UNDISCLOSED LOCATION - Airmen from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard this month built a new passenger terminal for the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at this undisclosed location.
The 557th Expeditionary Rapid Engineers Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) Squadron took on the project after deploying from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It is comprised of Pennsylvania Air National Guard members from the 201st RHS out of Fort Indiantown Gap Air Guard Station and Horsham Air Guard Station.
The passenger terminal had been operating out of tents. This new building will establish a more permanent structure for the terminal that processes hundreds of military and civilian passengers each day traveling throughout the area of responsibility.
“Almost all of the 42 members of the 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron detachment assigned to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing have contributed to the construction of the PAX terminal, many of them outside their career field,” said Master Sgt. William Meiser, 557th EHRS heating, ventilation and air conditioning NCO in charge. “The mission is to build the K-Span building. That means no matter what your regular assignment is, get ready for the all hands call to sling steel or pour concrete. Everyone helps when it comes to the K-span, everyone in one capacity or another.”
To build the structure, heavy equipment operators grade the site and prepare to dig footers and the foundation. The building utilities such as electrical, mechanical and communications raceways are installed, then the footers and walls that are concrete are poured in place. Next the seaming team will produce the 75-foot arches that are 21 feet high. After each arch is produced and inspected, a series of five arches are seamed together and set in place to form the building. The bases of the arches are then welded in place. The entire building takes approximately 90 days to complete, said Meiser who deployed from the 201st RHS, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“I feel very good about the work my Airmen are doing here,” said Maj. Camille Nemr, 557th ERHS site officer in charge who deployed from the 201st RHS Detachment 1, Horsham Air Guard Station. “For some of our Airmen, this is their first deployment and working on projects outside of their specific career field. They have adapted to a high-paced tempo, aggressive schedule, semi-austere conditions and weather. They have become a fully integrated team of highly effective Air Force civil engineers who have produced outstanding work.”
RED HORSE squadrons provide the Air Force with a highly mobile civil engineering response force to support contingency and special operations worldwide. These units possess weapons, vehicles, equipment and vehicle maintenance, food service, emergency management, contracting, supply and medical equipment and personnel to provide a self-sufficient force of 404 personnel. They provide heavy-repair capability and construction support when requirements exceed normal base civil engineer capabilities and where U.S. Army engineer support is not readily available, Meiser said.