HVAC team keeps Airmen ‘cool’ under pressure

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Lara Gale
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) --  Every humming metal box, tangle of wires and yawning duct on a military base has some function.

But, it usually doesn’t get much attention until it stops functioning. In this way, heating, venting and air conditioning, or HVAC, technicians in the 376th Civil Engineer Squadron here, are attuned to the machinery they maintain.

“Basically, if it heats or cools, these guys take care of it,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Dower, an HVAC technician.

There are 462 heaters and air conditioners of various design attached to buildings and tents across the base. There are also five cold-storage units for the dining facilities. All of them are maintained by the HVAC team.

It’s a 24-hour operation. Three technicians work the night shift, repairing units that were replaced earlier by the day-shift, who also make maintenance rounds and answer maintenance calls. Usually some from the dayshift are tasked for other things, like tent-tear downs, leaving the crew just a handful deep to keep everything running.

“It’s a challenge, but we definitely stay occupied,” said Tech. Sgt. Tom Nevins, night shift supervisor.

That’s just one of the interesting challenges this deployment has presented them. “Home” for the entire crew is Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. Cold weather is nothing new to these Airmen but the heaters here are different than anything they’ve maintained before.

About half the heaters on base are Army shelter units. They’re the big green or tan boxes outside most of the tents -- the source of an annoying ringing sound heard around the base. The Air Force doesn’t train on maintaining them, because the Air Force doesn’t usually deploy to places as cold as Manas AB. But, the team is quickly scaling the learning curve.

“Something you learn in this business is, an air conditioner is an air conditioner is an air conditioner. The principles of refrigeration and heating never change,” Sergeant Dover said. “We adapt.”

Whatever it takes, their goal is to keep people comfortable, said Staff Sgt. Noah Bolton, who has been an HVAC technician for seven years. If warmth is what’s needed, that’s what they work to deliver, 24-7.