JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii, in partnership with Army Medicine, the Defense Health Agency, and military leadership, celebrated the grand opening of a new $20.9 million Veterinary Treatment Facility (VTF) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on April 25.
The state-of-the-art 12,000-square-foot facility is designed to provide comprehensive care for both military working dogs and the pets of military families, significantly enhancing veterinary support across the installation.
Guest speaker Army Brig. Gen. Deydre S. Teyhen, commanding general, Medical Readiness Command, Pacific, and director, Defense Health Network Indo-Pacific, emphasized the facility’s role in bolstering readiness and resilience.
“As Dr. Karen Becker, a renowned integrative veterinarian, reminds us, ‘When you support an animal’s health, you are also supporting the physical and emotional well-being of the humans who depend on them,’” said Teyhen. “That’s exactly what this facility does—it multiplies readiness by strengthening our force’s total health ecosystem. Today is not just a celebration of capability—it’s a celebration of collaboration.”
The facility features five general exam rooms, two isolation rooms, and dedicated hospitalization spaces for military working dogs. It also houses specialized equipment and services including on-site laboratory, radiology, and necropsy capabilities to support rapid diagnosis and treatment, as well as disease surveillance and public health initiatives.
In addition to animal care, the facility includes a dedicated workspace for Army food protection specialists, where they can prepare food samples, conduct laboratory analysis, investigate potential outbreaks, and safeguard the military food supply.
NAVFAC Hawaii’s Lt. Nathanael Gommesen, construction manager for the project since June 2023, played a key role in ensuring the project stayed on schedule and within scope.
“Being a construction manager with the FEAD [Facilities Engineering and Acquisition Division] means you're really the hub for all the information moving back and forth,” said Gommesen. “On this project, I handled over 300 RFIs [Request for Information] and more than 200 submittals, coordinating between NAVFAC Engineering, NAVFAC Pacific, and the contracted Designer of Record to keep everything on track.”
Now considered the most advanced veterinary treatment facility in the Indo-Pacific region, the VTF provides critical preventive, diagnostic, surgical, and dental services for government-owned animals, while also serving the needs of military families and supporting installation-wide food safety efforts.
“It was overwhelming at times, but I always focused on being a good steward of taxpayer dollars and making sure the contract was enforced,” Gommesen added. “Seeing the finished building open to patients now makes it all worth it. I’m proud of the work we put in and proud to support the mission in this unique way.”
The project was awarded to Nan Inc. of Honolulu in June 2022 and was completed on time and within budget, with construction officially concluding in February 2024.