A new $1.3 billion facility that will house more than 3,500 military and civilian employees was dedicated earlier this week at Offutt Air Force Base.

U.S. Strategic Command dedicated its new Command and Control Facility to former Air Force Gen. Curtis E. LeMay in conjunction with a change of command ceremony last Monday.

“This facility, which we are dedicating today as the General Curtis E. LeMay Command and Control Facility, was one of the most complex construction projects in our government’s history,” Deputy Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist said.

LeMay was known as the father of Strategic Air Command and was one of the longest-serving generals in military history. The old StratCom headquarters was also named in his honor.

“For the past three years, I have walked past General LeMay’s portrait every day and thought about his contributions to our country and how he laid the groundwork for this command to lead strategic deterrence in the 21st century,” said Gen. John E. Hyten, former Stratcom commander and the new vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

At the ceremonies, U.S. Navy Adm. Charles “Chas” A. Richard assumed command of U.S. Strategic Command from Hyten. Richard, an Alabama native with 37 years of service, is StratCom’s former deputy commander.

Norquist said that the new facility will support the modernization of the nation’s strategic assets, including nuclear command, control and communications. He called the facility “a living, breathing weapon system designed to change and grow as threats and capabilities evolve.”

The building spans 916,000 square feet and has 650 miles of information technology cable – enough to link Omaha to Dallas, according to a news release.