The Warrior Transition Battalion Complex can house up to 260 soldiers in 130 dormitory style rooms. The building will also be home to many of the programs soldiers need after returning home from combat.
The complex represents a major change in how soldiers in the warrior transition are housed. Now, they live in barracks or other facilities all over post.
"They're good facilities. But they're not all centrally located. And they're not all right next door to the hospital. And they're not all right next to where their Company Commander and First Sergeant and Squad Leader and everybody else are," Womack Army Medical Center Commander Col. Brian Canfield said. "This gives us a centralized base of operations. It's right immediately next to where they need to be during their care."
The new facility was projected to cost $88 million, but came in under budget and was built for $56 million.
The campus boasts several play areas for children, a basketball court, and the only parking deck on post. There is a solar power station that can handle power on the complex, especially during emergency power outages. There is also a dining room that can feed 500 soldiers in 90 minutes.
The majority of the complex is completed, and soldiers will begin moving into the complex by the end of April.
Brigadier General Michael Garrett, Fort Bragg Chief of Staff, got a first-hand look at the new complex Friday.
Fort Bragg is currently conducting a full inspection of the Warrior Transition Battallion after complaints from soldiers about terrible treatment after returning from combat wounds.
At a press conference following the tour of the new complex, General Garrett said so far the inspector general has not found any major problems with medical treatment of wounded warriors or the way the WTB is operated.
"While it may seem that we've done much of this in a short amount of time... we are working as quickly as possible to inspect the Warrior Transition Battalion so that we can insure that we properly caring for our soldiers," General Garrett said.
The full report is due to the Fort Bragg Commander April 1.
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