Airmen overcome bumps in road

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNS) --  Up, over, over, over and down. Drivers who find speed bumps annoying shouldn't pass through security checkpoint gates here; however, speed-mitigation efforts may be viewed as less of a hassle if they are perceived as a measure that may thwart possible terrorist threats.

After 506th Air Expeditionary Group antiterrorism/force protection Airmen identified a vulnerability in base security, 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Airmen tackled the problem by installing speed bumps at base gates here May 22.

Chief Master Sgt. Suzy Clemons, the antiterrorism/force protection superintendent, said the new speed bumps not only slow drivers, but also increase the safety of the security-forces Airmen manning the gates and protect more than 6,000 servicemembers deployed here.

While overwatching one of several installation gates, Senior Airman Sherry Houston, 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, deployed from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, said she feels safer with the new speed bumps.

"It's a deterrent for a vehicle-borne explosive device to detonate before it reaches the internal system of the base," said the native of Hebron, Ky. Airman Houston also said that in the event of a gate-runner, a person who neglects security screening at the checkpoint, the speed bumps will slow down the vehicle and allow time for security forces to engage.

Overall, these new speed bumps are an upgrade from traditional speed-mitigation methods.

Chief Clemons, a Riceville, Tenn., native deployed from Robins AFB, Ga., said instead of laying down traditional asphalt speed bumps, the 506th ECES designed and welded a metal structure that can be used more efficiently.

The design of the new speed bumps allows Airmen to produce them much faster than traditional asphalt speed bumps, which have a 28-day cure time, she said.

"There is no cure time with the new design because they are pre-made and installed into the ground," the chief said. "You can't just shut a gate to a base down for 28 days."

Instead, the installation process at one of the gates took less than an hour, and the finished product is more durable.

"These (metal pipes) are a better permanent structure," said Tech. Sgt. Mark Gilding, assigned to the 506th CES who helped install the road obstacles. "With vehicle traffic, the asphalt speed bumps will break apart over time."

Sergeant Gilding, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., and deployed from Peterson AFB, Colo., said he felt good he's helping make a difference in the installation's security.

People bumping up and over those "annoying" speed bumps may now have a better appreciation for how they help keep Airmen safe.