REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – When the central air conditioning system at the Fort Hood Range Operations Center facility failed in late June, it wasn’t just a comfort issue—it threatened to disrupt critical Soldier training operations during one of the hottest months of the year.
Thanks to rapid action from the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (Huntsville Center), that disruption was avoided.
Temperatures in Central Texas often soar into the triple digits during summer, and Range Control plays a vital role in coordinating live-fire training schedules across Fort Hood’s vast training areas. Without climate control, the facility risked becoming inoperable, potentially delaying or canceling vital training events.
“The Range Operations Center is the nerve center of Fort Hood’s training mission,” said Terry Hamil, Huntsville Center Utility Monitoring and Control Systems project manager. “If that operation goes down, the effects ripple across the installation.”
Range Operations personnel at Fort Hood operate and maintain live-fire ranges and maneuver training area. Its staff assist units throughout all phases of training to ensure Soldiers receive the best training experience possible and future training remains available.
Within hours of learning about the failure of the facility’s chiller system, Huntsville Center’s Operational Technology Division worked with contract partners to expedite a solution. Through its existing contract mechanisms, the team quickly mobilized and deployed temporary mobile air conditioning units to stabilize conditions inside the facility.
“Speed was essential,” Hamil said. “We were able to leverage our streamlined acquisition tools to award and execute support within days, not weeks.”
The interim cooling solution allowed Range Control staff to maintain operations without interruption, preventing a backlog of training requests and saving both time and taxpayer dollars.
Permanent repairs to the facility’s chiller are underway, but the swift deployment of temporary climate control proved to be a mission-critical lifeline.
“This was a great example of how proactive coordination between Fort Hood installation staff, Huntsville Center and our contracting partners can make a real difference,” said Brent Cabaniss, Fort Hood Department of Public Works engineering directorate chief.
“It wasn’t just about fixing air conditioning—it was about sustaining readiness.”
Fort Hood’s training tempo remains on track, thanks to the behind-the-scenes effort that ensured Soldiers could continue to train, fight and win—without missing a beat.