MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. – Seven instructors assigned to the California National Guard’s 163d Regional Training Site train more than 1,000 Airmen annually through specialty courses such as Rapid Damage Repair, using technical expertise, mentorship and teamwork to prepare Airmen to restore critical airfield operations in demanding environments worldwide.
“We’re building good foundations here. We’re teaching them things they can’t do at home-station. By the end of the week, they are operating equipment with confidence,” said Senior Master Sgt. Reuben Dominguez, 163d Regional Training Site superintendent.
Rapid Damage Repair is an essential capability for Civil Engineer Squadrons and plays a critical role in sustaining airfield operations during contingency, restoration and disaster-response missions. The Regional Training Site provides the equipment, training environment and instructor expertise needed to ensure deploying Airmen are mission-ready before arriving in theater.
“We teach them to a standard directly tied to deployment operations where damaged airfields have to be recovered within a specific timeline so aircraft can land and take off,” said Master Sgt. Scott Eversole, 163d Regional Training Site instructor. “In some scenarios, we may be isolated at a location with little to no options. That means not only repairing the airfield, but sometimes training augmentee Airmen on the spot to help accomplish the mission.”
This iteration of the week-long course was composed of Airmen from 11 different Wings learning to execute full-scale crater repair procedures, beginning with debris removal and upheaval marking, then progressing through excavation, backfilling, compaction and surface restoration. Regional Training Site instructors evaluate both completion time and structural performance, conducting repair quality criteria testing to ensure repairs can withstand projected aircraft loads and operational demands.
Beyond teaching technical skills, the instructors focus heavily on building teamwork and confidence among students who often arrive with little familiarity with one another but must quickly learn to operate as a cohesive unit.
“We have people coming here from across the service, and they have to perform together throughout the week even though they just met,” Eversole said. “I try to instill confidence in them that they can do this. After 15 years as an instructor, I’ve learned how important motivation and teamwork are to getting the mission done.”
That same culture of teamwork exists within the instructor cadre itself. Because each instructor serves as the sole subject matter expert for their Air Force specialty code, or AFSC, successful course completion depends on strong cross-functional support and collaboration. To strengthen the team, instructors conduct monthly professional development sessions focused on communication, leadership and public speaking.
“We’re one deep in each AFSC, so you have to be very proficient in your job, but also willing to jump in wherever needed,” Dominguez said. “Our team is strong because we don’t hesitate to help each other.”
When the airfield is attacked, individual AFSCs blur; everyone operates a saw, drives a skid steer or pours concrete. It’s an all-hands-on-deck fight to clear explosive hazards, cut, fill and cap craters to restore a minimum operating strip in hours, not days.
The effectiveness of the 163d Regional Training Site reflects the 163d Attack Wing’s commitment to developing resilient, mission-ready warfighters prepared to operate in complex environments. By combining technical excellence with mentorship and teamwork, the instructors ensure Airmen are ready to restore airpower anytime and anywhere the mission requires.