By Courtney N. Cashdollar, PdM P2E Public Affairs
U.S. and Korean forces are in the midst of a military transformation process that represents some of the most profound changes to the alliance since the Korean War. And behind that transformation is a team from Product Manager, Power Projection Enablers (PdM P2E), providing and sustaining the command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems and services for classified and unclassified joint and coalition networks that are part of the Yongsan Relocation Plan, Land Partnership Plan (YRP/LPP).
Equipment for the Yongsan Relocation Plan is stored at USAG-Humphreys. The $828 million C4I project includes a new communications center, migration of 65 C4I systems, and roughly 20,000 miles of conduit and cable (Photo courtesy of PdM P2E Pacific Directorate).
The transformation is part of a strategic alliance between the United States and Republic of Korea (ROK) to relocate U.S. troops on the Yongsan Peninsula and boost ROK defense capabilities. The alliance establishes new warfighting command structures and improves deterrence and warfighting capabilities. It also right-sizes the ROK and U.S. force structure by consolidating U.S. forces into two primary hubs—U.S. Army Garrison (USAG)-Humphreys and USAG-Walker—creating a less-intrusive geographic presence while posturing U.S. forces for better peninsular and regional security. The alliance intends to separate wartime operational control of the countries’ forces on the peninsula into two national commands.
Under the alliance, the YRP/LPP requires the movement of troop units and associated C4I assets and capabilities from USAG-Yongsan in the Seoul metropolitan area and the Second Infantry Division areas north of Seoul to USAG-Humphreys. Upon completion of the YRP/LPP, USAG-Humphreys will be the third largest Army base in terms of real property, adding 2,400 acres and 25 million square feet of facilities, and the sixth largest Army base in terms of population, which is expected to grow from 8,419 to nearly 30,000 personnel.
Construction is underway at U.S. Army Garrison (USAG)-Humphreys, near Anjeong-ri and Pyeongtaek in South Korea. When complete, USAG-Humphreys will be the third largest Army base in terms of real property and the sixth largest in terms of population (Photo courtesy of PdM P2E Pacific Directorate).
The YRP/LPP project will provide new and enhanced capabilities for the information technology transport infrastructure and command centers for the Joint Information Environment (JIE). JIE is a single (joint) security architecture comprising shared IT infrastructure, and enterprise services designed to achieve full spectrum superiority, improve mission effectiveness, increase security and realize IT efficiencies.
As part of the transition to USAG-Humphreys, the PdM P2E team is migrating existing systems and services throughout Korea without impact to current operations, transforming the IT infrastructure that supports strategic and operational plans by modernizing existing systems and installing new ones. PdM P2E’s work ensures that U.S. forces in Korea can maintain ubiquitous classified and unclassified multinational communications while relocating, enabling users to move to any base in Korea and to connect to the Non-secure Internet Protocol Router, the Secure Internet Protocol Router and the Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange-Korea networks with no change in service.
Three-Phase Contracting Approach
The transition of personnel and build-out of USAG-Humphreys represents an estimated $828 million for C4I projects, the costs of which are shared with the ROK. The C4I projects include:
- A new communications center.
- Two main communications nodes.
- Four area distribution nodes.
- 140,000 voice and data outlets.
- 412 manholes and 136 handholes.
- Migration of 65 C4I systems.
- Inside plant-active equipment in more than 600 buildings.
- More than 15,500 miles of conduit and nearly 5,000 miles of cable.
PdM P2E, part of Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems, developed and implemented a three-phase approach for acquiring support from industry to execute the requirements that support the C4I infrastructure transformation. Each phase—referred to as an “increment”—tracks the predicted phases of the YRP/LPP program. Increment I, responsible for the requirements development, design, and engineering of the new C4I infrastructure, was awarded in 2012 for $97 million over five years.
Lt. Col.(P) Mollie Pearson, PdM P2E, and Mike Hunter, director of P2E Pacific, tour facilities, information systems and housing areas during Industry Day for the YRP/LPP project. The Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems and Army Contracting Command-Rock Island hosted the Industry Day in March 2014 (Photo courtesy of PdM P2E Pacific Directorate).
Increment II has been broken into multiple contract efforts. PdM P2E awarded the first of these contracts in May 2014 for a total value of $5.8 million. Referred to as Increment II-Contract A, that contract will complete the U.S. contribution to the outside plant infrastructure, the cables and communications infrastructure running underground between facilities. Work under this contract has begun, and Army leaders soon expect to see progress at USAG-Humphreys.
In preparation for the next project phase, which will fall under Increment II-Contract B, PdM P2E hosted an Industry Day in March 2014 in the ROK. The industry professionals who attended provided their responses to a request for information, which PdM P2E used to better define the requirements and scope of the acquisition to support the USAG-Humphreys transformation effort. Contract B, which completes the inside plant infrastructure—networking equipment and infrastructure contained within a facility—was awarded under the Army Infrastructure Modernization indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract vehicle in September 2014.
The outlined area in the image on the left depicts USAG-Humphreys, with the highlighted areas representing new facilities that will be added. In the image on the right, that outline is superimposed onto a map of Washington, D.C. The blue area represents the land that’s currently occupied and the red shows the region under construction. Once construction is completed, the footprint of USAG-Humphreys will be roughly the same as that of Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of PdM P2E Pacific Directorate).
With significant work remaining to complete the YRP/LPP program, PdM P2E is planning to execute the final Increment II contract in FY15. Associated contracts will include installation of C4I system components at USAG-Humphreys that require many tasks to migrate and activate critical systems before U.S. forces relocate.
The strategic alliance between the United States and the ROK consolidates U.S. forces primarily into USAG-Humphreys and USAG-Walker, positioning U.S. forces for better peninsular and regional security and creating a less-intrusive presence (Photo courtesy of PdM P2E Pacific Directorate).
PdM P2E plays an integral role in transforming the U.S. military’s strategy and presence on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the world. The complex YRP/LPP will create a brand new C4I infrastructure in Korea that aligns and complies with the JIE, and complements the Army’s LandWarNet 2025 vision of a single network providing tactical information systems and network services to support current and future missions for every Soldier, everyday, everywhere.
For more information on PdM P2E, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/25for25-lt-col-p-mollie-pearson
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