US Army “PCS” Season Brings New Residents to Fort Johnson

Service Members and Families Welcomed by Local Housing Staff

Each summer, between June and August, the busy “permanent change of station” (PCS) season involves thousands of military families being reassigned to new locations. At Fort Johnson, this means that an average of 450-500 new residents will begin to call west-central Louisiana home.

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“I grew up just down the road, so serving this installation is even more meaningful to me. This is a great opportunity to give back to my community, and I hope that I can make a difference in the lives of thousands of military families who call Fort Johnson and our surrounding community their home,” said Kirk Green, Operations Director at Fort Johnson, a DeRidder native and graduate of DeRidder High School.

In addition to arranging a mover and finding new housing, service members and their families may also need to find schools, houses of worship, community centers, and other familiar amenities that transform a new environment to a comfortable community.

For residents that choose to live in on-base housing at Fort Johnson, achieving that sense of community is made easier by the Corvias Property Management staff, which has longevity in the area, including many calling the DeRidder area their hometown.

“Most people equate summer to ‘vacation,’ but for our team, it’s one of our busiest times of the year, said Kirk Green, Operations Director at Fort Johnson. “We work very hard to help service members and families become comfortable and look forward to moving here, and a big part of that is sharing our familiarity with this area and what the community has to offer.”

Fortunately, living on-base offers the convenience of close proximity to a variety of services and other amenities. In addition, the on-base housing is priced to align with the U.S. Army’s Basic Allowance for Housing, include all utilities, access to community and recreation centers, plus preventative, routine and emergency home services.

Green oversees the operations and maintenance of over 3,600 homes on the installation with a focus on attentive property management services and improving the community experience. Satisfacts resident satisfaction survey scores consistently rate in the “exceptional” range.

Residents at Fort Johnson not only have the benefit of a seasoned Corvias Property Management resident team waiting to welcome them home, but many team members are long-time area residents themselves.

By working closely with Fort Johnson Command and the installation Housing Office, Kirk strives to provide a positive living environment focused on family and community. He ensures that premier neighborhood amenities such as resort-style pools, 24-hour fitness centers, and bark parks, which often serve as social gathering spots, are all well maintained. Additionally, he works with the local team to plan a variety of resident events throughout the year, such as Halloween hayrides, summer pool parties, and cookies with Santa, to give residents the opportunity to connect with their neighbors.

Other west central Louisiana natives like James McWilliams, a Corvias senior project manager, also make meaningful contributions to those living on Fort Johnson. James is a fourth-generation Vernon Parish native who was born in Leesville. He has been serving Fort Johnson families for nearly 20 years, but in many ways, he said, Johnson has been “feeding my family” since it started in the 1940s. His grandparents ran a local laundry mat, grocery store, and some rental apartments through the 1980s, and his father was an electrician at Fort Johnson for 30 years.

At Fort Johnson, the construction team has contributed to the success of multiple development and construction projects, and $34 million in energy upgrades. The upgrades include the replacement of nearly 2,500 geothermal air conditioning units and the drilling of supplemental geothermal wells, as well as the installation of efficient water-saving home features.

“I like the challenge of ensuring we deliver quality products on time, with maximum efficiency and at the highest value. Our team shares a common drive for success, which is ultimately resident satisfaction, and I enjoy being part of a company that is constantly improving,” he said.

Housing Improvements

Incoming residents will be able to reap the benefits of a $92 million Corvias investment project that began last year resulting in 2,300 roof replacements, the painting of 1,000 homes, and approximately 1,000 gutter replacements in the Dogwood Terrace and Maple Terrace neighborhoods. The next phase of the project is well underway and includes continued modernization efforts to on-post housing, including interior and exterior renovations, making the homes even more desirable to service members and their families. Plus, work is set to begin later this year for a new playground in the Maple Terrace Neighborhood.

The team stays busy with day-to-day operations, but the most important job is building and maintaining relationships with military families living at Fort Johnson and ensuring they receive the best home and housing services possible during their time there.

To learn more about on-base housing options at Fort Johnson, please visit https://johnson.corviaspm.com/

About Corvias

As a privately-owned company headquartered in Warwick, RI, Corvias partners with the Department of Defense and higher education institutions nationwide to solve their housing, infrastructure and energy resiliency challenges and to create long-term, sustainable value through our unique Solutions Through Partnerships℠ approach. Corvias pursues the kinds of partnerships that materially and sustainably improve the quality of life for the people who call our communities home. Corvias seeks to partner with organizations with aligned values and missions that are important to our nation’s success. To learn more, please visit: www.corvias.com.

About Corvias Property Management

Corvias Property Management applies its resident-first approach to provide housing operations, maintenance and service support for university and military communities to create safe, high-quality places to live, learn, work and interact. Across 10 U.S. states, Corvias Property Management maintains 42,000 residential units, totaling approximately 50 million square feet of real estate, including at seven military installations and 15 universities.

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