Move to JFHQ Brings New Efficiencies, Potential Challenges

by Sgt. 1st Class Roy Henry
Public Affairs Office
Georgia Department of Defense

With construction of the new Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) complete, the next phase of moving into the building has begun, according to Col. Harve Romine, who commands the garrison at .

As the move progresses through December, it will come with some joys and some challenges for those departments and sections setting up shop in their new workspaces, he says.

“Construction of the facility is complete,” Romine said, “so that means that as of Nov. 15, the building begins to become a true joint headquarters with elements from the Georgia DoD, the Army and Air Guard, and the Georgia State Defense Force inhabiting their particular spaces within Building 447’s confines.”

While an official opening of the new facility is planned for Dec. 7, the goal is to have all the buildings occupants completely moved in by Dec. 23, he says.

As for the move itself, he says it will be—or at least should be—relatively painless because no one is moving large furniture, such as chairs, desks, or shelving—all of which are already in place and ready for use.

The facility is loaded with the latest in energy efficient lighting, heating and air. There’s also the added benefit of having all the major commands in a single area.

“For years, we’ve had command groups scattered all over the metro Atlanta area, which meant a lot of driving time for meetings and to get things done,” Romine said. “Clay National Guard Center will house most of the major commands in one central location, which helps to decrease our environmental footprint and increase productivity.”

When the JFHQ makes its official move into the new building from Oglethorpe and the state complex on Confederate Avenue in Atlanta, nearly everything from personnel and recruiting, to education, to the Georgia Medical Command, to financial operations will come to Clay.

What is not coming to Clay, Romine says, will be the ID card section, which will remain behind to serve the 56Oth Battlefield Surveillance Brigade once it moves from its residence on Fort Gillem. The decision was made that, since there is already an ID card facility on Clay—still run by the Navy—and another operated by the Air Force Reserve at Building No. 277 on , there is no need to open a third ID card facility at Clay.

“At the same time, there are units, departments or sections that will leave the spaces they’ve been working and drilling out of and move into their new locations here and on Dobbins,” Romine said. “The parachute riggers of the 165th Quartermaster Company, for example, will move into what used to be our flight facility No. 2 just across the runway, while all of 78th Aviation Troop Command finally takes up residence here on Clay.”

Romine notes that, while the move itself may not be too painful, what is going to create some discomfort for occupants of the new building will be the limited parking in and around the new building. When the planning and construction of the new building began, only a certain number of parking spots, around 68 or 70, were designated. 

“Parking in and around the new JFHQ is, basically, going to be on a first-come, first-serve basis, outside of those folks who have been assigned a specific parking spot,” Romine said.

To somewhat alleviate the parking issue, there will be spaces available in the lot located where the Navy formerly had static aircraft displays. There are other parking lots at the billeting office across the street and at various other locations around post, Romine says. There is also an additional effort underway to create parking space at what was once the naval air station fuel farm, which sits between Building 447 and the water treatment plant on Patrol Road.

Another challenge created by the move, Romine says, is the one that will come from the increased flow of traffic on and off Clay. More people certainly means more vehicles. That means finding a way to reduce
base traffic by getting employees to pursue alternative modes of transportation, he says.

Working with the Georgia Clean Air Campaign, the leadership is researching a number of options, from car and van pooling to alternative work schedules and teleworking. Though nothing has been put into policy, anything that might help reduce traffic problems is on the table, he adds.

“As we continue to increase our presence here in Cobb County, the leadership wants to do so in a responsible way,” Romine said. “Interacting with and protecting the environment, as well as the protecting the health and welfare of our Citizen-Soldiers, civilian employees, family members and the communities around us, is important to us, from the top down.

“Being good neighbors and stewards of our resources and our environment is at the top of this organization’s priorities,” Romine said.