CE teaches wartime skills during readiness training

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Shayne Sewell
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. --  When a building gets too cold, civil engineering, or "CE" is there to warm it up. When it gets too hot, they are there to cool it down. But in times of war, the 459th Civil Engineering Squadron's responsibilities increase substantially.

Among other things, civil engineering professionals expediently repair structures and electrical and plumbing systems in the event of destruction, such as a bomb.
This is what CE Airmen have been preparing for since August 2006 both in Alpena, Mich., and in Volk Field, Wis. In each location, Airmen with specialized construction, electrical and plumbing skills performed maintenance, construction and repairs under adverse conditions.

"If a building gets hit with a bomb, we are expected to do expedient repairs and get it up and running," said Chief Master Sgt. Donald Ellington, 459th CES manager.
"We send out Damage Assessment Repair Teams, or DART, to assess the damage across the base and prioritize repairs," Chief Ellington said. While the DART teams are out, they are also looking for chemical detection and unexploded ordnance.
"The (UXO teams) are the first eyes after an attack," Chief Ellington said.
Typically, within 10 minutes of alarm condition black, the post attack reconnaissance, or PAR teams, go out.

"The longer the DART and PAR teams are out, the longer everyone stays in their gas masks and mission oriented protective posture, or MOPP gear.
Once the priorities are set, CE goes out and begins damage repair. The airfield always gets first priority, followed by command post, unit control center and the petroleum, oil and lubricants (also known as POL), in lower priorities.

Without fuel, a wing cannot launch its aircraft or move maintenance or fire fighting vehicles, Chief Ellington said. He added runway damage prevents aircraft launch, which also hampers the mission.

During peacetime conditions (both exercise and real-world), CE performs a multitude of other routine flight line repairs such as airfield lighting, burnt out or broken runway light replacement, and crater filling. The team also conducts plumbing and electrical repairs in buildings and hangers on the flight line.

CE even has an Air Force specialty code for pest control. Pest management specialists authorized to carry weapons get called in to deal with possible vectors such as rabid animals, snakes, scorpions, or poisonous spiders. "If any troop gets bitten by a rabid animal or poisonous insect, that's one less troop to perform the mission and that's one too many," Chief Ellington said.

During exercises, CE typically supplies the materials, but it's each facility manager's responsibility to build sandbag perimeters around their building. CE provides its expertise as needed.

Training takes place at home to get ready for these wartime scenario exercises. Since Alpena and Volk Field called for tools and equipment, CE Airmen here have spent much of their time inspecting the items to ensure they are in working condition and properly placed in their containers.

Ensuring the appropriate tools and equipment get loaded on the pallet for the right location is crucial to the success of civil engineering.
CE plays a role in just about everything that drives the mission and people. From buildings that house Airmen and equipment, electricity that provides power, light, heat and air conditioning, and plumbing that provides much needed water - everyone would literally be in the dark without these professionals.