Lajes civil engineers fix beacon on air traffic control tower

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jimmy McGuffin
  • Detachment 6, Air Force News Agency
LAJES FIELD, Portugal --  Members from the 65th Civil Engineer Squadron's electrical shop recently fixed the beacon that rests atop the air traffic control tower at Lajes Field. The beacon is vital for pilots landing at Lajes to recognize that it is a military flight-line and to help guide them safely during inclement weather.

"The teeth on the wheel that makes the beacon turn ground off so we're replacing it with a new wheel," said Staff Sgt. Shawn Slaiman, 65th CES electrical journeyman. He and two Portuguese civilians, Luis Bettencourt and Marco Fagundes, worked for about an hour to fix the beacon, which is vital to Lajes' mission. Lajes Field is the main stopover in the Atlantic Ocean for aircraft headed to fight the war on terrorism.

"Maintaining the airfield is our number one priority," said Sergeant Slaiman.

The electricians are responsible for the entire electrical infrastructure at Lajes. If anything goes out, they are the ones responsible for getting it powered up again as soon as possible. 

"Without the infrastructure, the base wouldn't run," he said. "Getting the job done is all that matters."

Sergeant Slaiman's roots as an electrician don't travel far. His father, Master Sgt. Michael Slaiman, has been doing the same job in the New York Air National Guard. 

"I love what I do," Sergeant Slaiman said. "My father's been doing this job for 35 years and I'm just following his role." 

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