386th ECES keeps Rock fresh, clean

Staff Sgt. Ryan Constance replaces a dryer wheel on a dryer here. Sergeant Constance is learning the ins and outs of washer and dryer maintenance from staff sergeants Tim Holt and Gregory Wilcoxen, both Sears home repairmen and Air Force Guard members. Sergeant Holt and Constance are water and fuels journeymen with the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron and Sergeant Wilcoxen is a heating, ventilation and air conditioning journeyman also with the 386th ECES. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke)

386th ECES keeps Rock fresh, clean

Staff Sgt. Gregory Wilcoxen shows Staff Sgt. Nathan Thibault how to switch out a dryer exhaust fan. Sergeant Wilcoxen was in charge of maintaining and repairing the 400 washers and dryers on base, a large task for some, but routine for a Sears home repairman; Sergeant Wilcoxen's civilian job. Sergeant Wilcoxen is a heating, ventilation and air conditioning journeyman and Sergeant Thibault is a water and fuels maintenance journeyman both with the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke)

386th ECES keeps Rock fresh, clean

(Left to right) staff sergeants Gregory Wilcoxen, Tim Holt, Ryan Constance and Nathan Thibault pose amidst the broken washers and dryers used for spare parts. Sergeant Wilcoxen and Sergeant Holt are both Sears home repairmen and were chosen to head up Rock washer and dryer maintenance. Sergeants Constance and Thibault are the newest members of the washer and dryer repair team. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke)

386th ECES keeps Rock fresh, clean

Staff Sgt. Gregory Wilcoxen had the big job of repairing and maintaining the 400 washers and dryers here when the repair contract discontinued. Sergeant Wilcoxen is a heating, ventilation and air conditioning journeyman with the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron and a Sears home repairmen at his civilian job. He will soon be redeploying leaving the washer and dryer repairs to Staff Sgt. Tim Holt, another Sears home repairman. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke)

386th ECES keeps Rock fresh, clean

Staff Sgt. Tim Holt, a water a fuels maintenance technician with the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, shows staff sergeants Nathan Thibault and Ryan Constance, both water and fuels maintenance technicians with the 386th ECES, the proper button combination for the washing machine's test cycle. Sergeant Holt is a California Guardsman who has been a Sears home repairman for the last 25 years and is currently in charge of repairing the more than 400 washers and dryers on The Rock. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke)

386th ECES keeps Rock fresh, clean

Published Feb. 10, 2011
By Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Freshly laundered sheets or warm socks straight from the dryer; these are all things that remind people of home on a deployment. A small group of individuals here stepped up to ensure that everyone at the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing continues experiencing these sensations.

This select group of Airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron didn't deploy to repair washers and dryers but when the situation arose, they stepped up to the plate. With a background steeped in repair it seemed like the perfect fit.

Staff Sgt. Gregory Wilcoxen, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning journeyman with the 386th ECES, knows a lot about washers and dryers. As an Illinois Guardsman with the 182nd Civil Engineer Squadron, he spends his drill weekends honing his HVAC skills, but Monday through Friday he's a full time Sears home repairman, and has been for the last five years.

Three months into his six-month tour here, the washer and dryer repair contract was discontinued and the base was in need of someone with his expertise.

"My boss here knew what my civilian job was back home and asked me if I could look at some of the washers and dryers," said Sergeant Wilcoxen. "I then became the main washer and dryer guy."

With more than 400 washers and dryers on The Rock, this became a huge undertaking.

"When I first started, every day was full," said the Havana, Ill., native. "It was like working at home."

Within the first two weeks of being on the job Sergeant Wilcoxen had repaired more than 75 washers and dryers. He, along with another sergeant in CE, developed a preventative maintenance plan for the rest of the washers and dryers that included periodically walking through all laundry rooms and laundry trailers here inspecting the machines.

A month before redeploying back home, Sergeant Wilcoxen began training another member of the CE squadron on the ins and outs of washer and dryer repair.

About the same time, a new batch of Airmen began deploying through, and with them came Staff Sgt. Tim Holt, a water and fuels technician with the 386th ECES and ironically a Sears home repairman for the last 25 years.

"I got into work those first couple of days and my master sergeant asked me what I do on the outside," said the California Guardsman with the 163rd Civil Engineer Squadron. "I said I work for Sears and he immediately said, great, you're my new washers and dryers guy."

Sergeant Holt took over the job and enlisted two other individuals from CE to train and help with the large task.

"We pretty much just went out with [Sergeant Holt] one day and he started teaching us," said Staff Sgt. Ryan Constance, a water and fuels technician with the 386th ECES. "It was pretty eye opening for me. I had no idea how to fix a broken washer or dryer. I knew nothing of the components."

The three-person team takes the responsibility of keeping the washers and dryers running very seriously.

"A lot of people take for granted having working washers and dryers," said Staff Sgt. Nathan Thibault, a water and fuels maintenance technician and now a washer and dryer maintenance technician with the 386th ECES. "It's a pretty important mission. It's like having a shower and everyone wants clean clothes."

Though Sergeant Holt was expecting to leave his day job behind for his six-month deployment, it's a job he enjoys doing.

"I had no idea I was going to be doing this here," he said. "If this is where they need me, this is where I'll be. Besides, I think The Rock is pretty fortunate. What's the chance of having two Sears repair guys come through here back to back."

Members of The Rock can now rest easy because the washer and dryer repair team continues to provide that clean reminder of home.