Barksdale Air Force Base, La. -- As the sun rises behind the Appalachian Mountains, the humming of heavy dirt moving equipment and the buzzing of power saws breaks the morning silence. Airmen from the 307th Civil Engineering Squadron (CES) start work early at the Chenango County Fairgrounds in Norwich, New York.
Over 30 Airmen from the 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, spent part of June 2016 participating in Innovative Readiness Training (IRT). This training provides real world opportunities for service members and units to prepare for wartime missions while supporting the needs of America's underserved communities.
“We were so excited when we found out that our town, specifically, the Chenango County Fairgrounds, had been selected for renovation,” said Mary Weidman, President of the Chenango County Agricultural Society. “This is the biggest project Norwich has seen since the building of the fairground’s grand stand in 1902.”
The CCAS raised an estimated $220,000 to purchase the materials and supplies needed for the renovation, and Air Force Reserve Civil Engineer Squadrons from across America provided the skills and manpower.
“The community provides us with the materials and we benefit from the training,” said First Lieutenant Nathaniel Spraggins, 307th CES Officer in Charge. “Since we’re literally living on the jobsite, this training provides our Airmen with the opportunity to experience what it will be like to operate from a deployed location.” The Airmen are from several Air Force Specialty Codes, to include electricians, construction, engineers, heavy equipment operators, plumbers, and heating and air conditioning specialists.
“We bring a broad range of skills to the fight,” said Chief Master Sgt. Rodney Kilby, production superintendent. “During our time here, we’ll have multiple projects going on at the same time, which gives our Airmen a chance to work in areas outside their assigned career fields and expand on their abilities to adapt to a variety of challenges and get the job done.” The jobs for this project include excavating the ground and installing new plumbing, electrical lines, and fiber optics for vendor booths, interior and exterior work on a new office building, and pouring concrete to provide bases for new light poles.
“The work has been steady, and it’s definitely been a learning experience for me,” said Staff Sgt. Maristella Watson, 307th CES Power Production specialist. “My specialty is working on power supplies and generators, but here, I’ve learned how to operate other types of machinery, like the mini-excavator for digging trenches.”
The project initially started on May 23, 2016, with the arrival of Airmen assigned to the 911th CES from the Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania, followed later by Airmen from the 94th CES out of Dobbins AFB, Georgia.
“The 307th CES is the third group to arrive, picking up where the 94th CES left off,” said Master Sgt. Ulysses Gracia, IRT Project Manager. “This type of training proves invaluable in keeping our Airmen sharp by providing on-time training that we don’t get much anymore since deployment opportunities have slowed down.”
The individual and unit readiness training conducted during a Civil-Military IRT project is essentially the same as conducted on a military base or training area with two main differences: the Airmen get "hands-on" training involving real people producing real results; and the training activity is conducted in a community of our country experiencing a serious need that can be helped as a result of that training.
“The response we’ve received from the local community has been awesome,” said Gracia. “Whether on the jobsite or when we’re out enjoying the local community, we’re continually thanked for the job that we’re doing.”
When the Airmen from the 307th CES leave the worksite, they’ll be followed by a combined team of Airmen from Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, Dover AFB, Maryland, and Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana, who will finish the project in late July of this year, just in time for the Chenango County Fair in August.
“These fairgrounds are used throughout the year for various events and will be visited by over 100,000 people,” said Weidman. “Words can’t describe how grateful we are for the work that’s being done and the impact it’s going to make on our community.”
For communities interested in being considered for a Civil-Military IRT project, you can visit their website at http://irt.defense.gov for more information.