Construction boom

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Staff Sgt. Nick McCarthy, a heavy equipment operator from the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, accomplishes the first step in clearing an area for new construction going on at Bagram Airfield. With more troops arriving here the need for more living and working areas is a priority for the 455th CES. Sergeant McCarthy is deployed from the 183rd Fighter Wing, Illinois Air National Guard and hails from Springfield, Ill. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Felicia Juenke)

Construction boom

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Senior Airman Antony Vasquez, a heavy equipment operator from the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, transports dirt to get taken away by a truck in order to begin laying a base to prepare for laying concrete. Airman Vasquez is deployed from the 183rd Fighter Wing, Illinois Air National Guard and hails from Rock Island, Ill. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Felicia Juenke)

Quality of Life improvements for Airmen seem far, but not so much

Published July 29, 2009
By Capt. David Faggard
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- He's a man that can see the future - well not really, but he knows what's going to be built where and when. And for Airmen deployed to Bagram, he's got a lot in store to improve your quality of life.

Major Brian Stahl, the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Civil Engineer commander, wants all Airmen to know that major improvements for the mission and quality of life projects are on the way.

Some projects include replacing all B-huts with new relocatable living buildings, or RLBs as they're known here.

"We're not increasing the number of bed spaces; rather we're replacing the expeditionary housing," he said offering that it's time to get people out of the temporary housing into more suitable housing. "This is long overdue."

One recent project the CE Squadron finished includes a multi-acre vehicle maintenance and storage yard which will ease congestion and parking around the crowded Disney Drive, according to the Major.

Airlifters and their maintainers will be happy when their new C-130 maintenance hangar facility starts construction in about two weeks. "Right now we're clearing the footprint for the new hangar," the Major said.

"We'll also build a new passenger terminal," he said offering "We're building the airplane in the sky. Know that it'll take time, but that CE and the Commander are committed to getting it right for the Airmen."

But, in an airfield crowded with what seems a never ending supply of congestion, what do you do?

"There's a finite amount of land," the Major said. "We're looking at smarter projects while not compromising quality of life."

And quality of life projects were stressed over and over by the Air Force Reservist from Tyndall AFB, Fla. who at home is the deputy Civil Engineer for the Wing there.

"We even have a plan to build a community activities center with an adjacent outdoor living area with grass and trees for Airmen to relax."