JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Sitting in an office or working on the flight line, it can be easy to forget the personnel who maintain the buildings and airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Without the work of the 773d Civil Engineer Squadron construction shop, there would be no place to complete the mission.
The primary mission for the shop is to perform maintenance and repair on facility components through vertical construction and infrastructure support. This includes doors, windows, framing walls/floors/roofs, interior coating, asbestos abatement, airfield damage repair, and many more.
“Our job helps keep facilities up and running,” said Tech. Sgt. Jeremiah Messimer, 773d CES structural craftsmen. “Our preventive maintenance scheduling helps maintain all systems on JBER. Without these capabilities, you could develop catastrophic failures to components and systems which could damage infrastructure, equipment, or personnel injury.”
However, Alaska can pose challenges for the 773d CES construction shop.
With the short seasons, the shop has a small window of opportunity to perform preventive maintenance on roof systems, airfields, and base road pavements.
“Maintaining the base during the cold weather can be challenging,” said Airman 1st Class Taylor Zehr, 773d Civil Engineer Squadron structural apprentice. “Ice and snow can build up in door and gate operators causing them to stop working properly.”
Although there are challenges for the shop, the team completes multiple projects in support of the mission.
Last year the shop embarked on a project called the Home Station Contingency Troop Training, during which they renovated Building 5303 to facilitate the new Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear defense training hub.
“Without the renovated facility, scheduling and completion of the class would be hindered for 5,000 arctic warriors, delaying Air and Space Expeditionary Force and operation planning support functions,” Messimer said.
The 773d CES construction shop also has one of the only road-striping trucks in the Air Force. The shop uses the trucks not only on JBER, but also recently provided a team to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, to assist with airfield marking.
During the trip to Eielson, the team painted 26.2 miles of airfield pavement in two weeks, providing uninterrupted airfield operations.
“Our successes can be seen daily because we help to keep facilities maintained and preserved,” Messimer said. “If you did not have a building for your mission, how could you perform your duties?”
If you have any questions or concerns about structures, call 552-5985 or email 773d CES customer service at 773ces.csu@us.af.mil.