Humanitarian assistance efforts bring relief all over Kyrgyzstan

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) --  From TokMok to Belovodosky, Kyrgyzstan, civil engineers from the Transit Center at Manas here are making a difference.

With more than 40 humanitarian assistance projects completed at more than 18 locations and 60 more projects in the works across the northern part of the nation, this team is going above and beyond their everyday jobs on the installation and reaching out to Kyrgyz people in need.

"We do everything, from roofs to plumbing, flooring, electrical, lighting, generators and (other renovations)," said Master Sgt. Freddy Andrews, the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron quality assurance flight chief.

His six specialists work with structures, utilities, electrical, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, pavements and generators.

Ordinarily, the six-person team, all with different specialties, are quality assurance evaluators for civil engineer contracts.

"We inspect each shop to make sure they are doing things the way we expect them to be done and that our customers are getting the service we expect them to get, because we demand quite a bit," Sergeant Andrews said. "We're over everything ... on the Transit Center (dealing with) utilities, generators, electrical, HVAC... refuse, grounds maintenance."

But they also work a lot humanitarian assistance projects.

"We have the engineer background to ensure they get quality craftsmanship up to specifications," Sergeant Andrews said. "We're not just getting it done.  We're taking it to another level and literally touching every school and orphanage within 50 miles, making differences that will last for generations."

Even though the Airmen work long hours while they're on duty, the motivation to assit with humanitarian projects comes from seeing the difference they make with the skills they have.

Sergeant Andrews said he was talking with the principal of a local school where they had just replaced the roof.

"He almost cried in thankfulness," Sergeant Andrews said. "You'd just have to shake the hand of a mayor or principal who has that thankfulness for something you did.  You get hooked."

"It humbles you," said Senior Airman Alan Ruppe, an operations support quality assurance specialist. "The everyday things we have, we take for granted."

As a power production specialist he is able not only to assist the team with the projects they all work on but also help purchase generators for local villages and schools that need them.  He makes sure they get the right size generator by evaluating the recipient's needs to determine how much power it will require. He does all this additional humanitarian work because, to him, it's just right.

"I think (that) as a (Transit Center), with all the resources we have, we should assist the people of this country," he said. "Doing  humanitarian assistance missions helps fulfill that role."