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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. - Through the scorching heat of an Arizona summer, the 355th Civil Engineer Squadron Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning shop kept Davis-Monthan’s mission running despite working with less than half its usual manning.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan Davis, 355th CES HVAC noncommissioned officer in charge, and Steven Labrada, 355th CES HVAC WG-10 civilian, were among the leaders who stepped up to keep critical systems online and train new Airmen through months of nonstop emergency calls.
“This summer’s been very hectic,” said Davis. “For most of it, we were at 47% manning. We had emergencies upon emergencies, and a lot of days it was nonstop with buildings losing A/C all across the base.”
On a typical day, Davis helped direct workflow, pairing new Airmen with experienced teammates or civilians to tackle preventive maintenance and emergency repairs. From cooling dorms to keeping mission-critical facilities online, prioritization became essential during the summer surge.
“At one point, it was six enlisted and five civilians running the shop from March to August,” Davis said. “We had to make tough calls, like telling some facilities they’d have to wait while we took care of the dorms, Career Development Center, or 24/7 ops buildings. Those can’t go down.”
Despite the manning challenges, Davis said morale stayed strong thanks to the resilience of the Airmen in the shop.
“You could tell people were tired, but they kept smiling, kept joking with each other, and kept pushing,” he said. “It feels like a family here, and that’s what keeps us motivated.”
For Labrada, part of the job as a civilian is training new Airmen while also responding to constant calls across base.
“Normally we’re assigned an Airman for a month or two to get them trained on HVAC and electrical systems,” Labrada said. “But with the manning issues, we’ve all had to be flexible. The Airmen all have our numbers, so even if I’m across base on a job, I’m still helping them troubleshoot.”
Labrada said the challenges highlighted the teamwork not only within HVAC but across the 355th CES.
“When things are falling apart left and right, it actually brings us closer together; the electricians, plumbers, structures, we all came together to keep things going,” Labrada said. “That’s something I really respect about this squadron.”
One of the most demanding jobs this summer came when a chiller at the 357th Fighter Squadron failed over a weekend. With mission-essential equipment at risk, HVAC teamed with electricians, plumbers and heavy equipment operators to restore power and install a replacement unit in just two days.
“It was chaotic, but it was rewarding,” Davis said. “We saved the government more than $100,000 by reusing an existing chiller and freed up our portable units for the next emergency.”
Through resilience, long hours and teamwork, the HVAC shop kept thousands of components and millions of dollars worth of equipment operational, ensuring Davis-Monthan stayed cool and mission ready.
“Recognition means a lot to my Airmen,” Davis said. “Most people don’t see the work, they just know when it’s hot. But these guys stepped up all summer, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
| Date Taken: | 09.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.26.2025 14:42 |
| Story ID: | 549435 |
| Location: | ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 8 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, HVAC Techs: critical support for mission readiness at AZ installations, by Amn Jaden Kidd, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
