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Prime BEEF improving quality of life for fellow servicemembers

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Richard Williams
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  Recent surge operations in the Afghanistan theater have made living conditions here tight.

Airmen assigned to the 577th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Base Engineer Emergency Force, known as Prime BEEF, are focused on improving quality of life issues, not only here but in forward operating bases throughout Regional Command East.

"The squadron's previous mission was working here on Bagram and small jobs on the FOBs," said Capt. William Swanson, 577th Prime BEEF Squadron, officer in charge of troop construction. "We are trying to break that mold and focus more on the FOBs and the surge operations coming in."

Captain Swanson, a reservist deployed from 434th Civil Engineers Squadron, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., said their mission is to improve quality of life by going to the forward operating locations and installing shower units, hardened living quarters and reinforcing force protection measures.

The primary responsibility of the 577th EPBS is to make the improvements to all of the FOBs, which are under the regional command's control, said Tech. Sgt. Steven Wolf, 577th EPBS, noncommissioned officer in charge of pavements and construction equipment. "We have a full complement of civil engineers to accomplish any task that is needed."

Sergeant Wolf, also deployed from 434th CES, explained the team's service as all encompassing. "We send an advanced team out to accomplish a site survey; they decide the best way to do the job and what equipment we need, and we get the job done."

The team has only been in country for three weeks, but they hit the ground running, added Captain Swanson. He pointed out in this short period the team has assisted with improving force protection measures on Bagram and completed electrical wiring in living quarters for more than 250 servicemembers.

"It is a matter of comfort for our servicemembers," said Sergeant Wolf. He pointed out some of the living conditions at the forward operating bases are minimal at best and stressed the importance of 577th EPBS to provide as comfortable a place as possible for returning patrols.

"The bottom line is, the servicemembers in these forward operating locations are doing what they need to do to keep us safe over here, so we want to do what we need to do to make them comfortable," he said.