Constant checks and preventative maintenance, skilled troubleshooting and building relationships with our host nation utility engineers. These are the tenants by which the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Power Production shop subscribes to, to keep the power flowing all over The Rock.
The primary source of electricity for the base is the host-nation utility service which, due to the remote and austere location of the base, combined with the age of the infrastructure, does have power faults from time to time. In the instance that there is a fault affecting a portion of the base, you would never know it, because the Power Pro generator team is dedicated to keeping the lights on.
“We check the running units every two hours for things like coolant temp, oil pressure, number of operating hours and amperage output,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Clinch, a power production specialist deployed from the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. “Even if they aren’t running, we have to check on them and run them a little bit to make sure they are ready if the base needs them.”
Power Pro maintains seven generator stations of varying megawatt output, and conducts around-the-clock checks to ensure they are always fully mission capable. The generator mission is much more than a failsafe or backup plan. It’s an operational necessity.
“Without the generator stations, the coalition mission here would stop,” said Maj. Adam M. Burwinkle, the 386th ECES deputy commander. “This is a critical mission, and our Airmen spend a lot of time maintaining these systems. While many on base might not be able to see that effort and knowingly appreciate it, they still seem happy that their lights work.”
In a worst-case-scenario of complete power loss, Power Pro is more than capable of generating the power needed to run the base. The preferred method however, is to use the utility connections provided by our host-nation partners. That requires teamwork and a strong relationship.
“We rely on the host-nation infrastructure, so to help our Airmen who work on our lines, which connect to the host-nation lines, we spend a lot of time and do deliberate outreach to the host nation so they know what we are doing,” said Burwinkle.
This outreach includes sharing of best practices, communication and training, and combined troubleshooting efforts with the host-nation partners. Power Pro Airmen and leaders have developed a very close relationship with the host nation intently, in order to foster better support, according to Burwinkle.
“Much like our wing commander works closely with the host-nation wing commander, we work very closely with the host nation engineer and support folks, so that we have a good relationship,” said Burwinkle.
It’s because of the age of the infrastructure that it’s not uncommon for Power Pro to sometimes encounter problems that are difficult to find. If the problem is outside the base perimeter, a poor relationship with the host nation could create challenges in getting things repaired quickly.
“Right now, we have electricians out there to meet with them and repair a fault,” said Burwinkle. “It’s our relationship building that makes this partnership possible.”
Between the constant checks on the active generator systems, meticulous preventative maintenance on inactive generator systems, and a strong, trusting relationship with host nation utility engineers, the 386th ECES Power Pro shop has the right tools in the box to keep the mission, and people at The Rock running at peak capacity.
This is the first story in a three-part series on the 386th ECES Power Production Shop.