AL UDEID AIR BASE, QATAR -- A plumber may replace ceiling tiles or patch holes, a structural specialist may unclog drains and an electrician may paint over bathroom graffiti, all while serving on the Cadillac Maintenance Team.
The 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron CMT keeps 79 Cadillacs operational at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
The five members of the CMT consist of three plumbers, one electrician and one structural specialist. The team members do more than their primary job. They’ve executed more than 600 work orders, with more than 23,000 man hours since Dec. 31 and even completed 41 jobs in one day, all to ensure the Cadillacs are ready for use.
“We are responsible for every Cadillac on base, which includes the faucets, urinals, toilets, shower handles and heads,” said Staff Sgt. Kevin Burger, 379th ECES water and fuel systems maintainer, non-commissioned officer in charge of the CMT.
The members of the CMT sometimes find themselves accomplishing repairs other than what’s specified in their career field.
“I take care of lights, outlets, exhaust fans and a lot of toilets,” said Senior Airman Nikko Manga, 379th ECES CMT electrician.
“I fix doors, floor, wall and ceiling towels and replace anything that deals with the structure of the building,” said Senior Airman Bryce Hesselbacher, 379th ECES CMT structural specialist. “I also get to learn plumbing and electrical work.”
Even with the constant load of work orders and the redundancy of finding the same issues in multiple Cadillacs, the team still remains positive about their job.
“I encourage the team through on-the-job morale games,” said Burger. “You never know what you’re going to run into from one stall to the next; enthusiasm keeps things together and it helps to stay motivated.”
“When people show gratitude for what we do, it’s the best part of the job,” said Airman 1st Class John Henkle, 379th ECES water and fuels system maintainer. “It’s nice to hear someone tell you that you did a good job, and it helps you remain positive. People are counting on me to do this job and I want to do the best I can.”