Photo By Gianna Greben | During a RADR exercise at Al Udeid AB, Qatar, Airmen from the 379 ECES continued...... read more read more
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CE Weekly Submission by Capt Scott Guerin //
The 379 ECES manages numerous responsibilities regarding base infrastructure maintenance and emergency response efforts at Al Udeid AB (AUAB), Qatar. The team plays a key role by overseeing airfield recovery after attack in the most expeditious manner possible. This recovery operation is headed by the 379 ECES Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery (RADR) team, which is comprised of more than 100 Airmen who utilize nearly 100 vehicles and equipment assets.
The rotational nature of deployed locations, such as AUAB, can lead to experienced individuals being replaced by Airmen who have never been trained on RADR operations. To overcome this obstacle, 379 ECES leadership, in conjunction with the USAF Central Command Installations and Mission Support Directorate (AFCENT/A7), provided the resources needed to complete a rigorous training plan. This plan aims to posture the RADR team for expert-level response to airfield damage. It was developed to resist rotational inertia by resetting the training pad every six months to maintain the highest level of readiness.
The current RADR team, which arrived in the summer of 2020, aimed to not only exceed established expectations, but to benchmark AUAB as the prime example of RADR training for all US Central Command (CENTCOM) locations. To achieve this ambitious goal, the RADR team undertook the largest RADR exercise in AFCENT, completing 10 concrete crater repairs and clearing hundreds of unexploded ordnance during both day and night operations. Each step was carefully measured to compare performance against the advertised times found in the Interim RADR Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures document published by AFCEC. To enable this exercise, AFCENT/A7 provided the AUAB team an additional 36,000 pounds of Rapid Set Concrete, which is an 85 percent increase in allotted training materials.
Ensuring adequate training was only the first endeavor, since the RADR team was also completing four overarching Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) initiatives. The first CPI initiative automated the RADR material and time requirement calculations, allowing faster identification of optimal Minimum Airfield Operating Surface (MAOS). This program compares three MAOS options simultaneously by determining exact material requirements to provide MAOS repair times and a recommended course of action. A standalone laptop was then added to the operations center for the sole purpose of using the RADR program. During a recent 379 AEW exercise, this new program allowed the MAOS recommendation to occur within two minutes of the final damage recording, reducing calculation times by 90 percent.
The second CPI initiative was to develop a communication tool to help the RADR logistic chief and crater chief better direct their team in transporting materials to damage sites. This tool displays the AUAB airfield, allowing the MAOS to overlay directly on it. It also incorporates locations to record the exact damage profile and material requirements identified by the RADR calculator. The requirements summary sheet can then be delivered to the warehouse team and crater chief to enable material loading. This sheet is a valuable reference that helps prevent communication errors from reducing the team’s overall effectiveness.
Since large crater repair historically fell under airfield recovery operations, the third CPI initiative involved reinstating this requirement into the six month training plan. Teaching this skillset will ensure Airmen at all levels are familiar with large crater repair operations, which will improve response flexibility. Ahead of their full exercise in late 2020, the AUAB RADR team has identified the equipment needed to perform multiple crater repairs simultaneously. This exercise will simulate a 24-hour operation and reveal the impact of shift changes.
The final CPI initiative involves developing a project to create a mock airfield segment on the EOD range. This project will enable realistic damage creation and training for Rapid Explosive Hazard Mitigation (REHM) techniques with live explosives. The EOD team has already received approval for a live REHM training range, allowing for realistic damage profiles and recovery operations. While this project is still in the design phase, funding was procured and it will be operational by mid-2021.
“The 379 CES has an incredibly robust RADR training program,” said an AFCENT/A7 representative. “The unit has surpassed expectations by conducting larger and more frequent exercises, including full crater repairs. The knowledge gained at their location will crossflow and have a huge mission impact throughout the AOR in regards to training and execution.”
Through advancement efforts, the 379 ECES dramatically increased airfield recovery capabilities to better prepare Airmen Engineers for any situation.
| Date Taken: | 12.14.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 12.14.2020 08:38 |
| Story ID: | 384902 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 197 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
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