145th CE Continues to Bridge Gap by Integrating Total Force Training

by Tech Sgt Patricia Findley
145th Public Affairs

3/22/2013 - NEW LONDON, N.C. -- In wartime or contingency environments, Air Force Active Duty, Guard and Reserve Civil Engineers often involve the use of specialized and unique mission essential equipment that they normally do not use in their day-to-day operations. Due to cost and complexity, mission-essential equipment and trainer expertise are not commonly found at installations in the continental United States. However, inadequate training on these key equipment items can negatively impact Air Force contingency operations.

During March 2013, the 145th Civil Engineering Squadron, North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site was host to a mixture of Active Duty and National Guard personnel from Charleston AFB, Whiteman AFB and Oklahoma Air National Guard while they attended a Mission Essential Equipment Training class. This site, located in New London, N.C. is one of only four training sites in the country that provides this kind of training.

The MEET class, taught by Master Sgt. Christopher R. Speagle, Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force manager for the 145th Civil Engineering Squadron, helped airmen achieve hands-on certification by having individuals complete appropriate hands-on training, meet the minimum "go/no go" standards identified in the MEET curriculum, and get to a proficiency level prescribed in the approved MEET curriculum to set up, operate, trouble shoot, maintain and reconstitute equipment. This equipment includes Emergency Airfield Lighting Systems, Bare Base Electrical Distribution Systems; Mobile Aircraft Arresting Systems, 750 KW Generator Operations and Water Fuels Maintenance on Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units.

The 145th Civil Engineering Squadron is responsible for wartime mission training plus construction, utility support, emergency services, maintenance and repair of base infrastructure. The members of this unit are highly trained and capable of immediate and rapid worldwide wartime deployment to support base hardening, rapid runway repair, expedient war damage repair, assessment and crash, rescue and fire-suppression action.

All Air Force members in the Civil Engineering career field, whether they are Active Duty, Guard or Reserves, must be re-certified every 24 months by attending the 40 hour MEET course.
The mission of war readiness is only accomplished by staying current in both classroom and hands on training.

When called to go down range the Prime BEEF mobility teams must be ready to rapidly deploy anytime, anywhere to provide fully responsive engineer capabilities in support of our nation's contingencies.