Expeditionary is enduring: Airmen prepare Desert Eagle Team for lasting presence

Published July 1, 2007
By Staff Sgt. Cassandra Locke
379th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The base's continued development toward an enduring presence requires efficient long-term planning and improvements throughout everything being accomplished.
There are several projects in various stages of completion to help facilitate the presence.

The 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Force Protection Cell is currently devising plans to provide security to Millennium Village. Millennium Village is a new area being developed that will house base personnel and facilities necessary to conduct the mission.

According to Tech. Sgt. Chaun Bonk, 379th AEW force protection, the search pit near the village on the southeast part of the base is scheduled to open in April.

As part of the base's continued development, the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron has been working on construction projects. The squadron is currently working on installing water mains and wastewater tanks, building sunshades, constructing foundations for an antenna to be set and they are constructing concrete pads for automatic meteorological sensors - all to make the base a better place.

Other improvement efforts include replacing asphalt with concrete, installing a fence around the antenna farm, repairing sunshades and constructing a warehouse facility that will provide adequate space to store replacement vehicle parts for the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron transportation flight. The base soon will also have flood lighting on buildings as well.

Among the projects currently taking place, other organizations are already in a progressive mindset based on their mission and structural facilities. The 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron "back-shops" are structurally prepared to stay for a long time.

One is the 379th Maintenance Squadron's C-130 engine and propeller shop. Their role here is to help reduce the shipping transit time and cost of the engines and propellers from the area of responsibility to the next repair facility at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, or the regional repair facility at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.

According to Master Sgt. Thomas Schilling, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, the shop evaluates the engines and propellers to verify that they can be repaired here.

"For engines, if it meets our requirements we remove and replace the unserviceable module, perform an in-depth inspection, correct those discrepancies and then do an operational check on the engine test cell," said Sergeant Shilling, who is deployed here from Little Rock.

He said if they pass all operational and leak checks it is inspected one last time, then
they are sent out to the various spare lines in the AOR.

"Propellers are received from the field, disassembled and inspected, said Sergeant Shilling. If the repair exceeds our capabilities, it is crated and shipped to depot for overhaul. If it is repairable, we inspect all components, replace all seals, perform static leak checks on the pressurized areas and then reassemble them and perform a operational check on the engine test cell.

Along with the engine and prop shop, the wheel and tire section from the 379th EMXS performs on equipment repair for aircraft discrepancies, respond to in-flight emergencies, expedite clearing obstructed runways and are the Centralized Intermediate Repair Facility (CIRF) on wheels and tires for the entire AOR.

"Our wheel and tire section has incorporated well into the 379th AEW and is capable of providing their service to the entire AOR from this location," said Master Sgt. Alridge Allsman, 379th EMXS, deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif.

"Our expert and timely actions are essential to 379th AEW aircraft launch capabilities," said Sergeant Allsman.

The wheel and tire section has replenished the supply system with more than 1,000 serviceable wheel and tire assemblies to date this fiscal year with a rotating crew of eight personnel.

"Through continuous improvement, we brought a new bead breaker online reducing teardown time by 50 percent and manning required from two personnel to one," said Sergeant Allsman.

The 379th EMXS's Liquid Oxygen and Nitrogen shop supports the entire AOR with all cryogenic materials that are needed to support the mission. Lox and nitro are used for breathing and fire suppression systems, aircraft struts and tires and medical applications.

According to Senior Airman Jeremy Garrow, 379th EMXS, they pump the oxygen into cryogenic containers and perform any maintenance that needs to be done on the tanks. They ship the tanks out and back and provide any needed as well as required inspections.

The 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight stays ready to respond to unexploded ordnance on and off base, but also serves an additional role supporting the EOD technicians in Iraq and Afghanistan saving lives on a daily basis. The flight also serves as an inventory hub that sends and receives equipment to and from forward-deployed technicians.

Technicians inventory, test and configure new technology for use before shipment to EOD personnel in the field. The flight also receives, stores and maintains equipment used to disarm unexploded ordnance. For example, parts are stored for the F6 response robots, which are used to inspect or render safe improvised explosive devices.

As the base fulfills its presence here with continued efforts, Airmen work hard to make this a better place.