Southwest Asia --
Desert environments contain harsh elements, which can be
extremely difficult to become acclimated to. One element in particular, tends
to grab people’s attention immediately making its presence known in an
unforgiving way.
As soon as new members get here and step off the plane they
experience the intense, unrelenting heat.
Here, the feeling of being outside in the menacing
temperatures could be compared to sitting in a blazing sauna, and the sensation
increases in severity by being in a uniform that entraps the fiery aura.
In a place where peak temperatures can ascend into the 120
degree range, Airmen in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning business have
the power to cool down the blistering climate.
The HVAC team works tirelessly in these extreme temperatures,
and they understand without their services, the base populace would be
suffering under the desert sun.
“It’s our job to keep the people cool and give them a nice
environment to work in,” said Tech. Sgt. Mitchell, HVAC craftsman. “It’s
especially [important] for those Airmen who work outside all day, we want to
give them a comfortable place to sleep [after work] and escape the heat.”
AC is a simple amenity, often out of sight and out of mind
until the uncomfortable feeling of sweat and stickiness start to take over.
The task to keep base personnel cool is easier said than
done.
The Airmen in HVAC face an indefinite amount of work
requests around the clock. They cover anything from routine tasks, like
repairing typical dorm units, to larger projects such as keeping fuel cool for
aircraft.
In the dorms alone there are approximately 3,500 split AC
units, which the 29-man HVAC team is responsible for maintaining; just over the
past three months they’ve received a staggering 1,465 work orders requesting
their service.
During a recent two-week span, the crew received 400
requests and through their diligent efforts they completed 100 percent of them.
The tempo of the job can seem daunting and insurmountable at
times, but the HVAC Airmen welcome the challenge.
“I don’t really expect us to fully close the gap and clear
all our work requests; but we’re able to maintain a high-level of completion,”
said Staff Sgt. Joseph. “This [pace] is what I enjoy because I love helping
people.”
The HVAC crew has no quarrel accepting the jobs high demand,
but in the same breath they also appreciate base residents taking the initiative
to help alleviate their unyielding workload.
Whether it’s basic preventative maintenance or just being
available to usher them into the servicing area, those gestures go a long way
in facilitating their effort to sustain cool temperatures across the base.
“If base residents take time out to inspect their equipment
and do basic maintenance, like cleaning out the filters, it would help us and
them avoid units breaking down,” said Senior Airman Trent, HVAC journeyman.
For Master Sgt. Wesley, HVAC non-commissioned officer
in-charge, prioritizing work requests is another challenge in itself. A lot of
times he’s faced with delaying routine requests, such as repairing dorm AC units,
to take on mission critical jobs.
Recently, HVAC has contributed their services to support a
unique mission directly involving aircraft operations.
According to Wesley, they were called on to sustain fuel
temperatures below a certain degree for the RQ-4 Global Hawk. Without HVAC’s
ability to cool the aircrafts petroleum, the Global Hawk systems would
eventually overheat, leading the asset to be grounded.
Wesley said it was the first time in his 18-year career he’d
ever seen HVAC support something like this.
HVAC’s impact can be felt across the base. From cooling off
living quarters to critical aircraft involved in frontline operations, their ability
to take the heat and deliver the cool is what makes them a vital part of the
team.
(Editor’s note: Due to safety and security reasons,
some last names and unit designators were removed.)