7TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP BUILDING THEIR BASE OF THE FUTURE JUST SOUTH OF CRESTVIEW

If you didn't believe it before, you got to believe it now. With the building of the new 7th Special Forces Group Base, and I said BASE, you can be assured the Army is coming here in a big way. It also has been said by senior Eglin AFB officials, that additional Army troop could be expected. Remember folks, Eglin started as an "Army" base.

Breaking ground for the Green Berets
7th Special Forces Group will be moving to Eglin near Duke Field in Crestview

By MONA MOORE Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4443 monam@nwfdailynews.com EGLIN AFB — Poor weather could not keep the base from celebrating the new home of the Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Thursday afternoon. In a groundbreaking ceremony held indoors at the Air Force Armament Museum, Team Eglin welcomed the Green Berets. After last Friday’s Joint Strike Fighter groundbreaking, Maj. Gen. David Eidsaune, Air Armament Center commander, was pleased to cap off the week with a second BRAC-related ceremony. “I can’t think of a week where I’ve had more fun. It doesn’t get any better than this,” he said. Army Brig. Gen. Michael Repass remembers when he first read that the Base Realignment and Closure process would send the 7th SFG (A) to Eglin. His first thoughts were “that’s interesting. That’s going to be a clash of cultures,” he said during the ceremony. Where Eglin culture revolves around munitions and planes, Special Forces are all about people, he thought. Repass soon realized he was wrong. “This is where today’s heroes are,” Repass said. “I know when the Special Forces guys step onto Eglin Air Force Base, they’ll know they’re home.” It will be a home of their making. The new facilities mark the first time in the 7th SFG (A)’s 67-year history that facilities have been built to suit their specifications, said Lt. Col. Joe Tyron, commander of engineering for the Special Forces. “We’ve had a lot of user input from top to bottom,” he said. “We’re looking at a world-class facility.” The mission of the Special Forces has adapted since Sept. 11, 2001, and the features in the new 600,000-square-foot campus near Duke Field will reflect the changes. The cantonment will include a gymnasium, dining facility and two group headquarters. With more than 500 acres, the 7th SFG (A) will have room to grow. “It’ll be a city within a city,” said Kirk Hazen, vice president and southeast district manager at Hensel Phelps Construction Co. The Orlando-based company will serve as general contractors for the 30-month project. Crestview Mayor David Cadle said the city would be continuing to prepare for its new neighbors. “We’re very excited to welcome the 7th Special Forces,” Cadle said. “We think we will be ready and look forward to them coming.” Plans included a $15 million water expansion project and connecting roads to improve traffic, said Crestview Commissioner Linda Parkman. “Every little bit of asphalt helps,” she said.