The Natural Disaster Recovery Program Management Office has worked with AFWERX over the past two years to innovate and incorporate new technologies into flightline operations. Recently, leaders from industry, academia and the federal government gathered at the AFWERX Innovation Hub in Las Vegas, Nevada, to review technologies that will be a part of the Flightline of the Future. This effort is a sequel to last year’s Base of the Future Challenge.

PMO Mission: "To repair, reshape and rebuild Tyndall AFB to support both near-term resumption of mission operations and long-term redevelopment as the model Air Force "Installation of the Future."

• In 2018, Tyndall AFB, Florida, sustained a direct hit from the strongest sustained-wind speed hurricane to hit the continental U.S. in over 25 years. Category 5 Hurricane Michael devastated the installation and the surrounding community. Immediately following the storm, Air Combat Command established Task Force Phoenix to assess damage, make determinations for potential future use and preserve as many recoverable facilities as possible while also clearing debris and making facilities safe for salvage operations.

• As the 325th Fighter Wing began to reconstitute, headquarters Air Force and Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center quickly realized the mammoth effort needed to rebuild the installation. In support of the wing commander, AFIMSC established a program management office to replace Task Force Phoenix and continue its mission to support the redevelopment and reconstruction of Tyndall.

• In 2021, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center established the Natural Disaster Recovery Division to enhance the Department of the Air Force’s ability to recover from natural disasters. This enables the Air Force to sustain mission operations while making targeted investments and design decisions for large-scale construction projects. Led by AFCEC’s Facilities Engineering Directorate, the Tyndall-based NDR Division provides strategic construction management to assist Air Force installations to quickly recover from disasters and make infrastructure more resilient.

Rebuild Vision + Strategy

• Today, the Tyndall PMO and 325th FW work hand-in-hand to reshape the base into an efficient and innovative Installation of the Future; a model of sustainability, technology and adaptability for not only the Air Force but the Department of Defense as well. The PMO collaborates with senior Air Force leadership to develop Installation of the Future guidelines and works with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop all Military Construction (MILCON) project plans.

• The Tyndall PMO is comprised of 50+ personnel supporting the long-term development and reconstruction of the base. The five-to-seven-year-long rebuild process includes 40+ new Military Construction and over 260 Facility Sustainment Restoration and Modernization projects totaling nearly $5 billion.

The Installation of the Future represents an evolution toward a more resilient, ready and lethal Air Force. The Tyndall PMO is creating a stronger, more efficient and innovative 21st century base to serve as the new standard for DoD installations.

INNOVATION 
IotF is fueled by innovation, leveraging novel technology to increase cybersecurity and perimeter defense, enhance base safety and equip Airmen to execute the missions of today and tomorrow. The PMO is pioneering the Installation Resilience Operations Center, a game-changing concept that can centrally collect, share, integrate and analyze data the Air Force can use to optimize facility operations. 

TECHNOLOGY 
The decisions made throughout the Tyndall rebuild are blazing the trail for future installations that will follow in their footsteps. These decisions are precedent-setting across the Armed Forces. IotF is developing a Digital Twin: a virtual representation of the physical world that provides real-time information and analytics to reduce maintenance downtime and increase mission efficiency.