Photo By Cristina Oliveira | Civil engineers from the U.S. Air Force, Portuguese Air Force, and Romanian Air Force...... read more read more
U.S. Air Force, Portuguese Air Force (PoAF), and Romanian Air Force (RoAF) civil engineers came together at Lajes Field for the second consecutive year to conduct a multinational demolition training exercise, strengthening interoperability and NATO readiness.
Engineers from the three nations worked side by side to demolish the former Vehicle Operations Office Center and finalize the work on the Child Development Center and the Military Kennel that began last year. The Portuguese Air Force provided the buildings, the Romanian Air Force provided additional manpower, and the U.S. Air Force provided heavy machinery, resources and Deployed for Training Engineers from the Reserve Component.
For the U.S. Air Force, opportunities to practice demolition on this scale are rare. “Our team doesn’t always have the opportunity to demolish a building,” said MSgt David McCoy, Operations Flight Superintendent, 765th Air Base Squadron. “Civil engineers must be trained to close facilities and infrastructure by means of demolition. The only way to train on the full range of demolition operations is to actually perform them, and this exercise gave us that chance.”
The training also proved vital for building partnerships across the alliance. “Working with PoAF and RoAF has been extremely beneficial,” McCoy noted. “Joint exercises like this expand our knowledge of how partners accomplish the mission and give us the experience of working directly with other nations.”
Building on that, the Portuguese Air Force highlighted how the exercise strengthened both their technical skills and NATO cooperation. “This represents a valuable opportunity for technical and operational growth,” explained Capt Ivo Duarte, Airfield Engineer, Portuguese Air Force. “It reinforces institutional and individual confidence, promotes the exchange of experiences, and helps develop new skills.”
Training alongside international teams also challenged the Portuguese engineers to adapt and collaborate. “Training with allied forces allows us to understand different military cultures and working methods, which is essential for interoperability within NATO,” Duarte added. “It pushes us out of our comfort zone, promotes team spirit, and builds operational cohesion.”
The Romanian Air Force echoed the importance of teamwork and trust. “For our team, joining this exercise is not only part of our job, but also a great opportunity to work better with our friends from other countries,” explained Lt Col Nohai Bogdan, Specialist Engineer Officer, Romanian Air Force. “We can learn from how they do things and test ourselves in real-life situations.”
The Romanians, who also participated last year, highlighted why they chose to return. “Last year was a very good experience for us. We made strong friendships, learned a lot, and felt proud of what we did together. We wanted to come back because we know we can still learn more and share more with our partners.”
Beyond technical demolition skills, the exercise highlighted the value of communication and adaptability. “We learned more about international engineering rules, became better at working together, and improved our demolition skills,” Bogdad shared. “But the most important lesson was that trust and open talk can help us work well together, even if we speak different languages or have different cultures.”
The PoAF participants also underscored how the experience boosted their confidence and readiness for real missions. “This exercise provided practical preparation for real scenarios, especially in tasks like demolishing structures,” Duarte explained. “Our Airmen now feel more confident and capable of carrying out these operations on their own.”
Despite different languages and procedures, the engineers found unity in their shared mission. “During one part of the demolition, we had a problem with the equipment,” Bogdan recalled. “Romanian, American, and Portuguese engineers all came together, shared ideas, and found a solution quickly. In that moment, we knew that even if our uniforms are different, our mission and our spirit are the same.”
Lajes Field played a key role in making the training possible. With many vacant facilities left from past force reductions, the base offered realistic demolition sites while also helping reduce long-term maintenance costs and environmental risks. Duarte noted that its many vacant buildings and strategic transatlantic location make it an ideal place for complex, real-world exercises.
By combining rare hands-on demolition training with close cooperation, the exercise strengthened skills and relationships across all three nations. “This exercise was more than just practice,” Bogdan said. “It showed that when we work together with respect and the same goal, we can do great things. Romania, the U.S., and Portugal finish this mission stronger and more connected.”
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2025 05:39 |
| Story ID: | 550327 |
| Location: | LAJES FIELD, REGIãO AUTóNOMA DOS AçORES, PT |
| Web Views: | 103 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S., Portuguese, and Romanian Engineers Conduct Joint Demolition Exercise at Lajes Field, by Cristina Oliveira, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
