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MISSION ALMOST ACCOMPLISHED !
PHASE TWO:

UPDATES:

01-21-09: 
We have now entered Phase two. It's never too late to become part of a great project and we need your help.  The Central Command Memorial structure is complete at MacDill AFB.  It stands proudly in front of the new Central Command Headquarters Building.  This was the tough part with delays arising from the needs of the war, the many changes in support personnel in both Washington and at the Command and the incredible modernization of the facilities at  MacDill.  But the story has a happy ending. Look what has happened.  We are situated in close proximity to the main building, we have a beautiful lake right next door fitting in perfectly in both size and architectural composition. It adds a tremendous amount of depth to the project. The host engineering services provided by the 6th Air Wing were exemplary.   When you see it, the lake, the CENTCOM Headquarters building and the Memorial make the total picture right.

Thank you to our friends, personnel, soldiers and supporters of the CENTRAL COMMAND who have stood with us in this project for almost eight years.  You understood the meaning of this project.  You understood keeping the war away from our soil was both strategic and costly.   You also knew we wanted to get started now and not wait ten, twenty or forty years to pay respect to those fallen comrades.  The Memorial is now standing strong and proud as a tribute to our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, the men and women of the CENTRAL COMMAND,  and our Coalition forces, this Memorial is for you.  We extend our love, honor, respect, reverent condolences to lost loved ones, and congratulations to those who have served this Command past, present and future. To you, we will dedicate this Memorial... Formal opening and dedication services will be announced through the various channels.

The delays took their toll as costs rose, and we were forced to cut back on some of the items we wished to incorporate in the project.  Thank goodness for the brilliance and generosity of both the Architect, Randolph Wedding and Associates,  and the Builders, HALFACRE Construction Company of Sarasota.  They watched the costs,  and not only save us every dollar they could, they were able to maintain the look, the ambiance, and the beauty of this Memorial and structurally improve on a few things.

PHASE TWO: Our goal in phase two is to continue the process for the fulfillment of the ancillary componentry of the project. In simpler terms, we built the house, now we will furnish it.  A Naval Admiral said it slightly different, you built the carrier, now find me an air wing.  We wish to provide the necessary flags, bench's, additional statuary by the famed Scott Stearman, and furnishings to complete this phase.  We are also looking into a special way of recognition for those who have made the supreme sacrifice, more on that later.   Funds are also needed for maintenance, utilities, the lift, and other  costs into perpetuity as required. Various packages will be made available.

The Memorial is for those who have served, deployed in the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the Central Command.  As we have made it clear from the beginning, "This Memorial is for the Troops" and unique to most memorials it serves and includes our coalition partners and it is inclusive.  And we mean to complete the mission in Phase Two. We want to restore many of the cutbacks, and finish things the way it was originally intended.  We owe the troops that much.  We hope you recognize this project as one needed and coming from the heart. Those that provided the seed money never questioned how long or how tough it was to get to this point. 

PHASE THREE:  We are blessed to have those folks who understand veterans with disabilities and injuries from the conflict need care, some now, and some later on and they will not be forgotten. What's in it for you?  To be content with the knowledge that you stood with our men and women. Our support will continue after the completion of the Memorial.  Our resources will work with established  organizations such as the Warrior Foundation.  This is a living ongoing Memorial and we are well aware there are families who have lost loved ones and need help and almost 33,000 wounded, some needing perpetual care.

Now it is your turn.  we need the support of people, companies, groups, friends, loved ones and those who simply care to help furnish the house.  More on how you may help soon....

AL Jacobson
CENTRAL COMMAND  MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

01-22-09
Today I had a chance to view the Memorial with the flags flying and the scene is breathtaking from the main road.   Especially after a day of watching the Inauguration of our new Commander in Chief.  It seems to fit in place. I can not emphasize enough what this means to those who have served.  MacDill AFB is undergoing a huge resurrection with new Command buildings and structures and the Memorial has a very prominent position after you enter the base on the main road, it will be on your right hand side adjoining the CENTCOM headquarters.  The Memorial signifies compassion, strength, and service to the country, dedication and perserverence.

PRESS RELEASE:
St. Petersburg FL  (January 18th, 2008) After almost seven years of planning, conference's, estimates,  progress, regression, revisions, success and frustration, that's all in the past now.  The three member Board of Directors of the CENTCOM MEMORIAL FOUNDATION are pleased to announce that on Friday the 18th of January 2008, the contract to build the CENTCOM MEMORIAL was awarded and issued.  The documents were signed and issued at the offices of C. Randolph Wedding, Architect. Not more than 45 days later the ground clearing and site preparation began.


THE BUILDER:
The company with the winning bid is HALFACRE Construction Company of Sarasota Florida. They have a great deal of experience in this arena having previously built Memorials, and varied local projects, at MacDill AFB and other Tampa Bay locations. The architectural design and plans are by the renowned Architect C. Randolph Wedding of Wedding + Stephenson Architects, Inc.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
The plans were reviewed in Washington for approval by the House of Representatives, the Secretary of Defense, the Department of Defense and the United States Senate. 

This took quite a while as is the norm with Washington these days. Wars put things on back burners. This is the procedure that needed to be followed even though we are not using government funding, all of our funds have come from donations and the hearts of those that care.  No government funding is used in the Memorial.



CHANGES OF COMMAND:
The Board worked in behalf with no less than three Changes of Command, before General Petraeus took over at CENTCOM.  Including General Tommy Franks, General John Abizaid, Admiral Fallon and Lieutenant General Martin E. Dempsey, Acting Commander during the transition. Our team has remained the same.  In the photograph from left to right is Vice President Julia Baker, President Ellie Scarfone-Malanowski, and our Treasurer. David L. Troop.

LOCATION:
MacDill is a former Air Force bomber training facility and hosts CENTCOM, SOCOM, NOAA and other major commands.  The Air Force is tasked with the physical  parameters and logistics of building a project such as this.  Thus, adjustments were necessary as the cost of building the Memorial has escalated over the seven years. This is due to rising material costs, site changes, finishing expenditures and the availability of resources to complete the project.  Materials alone have escalated 100%.  Never the less, we are on target, and now we have to think in terms of perpetuity.  Your continuing donations are essential.

A special thank you to our patrons and friends who realized there have been more pressing moments in Congress these past few years and we thank those who have supported the Memorial with patience, friendship and loyalty.  You have been the heroes and helped us to get through the long process.  Again, thank you ALL for your patience and support.  It has taken longer than expected but we are diligent and pressing forth at every opportunity.

Ellie Scarfone-Malanowski, President, Chairman of the Board
Julia Baker, Vice President and Secretary
David L. Troop, Treasurer
Al Jacobson, Board Member

MORE PHOTOS
Two Views: From the back of the Memorial showing the speakers podium, lift, flagpoles and staircases.

The second view: 
From the base main road facing the podium, flags, insignia
and the close relationship to the new CENTCOM  Facility.

 

Close views of the bronze statuary that will be placed inside the Memorial.
Note the attention to detail as the female soldier had pictures of her family in her helmet. And the time on the watch on the mole gear signified the time of the attack on 911.  These representations were taken from troops who have served  in the AOR and the detail captured by Scott Stearman is beyond imagination to be duplicated so authentically.

WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW!

We need your help and the help of the community who are part of the support for our troops.

Your checks can be mailed to:
US CENTCOM Memorial Foundation
P. O. BOX  6095
MacDill AFB
Tampa, FL 33618

The United States Central Command Memorial Foundation Mission

The USCENTCOM Memorial Foundation, Inc., is a non-profit, federal and state registered organization, 501C3.  It is publicly funded, and is accepting in-kind donations to complete the Memorial at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa , Florida. 

As you peruse through our website we wish to make it very clear that our small in size, big in heart Foundation is about the "TROOPS".  It is not about specific units, branches of service, rank, our board, individuals, nor groups. Our focus is clear and defined. It is about the American Soldier serving his country and the comrades in arms from our coalition partners that stand side by side with us. Yes, we will have a place in our walls and our hearts for our Coalition members.  We shall provide for those who have given of themselves, we will be there for them and their loved ones.  When the Memorial is completed and secured for perpetuity, any excess funding will be set for scholarships, education, and grants through affiliate organizations.  It will be a reminder that we take care of our own, no one shall be alone, no one forgotten.
It will also be a place for award presentations, promotions, and retirement ceremonies.  Located right next to CENTCOM, it will provide a needed arena for the Command steeped in Honor, Tradition and Sacrifice. It will also provide an area of recognition for our friends and allies who have served side by side with us and paid the ultimate price of freedom. A haven, an area for deep reflection, this was an essential ingredient in its design.  A place to say hello and a place for some to say goodbye...

The COMMAND:
Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands assigned operational control of U.S. combat forces. USCENTCOM’s Commander,  General Petraeus reports directly to the Secretary of Defense, who in turn, reports to the President of the United States. 
Commands are normally organized on a geographical basis into regions known as "Areas Of Responsibility".  USCENTCOM’s AOR stretches from the Horn of Africa to Central Asia.  Organized as a headquarters element, USCENTCOM has no war fighting units permanently assigned to it.  All four Armed Services provide USCENTCOM with component commands, which, along with our joint special operations component, make up USCENTCOM's primary war fighting and engagement organizations.
Activated by President Ronald Reagan on Jan.1, 1983, USCENTCOM is the permanent successor to the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, a temporary organization created by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 to project American power in the Middle East and East Africa.
 

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE
The Central Command is located at MacDill AFB. About eight miles south of downtown Tampa. MacDill has about 6,000 airmen and civilians on 5,000 acres, located on the west coast of Florida. Activated in 1941, MacDill Army Air Base was named after Col. Leslie MacDill who died in a plane crash near Washington D.C. in 1938. The base has gone through many changes and military conflicts in its 60 years. It is resplendent with history.  In addition to the 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base is also home to more than 50 various military units and commands. This includes the United States Central Command and United States Special Operations Command. The presence of these two unified commands and other Mission Partners creates a unique multi-service community at MacDill, with all branches of service represented. So although MacDill is an Air Force Base, it is also home to many soldiers, sailors and Marines. Other Federal agencies such as NOAA reside at the base.

United States Central Command Memorial Foundation, Inc.
Post Office Box 6095  MacDill AFB
Tampa, Florida 33618

TAMPA BAY AREA (727) 799-6114     Toll Free: (877) 841-0008
Fax: (727) 321-3779
WEBSITE BOOKMARK   www.centcommemorial.org
WEBSITE EMAIL:  info@centcommemorial.org

Webmeister:  For Links, Fast answers, Contacts
ajacobs2@tampabay.rr.com
(727) 812-8101, 776-9311

SITE HOSTING WAS PROVIDED FOR and FUNDED BY THE GRACIOUSNESS OF:
KOWA-BONGA!

Information is Copyrighted United States Central Command Memorial Foundation, Inc. 2009