Dirt Boyz make the grade

Photo By Senior Master Sgt. George Thompson | Senior Airman Kyle Paridee and Master Sgt. Shane Cox, 386th Civil Engineering Squadron operate inside a grader at a deployed base in Southwest Asia Feb. 18, 2013. The Dirt Boyz construct and maintain concrete and asphalt runways, aircraft parking aprons, and roads using a variety of heavy construction equipment, such as, loaders, graders, dozers, backhoes, and dump trucks. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. George Thompson)  

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02.20.2013

Story by Senior Master Sgt. George Thompson 

386th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA - The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing is home to over 15 pieces of heavy construction equipment from articulated trucks, excavators and dozers to backhoes, trenchers and loaders, the wing has heavy equipment covered from A to Z.

For two Dirt Boyz deployed to the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, their shared passion for grading has led to a teacher-student bond that goes beyond the classroom.

Senior Airman Kyle Paridee from the 134th Civil Engineering Squadron, McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn., and Master Sgt. Shane Cox from the 136th Civil Engineering Squadron, Texas Air National Guard are two of the wings foremost experts on a machine regarded throughout civil engineering as one of the most difficult to operate.

"I've been an operator since the age of 11 and I'm 47 now," said Cox. "I started getting on the grader at 15 and when I started out, graders were gear driven and you had to be a man to operate them because they would beat you up."

"I've known people that had broken hands, broken arms and broken fingers from operating the grader, but over the years the advancement in hydraulics and pumps has made it more user friendly," said Cox.

Paridee is one such beneficiary of the new technologies that has made the grader more user friendly.

"I've only been operating the grader for six years," said Paridee. "I operated some simpler stuff before cross-training like loaders and bobcats but technical school was the first time I operated a grader."

The Dirt Boyz learn to operate a variety of lesser vehicles throughout their careers but only a handful become proficient grader operators.

"Typically you start off with support equipment like rollers and water trucks and then you advance to your dozers, loaders, excavators and the grader is usually the last thing you learn," said Cox.

While the learning curve for some is extremely steep, Paridee's childhood interest in graders seemed to make his learning curve far more gradual.

"The grader for the most part just came natural to me because I've always been fascinated with them," said Paridee. "When I was a kid I always thought it was the coolest piece of equipment on the construction site and when I finally got to use it, it did not take long for me to make it an extension of my hand," said Paridee.

Paridee's knack for grading so early in his career is far from the norm for a Dirt Boy with only six years' experience stated Cox.

"Some people get it and some people don't," said Cox. "You got to have the desire and passion for what we do and for a lot of people it comes naturally and then there are some that won't ever get it no matter what you do, it's either a gift or a curse."

Paridee for one seems to have the gift and he's fortunate to have trainers like Cox available that want to share their expertise.

"I joined the guard because I wanted to be a part of something that was bigger than myself," said Cox. "I have my own company back in Texas that my father started years ago and being self-employed your world kind of revolves around you, I liked the opportunity to mix it up a little and share some of the knowledge I've learned over the years with the younger guys."

One such thing Cox is now sharing with the younger guys is the difficult task of finishing a grade.

"Putting a finished grade on a product to what we call a 'Blue Top' grade," said Cox. "It's one thing to rough grade, but to put that fine finish on it is what separates a finished grader operator from just a grader operator.

As for Paridee, "Blue Topping" is his favorite part of being a grader operator.

"I'm pretty proficient at rough grading, but I'm a perfectionist so when you get a 'Blue Top' perfect it's like a work of art," said Paridee. "You put your stamp on it and say I did that, and that's the biggest satisfaction of being a Dirt Boy."

Like Paridee's childhood fascination with graders, Cox also reflects to childhood memories when discussing the grader.

"When people ask me what I do, I tell them I do the same thing I did as a child with my Tonka toys, just my sandbox is bigger," said Cox.

• Date Taken: 02.20.2013
• Date Posted: 02.20.2013 02:40
• Story ID: 102250
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)