Army engineers vital to “Lik” mission

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tim Beckham
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  The members of the 39th Civil Engineer Squadron aren't the only engineers who work here. As much as the 39th CES does, the "Lik" also relies on its Army engineer counterparts for a great deal of resources. 

While most of the members of The U.S. Engineer Group (TUSEG), part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Europe District, call Ankara, Turkey home, a small group dwell in Adana, Turkey where they support the consulate there and also the base here. 

In fact, these engineers were responsible for building the fire training facility here. The trainer was built to provide simulated aircraft fire. 

The training facility, the first of its kind in Turkey, was built by the Army engineers, said Army Capt. Tyler Faulk, Europe District engineer. 

Before the trainer was built, the 39th Mission Support Group was simulating fighting aircraft fires with the use of burning wood and other structural fires. 

"Aircraft fires are totally different from structural fires," said Col. Jeff Hanson, 39th MSG commander. "Here, where we must deal with large frame aircraft such as the C-17s and C-5s as well as the transient fighters and mid-sized planes, it is essential that our firefighters be as well prepared as possible." 

As soon as it was ready to use, the fire trainer put the firefighters to the test. In one month the number of certified personnel went from 10 people to more than 100, said Ron Swartz, 39th ABW fire chief. 

"It was a lengthy struggle to get this trainer funded and fully certified," said Colonel Hanson. "Now that it is in place, we intend to utilize it to the maximum extent possible, performing training in daylight and nighttime hours. It will continue to pay tremendous benefits for many years to come." 

Although it's difficult to put a dollar value on safe firefighting and rescue techniques because they can save lives, the trainer will soon pay for itself. To send six people to a rescue course at Aviano Air Force Base, Italy, would cost Mr. Swartz's department an estimated $33,000. 

"We realized the tremendous cost savings for us and the Air Force to have one here," said Mr. Swartz. 

The facility cost more than $800,000 and will be well worth it for the base and the community surrounding the base. 

While the primary reason for this trainer is to meet the Department of Defense requirement on training, it will also help train host nation firefighters in the local communities of Incirlik and Adana, said Mr. Swartz. 

From a firefighter perspective, any time you make training as realistic as possible, you improve the capabilities of those fighting fires. 

"In order to get good at being a firefighter you have to fight fires," said Mr. Swartz. "This trainer makes it possible. We're fortunate because we're exposed to live fire. It has made a difference with our guys. It's hard to simulate heat and smoke conditions. They learned to stay low because they can feel the heat now." 

The fire trainer's design comes from the need for it to serve as a multipurpose trainer for all aircraft in the Air Force's inventory. It combines a high wing for medium to large sized planes and a low wing to simulate a small frame or fighter aircraft. 

Construction quality assurance representatives and project engineers from Europe District were very active during the facilities' construction, ensuring that the project remained on schedule, that the requirements set out by the customer and the relevant codes were followed and that all work provided was of top quality, said Captain Faulk. 

"We had to work with the contractor to make sure that what they were building was in fact what was requested by the customer," the captain added. "It was a tough job because of the enormous complexity of this system and the fact that this was the first time this contractor had ever attempted anything like this. In the end though, our work together paid off and we delivered something to the base that they were in dire need of." 

Not only did the TUSEG bring the first aircraft fire training facility to Incirlik, but it was also responsible for construction of Building 252, the 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron's supply warehouse. The warehouse may not house any professional sports team but its capacity can hold several football fields. 

Here it is all about logistics - getting needed equipment to where it needs to be in a fast and efficient way with one goal - supporting the warfighter. 

In the past, these operations were done in separate buildings and in separate areas of the base. But a few year's ago, the Air Force transformed the logistics operations. The three separate squadrons: transportation, supply and logistics/plans, were all merged into one squadron, but they still maintained separate facilities at Incirlik until the logistics readiness warehouse was built. 

"We don't have to track parts all over the base anymore," added Senior Master Sgt. Gary Hamm, 39th LRS chief enlisted manager. "It is cost savings, it is man-hour savings, and it is saving costs on vehicles because we put less miles on them."  (Editor's note: Information compiled from The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Magazine.)