773rd Civil Engineers tear down symbol of separation

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tammie Ramsouer
  • JBER Public Affairs Office
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  One of the last remaining vestiges of formerly divided bases disappeared into rubble on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 28.

The shack was an entry point for transitioning between Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson before the bases combined in 2010.

Joint basing happens when two closely-built military bases, regardless of service, combine to make one unified base. The purpose of joint basing is to combine similar base support services from each base under one unit. This process is designed to save money, which is put back into military and base readiness.

"The guard shack has not been permanently manned for over 20 years," said Air Force Master Sgt. Keith Jackson, 673d Security Forces Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of base access. Jackson said it was only used during occasional exercises and has been scheduled for demolition for quite a while.

Douglas Beckstead, 673d Air Base Wing historian said the guard shack was finally torn down to signify that JBER is a joint base and visually expresses the unity existing between the former Ft. Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base.

The engineers put safety first while the building was in the process of being demolished.
The members rerouted traffic to keep drivers safe from falling debris. They also sprayed the outside and inside of the building with water to minimize the dust that accumulated over the decades.

With the guard shack torn down, the Davis Highway is now an open stretch of road for drivers traveling from either side of JBER.