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Structures team makes it happen at Balad

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Alice Moore
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  Operating a paint striper on a flightline at night or mixing concrete to hold wind cones in place may not be the most glamorous jobs in the Air Force, but they can be gratifying.

Airmen from the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron structures shop enjoy making things happen through innovative ways.

"You sometimes run into a variety of challenges while you're at a deployed location that you don't face while you're at home," said Master Sgt. Daniel Holdridge, structures NCO in charge, deployed from Kadena Air Base, Japan. "There are times when you lack certain materials and tools when you get assigned a job. We overcome this challenge by improvising with innovative ideas."

The structures team was recently put to the test when they had to install wind cones on the flightline here. The cones enable pilots to see which direction the wind is blowing.

"Back at home station, we use concrete pads to hold the cones in place. We're able to do things this way because of concrete trucks," Sergeant Holdridge said. "Since we don't have access to concrete trucks here, we came up with the idea to pour concrete into 2-feet-by-2 boxes and dig a hole in them to hold the cones in place."

Paint striping on the flightline is another challenge for the shop. Sergeant Holdridge said that's not a job most structures Airmen do back home.

"We trained with the paint striper machines using water at Silver Flag (a readiness exercise at Hurlburt Field, Fla.)," said Staff Sgt. Donald Sturkey, a structures journeyman deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

"It's definitely more challenging to actually use the machine when it's filled with paint because pipes and filters get clogged, but we still manage to get the job done so the pilots can see where they are going, and that makes a difference," Sergeant Sturkey said.

Although the structures team members spend a lot of time on projects that help aircraft take off and land safely, they also have been innovative in their projects that have improved the quality of life for Airmen deployed here.

"We recently constructed a stage for theater seating at the new recreation center," said Tech. Sgt. John Lynn, a structures craftsman also deployed from Hill AFB.

"Normally, to get this type of job done, you use 2-by-10 boards because the larger boards provide sturdier support. We only had access to 2-by-4 boards. We overcame this challenge by prefabricating individual frames to be used to place the boards together to increase their strength and make them stronger to hold the seating stage."

The job doesn't end there, Sergeant Holdridge said.

"We do everything from the simple to the complicated. We repair doors falling off hinges, replace locks on facilities, hang TVs in the fitness center and build speaker stands," Sergeant Holdridge said. "We've also helped with securing the base by repairing the gates into the housing area and built walls within the fire department."

"We affect both morale and mission here," Sergeant Holdridge said. "Our motto says it all -- 'Structures: We make it happen.'"