Finally! An element of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District has moved into its newly built facility at Camp Humphreys, South Korea.
The district’s vehicle maintenance facility (VMF) opened its doors for operation Dec. 5. This is a milestone for the Far East District (FED), as it signifies the district’s move to Camp Humphreys.
Gregory Smith, the FED Logistics Management Office (LMO) chief, said he is excited that his department is the first to mark the district’s move south.
“To actually sign for the motor pool it was overwhelming,” said Smith. “It’s the first major step to say you are going to move.”
There was no time wasted in making use of the new facility as the LMO team immediately ushered in some of its workers to perform their duties.
“Once we signed for the building we relocated the element that was working at the 501st MI (Military Intelligence Brigade) motor pool,” said Smith. “We moved them and our equipment to the new facility so they can start operating.”
Functionality is top priority for the motor pool in an effort to properly sustain operations between both locations during the district’s transition period.
Smith stated that there will be no reduction in service and the employees of the district will be quite pleased with the new setup at Camp Humphreys.
“Everything is consolidated into one building in comparison to the current motor pool which consisted of five different buildings,” said Smith. “This new motor pool has everything. There are four bays and a mechanic area all centrally located. [It will] get things accomplished in a more efficient manner.”
A state-of-the-art facility with the latest technology is a great addition to the district not only for function and operation, but for the maintenance staff.
Smith explained that the morale of the employees has gone up and he expects that to continue as the remainder of the maintenance staff relocates to the new facility.
“Now just seeing it and the smiles on the mechanics face, I think we will be very happy and pleased with it,” said Smith. “By us making the first step of getting a facility at Camp Humphreys it’ s a milestone to say that we are actually moving there.”