Civil Engineers help maintain BAF plumbing system

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Stark Sarrazin, 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of water and fuels systems maintenance, checks a fuel tank for gas leakage Aug. 27, 2015, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Sarrazin is one of three Airmen responsible for maintaining the fuel line on the airfield as well as quality of life of some living quarters on base and a few facilities that are not yet contracted. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cierra Presentado/Released)

Civil Engineers help maintain BAF plumbing system

U.S. Air Force Reigel Daylo, 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron water and fuel systems maintenance journeyman, checks a water system for debris Aug. 27, 2015, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Daylo is one of three Airmen responsible for maintaining the fuel line on the airfield as well as quality of life of some living quarters on base and a few facilities that are not yet contracted. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cierra Presentado/Released)

Civil Engineers help maintain BAF plumbing system

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Stark Sarrazin, 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of water and fuels systems maintenance, flushes a water system in a dormitory Aug. 27, 2015, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Sarrazin is one of three Airmen responsible for maintaining the fuel line on the airfield as well as quality of life of some living quarters on base and a few facilities that are not yet contracted. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cierra Presentado/Released)

Civil Engineers help maintain BAF plumbing system

Published Aug. 31, 2015
By Senior Airman Cierra Presentado
455th AEW Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- When a system needs flushing or fuel lines need maintaining, Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s water and fuels system maintenance shop work hard to make sure facility’s at Bagram are kept in operatng conditions.

The water and fuels systems team is responsible for keeping up the quality of life of a few of the living quarters for Airmen on base. While many facilities were already taken over by FLOUR contracting company, the team still maintains responsibility for some dorms as well as the fuel line on the airfield.

“The contractors have taken over maintaining most of the facilities on base,” said Senior Airman Reynard McCord, 455 ECES water and fuels systems maintenance journeyman. “But they aren’t trained to our standard, so we check to make sure they’re doing the job correctly.”

The team is used to getting their hands dirty.

“We go to our facilities and basically one of us will flush all of the systems from the inside while the other two of us will be outside in the manholes pushing along anything that may come up,” McCord said. “It gets messy and smelly at times, but it’s our job and it has to get done.”

The team not only handles the water system, but also the fuels system that supplies aircraft with fuel through an underground system.

“We come in the facility and check for leaks that may be coming from the fuel tanks, along with other tasks that are required,” said Staff Sgt. Stark Sarrazin, 455 ECES non-commissioned officer in charge of water and fuels systems maintenance. “A lot of folks think we just maintain the plumbing system, but we do more. This is just another one of the jobs we do.”

The team currently maintains facilities on both sides of the base. With the scheduled draw down of forces approaching, the remaining BAF facilities will be turned over to FLOUR contractors. The shop will remain in place to provide support for the fuel line.

Although the team admits to not having the greatest job on base, they’re morale and ability to stay motivated keeps them going.

“We have the crappiest job on base, but we are a great team and we work great together,” McCord said. “We have really good morale and we make the best out of it.”