MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Marine leadership with II Marine Expeditionary Force and the Expeditionary Operations Training Group gathered to break ground on a new state-of-the-art EOTG facility at Stone Bay, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, June 8.
Attendees of the ceremony included Maj. Gen. W. Lee Miller, Jr., commanding general of II MEF; Sgt. Maj. Bryan Zickefoose, sergeant major of II MEF; Col. Jeffrey Kenney, officer-in-charge of EOTG; and Master Gunnery Sgt. Chad Ramsey, senior enlisted advisor of EOTG.
Frank Metallo, special security officer, presented attendees with the details of the unit’s newest training site.
“The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company is awarded this contract for the construction of a special operations training complex,” Metallo said. “Work provides for the construction of a multi-story building that includes a simulated entry point, a headquarters, embassy offices, a tactical exercise control group center, weapons storage, and a freight elevator.”
The contract for the construction, worth more than $22 million, will add a fully-manned facility in addition to the existing EOTG offices on Camp Lejeune’s main areas.
“The permanent facility will support EOTG’s mission to train II MEF, Special Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, and Marine Expeditionary Units in preparation for their deployments,” Metallo said.
Kenney also spoke of the facility’s value, while recognizing the key civilian personnel integral in its development, many of whom are former active-duty Marines themselves.
“From seeing the pictures and the plans for this complex, you can see this will truly be a professional facility that will continue to produce professionals,” Kenney said. “This place here is going to make it more effective in doing the hard job to keep our Marines ready.”
The facility is slated for completion in March 2017.
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