Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, district commander, visited the future site of the Joint Integrated Test and Training Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in August. Accompanied by Amy Steiner, chief of the Geotechnical and Materials Branch, Palazzini inspected the team's current work, which involved testing soil samples from the site for potential contaminants. According to a United States Air Force press release, the facility will enable attendees "to blend synthetic and live-fly training while focusing on training events specific to employment of tactical joint assets." Construction of the facility is expected to begin fall 2024. "From our position in Alaska, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson - JBER is uniquely situated to protect the homeland and project joint forces," said Col. David Wilson, 673d Air Base Wing Command Team and JBER commander. "This investment powers us to deliver on those missions, increase readiness and build the next generation of agile combat warfighters and support teams."