. Since Athens was a relatively small base, it did not have all of the amenities that assure the trainees of the best possible environment to focus their energies on their training. By consolidating bases, the Congress expects to realize long-term cost savings.
Since NAVSTA Newport provides support for numerous “schoolhouses,” it is well prepared to accommodate additional commands and provide for their special requirements. While most bases operate with personnel changing every two years, NAVSTA is familiar with meeting the needs of students who come to Newport for a few days, a few weeks or as long as 10 months of training. The support provided ranges from food, uniforms and housing, to health care, religious services and recreation.
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PBN: Can you describe the Navy Supply Corps School building?
VOBORIL: The [NSCS] project provides a new 46,000-square-foot facility that includes classrooms, applied training rooms and administrative space for the instructors and the school’s command. In addition, to accommodate the Marine detachment from Athens, there is a major renovation being done to one of NAVSTA’s existing buildings to support IT training – the implementation of Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN). Both facilities are designed to optimize training and support the critical missions of the schools.
Previously, projects to expand the Dental Clinic and provide a facility to house the Center for Service Support (also being realigned from Athens, Ga. as part of BRAC) have been completed. In all, the projects will cost $35 million.
PBN: I understand this will create a small bump in the base’s population. What will that mean, if anything, for the base or even the local economy?
VOBORIL: The realignment of Athens to Newport results in approximately 120 additional full-time staff and more than 300 additional students enrolled in classes at any given time. Permanently assigned personnel may elect to rent or purchase houses in the community. More people living and working in the area means more money being added into the local economy.
PBN: Will the school create an additional employment opportunities?
VOBORIL: Not everyone associated with the activities in Athens, Ga. will move to Rhode Island. However the exact number of jobs that will become available has not yet been determined. Job opportunities will be posted on the USAJobs.gov Web site.
PBN: The Navy Supply Corps School project is just one of a number of capital projects ongoing at the base. What are some of the other projects?
VOBORIL: NAVSTA is having a new bridge constructed, a new fitness center is in the planning stages, and an addition to a building at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) will begin construction as part of another BRAC action. Sen. [Jack] Reed recently announced funding for building a new berthing facility for the Officers Training Command (OTC), repairs to the Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA), and the construction of an Army Reserve Center that is also a part of BRAC.
As the population on the installation continues to grow, NAVSTA Newport is looking forward to replacing older, inefficient buildings with new, LEED-certified facilities. Our public works department is continuously implementing energy conservation and management measures, and special projects to improve the quality of life for our sailors are always our priority.
