Prime BEEF training project improves skills

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Matthew Hubby
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Every year the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron trains its members with a Prime Base Emergency Engineer Force' project. This year's project is Building 205, better known as the home of the honor guard.

The renovation will be top-to-bottom; new electrical, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning. There is also a new male locker room being added to the old structure of the building, which requires a new concrete slab to be poured for the foundation of the addition.

"This job is our career field in a nutshell," said Staff Sgt. Adam Barnes, 436 CES structures. "Every aspect of what we do; putting down a footer, welding, drop ceilings, drywall, metal stud work and tile work. All the shops are combined, and we all learn other sections of our career field."

One big change coming from the renovation is the honor guard's training room. It is doubling in size to 42-by-42. Before the renovation, the honor guard would often pierce holes in the ceiling when they practiced with their flags, said Sergeant Barnes. The height of the ceiling will be increased to 14 feet to prevent this. The increased size of the training room will allow the honor guard to bring all of its training indoors, onto a new half-inch rubber floor.

But a new training room isn't the only big change coming to the building. New high efficiency furnaces and a new lighting system will bring more than 75 percent in energy savings a year.

The new lighting system will consist of 60 fixtures and 20 occupancy sensors to ensure the lighting in the building remains at optimum levels for the number of people in the building, said Tech. Sgt. Seth Moening, 436 CES noncommissioned officer-in-charge of exterior electric.

"We'll be installing a Class-A fire alarm system," said Sergeant Moening. "This new system will be easier to maintain and will keep our Airmen safe."

Additionally, the project allows the civil engineers to practice their skills, and train in different areas of their career field. It also allows newer Airmen a chance to see a project from start to finish. To see all the steps it takes to build infrastructure, instead of just seeing a single system or area.

"These projects give us a chance to run our Airmen through things so they can make mistakes," said Sergeant Moening. "Then they learn how to correct them, because they can see the big picture. Sometimes you have to learn by making mistakes."