________________________________________________________________________Richard S. Kem
WrightPatterson Air Force Base, respectively. We all made our arguments and left it up to
decision by Drake Wilson, the Director of Military Construction.
The Missouri River Divison didn't do it that way, though. The division called General
Wilson and asked to basically have a showdown at an upcoming DEH conference we were
going to have in Nashville. They wanted to meet with him and lay down why the Ohio River
Division shouldn't be given military construction responsibility, and specifically the
REARM project at Rock Island. REARM was a million, three-phase, multiyear project
to modernize the arsenal's major weapons facility. The Missouri River Division had said
publicly to AMC that we in the Ohio River Division didn't have the professional capability
to do REARM. Now, there's nothing that gets your dander up quicker than having your
professional qualifications called into question.
So, we showed up at the meeting and were very surprised to find that the Missouri River
Division had brought AMC to the meeting with Major General Drake Wilson. We thought
we were coming to a meeting to dialogue why we ought to have it, and they would say why
they thought they ought to keep it, and then Drake Wilson would mull it all over and give us
a decision at the right time, after conferring with the Chief. The Missouri River Division
brought in AMC to participate in our internal dialogue, and then they said, "The Ohio River
Division doesn't have the capability to do this project. Isn't that right, AMC?" I really
thought that was not the right kind of way to work things. Since AMC was there, Drake
Wilson let them have their say, and he made no decisions that day.
We countered by going up to AMC and challenged them, "What do you mean, we don't have
any capability? Do you realize we've done this project and this project and this? We
understand the Missouri River Division's point. They don't want to lose the business. We
don't understand your point, AMC, in that the Missouri River Division hasn't done any
REARM before. So, what is your point?"
AMC said, "Well, we don't know. We just want to support our good friends from the
Missouri River Division."
I said, "Well, just what is it they're providing for you now? You know, we've been up here,
and we hear your Rock Island Arsenal folks griping about the fact that they only have an
inspector and a clerk there from Omaha District, Missouri River Division. When they go
over to their office, they can't ever find anybody. The arsenal doesn't really feel served. So,
why don't you talk to your DEH who is doing this and come back and tell us?"
So, they said, "Well, I guess that's right." I said, "Well, look. The way we analyze this, this
project is big. It's going to last. We're going to move a major office in there. It will be
headed by a GSwhatever, and he'll have his inspectors, an office of four to five people
compared to the two people you have now. He'll report straight to the district; he will not
report to another area office and then to the district. So, now, tell us again why you don't
think you're going to be well-served with the Ohio River Division coming to do this job for
you? Or why do you think it ought to be the other way?"
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