U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY -- The 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron replaced an older generation expeditionary airfield lighting system with the first-ever, operational expeditionary airfield lighting system in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Nov. 19, 2025.
Over the course of a month, Airmen assigned to the 332nd ECES removed the previous lighting system spanning thousands of feet along the runway and upgraded to a brighter, five-step setup. The brand new lights are safer, faster, and more agile LED-powered lights to enable rapid lighting for expeditionary airfields.
“We’ve been going through the runway and removing the old expeditionary airfield lighting,” said Senior Airman Gregory Curry, 332nd ECES electrical journeyman. “We’re replacing each light with new LED fixtures that are safer, more efficient, and run on standard 120-volt power, making them easier to install and maintain.”
The impact of the new lighting system goes beyond ease of installation. By providing brighter, adjustable illumination in the often dusty conditions of the region, the new lights improve visibility for everyone traveling on the airfield.
“The LED lights have five steps to make them brighter,” said Senior Airman Logan Landon, 332nd ECES electrical journeyman. “In this region, we have dust storms and low visibility. The brighter lights help pilots avoid damaging fixtures and clearly identify the runway, which reduces the risk of incidents. They can also run completely on solar power, so if anything happens to the wiring, the lights can operate on energy from the sun.”
Despite their own experience installing airfield lighting, these upgrades placed high demands on the Airmen, not only due to the thousands of feet in which the lights stretched, but also because the runway is bi-directional.
“The main runway is bi-directional, which means pilots can land from both directions with lights installed on both sides to ensure safe approaches,” Landon said. “I had not installed lights on a bi-directional runway before, but I would say it's been a good experience and definitely one of the more impactful things I've done in my career.”
Ultimately, the benefits of the new system have given these service members a deeper appreciation for the greater mission.
“We worked crazy hours, but we got it done,” Curry said. “We made sure every light was lined up exactly how it needed to be, pointed in the right direction, and installed securely. Seeing the lights in use now definitely feels good.”
Their work on the airfield directly enhances the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing’s ability to launch, recover, and sustain airpower in the AOR. The new lighting system stands as a visible reminder of the squadron’s commitment to ensuring safe and reliable mission operations.