Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa
Staff Sgt. Rodney Atkins, a pavement maintenance and construction equipment craftsman (Dirt Boyz) assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, directs Airman 1st Class Shawn Rivere, a Dirt Boyz apprentice, loading manhole covers onto a pallet with a 10K forklift, Jan. 6, 2008, at an undisclosed air base in Southwest Asia. They're called the Dirt Boyz, for a good reason: while much of the base is comfortable indoors, they're out getting dirty - paving roads and air strips, repairing fences and other structures, operating heavy equipment, and sweeping for foreign object debris. Sergeant Atkins is a native of Kingsburg, Calif., and deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Airman Rivere hails from New Orleans, La., and is deployed from Yakota Air Base, Japan; both are supporting Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Michael Boquette/Released)