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Dirtboys Train Iraqi Engineers on Runway Repair

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Chuck Broadway
  • 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq / Air Component Coordination Element Public Affairs
KIRKUK AIR BASE, IRAQ --  What do hard charging Iraqi airmen, 24-square-miles of pavement and five U.S. Air Force civil engineers have in common? They share a mixture of rock, mortar and water that will forever bond the runways and taxiways of Kirkuk Regional Air Base.
Airmen from the 321st Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron's Civil Engineer flight who work with pavement and construction equipment are known as Dirt Boys. The five Dirt Boys at Kirkuk work alongside their Iraqi counterparts ensuring the runway and airfield remain operational.
The runway needs constant maintenance due to wear and tear from aircraft and the environment.
As a result, the Dirt Boys are crucial to continuing flight operations at Kirkuk, said Lt. Col. Michael Biorn, 321st EOSS commander.
Many organizations depend on Kirkuk's runway.
"Iraqi pilot training, U.S. Medevac, U.S. and U.N. airlift, and many other operations would not occur if the airfield was not maintained to standards," said Colonel Biorn, who is deployed from Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. "Not only do they make flight operations possible, their persistent efforts make flight operations as safe as they can be in this environment."
Staff Sgt. Kenneth Collins, 321st EOSS NCO-in-charge of horizontal construction, said the crew is always on call to repair damage to the airfield. Often they repair runways spalls, which are potholes in the concrete.
Upon arrival, they cut grooves, break up pavement with a jackhammer and clean out loose particles and residue. Once cleaned, crewmembers fill the hole with a cement mixture and smooth the top with trowels.
"It's important to fix the spalls because it's a hazard to the aircraft," said Sergeant Collins, who hails from Salem, Ore. and is deployed from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. "Without a smooth surface the aircraft cannot taxi across the runway."
Over the past six months, the majority of daytime work has been a collaborated effort between Iraqi civil engineers and the Dirt Boys who advise them.
"The more we enable our Iraqi partners, the better our strategic partnership will be," said Colonel Biorn, who is from Owasso, Okla. "Each skill set we successfully provide them is one small step closer to a capable, robust ally."
Staff Sgt. Aaron Reedy, from Terre Haute, Ind., is also a heavy equipment operator from the 321st EOSS. He said the Iraqis are advancing quickly and eagerly take on more challenges.
"(Since we've partnered together), we've seen good progress. It's opened their eyes and they are now able to come in and take care of the discrepancies themselves," said Sergeant Reedy, who is deployed from Scott Air Force Base, Ill.