Balad's CE Airmen conduct runway repairs

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Craig Lifton
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq --  With looming concern for aircraft damage, the threat of hostile action and a limited timeline, more than 120 Airmen and contractors labored to make vital repairs on the Department of Defense's busiest airfield Oct. 1.

Construction is scheduled to finish in the next 45 days with no noticeable change in the air missions.

An exceptional operations tempo and the various aircraft that fly in and out of Joint Base Balad, Iraq, give the runway a constant beating, said Tech. Sgt. Frank Griffin of the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron. Balad's airfield saw more than 40,000 landings and takeoffs.

Completing the runway's construction is the squadron's number one priority, said Maj. Rockie Wilson, the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron commander, deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va.

"Our unit's most important role is to keep the world's most lethal power projection platform running," Major Wilson said.

The repairs, which began in April, consist of a 1,000-foot overrun for all ends, more than $1 million in small repairs, new arresting barriers, a relocated threshold and a repaired centerline. Coordinating the maintenance is Maj. Eric Sell, the 332nd ECES chief of operations, deployed from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

"It's a team effort for civil engineering as a whole, to get our number one priority -- the airfield -- taken care of, making it better and safer for the aircraft," he said. "If the repairs were not done, the runway would continue to deteriorate and would create a risk of damage to the aircraft using it."

Master Sgt. Bill Hight, Non Commissioned Officer in charge of the 332nd ECES' structural repair shop, toiled under the morning sun without complaint.

"This is the whole reason we are here: to get this airfield in operational shape, so our warfighters can use it to project air power throughout Iraq," said Hight, who is deployed from Kadena Air Base, Japan.

At the far end of the runway, Tech. Sgt. Fred Williams, a power production craftsman with the 332nd ECES' barrier shop, supervised the installation of a new textile arresting barrier strap.

"The barrier is a pilot's last chance to ... safely reduce damage to the aircraft and save lives," said Sergeant Williams, who is also deployed from Kadena AB.