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  • Fire chief shares personal story of trauma, perseverance

    Trapped and alone in a smoke-filled room with zero visibility, flames raging outside and the temperature rapidly rising to hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit, Airman 1st Class William Taylor realized that he was alone. His only hope of staying alive was to get himself out of there – and fast.“I was

  • AFCEC helps students, “Be Ready”, to prepare them for disasters

    TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — Representatives from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Emergency Management Division and the 325th Fighter Wing from Tyndall AFB, Fla., visited several northwest Florida youngsters between Sept. 25 and Oct. 4, to prepare them for a potential disaster.The visits

  • Rock fire captain reflects on past, present and future

    Significant dates during the year often spur us to look at where we have been, where we are, and where we would like to be in the future. Today is no different for Master Sgt. Mendy Dillard, 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, and station captain for Rock Fire Station One, as

  • Microgrids: breaking down the buzzword

    This article, the first in a series on microgrids, will define them and their key components. Future articles will include information on the Air Force’s current microgrid projects, the Air Force’s direction for microgrids, and what they mean for installations in the future.

  • Air Force engineer specialty career fields get an upgrade

    FT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. – The civil engineer Chief of Enlisted Matters, subject-matter experts and major command leaders convened recently at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, to form the 3E5X1 Engineering Specialty Training Requirements Team (STRT). As the name indicates, the team establishes lifecycle

  • ERCIP – a tool in the energy assurance toolbox

    ERCIP is a subset of the defense-wide MILCON program that funds projects to increase resilience, save energy or water, produce energy or reduce the cost of energy for the Department of Defense and supports construction of new, high-efficiency energy systems and modernization of existing ones.

  • ‘Mr. Disaster Preparedness’ wins top DOD award

    His award recommendation calls him “Mr. Disaster Preparedness.” He also has another alter ego — Eddie Bee Ready. Now, he can be called a Department of Defense award winner. David Babcock of the 812th Civil Engineer Squadron’s Emergency Management Flight was named the top individual award winner for

  • 2017 Robot Rodeo wrangles advanced EOD technology

    ATLANTA — Air Force, civilian and international explosive ordnance disposal experts recently shared tactics, techniques and procedures during the 2017 Eastern National Robot Rodeo and Capabilities Exercise in Atlanta.The week-long event, held at Dobbins Air Reserve Base and the Atlanta Hartsfield

  • Civil engineers implement cybersecurity for Air Force infrastructure

    TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Today’s civil engineers are leading the way with cybersecurity implementation for the Air Force. From Tyndall, a team of 40 civil engineer information technology certified professionals are traveling the globe to implement the Air Force-wide Industrial Control System,

  • Civil engineers make critical runway repairs, keep missions moving

    Maintaining an airfield is never an easy task, especially when it’s one of the busiest in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility. Responsible for making critical runway repairs, the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s heavy equipment operator team ensures that the 386th

  • Dobbins flies cargo, personnel to Florida

    DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. – 94th Airlift Wing C-130s and aircrews provided airlift support Sept. 12, 2017 as part of the Air Force Reserve’s relief efforts following Hurricane Irma. Reserve Citizen Airmen of the 700th Airlift Squadron delivered supplies and personnel to Homestead Air Reserve

  • 386 HVAC technicians beat the heat, keep cool under pressure

    SOUTHWEST ASIA – When dealing with temperatures over 120 degrees, heating, ventilation and air conditioning technicians play a pivotal role in the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing’s everyday operations. These unsung heroes can be seen outside each and every day braving the heat, working on refrigeration

  • Dobbins hosts EOD teams from around the world, tests new technology

    DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- A group of explosive ordnance disposal technicians gathered around a set of displays under a tent set up about 20 yards from a small, yellow cinder block building. Inside the building are several rooms, one of which appears to be a makeshift laboratory for

  • Living on-base or off, Air Force highly recommends renters insurance

    Airmen and their families leasing or renting housing on or off the installation need to be aware of the importance of renters insurance. Unforeseen fires, floods, theft or accidents can occur in anyone’s residence and Airmen need to understand the importance of protecting their families from

  • New fire crew trains for response, builds team skills

    The 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron fire department conducted a response exercise Friday, August 11, 2017, to test the response and teamwork skills of the new fire crew, who arrived here with the recent rotation a few weeks ago. The exercise was a simulated fire at the Personnel Support

  • ‘Dirt Boyz’ create rubble

    U.S. Airmen assigned to the 20th Civil Engineer Squadron worked as a team to demolish an uneven concrete sidewalk upheaved by tree roots at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Aug. 10, 2017.

  • Civil Engineer Squadron finishes construction rotation at Crow Reservation

    Thirty-five Airmen with the Illinois Air National Guard’s 182nd Civil Engineer Squadron completed their two-week annual training constructing homes for Crow Tribe veterans Aug. 6 in Crow Agency, Montana.The Peoria-based squadron provided services including drywall, windows, doors, siding, carpentry,

  • Welcome to the RAB: Oscoda community reps attend orientation, site tour

    Newly selected members of the Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board gathered together for the first time Aug. 2 at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, to learn about their role representing the Oscoda-area community in environmental restoration activities at the former base.

  • AF National Museum building earns environmental, energy award

    The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force announced its fourth building has achieved the rare distinction of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification as determined by the U.S. Green Building Council during a ceremony Aug. 3, 2017.

  • Fixing our pest problem

    While working at Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB) Missouri, you are bound to encounter wild animals at some point. Nevertheless, one animal in particular seems to be ever-present. Whether on your morning drive or evening run, base residents and commuters have noticed the raccoon population is on the

  • Air Force civilian selected for 2017 USAF Portraits in Courage

    Gregory Gangnuss, an environmental engineer and program chief for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, is one of 49 Airmen to be memorialized in the 10th edition of the Air Force Chief of Staff’s, “Portraits in Courage.” The annual book highlights stories of courage, resiliency, professionalism and

  • 819th RED HORSE exercises deployment capabilities

    Airmen from the 819th RED HORSE Squadron were flown into the mountains near Augusta to exercise bare base build up capabilities recently.“The exercise kicked off with a recall July 24, which is how Airmen would receive notification to initiate an actual deployment in this type of situation,” said

  • Ramstein Airmen develop new training method with AFCEC validation

    Airmen of the civil engineer electrical team at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, recently developed an innovative training method to tackle deficiencies by designing and constructing an electrical systems training simulator.Although similar trainers are used at other electrical shops worldwide, the

  • Yellowknife Deployment For Training sharpens Oregon Civil Engineers skills

    Airmen from the 142nd Fighter Wing Civil Engineer Squadron, combined with Canadian Armed Forces Construction Engineers from 4 Wing, Cold Lake, Alberta, work together on a variety of construction and repair projects during their joint Deployment for Training (DFT) in Yellowknife, Northwest

  • New ESPC playbook now live

    The Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Energy Directorate recently went live with a new playbook for Energy Savings Performance Contracts, or ESPCs, replacing Engineering Technical Letter 13-13.

  • AF appoints Wurtsmith RAB members

    The Air Force has appointed 17 members to the Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board to represent the Oscoda, Michigan community in environmental restoration activities at the former Wurtsmith AFB. The advisory group is comprised of eight government and nine community stakeholders tasked with enabling

  • AFCEC support sections empower Air Force mission

    Across the Air Force, environmental specialists from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center are working behind the scenes to ensure long-term suitability of environments for military operations. Their job may not be glamorous, but it is important and serves one purpose.

  • Air Force continues attack on PFOS/PFOA issues at Pease

    Since 2014, the United States Air Force has spent more than $25 million to address the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanoic sulfonate (PFOS) contamination in drinking water at the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, NH.The PFOS/PFOA impact was first identified during Air Force

  • AFCEC to host Air Force Encroachment Management Symposium

    The Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Regional Development Planning Branch hosts the annual Air Force Encroachment Management, or AFEM, training event Aug. 1-3, at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.    The symposium provides encroachment management stakeholders with the knowledge and skills necessary to

  • Air Force reduces planned munitions tests at PMRF

    After re-evaluating its Long Range Strike Program mission requirements, the Air Force has significantly reduced the number of live munitions that will be used during military test missions at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in 2017.

  • Two Mather Soil Vapor Extraction units achieve cleanup goals

    The Air Force’s remediation program at the former Mather Air Force Base took another major step forward this summer when two Soil Vapor Extraction units were found to have achieved their cleanup goals.Late June, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center announced that two of the three remaining Soil Vapor

  • 386th AEW firefighters disprove doubters, build lasting bonds

    This is the second in a two-part series on the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing female firefighters. Click here for the first part of this series.SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The term Airman is non-specific by design. It encompasses all genders, all ranks and all careers. In this way, the term Airman is similar to

  • AFCEC validates Silver Flag training at Ramstein

    Members of the force development team from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Operations and Readiness Directorates recently evaluated the Silver Flag training site at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.The evaluation was essential to ensure training is standardized across the Air Force’s three Silver

  • AFCEC facilitating millions in energy savings worldwide

    A tool with potential to save millions of dollars in annual energy expenditures is within reach for Air Force bases worldwide.Energy savings performance contracts, or ESPCs, are partnerships between federal agencies and energy service companies that provide energy savings and facility improvements

  • 386 AEW firefighters extinguish assumptions, overcome challenges

    The term Airman is non-specific by design. It encompasses all genders, all ranks and all careers. In this way, the term Airman is similar to the term firefighter. At the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing there are four female firefighters who are doing the same physically demanding work as their male

  • PACAF consolidates Silver Flag training at Andersen

    U.S. Air Force Airmen of the 554th Red Horse Squadron assigned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, trained members of the 8th Civil Engineering Squadron on airfield damage repair and force bed down June 19-23, 2017, as part of Exercise Silver Flag at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea.During the

  • Force development team hosts ETRC in Ramstein

    Members of the force development team from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Operations Directorate hosted the 2017 civil engineer Education and Training Review Committee, known as the ETRC, recently at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.A full week of collaboration, brainstorming and camaraderie led to

  • Environmental restoration summit enhances Air Force partnerships

    The Air Force Central Regional Environmental Restoration Summit, held May 17 and 18 in Dallas, clarified roles and responsibilities as regulators met with AFCEC leadership and discussed Air Force environmental restoration changing policies and procedures.

  • Air Force reaches anniversary milestone at former McClellan base

    The groundwater treatment plant on the former McClellan Air Force Base is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. While cleanup workers won’t be trading their hard hats for party caps, the progress made during the last three decades is plenty of reason to celebrate.  During its tenure as an

  • Hurricane season: Don't be scared, be prepared

    With the hurricane season fast approaching, it is important to prepare ahead of time. Although the season, begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30, storms can occur outside of the projected season.

  • AFCEC rail network program hosts certified rail inspection course

    The U.S. Air Force Rail Network is essential transportation for delivering commodities, fuel, coal, aircraft parts, ordinance and support for space programs.To keep things moving, the asset visibility transportation division of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Operations Directorate funded and

  • Air Force Wildland Fire Center responding to Avon Park AFR wildfire

    An Air Force Wildland Fire Center team is leveraging internal assets and interagency partnerships to contain the Echo Springs Wildfire, an 8,000-acre wildfire on the Avon Park Air Force Range in Florida. Avon Park serves as a bombing range and air ground training complex for the military. Currently

  • New program delivers emergency-ready masks to Airmen

    Talk to any Air Force emergency manager and he or she will probably tell you a clean and serviceable M50 mask is the most important piece of equipment Airmen can have in a war-time environment. Now, thanks to a small joint service team in Albany, Georgia, that equipment will have more reliability,

  • USAFA cadet develops potential life-saving material

    U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet First Class Hayley Weir and Dr. Ryan Burke, assistant professor with the USAF Academy's Department of Military & Strategic Studies, visited the Air Force Civil Engineer Center recently to present the results of Weir's capstone project that could greatly benefit the Air

  • AF to conduct follow-on sampling, launch remedial investigation at Wurtsmith

    The Air Force will soon conduct a second round of drinking water sampling and is preparing to launch a focused remedial investigation to determine if chemicals from firefighting foam used at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, pose a risk to drinking water supplies. Air Force officials

  • Operations directorate holds operations workshop at AFIT

    The Air Force Civil Engineer Center Operations Directorate recently held an operations workshop at the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to provide a forum for operations flights and shop leadership to discuss operations way ahead.Air Force Deputy Director

  • Travis earns DoD environmental restoration award

    Dedication to using green and sustainable remediation technologies and biological processes that breakdown contaminates in groundwater has earned Travis Air Force Base, California, its first Secretary of Defense Environmental Restoration Award for Installations.

  • Air Force wins three DOD environmental awards

    The Department of Defense has selected an Air Force environmental engineer and two installations for top honors in the 2017 Secretary of Defense environmental awards program.  The awards, announced Friday, recognize outstanding achievements to improve DOD’s environmental performance, according to

  • AFCEC entomologist provides BASH management training

    Wildlife management on Air Force airfields can often mean the difference between mission success or failure.Don Teig, Air Force Civil Engineer Center entomologist and subject matter expert, recently headed west to provide bird aircraft strike hazard, or BASH, management training to attendees of the

  • Civil Engineer employees learn how to build careers

    A two-man team from the Air Force Personnel Center provided some key insight into career development in the world of Air Force Civil Engineering April 6. Members of the 412th Civil Engineer Group packed into the base theater to learn about career management and development during the one-day Civil

  • AFCEC conducts CONEX dorm field testing

    The Air Force Civil Engineer Center recently tested expeditionary CONEX, or container express, dorms for progressive collapse at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.CONEX-based relocatable barracks are a common sight at many U.S. and coalition bases worldwide. Cost-effective, readily available and

  • Never off duty: Ramstein Airmen extinguish fire

    On his way to the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center from church on Easter Sunday, Master Sgt. Skipper Valentin Cruzado, 86th Civil Engineer Squadron fire emergency services assistant chief of training, and his family were in their car waiting for the light to turn green at an

  • Ecological monitoring no longer needed at Castle

    The Air Force’s environmental restoration efforts at the former Castle Air Force Base, California, took another step toward the finish line recently when regulatory agencies agreed that ecological monitoring is no longer needed. The Air Force was required to conduct ecological monitoring at five

  • Leaders kick off largest energy savings contract in AF history

    Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex leaders and industry officials cut the ribbon Wednesday on the start of work on the largest energy savings performance contract in Air Force history.The $243 million facility modernization project with Honeywell is projected to save more than $626 million in

  • ESPC awarded at Wright-Patterson AFB

    The Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, or AFICA, awarded an energy saving performance contract, or ESPC, at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, March 24.  The $7.7 million project to reduce energy use through energy conservation measures, or ECMs, was awarded to Johnson Controls

  • AFCEC directorate hosts pilot TRIRIGA workshop

    The Air Force Civil Engineer Center and IBM collaborated during a workshop recently to assist operations personnel with their continuing implementation of the new TRIRIGA Real Property maintenance software. The software provides an integrated asset management structure for CE.The team from AFCEC

  • AFCEC uses table top exercise to plan future big moves in RADR

    The Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Requirements, Research & Development and Acquisitions Division recently held a table top exercise to evaluate the access, mitigate and repair capabilities of the Rapid Airfield Damage Repair, or RADR, process. RADR is the modernized process of how Airmen

  • Firefighters, medics train to transport trauma patients

    The 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron and the 386th Expeditionary Medical Squadron conducted a motor vehicle accident training exercise March 10, 2017 at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The two squadrons created the exercise to identify potential shortfalls in the case of a

  • New AFCEC preventive maintenance program manager visits Travis AFB

    The Air Force Civil Engineer Center Operations Directorate’s new preventive maintenance program manager hit the road recently to introduce himself to the field.Samuel “Jason” Schmitz recently visited Travis Air Force Base, California, to collaborate with base civil engineers on preventive

  • Marking Change: Michele Cardenas

    The year was 1985. With a job post stating “women applicants only” and “no experience needed.” She knew this was her opportunity for change. The allure of the $3-an-hour increase to her typist wage propelled her to apply. The interviewer asked applicants to lift the tool box and correctly recognize

  • AFIMSC civilian honored for heroism

    Greg Gangnuss, a civilian member of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, was on a voluntary deployment to Afghanistan as a senior environmental advisor for the Ministry of Defense Advisor Program when a helicopter carrying nine coalition members crashed after striking a cable while

  • From expeditionary to enduring: 386th ECES conducts base improvements

    The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing has been at war for nearly 15 years. In that time, its U.S. Air Force Airmen have stood ready in the fight against violent extremism across the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The wing has been vital in operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and more throughout

  • EOD keep Airmen, mission safe

    In times of war and crisis some challenges can’t be muscled through or rushed. Certain challenges call for unique knowledge and abilities. The 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight exercised its unique abilities during a range detonation Feb. 11.The 332nd

  • AFCEC proactively pursuing environmental stewardship at Fairchild AFB

    The Air Force is taking proactive measures to reduce the risk of mission-related PFOS/PFOA contamination to installation and nearby communities’ drinking water sources by working to eliminate the use of PFOS-containing AFFF, and is also testing groundwater at a variety of locations to determine if

  • Benny the Air Force “Snow Man” assists Hill AFB

    Preston “Benny” Benedyk, the Air Force vehicle and snow control manager from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Operation’s Directorate at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, recently traveled to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to collaborate and advise on best practices and process improvement for snow

  • AFMC commander's message on civilian hiring freeze

    Our people are key in AFMC’s ability to serve the nation.  With this in mind, I wanted to share what we currently know regarding the recent Presidential Memorandum that implements a federal civilian hiring freeze impacting prospective civilian employees who had not entered on duty as of noon, 22

  • DOD-wide appraisal program goes in to effect April 1 for AF civilians

    The majority of Air Force appropriated civilian employees will transition to a new management and appraisal program April 1.The program, Department of Defense-wide Performance Management and Appraisal Program, or DPMAP, doesn’t include employees excluded under applicable laws.DPMAP is part of the

  • AFCEC conducts pilot test of sustainment management system at Hurlburt Field

    Personnel from the utilities branch of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Operations Directorate and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Engineer Research Laboratory, or CERL, recently conducted the first pilot test of the UTILITIES sustainment management system, or U.SMS, at Hurlburt Field,

  • AFCEC translator, interpreter keeps communication clear

    Communication; it’s something people do every day. However, what is said and what is heard can often be two different things, even when speaking the same language. Add in other languages, and communication can get further muddled.Keeping the conversation clear at the Air Force Civil Engineer

  • Travis environmental restoration program certified green and sustainable

    Saving money, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing green and sustainable remediation to clean up contaminated groundwater sites has earned Travis Air Force Base, California the honor of becoming the first Department of Defense installation to receive greener cleanup certification by

  • AFCEC EOD program manager receives Master Blaster Award

    Surprised, humbled and appreciative are the three words that came to mind when the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Master Sgt. Jonathan “Adam” Quast was notified of his selection as the 2016 Master Blaster Award recipient recently.Quast is AFCEC’s explosive ordnance disposal program manager.“I was

  • AFCEC asset visibility team earns FEMP Award

    Members of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center asset visibility team, or AVT, were recently awarded the 2016 Federal Energy and Water Management Program Award for asset management contributions to the Air Force energy program. The AFCEC AVT actively manages the Air Force-wide implementation of the

  • Largest military solar energy project in Northeast breaks ground on JB MDL

    The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy Miranda A.A. Ballentine and the Adjutant General of New Jersey Brig. Gen. Michael Cunniff helped break ground on a 98-acre solar farm here Dec. 20.The 16.5 megawatt solar energy project will be the largest military

  • Largest Air Force ESPC awarded at Tinker Air Logistics Complex

    The Defense Logistics Agency Energy awarded an energy savings performance contract Dec. 13 for the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, or OC-ALC, at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The $262 million project, the largest in the Air Force, was awarded to Honeywell International, Inc., to modernize 50

  • December Energy Express released

    In this edition: Air Force switches from LEED to GPC standards; Air Force and Navy face off in SWAPPED, North Carolina ANG FEMP winners; and more here.

  • Accurate cost estimating crucial to credibility, project success

    Recent studies show the Air Force’s civil engineering cost estimate accuracy is declining, directly impacting which projects do or don’t get funding as well as the service’s credibility among its peers.According to a 2014 internal document, more than 40 percent of Air Force military construction

  • AFCEC engineer works to bring clean water to rural Uganda

    Chlorine production through salt water, electrodes and a car battery. It’s a simple technology that one AFCEC engineer hopes will soon have a life-changing impact on a people.Six months ago, April Whitbeck, a program manager at AFCEC’s European Store Front at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, took a

  • AFCEC selects 2016 USAF Design Award Recipients

    Each year, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center holds the Air Force Design Awards to recognize and promote outstanding resource-efficient, visually appealing facility projects.  Awards will be formally presented to the winners Dec. 13 during the AFCEC Design and Construction Symposium in San