Civil engineers train in RADR

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman BreeAnn Sachs
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs

(Editor’s note: Last names are withheld due to operational requirements.)

The 49th Civil Engineer Squadron here is now one of the many squadrons trained in new airfield damage repair techniques.

The Rapid Airfield Damage Repair Modernization training team visited Holloman June 27, and taught new tactics, techniques and procedures to 49th CE command and control personnel. This $1.4 billion program utilizes visual presentations, in addition to a table top kit with scaled down airfield maintenance equipment, to exercise runway repair during and after an enemy attack.

“It gets the planes up and running a lot faster,” said Technical Sgt. Ruben, 49th CES project execution noncommissioned officer in charge.  “The repairs go from being a temporary repair to a (more) permanent repair. The old method was very limited. Essentially, we were repairing the repairs. With this new method, we repair it once, and it’s good for at least three to four-thousand passes -- passes meaning the aircraft landing and taking off.”

The table top exercise is the second phase of four phases in the training program. Mobile training teams will make their way to every Air Force Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve installation to teach civil engineers RADR techniques. Over the next few years, this training will be implemented at all civil engineer Silver Flag training sites.

“The essential mission of what we do in CE is to get the planes up and ready to fly, fight and win,” said Ruben. “We will be doing a lot of work at the get-go, saving time and money in the future. Repairing the repairs is no longer in our scope of work.”

Once installations receive the new equipment, the third and fourth phases will begin. Civil engineers will receive hands-on training with the new equipment and begin practicing with actual craters.