NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION CHINA LAKE, July 22, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Almost all of the 192 military families living in Lincoln Military Housing at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake (NAWCL) have returned home after two major earthquakes hit the area the morning of July 4 (6.4), and the afternoon of July 5 (7.1). The homecoming was the result of a massive team effort between Lincoln Military Housing maintenance and service staff, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, and teams of subcontractors who worked around the clock to thoroughly inspect and make necessary repairs to individual homes and the community at large. A base evacuation order was lifted on July 17.
"Thank you to the maintenance workers from China Lake and the ones that are here helping from Lemoore. They have been working long hours and just keep going. I know it’s their job, but they are working outside their normal hours and still doing it with a friendly attitude. The team was at my house until almost 9:00 Monday night and almost 8:00 last night and we were not their last house for the day. Please let them know we do appreciate them!” said Jennifer Jephart, a NAWSCL housing resident.
According to multiple postings on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service and reporting by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeffrey Southerland, all of the NAWSCL’s 192 Public-Private Venture (PPV) housing units have been assessed for damages following the base evacuation order issued by Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar, Commander, Navy Region Southwest, on July 6.
During the assessments, Navy Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) structural engineers, as well as Lincoln Military Housing (LMH) structural engineers and maintenance crews conducted multiple walkthroughs. After assessing homes, NAVFAC and LMH began coordination to quickly start making repairs. Over 180 Sailors and their families were evacuated from base housing. The base prioritized repairs to return the residents in a safe and timely manner.
“I was impressed by how quickly housing fixed up the damaged homes and returned families back,” said Yeoman 2nd Class Mark Perez, a NAWSCL housing resident. “We were back in our house quickly.”
“We still have a lot of work to do but I’m glad we were able to get these families back home as soon as it was safe and once homes were restored to our high standards. It was certainly a team effort but this demonstrates Lincoln’s commitment to going the extra mile to ensure residents get the service and quality they deserve. We also encourage residents to contact us immediately with any issues,” said Phillip Rizzo, Vice President of Operations for Lincoln Military Housing.
About Lincoln Military Housing
Lincoln Military Housing (LMH) was formed in 2001 through a Department of Defense (DOD) contract with parent company Lincoln Property Company. The goal has always been to increase the quality of military housing for our nation's servicemen and women. Since its inception more than a decade ago, Lincoln Military Housing now provides more than 36,000 family homes for military members across the US. Lincoln is much more than a property management company. LMH acts as a support system for military families and offers community-building activities and 24-hour maintenance assistance programs, free, to all of their residents. Services are available for members of all branches of service -- Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, United States Coast Guard, and National Guard. For more information about Lincoln Military Housing, please visit www.lincolnmilitary.com for more information.
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