BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Maintaining the structural integrity of an entire airfield is no easy task. The 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron stays busy making sure that Bagram Airfield remains operational at all times.
Staff Sgt. Beverly Murtiff, 455th ECES customer service lead, ensures that every job tasker assigned to the squadron gets done.
“Here at Bagram, I run the customer service section for the 455th ECES,” said Murtiff. “I am the central hub for the squadron. We take in all of the work orders via email or phone call and deal with all of the customers.”
Murtiff said that along with other additional duties, she was also busy as the unit’s travel representative.
“As the unit travel representative, I organized the arrival and departure of all CES Airmen,” said Murtiff. “I was responsible for making sure the incoming and outgoing personnel were paired up with the correct dates allowing for adequate turnover before departure and I guided them on their out-processing and then submitted paperwork to buy their tickets home.”
Master Sgt. Robert Akers, 455th ECES first sergeant, said Murtiff has a positive attitude, is professional and performs her duties at a high-level in an austere combat environment.
“It is important that the 455th ECES is here because the squadron facilitates the projection of airpower through its five key competencies,” said Akers. “Current maintenance of the airfield ensures Bagram’s airfield remains operational. Master Planning and Project & Construction Management are the foundation for future missions. All this is possible thanks to highly motivated and well-versed subject matter experts like Staff Sgt. Murtiff.”
Hailing from Farmville, Va., Murtiff enlisted into the United States Air Force Sept. 15, 2001.
“I joined the delayed enlistment program in 2000 and was supposed to go to basic training on the morning of Sept. 11, but the world trade center attack happened and I didn't end up leaving until the fifteenth.”
No stranger to the deployed life, newly married Murtiff is currently deployed from the 9th Civil Engineer Squadron out of Beale Air Force Base, Calif., and is on her third deployment away from home.
“My first was Talill Air Base, Iraq in 2003 and my second was Al Dhafra, United Arab Emirates in 2014-2015,” said Murtiff. “Deploying is my job; it’s what I signed up for. I serve in the military and I know that deployments are a normal occurrence and I will do whatever I am called to do.”
The 455th ECES mission is to provide impeccable airfield maintenance, construction and operation for Senior Airfield Authority through five key competencies: Airfield Pavements, Lighting & Infrastructure, Aircraft Arresting System Maintenance, Engineering, Master Planning & Survey Support, Project & Construction Management, and Force Protection Escorts.
Murtiff said her job is important because the CSS is where the jobs begin.
“Without the customer service section, a lot of things would not be taken care of on their own and not centralized into one location. We serve as the belly button for all the different shops throughout the 455th ECES.”
“My favorite part about my job is all of the people,” said Murtiff. “We have a great team here in our squadron and on this rotation. I am looking forward to finishing it out with all of them.”