AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar -- Airmen from the 577th Expeditionary Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force Squadron (PRIME BEEF) have a wide reach in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility.
PRIME BEEF Airmen plan and execute construction projects throughout U.S. Air Forces Central Command’s area of responsibility, forward deploying teams from Al Udeid to accomplish their mission downrange while keeping some Airmen back to ensure teams get the support they need.
“[PRIME BEEF] has the quick maneuverability to move personnel and assets quite smoothly throughout the AOR,” said Master Sgt. Ava Dunn, 577th PRIME BEEF design section NCO in charge. “We can shift from one project to support another within days. It's a testament to the quality of people that we have.”
Tech. Sgt. Kevin Elkins, 577th PRIME BEEF Squadron design cell drafting NCO in charge, said the team that remains at Al Udeid cares for nearly $2 million of construction equipment primarily used by forward deployers.
“We as engineering technicians are the central hub for all the survey equipment that we utilize throughout AFCENT’s AOR,” he said. “Whenever there are equipment issues out at the site we have to try to get them equipment, pull things back, and make sure things are calibrated.”
Senior Airman Dylan Bruner, 577th PRIME BEEF engineering assistant, said many of the construction tasks the squadron performs while deployed provide experiences he wouldn’t receive at home station.
“Here, there’s a lot larger reach than home station,” said Bruner. “I’d probably do a small design for an office, just moving a few walls instead of actually building a whole new facility or parking ramp. We don’t really get to touch on that stuff often or at all at home station.”
Dunn said she pleased with her team’s ability to deliver planning and construction support to such a large region.
“I'm impressed everyday by their professionalism and what they're capable of doing,” she said. “What I will take away from this deployment is the squadron's ‘can do, will do’ attitude. It shows that no matter what obstacles arise, they stop, reassess and conquer, making sure that they are doing the right thing the first time.”
*This article is part of an ongoing “AUAB Power Projection” series, focusing on units that forward deploy from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar in support of U.S. Air Forces Central Command objectives in the region.