The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, is constructing Gillespie Gate ─ a new Access Control Point (ACP) at Watervliet Arsenal in upstate New York that will provide enhanced security for military and Army Corps employees and the missions they oversee. A U.S. Army-owned and operated manufacturing facility, its artillery products have helped hundreds of thousands of servicemen and women fight and win our Nation's battles and come home safely.
New York District Commander Col. Alexander Young stated: “As part of our military construction mission, security at military facilities is something we take very seriously. The new gate will significantly bolster security by more rigorously inspecting commercial vehicles using the latest technology. It’s a wise investment protecting the facility.”
Highly Secure
The new control point conforms with U.S. Army Protective Design Center in Omaha, Nebraska ─ a highly-secure entry point with corridor-type designs controlling access to an installation and the first physical security barrier for vehicles and pedestrians entering an installation. It consists of several structures staffed by security personnel with an emphasis on screening commercial vehicles and preventing any attempt(s) at forced entry. Overall, the primary mission of an access control point is to detect threats by checking the identification of those entering.
Main Features
Some main features of Gillespie Gate include:
● Search Area Building: The initial point of contact with security personnel
● Truck Inspection Area: A canopy with an under-vehicle camera system that photographs the undercarriages of commercial trucks to detect anomalies or anything suspicious
● Gatehouse Building: Main security center providing overall monitoring of the access point, including vehicle inspection area and guard positions.
● Active Barrier: Restricting or clearing an opening for vehicles entering
● Passive Barrier System: U.S. Dept. of Defense tested and certified anti-vehicle crash-protection system surrounding the perimeter.
● Crash Beam: A specialized control system blocking unauthorized vehicles
● Anti-Ram Wall: Solid concrete structure preventing vehicles attempting to forcibly enter the facility
● Stand-By Generator: Provides a continuous flow of electricity when a power outage is detected
Army Corps Project Team
New York District employees at the Watervliet Resident Office on base are managing all aspects of the project. Team members include:
● Chantel Thomas Project Engineer/Contract Officers Representative
● Odile Accilien-Sorger Project Manager
● Kyle Davis Northern New York Area Engineer
● Gerardo Siniscalchi Chief, Military & Special Projects Section
● Capt. Kyle Merritt Deputy Area Engineer
● Diana Trombly Chief, Military Programs (North Branch)
● Christopher Orlando Senior Project Engineer
● Evan Sick Mechanical Engineer
Construction Progress
During a tour of construction, Chantel Thomas explained she walks the site daily, inspecting different aspects of construction, speaking with contractor’ employees and making sure everything is going according to plan. That’s an important component of Army Corps projects: by law, the Corps contracts out construction through a formal bidding process; Army Corps personnel handle the planning, design, oversight and administrative aspects of a project. As of mid-October, work is nearly 70 percent complete; the gate is expected to be operational in spring 2025.
Prior to construction, existing buildings/structures from the 1950’s were demolished, including an old incinerator plant. As of late October, work in progress includes building trusses, the gatehouse and search-building roofing (a truss is a prefabricated framework supporting the roof of the building and connecting the walls.) Installations for the active- and passive barriers are now occurring, weekly meetings are being held with the contractor to ensure project milestones remain on schedule, and any needed modifications addressed.
During construction projects there exists the possibility of encountering obstacles unforeseen during the planning and design phase. For Gillespie Gate, a major challenge presented itself early on: while excavating an old railroad spur, a large number of underground concrete foundations were discovered. This resulted in removing and hauling away hundreds of tons of concrete ─ approximately 140 truckloads. That process, in itself, took well over a month.
Background
After 9/11, the U.S. Department of Defense directed installations to adopt increased security measures to prevent future terrorist attacks, resulting in a significant increase in military and federal installation access upgrades.
To that end, the U.S. Army Protective Design Center (PDC) at the Army Corps’ Omaha District (Nebraska) was founded. It serves as the Army's center of expertise for engineering services related to force protection and protective design, protecting assets against criminal, terrorist, conventional, nuclear and special-weapons threats. Watervliet Residence Office staff have been collaborating with the Center drawing on their knowledge and expertise in the planning, design and construction of Gillespie Gate.
Historical Aspects
The new control point is named after Gen. Alexander Garfield Gillespie (1881-1956), former Commander of the Watervliet Arsenal in the 1930’s and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he also played football. He received the Distinguished Service Medal and Legion of Merit Award for serving as Chief of the Industrial Section of the Ordnance Department during World War II.
Watervliet Arsenal is the oldest continuously active arsenal in the United States, producing much of the artillery for the U.S. Army and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966. It was originally founded in 1813 to support the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Great Britain ─ the first large-scale test of America on the world stage. It occupies 142 acres of land near Albany, New York, the capitol of New York State three hours north of New York City.