Peterson senior airman, Las Vegas native, supports multi-million dollar engineering efforts in Southwest Asia

Photo By Capt. Daniel Delgado | Senior Airman Remo Delacruz, engineering journeyman with the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, works on a surveying project on the flightline for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia, May 8. Delacruz is deployed from the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and his hometown is Las Vegas, Nev.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

05.12.2010

Story by Senior Airman Jenifer Calhoun 

380th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- On any day, Senior Airman Remo Dela Cruz can be directing and performing civil engineering design, drafting, surveying and contract surveillance to support Air Force facility construction and maintenance programs for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a non-disclosed base here.

Deployed from the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., Airman Dela Cruz is an engineering journeyman, or engineering assistant, with the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. He described what his deployed duties are and how his job helps in several on-going, multi-million dollar construction projects around the deployed base.

"Basically, my job is to support Air Force engineers," Dela Cruz said. "I do surveys, map bases -- I pretty much make sure that everything on an air base is mapped using our Geo-Base, which is tied in to a database."

Dela Cruz also prepares manual and computer-aided design drawings, specifications and cost estimates for projects, his official Air Force job description states. He also develops, operates and maintains Geographic Information System modules and utilizes surveying technology to include the Global Positioning System. Additionally, he evaluates potential construction sites and performs field tests on soils, asphalt and concrete.

In supporting contingency operations, Dela Cruz is trained to develop bed-down plans to house personnel, aircraft and associated support functions, the job description further states. He also is trained to evaluate existing airfield pavements, lighting, navigational aids, markings and arresting systems. She can also perform recovery operations to include explosive ordinance reconnaissance, airfield damage assessment, minimum operating strip selection, rapid runway repair calculations and airfield marking procedures.

Furthermore, when developing engineering designs, Dela Cruz is trained to perform simple load calculations for horizontal and vertical construction and to act as a liaison between design, review, construction and using agencies. In performing drafting duties, he interprets rough engineering sketches to produce working drawings using manual and CAD techniques. He produces architectural, structural, civil, mechanical and electrical drawings and updates base comprehensive plans and maintains record drawings.

Dela Cruz' surveying skills, the job description states, allow him to conduct reconnaissance, site location, construction and mapping surveys while operating manual and electronic surveying equipment. He can also collect, convert and present field survey data for civil engineering projects and maintain equipment to do that job.

Thousands of miles from his hometown of Las Vegas, Nev., Dela Cruz said he joined the Air Force for the opportunities it and the military itself presented.

"I joined the Air Force because of the advancement opportunities offered," Airman Delacruz said. "Back then, I was working full time and I was going to school full time as well. It was kind of hard to balance the two, plus my family and friends."

As operations continue for the 380th ECES continue, Dela Cruz will possibly perform contract management duties. The job description shows that effort includes managing and inspecting construction and maintenance contracts and interpreting plans, specifications and other contract documents.

The 380th ECES is a sub-unit of the 380th AEW. The wing is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

• Date Taken: 05.12.2010
• Date Posted: 05.12.2010 00:59
• Story ID: 49511
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)