9th AF/AFCENT expansion project begins Published Feb. 28, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Amanda Currier 9th Air Force Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- A bevy of dignitaries grabbed shovels Feb. 28 here to start construction of an addition to the U.S. Air Forces Central and 9th Air Force Headquarters facility, Building 1130. The two-story addition will add 49,880 square feet to the existing building. The project is estimated to cost $14.4 million and is scheduled for completion by September 2012. Several USAFCENT and 9th Air Force headquarters-affiliated organizations are currently scattered among facilities around the base due to space limitations in the existing headquarters building. The addition will allow these organizations to be under one roof. Members of USAFCENT develop contingency plans and conduct air operations in a 20-nation area of responsibility covering Central and Southwest Asia. The 9th Air Force oversees seven wings and two direct reporting units in the eastern United States and is also responsible for the operational readiness of 14 Air National Guard units.