Thursday, December 06, 2007

Moffatt leads realignment charge at Fort Belvoir

Photo Marny Malin-Col. Mark Moffatt chairs a meeting between Fort Belvoir and Fairfax County Representatives. The monthly partnership meetings were created to discuss Base Realignment and Closure.

Though Col. Mark Moffatt is one of Fort Belvoir’s newest additions, he’s also one of its most familiar faces.

  Appointed chief of the post’s Base Realignment and Closure office in July, Moffatt has been an Army Corps Engineer Officer for the past 23 years and received his basic and advanced officer’s training at Fort Belvoir’s School for Engineering in the early 80s and mid 90s.

  Originally born in Missouri, Moffatt has called northern Virginia home for much of his life and says he’s more than excited to be back at such a “vibrant installation.”

  “I like getting together with people and working on new initiatives. I believe strongly in taking on new challenges, both professionally and personally,” Moffatt said. “Fort Belvoir has more of an institutional focus than ever before and it’s important that we focus on being a cutting edge installation. Overall, my goal is to make sure the post continues on its current path of success.” 

  According to Moffatt, Fort Belvoir is one of eight installations in the country undergoing BRAC construction, though the other seven can’t stake a claim to nearly $4 billion. Of that figure, Moffatt said approximately $750 million will be applied towards the new DeWitt Hospital, a new 120-bed facility that is slated to open in 2011.

  In 2005, BRAC combined medical care for service members, military retirees and their family members at two locations in the National Capital Region. One is the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD and the other was Fort Belvoir, Moffatt said.  Space for outpatient service is also planned at the new hospital. 

  “Through BRAC, a total of 19,300 new people will come here over the next 3 years. That includes the 8,500 employees that are being consolidated through the National Geospacial Intelligence Agency,” Moffatt said. “So it’s crucial we build the required facilities in order to accommodate those added individuals, which will be a mix of Army, Defense and civilian contractors.”

  While the workforce at Fort Belvoir is expected to jump from 23,000 to more than 42,000 by 2011, another area Moffatt said he’s zeroing in on is congestion. As the BRAC process moves forward, his office is currently evaluating traffic flow studies for Route 1 and Fairfax County Parkway. Studies for Interstate 95 are also under evaluation, with particular interest being paid attention to the area around the engineering proving ground, he added.   

  “Traffic management is key and the post needs to change its infrastructure,” Moffatt said. “To counter the 4,000 people that will actually be coming to North and South post, plans are in place to have both Gunston and Belvoir Roads changed to four-lanes. That should ease any tension here on base. It’s no small task, but we’re making sure all our bases are covered.”

  Following in the footsteps of his father, who is now a retired Army Corps Engineer Officer, Moffatt is embracing the challenges associated with his new position, while eagerly continuing his duties as an engineer himself. Through BRAC, Moffatt said he’s often consulted on how a building will be designed or constructed. An added incentive for someone whose career includes two tours in Iraq and Korea, in addition to numerous assignments at the Pentagon. 

  “I’ve agreed to stay through the entire BRAC initiative, so I got three years to go before I can consider retiring or doing something else,” Moffatt said smiling. “But, for right now, my family is here and I enjoy doing what I’m doing. I’m not going anywhere.”