New bumps in road: Forces to be reckoned with

Photo By Staff Sgt. Eunique Stevens | Tech. Sgt. Mark Gilding, 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron heavy equipment non-commissioned officer in charge, installs new speed bumps here May 22. The speed bumps are meant to not only control speed mitigation, but increase the safety of the security forces Airmen manning the gates and protect more than 6,000 service members deployed here. Sergeant Gilding, a Colorado Springs, Colo., native, is deployed here from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.  

IRAQ

05.26.2009

Story by Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski 

506th Air Expeditionary Group

Up, over, over, over and down. Drivers who find speed bumps annoying shouldn't pass through security checkpoint gates here.

But, speed mitigation efforts may be viewed as less of a hassle if they are perceived as a measure that may thwart possible terrorist threats.

After 506th Air Expeditionary Group Antiterrorism/Force Protection Airmen identified a vulnerability in base security, 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Airmen tackled the problem by installing speed bumps at base gates here May 22.

Chief Master Sgt. Suzy Clemons, ATFP superintendent, said the new speed bumps not only slow drivers, but increase the safety of the security forces Airmen manning the gates—and protect more than 6,000 servicemembers deployed here.

While overwatching one of several installation gates, Senior Airman Sherry Houston, 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, deployed from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, said she feels safer with the new speed bumps.

"It's a deterrent for a vehicle-borne explosive device to detonate before it reaches the internal system of the base," the Hebron, Ky., native said. Airman Houston also said that in the event of a gate-runner, a person who neglects security screening at the checkpoint, the speed bumps will slow down his vehicle and allow time for security forces to engage him.

These new speed bumps are an upgrade from traditional speed mitigation methods.

Chief Clemons, a Riceville, Tenn., native deployed from Robins AFB, Ga., said instead of laying down traditional asphalt speed bumps, the 506th ECES designed and welded a metal structure that can be used more efficiently.

The design of the new speed bumps allows Airmen to produce them much faster than traditional asphalt speed bumps, which have a 28-day cure time, she said. "There is no cure time with the new design because they are pre-made and installed into the ground," she said. "You can't just shut a gate to a base down for 28 days."

Instead, the installation process at one of the gates took less than an hour, and the finished product is more durable.

These (metal pipes) are a better permanent structure, said Tech Sgt. Mark Gilding, 506th CES, who helped install the road obstacles. "With vehicle traffic, the asphalt speed bumps will break apart over time."

Sergeant Gilding, a Colorado Springs, Colo., native, deployed from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., said he felt good he's helping make a difference in the installation's security.

People bumping up and over and those "annoying" speed bumps may now have a better appreciation for how they help keep them safe.

• Date Taken: 05.26.2009
• Date Posted: 05.26.2009 03:11
• Story ID: 34083
• Location: IQ