General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital held a “topping out” ceremony earlier this week

Leaders from the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence; the Defense Health Agency; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the U.S. Army Health Planning Agency; JE Dunn Construction and RLF Architects — the primary build and design contractors, respectively; and the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital held a “topping out” ceremony earlier this week at the construction site of Fort Leonard Wood’s new hospital, slated for completion in 2024. In building construction, the topping-out ceremony traditionally marks the point when the last structural beam is placed at the top of the structure. It is also usually signed by the invited dignitaries. Gregg Thompson, MSCoE deputy to the commanding general, thanked everyone for helping mark “this great milestone, for our Army, our installation — and most importantly, for our service members, retirees and all of their families.” Fort Leonard Wood’s new General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital will be located on 52 acres just northeast of the existing hospital, which was built in 1965. Facilities to be constructed include a 235,400-square-foot hospital, 193,300-square-foot clinic, central utility plant, emergency backup generators, five-bay ambulance garage, helipad, and supporting facilities. Most of the project is expected to be completed in 2024 when the existing hospital will then be scheduled for demolition. Renovation of the existing optical fabrication lab and parking improvements are slated to follow.