JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
As winter rolls in, Airmen assigned to the 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron are hard at work preparing Langley Air Force Base for the cold weather, snow and ice.
The 633rd CES started preparing for the winter in early November 2017 by training Airmen during a weeklong snow school. The school taught the importance of regulating their sleep after a 12-hour shift, how to perform minor vehicle maintenance and load and operate snow vehicles.
According to U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Kelley, 633rd CES airfield maintenance NCO in charge, during inclement weather augmentees from all of over the 633rd CES come together to prepare the base for winter.
However, the two units that are mostly in charge of preparing the base is the pavement and equipment, and water and fuels system maintenance shops.
During cold weather, the pavement and equipment shop works with the 1st Operations Support Squadron’s base operations to make sure essential portions of the flightline are always cleared of snow and ice. They remain on call 24/7 to clear the snow as quickly as possible, even during heavy snowfall.
While pavement and equipment is responsible for clearing snow and ice, water and fuels system maintenance ensures the water pipes, which are woven like a web throughout Langley AFB, do not freeze and burst.
“It’s important to prepare ahead to prevent lines from bursting,” said Tech. Sgt. Maynard Foster, 633rd CES water and fuels system maintenance NCO in charge. “If a pipe does burst, it can cause a significant amount of damage to the facility and water damage to certain equipment can be detrimental to the mission.”
To prevent the pipes from bursting, water and fuels system maintenance Airmen started preparing the base late November to early December, and focused on pipes and facilities that are prone to freezing temperatures.
The Airmen do this by turning off water lines that aren’t in use during the winter and wrap the pipes in heat tape to keep them warm.
While the Airmen of the 633rd CES may not always be seen, they are constantly working to make sure Langley AFB is always ready, even during the coldest of weather.