[caption id="attachment_3087" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="With hard hats and gold shovels, military and civilian dignitaries officially break ground for the new hangar and flight simulator center for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter on Thursday, September 1, at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. Photo by Bob Sofaly."]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/09012011-MCAS-21.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3087" title="09012011 MCAS, 2" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/09012011-MCAS-21-300x198.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="198" /></a>[/caption]

Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort hosted a ground breaking ceremony for the Joint Strike Fighter Hangar and Training Center on Thursday, Sept. 1.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast awarded the $70,300,000 contract on June 6 to Hensel Phelps Construction Co. of Orlando, Fla., for the construction of the training facility and hangar.

The new training facility will include flight simulator spaces, training classrooms, briefing and debriefing rooms, network equipment rooms, administrative offices and mechanical and electrical rooms.

“MCAS Beaufort’s existing hangars are reaching the end of useful life at 50 years old and must be replaced to meet the changing mission of the air station,” stated MCAS Beaufort Commanding Officer Col. Brian Murtha. “This construction project moves MCAS Beaufort one step closer to receiving the Joint Strike Fighter and ensuring that we continue to meet the training and operational requirements as America’s Expeditionary Force in Readiness.”