In January 2007, former President George W. Bush announced an initiative, referred to as Grow the Force, to increase the strength in the Marine Corps to 202,000 personnel by 2011.

To meet the demands of the president and the commandant of the Marine Corps, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton’s Public Works Department, along with its resident officer in charge of construction, stepped up to the challenge by implementing an aggressive military construction program, projected to be done in 2012.

More than $3 billion in construction is either underway or planned through 2012, to include training and administrative, maintenance and living facilities to accommodate an increase of military personnel occupying the largest Marine Corps expeditionary training base.

The idea of this initiative is to reduce stress on deployable personnel and provide necessary forces for success in the global war on terrorism.

Camp Pendleton consists of approximately 125,547 acres, with 17 miles of coastline for amphibious warfare training and residential living. More than 41,000 active-duty personnel and 8,000 reserve Marines call Pendleton home.

Numerous permanent military construction barracks are being built all over Camp Pendleton. However, due to the lengthy planning, programming, and construction timelines, temporary facilities are required to house new service members in the interim.

Each temporary barracks unit will be approximately 6,900 square feet and house 32 service members, said Cmdr. Gus Lim.

Site preparations for the 13 area temporary facilities began last May, with full occupancy of interim barracks slated for two months.

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[ Berry-Bell and Hall Mortuary ] temporarily house more than 850 Marines and sailors from the 1st Marine Logistics Group, 1st Intelligence Battalion and the Marine Corps Air Station, said Lim.

In addition to the temporary barracks in the 13 Area, interim classrooms, training areas and equipment spaces will be provided for the various units.

Also covered under this project are 20 other sites across MCB Camp Pendleton, including classroom, training areas, armories and equipment maintenance spaces, which will be built to various units to continue their mission while the permanent facilities are being constructed.

"Because this project is such a huge challenge," said Navy Lt. Brent Uyehara, former construction manager for this project, "unit requirements and preferences change over time and we inevitably run into construction and environmental challenges through the life of any project."

"In the end, however, the ROICC and PWD are determined to provide the Marine Corps a quality product that will get them through this tough growing period," Uyehara said.

To support the massive war fighter growth, both the PWD and the ROICC have increased their military and civilian staff members to handle the planning, engineering and management required to successfully complete this project and the other military construction projects throughout the base.

"This project is extremely important to the Marine Corps and the Marines and sailors at Camp Pendleton," said Lt. J.G. John J. Murphy, public works program manager, MCB. "Improving the standard of living and morale at home is one of the commandant’s top priorities."