Brig. Gen. William F. Mullen III, Combat Center Commanding General, congratulates Melvin Pickens, lead facilities management specialist, Public Works Division, during the Victory Park ribbon-cutting ceremony aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., Oct. 5, 2016. (Official Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Connor Hancock/Released)

Photo by Cpl. Connor Hancock

Combat Center officially opens Victory Park

11 Oct 2016 | Cpl. Connor Hancock Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms

Twentynine Palms -- Combat Center leadership, Marine Corps Community Services and the Public Works Division officially opened Victory Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Oct. 5, 2016.

PWD’s Facility Engineering and Acquisition Division designed the 5.2-acre park to provide families and Marines an area for recreation and special events to improve morale and welfare. The park offers many commodities including an athletic field, charcoal grills and an amphitheater.

More than 50 spectators gathered with Brig. Gen. William F. Mullen III, Combat Center Commanding General, to celebrate the project, which took three years to construct.

“This is a special project for me because it’s my last one before I retire,” said Melvin Pickens, lead facilities management specialist, PWD. “Hopefully we’ll leave the Marine warfighters with something they can use not only now, but years down the road.”

The Combat Center dedicated the field to Maj. Gen. Randall M. Victory, the second Combat Center Commanding General, who served aboard the installation from 1957 to 1959. Victory also commanded 14th Marine Regiment during World War II.

“He was a Marine Corps legend,” said Lt. Cmdr. Juan Chavira, director, PWD. “He led battles in Saigon and Iwo Jima among others.”

Engineers designed Victory Park’s amphitheater to support 5,000-pound speaker arrays and lighting systems. The stage’s awning also has built in light emitting diode lights (LED).

“All of the electrical work is concealed,” said Richard New, facilities maintenance director, MCCS. “When we designed it we ran the conduit underground so there won’t be any trip hazards.”

In keeping with the Combat Center’s promise of being good stewards of the environment, planters on the outside of the stage serve as aesthetic electrical rooms, allowing the Combat Center to eliminate the use of generators.

According to New, improving the quality of life for Marines and sailors aboard the installation makes for a more effective Marine Corps.
“Having a place where the Marines can go and destress allows them to reengage and focus on supporting the mission,” New said.