JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- If grass continuously grows from the flight line to the front gate with leaves covering sidewalks and parking lots, the Airmen at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia could struggle to support joint and combined operations worldwide.
Ground maintenance is one of many key essential functions that is needed to preserve the base.
Weekly contractors, like Roderick Wyche Sr., grounds maintainer, are responsible for maintaining over 2,400 acres of land across Langley Air Force Base to include the flightline, buildings and residential areas.
“I believe my job is very important,” said Wyche. “If we don’t properly maintain the grounds, we could negatively affect operations all throughout the base.”
Wyche stated that Langley AFB is surrounded by wetlands and during the summer months grass can grow rapidly, but in the fall, leaves pile up around buildings and common areas.
“Overgrown grass on the curbs, weeds and leaves around buildings can not only impact how Airmen and civilians feel about their working environment, but it can eventually turn into safety hazards,” said Wyche.
Wyche always makes sure his equipment is operationally ready. Recently his contracting company replaced his backpack blower with a wireless control blower equipped with a 360 degree nozzle rotation. The new wireless technology allows him to clear areas 10 times faster than using a traditional backpack blower.
“The wireless control blower gets the job done,” said Wyche. “It’s more powerful and efficient.”
Everyday he’s assigned to follow behind three lawn mowers, four weed eaters and a tractor, but working with the wind can be a big challenge “The wind is probably my worst enemy. When I’m blowing grass, leaves and debris between curbs, the wind would often blow in the opposite directions,” he said. “So sometimes, I have to battle against mother nature in order to clear off curbs and sidewalks.”
When he first started working at Langley AFB, he didn’t feel his job was significant.
“I felt like an outsider who was just here to maintain the grounds. I didn’t think what I did at Langley meant that much to people,” said Wyche. “It wasn’t until I was blowing the sidewalks off at Memorial Park one day when an Airman came up to me, gave me a bottle of water and thanked me for keeping the park clean. It made me feel really proud.”
According to Wyche, since that encounter with that Airman, he now feels like his job as a groundskeeper is just as important as the Airmen and civilians who serve and support Langley AFB’s mission.
“It’s a great feeling to be a part of the Langley team,” said Wyche. “This is why I enjoy my job, because there’s a sense of unity and pride and I appreciate working here on Langley.”