Whiteman’s runway receives facelift

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Major repairs to the base's runway and taxiway alpha have begun and are scheduled through the end of August.

Members of the 823d RED HORSE Squadron, deployed from Hurlburt Field, Fla., will replace more than 25 concrete slabs and 25,000 feet of joint sealant during the more than $740,000 project, according to Navy Lt. j.g. Shay Meskill, project officer-in-charge. The project also includes construction of a berm, using the old concrete from the runway, at the weapons storage area to prevent vehicle intrusion. The construction crew will also make repairs to airfield perimeter roads.

One of the project requirements is the ability to work while not interrupting the wing's flying schedule, according to Capt. Jeffrey Godzik, 509th Operations Support Squadron airfield manager.

"Normally, this type of work severely restricts or stops local flying," he said. "We've saved more than 4,000 sorties and allowed Whiteman to continue its flying commitments."

The airfield management flight designed a plan to remark portions of the runway to allow take-offs and landings to continue while construction progresses.

The RED HORSE squadron also looks at the project as a training experience to brush up on skills before members deploy, said Lieutenant Meskill, one of two Navy officers taking part in an exchange program between the Navy and the 823d.

Base civil engineer squadrons normally handled local repair projects, but when the job becomes too large or complex, often a RED HORSE squadron is called for support.

"We have larger equipment and are set up for heavy construction and repair, where a normal base CES is set up for standard base maintenance," said Tech. Sgt. Rick Grambo, 823d RHS NCO in charge of the airfield D branch.

The Air Force's four RED HORSE squadrons provide a highly mobile civil engineering response force to support contingency and special operations worldwide. They are self-sufficient, mobile squadrons capable of rapid response and independent operations in remote, high-threat environments.

Using RED HORSE for repairs also cuts cost for Air Combat Command as compared to contracting the job out to civilians, according to Lieutenant Meskill.