Electricians keeping ADAB lit
By Senior Airman Mya M. Crosby, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
/ Published February 23, 2019
AL DHAFRA AIR BASE, United Arab Emirates --
Whether it’s for a group of crew chiefs performing pre-flight checks in a hangar or for Security Forces Airmen patrolling the base at night, there needs to be light.
The 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s electrical systems shop are the ones in charge of making it happen.
“The mission of Electrical Systems is to provide power to the base,” said Staff Sgt. Joseph Walters, 380th ECES electrical systems craftsman. “We maintain high voltage power lines and low voltage, distribution systems.”
The Airmen are providing light and power to every building down to the light posts along the sides of the roads. In order to accommodate the entire installation, these Airmen are working 24 hours a day completing every work order.
“A day in our shop starts with our morning meeting,” said Senior Airman Angelica Gutierrez, 380th ECES electrical systems journeyman. “Our NCOs in charge hand out jobs and crew leads give updates on current projects going on. After that we all disperse.”
Once they receive their workloads, the electricians get to the job, where every single detail must be paid attention to.
“Having been trained by many individuals and worked alongside so many electricians, I have learned the difference it makes by paying attention to detail,” Gutierrez said. “At the end of the day, your work speaks for itself. This has made me more prideful in what I do.”
The Airmen are currently working on projects, big and small, around the installation to ensure mission effectiveness, making them feel the fulfillment behind their work.
“It drives me to do everything to the best of my abilities,” Walters said. “At times, it can be stressful because everyone’s mission depends on having electricity in one way or another. Knowing that we are directly impacting the mission in a big way is a pretty good feeling.”