It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it: Septic Waste Removal Escort Team

Published June 2, 2012
By Tech. Sgt. Stacy Fowler
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Editor's note: The men and women of the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Force Protection Flight have types of jobs that are smelly, sweaty, gross and occasionally tedious. This is the second of a four-part series highlighting their mission here. Warning: Do not read while eating!

Airmen on the Hershey Team, officially known as the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Force Protection Flight's Septic Waste Removal Escort Team, have a job that involves green trucks, the Green Mile, and gallons of greenish sludge at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

They frequently put their sense of smell on the line as they escort septic trucks from the septic pits to the Green Mile, where the waste is stored, every day.

"On a still day the smell can be pretty potent, or if it's windy day you can get surprised if the wind changes direction," said Staff Sgt. Adam Rickard, SWRE Team NCO in charge. "But most times the smell is manageable - and we have to make sure the waste we all make gets pumped out and transported. It's not the most [pleasant] job, but it's important that it gets done every day."

The waste transported is from showers, sinks, washing machines, human waste and every portable toilet around base. The plumbing attached to buildings and trailers flows to giant septic tanks on base, which culminate into thousands of gallons of waste that must be dealt with. That waste is collected and transported to the "Green Mile" - one of the few places that has green, lush vegetation.

Beside the importance of septic removal, SWRE Airmen are there to make sure that the drivers aren't gathering intelligence about the base or its people, or trying to go places they shouldn't.

"Overall, our job is to make sure the drivers go from point A to point B, as well as keep an eye on what they are looking at to make sure they are not trying to gather any intel that could be used against us," said Rickard.

"If we didn't have these guys coming onto our base, there would be a lot of issues," said Rickard, a Taylor, Mich., native deployed from the 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. "They usually transport almost 6 million gallons of sewage waste every month. It's a lot like having a septic tank at home; you have to take care of it and be aware of just how much is going into it, or you're going to have problems."

Many of the Airmen on the SWRE are there to keep problems from cropping up, said Airman 1st Class Sabrina Chica, an SWRE Airman. The trucks are old, and occasionally break down, so the team has to be flexible and adjust as needed.

"We start escorting around 6:30 a.m. and usually wrap up around 2 or 3 p.m.," said Chica, a Richmond, Va., native deployed from the 96th Security Forces Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. "Luckily, the trucks are already on base, so the only thing we need to do is make sure everyone is scanned through the control center. Then we just make our way around base on our routes."

Almost two months into the job, Senior Airman Michael Housler, a SWRE team Airman, has already found his "way around" for escorting the trucks.

"Once you figure your way around it's actually pretty cool," said Housler, an Emporium, Pa., native deployed from the 354th Communications Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. "We already know the best places to wait while they do their pumping, the best ways to get to the Mile, and we really get to know the drivers so that we are all comfortable with each other and know the do's and don'ts of the daily runs.

"So while this job may not smell that great, the people are good, the contractors are easy to deal with - and you get to see a lot of green where everything else is brown!" said Housler.

Stand by for the next edition of the FP story: These Airmen go where many dare not tread in the Custodial Worker Escort Team.

It's a dirty job: SWRE