Army breaks ground on new Cyber Command HQ

The Army broke ground Tuesday on a new headquarters to house its cybersecurity operations, capability development, training and education in a single location.

The groundbreaking marks the start of a two-and-a-half-year development of a “state-of-the-art” facility for the Army Cyber Command’s operations at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga, according to a release. The base already houses the Army Cyber Center of Excellence, the branch’s cyber training, education and development program.

Birmingham, Ala.-based B.L. Harbert International, LLC will construct the $85 million facility in two phases. The space to house Army Cyber Operations and Command and Control operations is slated for completion in May 2018; space for the Cyber Protection Team operations will open in early 2019.

The Army wants the building, with an expected capacity to house more than 1,200 cyber soldiers and civilian experts, to be fully ready for occupancy by late 2020.

“The facilities are designed to strengthen the Army and improve cyber mission readiness by bringing together cutting-edge, innovative information technology, cyberspace operations capabilities, and an open, collaborative working environment to support the next generation of the Army’s Cyber force,” the release says.

Army Secretary Eric Fanning attended the groundbreaking, hosted by Lt. Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, head of Army Cyber Command and commander of the Second Army.

Fort Gordon was chosen as the headquarters of the Army Cyber Command in 2013, consolidating units dispersed at the Pentagon and military bases around the nation’s capital region into a single location. The Georgia base is also home to the Army’s Signal Center and Signal Corps, which manage its electronic communications, and a branch of the National Security Agency.

Fort Meade, Md., was also considered as a possible home for the unit.

See more about the proposed facility below in a “fly-over” video from the Army:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEE89vwUeS8