BEEF WEll Done

Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Vann | Air Force Col. James Sheedy, commander, 474th Air Expeditionary Group, hands the 474th ECES guidon to Air Force Lt. Col. Pat Miller, incoming commander, during the 474th change of command ceremony July 23.  

GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA

08.01.2014

Story by Sgt. Christopher Vann 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY Cuba--With lights shining brightand illuminating the Camp America entrance, the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron stood fast as they participated in the change of command between Air Force Lt. Cols. Eddie Phillips and Pat Miller
July 23.

Air Force Col. James Sheedy, commander, 474th Air Expeditionary
Group, addressed the formation, first congratulating the outgoing members, BEEF 14, on the achievements during their deployment, then taking the time to speak of the expectations of the incoming crew, BEEF 15, and the importance of meeting and exceeding the
standard set by their predecessors.

Each incoming unit receives a numeral designating their rotation.
Sheedy addressed the 474th ECES, also known as BEEF, or Base Emergency Engineering Force, currently made up of members of active duty and National Guard Airmen, saying, “This team came in and built infrastructure, put up sun shades at the Cuzcos
Barracks and expanded security roads,” said Sheedy. “If you’ve seen it, they’ve built it or repaired it.”


The BEEF’s mission is sustainment of Camp Justice and the Expeditionary Legal Complex and additional projects
across the naval station and JTF. Miller, incoming commander of the BEEF 15, said he expects some challenges. “As Air Force engineers, we’re not used to working in detention facilities,” said Miller, “but we are looking forward to accepting that challenge.”

While other services tend to be mobile, typically for the BEEF units, they’re stationary. “This is why we do such a good job at garrison,” said Sheedy. “So for the mission at GTMO, all of our folks are trained and ready to get to work.”

The 474th ECES Airmen will support base members while completing projects such as demolition, roadwork and renovations to detention centers. “Air Force engineers have a strong history of
installation and mission support,” said Miller. “Our job is to carry on that legacy. That’s what we’re trained to do.”

“Our mission’s complexity requires cohesion from all parts, BEEF 14
stepped up and went above and beyond their call of duty,” Navy Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad, JTF commander, said of the work he’s seen by the BEEF.

Phillips, BEEF’s outgoing commander, said he was grateful and honored to command the unit and was pleased with the work they did. And when referring to how he felt to be in charge of the unit, he said “In the words of Sgt. Maj. Hidalgo, I get to do this!”
“We set off to continue the legacy of the BEEF, and we did just that,” said Phillips. “We came as 46 Airmen from different bases, and now we as leave as one team.”

The civil engineers, including plumbers, carpenters, electricians, heavy equipment operators and air conditioning and heating specialists, make up the new members of the BEEF 15 and will finish the projects initiated by their predecessors.

Typically, BEEF units consist of civil engineers tasked with designing,
building, maintaining and tearing down buildings and airfields according to established Air Force standard operating
procedures.

Airmen of the 474th ECES will focus on preventive maintenance to ensure facilities such as showers and latrines are in working order, and that Camp Justice’s power supply and water treatment
plant remain functional.

Previous units have said that the greatest challenge here is not the mission itself, but performing it within a joint environment. The BEEF 14 unit has worked hard to put that feeling to rest and the BEEF 15 plans to carry on that level of excellence.

• Date Taken: 08.01.2014
• Date Posted: 08.01.2014 08:55
• Story ID: 137994
• Location: GUANTANAMO BAY, CU