Change of Command, Change of Responsibility brings new Leadership to USACAPOC(A)
Maj. Gen. Isaac Johnson, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), will relinquish command to Brig. Gen. Andrée G. Carter, on Saturday, July 13 at 9 a.m. at the Main Post Parade Field, Fort Liberty. Concurrently, outgoing Command Chief Warrant Officer, CW5 Michael A. Rich will change responsibility with CW4, John Harris III.
The U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) is a two-star headquarters providing Army and Joint Forces commanders 76 percent of the Department of Defense civil affairs forces and 63 percent of DoD psychological operations forces.
Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, and Information Operations Soldiers combine regional and trans-regional expertise, political-military awareness, and cross-cultural communication skills to conduct and support civil-military operations for conventional and special operations forces.
USACAPOC (A) Soldiers are integrated in current global U.S. operations including Iraq, Afghanistan, Horn of Africa, European, Pacific and Central/South American regions. USACAPOC (A) provides airborne oversight for USARC and is the only strategic CA structure in DoD while supporting the Army and Joint Force with strategic, operational, and tactical level civil affairs operations, psychological operations, and information operations capabilities.
USACAPOC (A) provides a cost-effective solution and enables the supported commander expanded freedom of maneuver in both Combined Arms Maneuver and Wide Area Security missions across the range of Military Operations. USACAPOC (A) CA, PSYOP, and IO forces support Army formations in conventional operations, Irregular Warfare, Theater Security Cooperation, and Stability Operations in support of Geographic Combatant Command requirements. USACAPOC(A) is made up of 96 Army Reserve units across 29 states.
In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Pope Field Training Annex, Building 372, 504 Virgin Street, Fort Liberty.

County opened cooling stations over weekend
All eight Cumberland County Public Library branch locations serve as cooling stations for residents who do not have access to air conditioning and need a place to get out of the heat, with additional County facilities available.
The National Weather Service in Raleigh forecasted the following heat indexes from the past weekend:
• Saturday, June 22, Heat Index 102 degrees
• Sunday, June 23, Heat Index 102 degrees
• Monday, June 24 Heat Index 104 degrees
Residents who need reprieve from the heat may visit any of the following County locations during regular business hours:
• Library locations are open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Headquarters Library at 300 Maiden Lane, Fayetteville, along with Cliffdale, North Regional and Hope Mills branches, are also open Sundays from 2 to 6 p.m. To find your nearest library location, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/library-group/library.
The first-floor lobby of the Cumberland County Department of Public Health, located at 1235 Ramsey St., is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Masks or face coverings are required for individuals experiencing symptoms related to a respiratory illness (COVID-19, RSV, flu).
The Cumberland County Department of Social Services, located at 1225 Ramsey St., will open the auxiliary lobby as a cooling station. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. All public lobbies will be available to citizens. Masks or face coverings are required for individuals experiencing symptoms related to a respiratory illness (COVID-19, RSV, flu).
While these locations are always available to the public during operating hours, County officials wish to make the public aware of their availability as cooling stations when conditions warrant.
Extreme heat and humidity significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working outdoors. Cumberland County Emergency Services reminds residents to take precautions during the hot weather. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, stay out of the sun, avoid strenuous work, check on relatives and neighbors, and never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles.
Cumberland County Emergency Services is monitoring the heat conditions and is coordinating the opening of County facilities as cooling stations. Stay informed by visiting the County’s website at cumberlandcountync.gov or County social media pages at facebook.com/CumberlandNC, facebook.com/CumberlandCountyNC911 and twitter.com/CumberlandNC.

County anticipates breaking ground on new Crown Event Center in September
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Crown Event Center Committee gave its approval to allow the project to move into the Construction Document development phase with an anticipated groundbreaking for the new Crown Event Center planned for September 2024.
The approval followed the presentation of updated pricing for the project from the Construction Manager at Risk TA Loving/Metcon. The CMaR conducted pricing on the 100% Design Development documents completed by project architect EwingCole, which were presented to the Committee on May 20 along with updated renderings of the Crown Event Center’s exterior and interior spaces.
Matt DeSilver, Area Manager with MBP Carolinas, which serves as the County’s Owners Representative for the project, shared that the 100% Design Development cost estimate for construction came in just above the Board’s approved construction budget of $117,864,211 at $122,173,918. However, he noted that this estimate includes built-in design escalation costs through the midpoint of construction as well as design contingency.
He said the Project Delivery Team conducted value engineering to bring the estimated construction cost down below the approved budget to $117,194,895. Items that were removed from the estimate as part of the value engineering process included an operable partition in the multipurpose room, interior window blinds, reduction of LED exterior signage and upper-level audience divider curtains in the main event hall. DeSilver said these items will still be priced so they can be included in the project in the event costs ultimately come in lower than the approved budget.
Committee members voted unanimously to approve the 100% design development cost estimate and to authorize the Project Delivery Team to move into construction document development.
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners previously approved a total project budget of nearly $145 million in February. DeSilver said the project is still on schedule to break ground in September 2024 with anticipated completion in early 2027. He said next steps for the project will include the development of construction documents and preparation of the early site package.
CMaR hosted an outreach event for subcontractors, suppliers and vendors interested in participating in the Crown Event Center project June 20.
The Crown Event Center Committee is comprised of Cumberland County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe, who chairs the Committee, Board Chairman Glenn Adams and Commissioner Jeannette Council, along with Cumberland County Civic Center Commission Chairman McBryde Grannis, who serves in an ex officio capacity. The Project Delivery Team is made up of County staff, and staff from the County’s owner’s representative MBP Carolinas, project architect EwingCole, construction manager at Risk TA Loving/Metcon and Crown Complex Manager OakViewGroup.
For more information on the Crown Event Center project, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/crowneventcenter.

(Photo Information-Top Photo: Fort Liberty Sign.  File photo.  Bottom Photo: Graphic courtesy of Crown Event Center)