ANG Prime BEEF squadron has 'steak' in Afghan CE projects

Published Sept. 2, 2011
By Master Sgt. Mary Davis
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan -- The sound of chopper blades sliced through the sweltering air at Kunduz Heliport, as construction workers laid the last of the non-skid, aluminum matting.

The heliport project had taken several weeks to finish, but critical air support operations aren't missions that can wait. So, pilots landed and took off on the available completed areas - thankful for the quickly constructed airfield that became one of the largest AM-2 projects in Air Force history.

Members of the 877th Expeditionary Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force provided combat engineer support for this project and 94 others in the northern and western regions of Afghanistan from March to August 2011.

"We are the first Air National Guard unit to support this squadron," said Air Force Active Guard Reserve Lt. Col. James Culp, 877th EPBS commander at Camp Marmal, Mazar-e-Sharif. "We are charged with master planning, programming, designing, troop labor, construction and contract management oversight."

Culp had oversight of the squadron, which was made up of Airmen from 14 different Air National Guard bases and a handful of active-duty personnel. The unit was responsible for providing CE support to forward operating bases within Regional Command-North and West using a "hub-and-spoke concept." In the past, the civil engineers deployed in Facility Engineer Teams and were placed at each FOB within the area of responsibility, said the commander, who hails from Neosho, Mo.

"FET teams got to be too manpower intensive, and people weren't being utilized effectively if there wasn't any work to be done," said Culp, who is also the 184th Civil Engineer Squadron commander at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. "Our 877th hub is here, and we send our teams (spokes) to 18 FOBs as needed. When they finish their jobs, they come back to be reassigned elsewhere."

The squadron members traveled to distant FOBs to set up more than 180 tents, build a chapel, complete AM-2 matting projects, perform major dirt work and other key endeavors throughout the AOR.

Looking out for the Airmen, Master Sgt. Timothy Horvath, 877th EPBS first sergeant, had a tough job of taking care of those who took care of the mission.

"We had people on the go constantly; so I made sure the Airmen had everything they needed to get their missions done," said Horvath, who serves as a first sergeant at the 127th Civil Engineer Squadron at Selfridge ANG Base, Mich.

This meant traveling to FOBs, obtaining uniform items, acquiring creature comforts and even setting up a video birth viewing for one of his CE Airmen.

"It was a challenge, because I'm the only diamond-wearing Air Force first sergeant in RC-North," he said. "I was fortunate enough to have a good network of people to work with to ensure everyone was taken care of."

Also taking care of CE personnel was Staff Sgt. Mario Jimenez who served as a knowledge operator in the squadron's Tactical Operations Center.

"The TOC is responsible for providing intelligence, communications and supply support, as well as organizing accommodations and flight arrangements to the FOBs," said Jimenez, who deployed from Selfridge ANG Base, Mich.

Downrange for the first time, Jimenez learned quickly what Prime BEEF units did and how they contributed to the mission.

"It was challenging for me, because I came from a fighter squadron world to a civil engineer world. So, I had to learn what they do," said the knowledge operator from Toledo, Ohio.

To give TOC workers a better understanding of what CE squadrons do, they spent a day spreading concrete, building book shelves and digging trenches, Jimenez said.

"We only spent eight hours out there, while the work force normally spends 16 hours a day in the heat," he said. "This gave us a chance to see what they do on a daily basis, while giving us a better appreciation of what they do. It was rewarding being a part of this unit."

As an active-duty member of the unit, 2nd Lt. Matthew Wilson served as a project officer, supervising projects in Kunduz and Khilaguy as a Total Force effort.

"Mainly, my job as a project manager was interacting with customers, performing design work, garnering funding approval, arranging equipment and coordinating troop labor," said the CE officer from Elizabeth City, N.C. "We directly supported the trigger puller."

Taking care of the initial operating capability of the FOBs, Wilson and his crew expanded the heliport at Kunduz.

"We prepped the area and had night crews install the AM-2 matting because it was too hot during the day," said the lieutenant, who is deployed from Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. "It took us over a month to complete. The most challenging part of my job was staying ahead of the curve. It was very important to be as proactive as possible and anticipate potential issues with the projects."

Working on several projects within the AOR was Senior Airman Joshua Johnson, a civil engineer structures journeyman.

"Working in the structural part of CE, we construct tents, concrete pads -- anything to build up the FOBs," said the senior airman deployed from the 164th Airlift Wing, Tennessee Air National Guard. "Our job is important, because we provided shelter and essential support for troops in the field. We assist the war fighter by what we do every day. I'm proud of what we've accomplished here. Being a part of this unit and something this big makes me proud to serve."

The squadron's hard work did not go unnoticed. Col. Paul M. Paolozzi, 18th Engineer Brigade commander, paid the unit a visit last month to personally thank and present team members with their brigade patch in recognition of the hard work and dedication displayed during their deployment as Joint Expeditionary Tasking Airmen.

This visit confirmed what Culp already knew -- the 877 EPBS brought their experience and expertise to the fight and performed their wartime mission admirably.

"The bar was set high, and they exceeded all expectations," the commander said. "I'm proud and honored to have led this team."