KIRTLAND Air Force Base, New Mexico – The Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Albuquerque Office (DTRA-ABQ) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, June 12, 2024, for the agency’s new multi-use building on Kirtland Air Force Base. The 76,000 square foot facility will be home to more than 300 U.S. military personnel and DoD civilians and includes unclassified and classified workspaces and meeting rooms, administrative offices, and a seismic laboratory.
 
“First and foremost, I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the success of this project, stated Ms. Rebecca Hersman, director for the Defense Threat Reduction agency.  “From the visionary designers and engineers to the diligent construction workers and project managers, your tireless efforts have transformed a vision into reality. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together.”
 
Expected to be fully operational in the second half of 2024, the building will house current DTRA employees in Albuquerque and DTRA members currently at Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, Florida. That move will bring team members of one of DTRA’s specialized research and development offices together under one roof.

“I have made modernizing our defense capabilities at New Mexico’s military installations, research labs, and testing ranges a top priority," said U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich. "That includes securing the Fiscal Year 2021 Military Construction Appropriations Bill to construct this state-of-the-art building that will help us retire deteriorating facilities at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. This will make Kirtland home to DTRA’s largest workforce outside of the National Capital Region and further solidify New Mexico’s military installations—including Kirtland and the White Sands Missile Range.”

Initial design by JACOBS Engineering began in 2019. Built by the Hensel Phelps Construction Company, the building incorporates new DoD high performance and sustainable building requirements, including a solar parking structure, contains electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for ultra-efficient government EVs, and was previously recognized by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) with a merit award for Best Design in 2022.
 
DTRA’s economic footprint in New Mexico, centered in the Albuquerque area, is estimated to be more than $100M annually. In addition to more than 300 civil servants and uniformed service members that live nearby, DTRA executes more than $50M in government contracts every year, conducts counter-WMD research efforts, and is home to the DoD’s only Defense Nuclear Weapons School, which has been training America’s nuclear forces since 1947.
 
“We've accomplished something extraordinary, and I stand before you today with immense pride as we commemorate this significant milestone. As we venture into this next phase of our journey, let us persist in our pursuit of excellence, daringly explore the realms of innovation, and collaborate harmoniously to foster a safer and more secure world for generations to come,” concluded Director Hersman.
 
DTRA provides cross-cutting solutions to enable the Department of Defense, the United States Government, and international partners to Deter strategic attack against the United States and its allies; Prevent, reduce, and counter WMD and emerging threats; and Prevail against WMD-armed adversaries in crisis and conflict.