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‘Dirty Boyz’ sweep away foreign object damage hazards

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Peter Borys
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  The mural painted on a concrete barrier inside the building where the “Dirt Boyz” work reads: “Once a dirt boy, always a dirt boy.”

The dusty Airmen are members of the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron.
Among the many projects they do and services they provide, there is one in particular that leaves everyone of them a bit dusty -– the trusty airfield sweeper duty.

“While operating the airfield sweeper, my job is to ensure there is no FOD left on the flightline,” said Airman Joshua Lisowski, a pavement and equipment operator deployed from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Debris on the airfield, known as FOD, can get sucked up into aircraft engines and cause massive damage or accidents.

A true member of the Dirt Boyz, the Airman said driving the sweeper is like riding a carnival bumper car -- going around in circles and zigzags without actually hitting anything.

While operating the sweeper, Airman Lisowski is intensely focused on what he’s doing -- constantly scanning the flightline for any kind of debris, and keeping a lookout for taxiing aircraft and any other flightline vehicles. He may sweep up anything from rocks to personal items.

He once found paperwork for an aircraft part.

“It’s always more challenging working in a desert environment,” the Airman said. “Back home we have grass at the edge of the flightline. Here there’s nothing but sand and rocks.”

Plus, the wind blows debris everywhere. Evenings are more of a challenge because of the reduced visibility. But nonetheless the airfield sweeper continues its essential mission everyday.

On most jobs, a troop can see gradual progress week after week. But not here, the Airman said.

“When I come to work tomorrow, it’s back to square one again,” he said.

When he’s asked why bother sweeping the base streets when in mere minutes they will get dusty again, the Airman reminds people that the mission never takes a day off.

“Some vehicles come back from the flightline and we can’t have them track FOD into the area,” he said. “So, if we work the streets and the flightline, it works hand-in-hand with keeping aircraft FOD-free so the mission can continue.”

The Airman has been sweeping for more than a year. But he likes what he does because, “nobody bothers you. You get to watch the planes take off and land, and there’s not much stress.”

About 13 other Airmen are on rotating shift and sweep the flightline everyday. Everyone takes their turn on the airfield sweeper. However, the crews’ tasks don’t end once the sweeper is off. They also do dirt work, crane work and move barriers.

Senior Master Sgt. Robert Gilligan, a heavy repair superintendent, is very proud of his team.

“We have about 30 members in the shop from all over and they work really well together. I leave them alone, and they do the rest to make the shop look good. I just point them in the direction they need to go and they take care of the rest. We build it, maintain it, and protect it -- every day!”

And because of the work they do, the Airman live up to their name, the Dirty Boyz.

But as Airman Lisowski puts it, “Yes, it’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it.”