The Ronald Reagan National Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific gives the United States a cutting edge on missile and missile-interceptor development, space surveillance, and satellite tracking.
Kwajalein, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is one of the world's largest coral atolls, comprising 97 islands and islets. Kwajalein Island is the largest island in the chain, with a population of 2,600.
Since 2002, Kwajalein Range Services, a venture of Bechtel and Lockheed Martin, has provided services to the U.S. Department of Defense for the operation and support of the test range. The venture also is involved in every aspect of Kwajalein Island's infrastructure, helping manage utilities, the post office, the school system, marine operations, and the airport.
In addition to defense work, Kwajalein is involved with scientific research such as measuring weather conditions in space that can affect satellites.
Early on, Bechtel project leaders said one of the biggest challenges they faced was getting local workers to embrace Bechtel's philosophy of zero accidents. The effolrt put into safetway awareness and training paid off: In March 2009, the project reached a milestone, achieving 10 million consecutive work hours without losing time because of an accident.
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