Bagram upgrade taken on by Red Horse engineers

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Marcus McDonald
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  Aircraft parking space is getting a boost from the ground up here as a team of Red Horse engineers remove and replace 60,000-square meters of ramp space.

Once complete, the $4.4-million airfield construction project will provide U.S. and coalition aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom a better place to park, said Capt. Todd Williams, officer in charge of Bagram’s detachment of the 1st Expeditionary Red Horse Group from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

“Our Red Horse team is removing the Soviet steel planking that currently covers the site,” said Captain Williams, a native of Roanoke, Va. “Following this, we’ll excavate 2 to 4 feet of soil, prepare a new base for concrete and place 20-inch thick concrete slabs for the new ramp.”

Both fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft critical for supporting ground forces in the ongoing war against terrorism will benefit from the Red Horse project.

“Although this ramp space was designed to withstand the load of Air Force medium-load, fixed-wing aircraft such as the C-17 (Globemaster III), rotary-winged aircraft will be able to use it as well,” Captain Williams said. “Up to this point, the Army has been using the ramp primarily to park their helicopters.”

Staff Sgt. David Famigiletti, a pavement and heavy equipment operator, said he enjoys how he is spending his time here.

“My job allows me to see something that needs improvement, and from start to finish, see it evolve into a finished product that someone can use,” said Sergeant Famigiletti, a native of Waterbury, Conn. “I’m glad to do my part in supporting Bagram’s flying mission.”