NEANG CIVIL ENGINEERS TRAIN IN FARGO

Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Shannon Nielsen | Members of the 155th Civil Engineer Squadron, take time to document their tasks during training at the North Dakota Air National Guard Regional Training Site (RTS) in Fargo, N.D., April 11, 2021. Nebraska Air National Guard members traveled to the RTS to receive upgrade training in six different career fields, allowing them to become more experienced and knowledgeable in their career field. (Courtesy photo by Senior Master Sgt. Sarah Bredthauer)  

LINCOLN, NE, UNITED STATES

05.17.2021

Story by Senior Master Sgt. Shannon Nielsen 

155th Air Refueling Wing, Nebraska Air National Guard

More than 40 Airmen of the 155th Civil Engineer Squadron, Nebraska Air National Guard, flew to the North Dakota Air National Guard Regional Training Site (RTS) in Fargo, April 9-12, 2021, for career field specialty training.
“Leadership took the opportunity to get as much on hands-on training as possible,” said 1st Lt. Justin Johansen, readiness flight commander, 155th Civil Engineer Squadron.
“The RTS had a lot of equipment that we don't have or don't get to use all the time, which provides us the perfect opportunity to be more prepared for when we come across a project that might use that sort of equipment.”
The RTS is one of four training sites of its kind in the United States that provides wartime mission training as well as proficiency training for civil engineers from Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and U.S. Air Force duty units. The RTS has the newest equipment of its kind and has trained cadres for every career field of the engineering squadron.
Airman Adam Thompson, an electrician with the 155th CES, said they have been to Fargo several times in the past and they have been very good hosts, helping to learn some new skills or provide a refresher course on past skills already learned.
Johansen discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic made it more challenging for new Airmen from the 155th CES to accomplish their required training, such as their upgrade training. Approximately 30 Airmen from Nebraska needed upgrade training in six different career fields, allowing them to become more experienced and knowledgeable in their career field.
“We were supposed to go to Hawaii last fiscal year but that didn’t happen with COVID so that that put us even farther behind,” said Johansen. “We have people coming back technical school or coming from different services that need training and until they got that at the RTS they were delinquent on their tasks and they couldn’t get upgraded to the next skill level.”
The training provided an opportunity for Airmen to understand their career field at a higher level and how their job fits into the whole civil engineer career field. Along with that, they were able to see how their jobs differ from home station compared to deployed locations.
In addition to the training, Johansen discussed the importance of training as a team.
“It was so good to have everybody together in one setting and get some of that camaraderie back in the Squadron and train as a group which is always good to learn off of each other.”
“I think it's important for morale to have an identity with the squadron and to have that interaction over multiple days together. It helps to get buy-in from the members in being part of your group and the feeling of being a member is so important,” said Johansen.

• Date Taken: 05.17.2021
• Date Posted: 05.18.2021 11:53
• Story ID: 396639
• Location: LINCOLN, NE, US