Shaw staff sergeant, Lancaster native, manages engineering support for Southwest Asia wing

Published May 10, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Throughout the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a non-disclosed base here, Staff Sgt. Jammie Catoe is helping new projects move forward through her work as an engineering journeyman, also known as an engineering assistant.

Sergeant Catoe is deployed with the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron where she is directing and performing civil engineering design, drafting, surveying and contract surveillance to support Air Force facility construction and maintenance programs for the 380th AEW. Her job helps in several on-going, multi-million dollar construction projects around the deployed base.

Deployed from 20th Civil Engineer Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Sergeant Catoe also prepares manual and computer-aided design drawings, specifications and cost estimates for projects, her official Air Force job description states. She also develops, operates and maintains Geographic Information System modules and utilizes surveying technology to include the Global positioning System. Additionally, she evaluates potential construction sites and performs field tests on soils, asphalt and concrete.

In supporting contingency operations, Sergeant Catoe is trained to develop bed-down plans to house personnel, aircraft and associated support functions, the job description further states. She also is trained to evaluate existing airfield pavements, lighting, navigational aids, markings and arresting systems. She can also perform recovery operations to include explosive ordinance reconnaissance, airfield damage assessment, minimum operating strip selection, rapid runway repair calculations and airfield marking procedures.

Furthermore, when developing engineering designs, Sergeant Catoe is trained to perform simple load calculations for horizontal and vertical construction and to act as a liaison between design, review, construction and using agencies. In performing drafting duties, she interprets rough engineering sketches to produce working drawings using manual and CAD techniques. She produces architectural, structural, civil, mechanical and electrical drawings and updates base comprehensive plans and maintains record drawings.

Sergeant Catoe's trained surveying skills, the job description states, allow her to conduct reconnaissance, site location, construction and mapping surveys while operating manual and electronic surveying equipment. She can also collect, convert and present field survey data for civil engineering projects and maintain equipment to do that job.

Sergeant Catoe said she is proud to be serving in the Air Force and the military and her work in a civil engineering career field has given her what she was looking for when she joined.

"Really, my decision to join the military was to specifically join the Air Force because everyone told me the Air Force was the best out of all the branches," said Sergeant Catoe, whose hometown is Lancaster. S.C. "I also joined because of the opportunities that the military offered -- education, the traveling and the experience. It was all those things wrapped up into one."

As operations continue for the 380th ECES continue, Sergeant Catoe will possibly perform contract management duties. The job description shows that effort includes managing and inspecting construction and maintenance contracts and interpreting plans, specifications and other contract documents.

"This job definitely provides something different every day," Sergeant Catoe said.

The 380th ECES is a sub-unit of the 380th AEW. The wing is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.