Headquarters, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Andrews AFB

Introduction

Recently, the headquarters for the Air Force's investigative department was moved from Bolling AFB in Washington DC to Andrews AFB just outside of Washington.

Andrew's most famous tenant
is, of course, the President's plane.

General Projection, working for its teammate Sytex Inc., was engaged to design and build a facility (including two large briefing facilities) that could be used by the 2-star general who ran AFOSI as well as the staff members of the headquarters for video conferencing (secure) around the world as well as briefings and presentations locally for up-to-the-minute information on investigations and other Air Force matters.

Additionally, in the larger facility, General Projection was tasked to provide a very large "trapezoidal" table for video conferences from which more than 20 people could participate from the table alone. Further, the table was to be configured with hidden audio technology to allow for intelligible conversations to take place with the far end of a video conference as well as to be reinforced into the gallery areas of the large space.

Design

General Projection utilized a combination of Sony projection systems, Extron and Autopatch routing and signal conditioning equipment in order to create very high resolution images onto large Stewart screens. A requirement existed for high resolution (scan doubled) video as well as for PC presentations both locally as well as to the far end of a VTC.

For sound, General Projection utilized Audio-Technica microphones, Lectrosonics mixing systems and Crown amplification into Atlas-Soundolier ceiling speakers and JBL wall-mounted speaker systems.

The facilities all required video conferencing capabilities. For this, General Projection selected and installed PictureTel codecs which were automated and operated from the "smart" lecterns (2 per briefing room). PictureTel cameras on wall mounts take in the various aspects of the room during video conferencing or remote briefings.

Finally, ceiling mounted monitors are used to allow for background information to constantly stream into the spaces. For the most part this is such cable new broadcasts as CNN but also includes the far end during briefings and other events.

The Commanding General's conference
room at AFOSI.

Success

The AFOSI has contingents at every air force facility around the world. These new systems allow for much better control and communication between these contingents and their new headquarters.

Further, the commanding general of AFOSI can communicate directly to the Pentagon and the "boss" for this department, the Inspector General of the Air Force.

For more information on conference facilities that can also be used for video conferencing and other Air Force or military projects, please fill out our Information Request form or email Solutions@genproj.com