28th CES keeps Ellsworth running strong

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Hailey Staker
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Editor's note: This is the first in a series of articles about the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron and all they offer to the 28th Bomb Wing.

It starts with a few cracks in the road, and then a few more spider out until it looks like a sink hole is about to cave in, alerting the construction crews that a new project will soon start. Then, the power suddenly goes out and people start calling around, trying to figure out what happened and when power is going to be restored.

These are both jobs for the various flights that make up the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron. From road to housing construction, electric work to airfield maintenance, the 28th CES ensures the infrastructure of the 28th Bomb Wing is operational-enabling the Ellsworth mission to continue.

"We're responsible for maintaining all infrastructure on base, to include the airfield and making sure it is operational so the jets can take-off and complete their mission," said Chief Master Sgt. Richard Parsons, 28th CES superintendent. "We make sure squadrons working on the flightline and the main base have all the facilities they need to be able to do their part in the mission."

The engineers maintain more than 5,000 acres of land, more than 100 miles of roads, and 1.5 million square yards of airfield pavement. The squadron also oversees approximately 330 buildings, 1,100 housing units and six dorms that house roughly 700 Airmen at any given time.

"Overall, we have a recurring maintenance program we use to keep those facilities up-to-date and that really drives a lot of our workload," Parsons said. "We did a restructure ... and we started focusing on the preventative aspect in order to utilize our people more efficiently and effectively in hopes that it will cut down on emergency calls, and it has had an impact so far."

Parsons added that, when emergency calls come in, the proper flights within the squadron respond to keep the base running.

"If there's something that is impacting the mission that is not related to the flightline, that's something that's going to jump up on our list," Parsons said. "We have other critical facilities we have to respond to right away."

With fall and winter quickly approaching the 28th CES is busy preparing Ellsworth assets to ensure the base is prepared for the colder weather.

"We're trying to get as much executed as we possibly can before October," Parsons said. "We continue to press on throughout the year as long as weather permits, but there is a point where it is not feasible to continue."

Parsons explained how the housing development project is in full swing, ensuring the digging of foundations, installation of pipes and completion of basements in the new houses are complete before the ground freezes.

With South Dakota's unpredictable weather, Parsons recommends Airmen and their families start stocking up on necessary emergency items such as food, water, blankets, flash lights and candles.

"We can't say there's going to be another Winter Storm Atlas, but we can't say there's not either. [Airmen] should be responsible for their own areas, and when we put the road conditions out there for travel restrictions, they should adhere to them," Parsons said. "Last year we had people coming out onto the roads when they really didn't need to be, which prevented our snow equipment from clearing the roads properly."

Parsons added that the base plays a helpful role in their processes by complying with established guidelines.

Servicemembers may not realize that power outages, road construction, air condition, heater and other infrastructure maintenance is completed by members of the 28th CES, but one thing is for sure: without engineers, the base couldn't operate and complete its vital mission.