Public Works airmen, sailors sharpen wartime capabilities

Photo By Senior Airman Steele Britton | Public Works Department airmen construct a California Tent as part of their required training, Oct. 11, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. Over 70 airmen and sailors spent three days training during a field exercise to sharpen their wartime capabilities at an Air National Guard facility.  

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, UNITED STATES

10.24.2011

Story by Senior Airman Steele Britton 

Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Airmen and sailors of the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Public Works Department participated in a field training exercise at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., Air National Guard Facilities, where they honed their skills and completed required civil engineer training recently.

More than 70 members of the Public Works Department participated in training to include shelter building, emergency flightline operations, large vehicle certifications and pole climbing.

“It’s been a wide range of training every year since I’ve been here,” said Air Force Senior Airman Matthew Anthon, JBAB Public Works Department electrical systems journeyman. “The first time I was here, I was a one-striper and it was the first time I got to sit in any of the heavy equipment; it was really exciting for a young airman.”

The four-year veteran to the three-day exercise stressed the importance of gaining knowledge of all the training opportunities while at Fort Indiantown Gap instead of just those that are particular to one’s job specialty.

“Anything you can get your hands on while you’re here is beneficial,” said Anthon. “I’ve built a lot of tents and shelters, which is important to learn here because it makes the day go by faster and the job much easier in the area of responsibility when everyone knows what they’re doing. It’s a chance for us to train on our wartime job.”

This is the first time Navy civil engineers as well as Air Force vehicle maintenance Airmen have joined the Air National Guard Civil Engineer Training Program as a result of last year’s base realignment and closure from Bolling Air Force Base and Naval Support Facility Anacostia to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.

“It’s neat that the Navy and the Air Force are working together at the joint base,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael Jarosz, JBAB Public Works Department Facilities and Engineering Division commander. “It gives us an opportunity to understand each other’s organizations and I really appreciate it. A lot of this stuff looks easy until you get in there and you realize that it’s not. As a Navy guy who’s not familiar with the Air Force engineers, I also get to see what capabilities and capacities they have.”

Job knowledge, safety and gaining trust in equipment were important interests to the public works members while at Fort Indiantown Gap, although teamwork prevailed throughout the field training exercise. “My favorite part of coming here every year is the camaraderie. Getting to know each other helps make the job that much more fun,” said Anthon.

• Date Taken: 10.24.2011
• Date Posted: 10.24.2011 14:03
• Story ID: 78927
• Location: FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, US