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Civil Engineers prepare for Prime BEEF
Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Armando Vasquez, 108th Wing Public Affairs

Where can you find Prime BEEF... Not the type that you eat, but Airmen assigned to Prime Base Emergency Engineer Force?

Training at the 201st Red Horse Squadron Regional Training Center at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., is where the 108th Civil Engineers Squadron could be found April 20-22, 2012.

As a Prime BEEF unit, the 108th CE Airmen would deploy to a war zone with tools to complete special projects of hardening airfields and critical base facilities. These include making repairs on existing systems, and updating/ modernizing utilities; preparing new areas for "tent cities" for initial bed-down of arriving troops in country, and building bunkers for personnel protection.

So as an upcoming deployment seems imminent for these Airmen, maintaining their skills to complete all of these objectives is critical.

"At home base we can't train for contingency response," said Lt. Col. Paul Novello, 108th CES commander. "But here we have all the tools for our war objectives."

Within the training complex, the Airmen were able to work on installing emergency airfield lighting systems (EALS), constructing large base shelters, repairing airfields, water purification, heating ventilation air conditioner maintenance and repairs, and other tasks associated with a deployment to a war zone.

Novello said that using the actual equipment that is part of the contingency environment helps his CEs get firsthand experience.

And taking advantage of the tools around him was Senior Airman Bryant Ubando. The Dover resident was among the group of electrical systems personnel working on EALS and then climbing utility poles during the three-day deployment readiness exercise.

Ubando had previously deployed to the Middle East in 2010 and was eager for the upcoming deployment.

 


Tech. Sgt. Matthew Scudder, 108th Civil Engineer Squadron, climbs a utility pole at the 201st Red Horse Squadron Regional Training Center at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., April 21, 2012.

 

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