Team Scott says goodbye to old 375th AES Building

Published April 3, 2012
By Staff Sgt. Stephenie Wade
375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Demolition began April 2 on Building T-505, the old home of the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and after a short ceremony, Team Scott members participated in part of the demolition.

Col. Edward Farley, 375th AES commander, and Col. Kevin Webb, 375th Air Mobility Wing vice commander, smashed the door in first with a sledge hammer. Afterwards, Col. Peter Giusti, 375th Operations Group commander, climbed in a bulldozer and picked the building apart, starting with the roof.

For more than 63 years the building has stood on the corner of Hanger Road and South Drive and served as a visible reminder of the early days of "Scott Field's" history as the first home to an AE mission.

The building was first built in 1939 with the intention of it being temporary housing barracks for Scott Field members. During the years, the building had been subject to many expansions and renovations and eventually became the home of the 375 AES in the 1970s.

"[AE] all began on this base and this building is part of that history," said Col. Kevin Webb, 375th Air Mobility Wing vice commander, during the beginning of the ceremony.
"The AES began on Scott Field and since then has moved more than 81, 0000 patients and 14,000 injured warriors."

A lot of memories took place in this building according to Webb. For instance, Lt. Gen. Mark Ramsey, the 18th Air Force commander and his wife, Patricia, met in this building. She was a nurse and he was a young captain.

Retired Senior Master Sgt. Bob Emery served as first sergeant for 375 AES in1985. He worked with Capt. Ramsey back in the day.

"It was easy being a first sergeant for the AES," he recalled. "The assignment was a special duty so it consisted of the best of the best. We had great espirit de corps and we enjoyed some fun events together." But even he said he's glad to see the new building and said that it would continue to raise morale.

The new building is home to the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and opened Feb. 6 to replace the 70-year-old, condemned building "famous for its mold and basement swimming pool after a hard rain."

For Capt. Jennifer Idell, 375th AES operations officer, the new building is a welcomed relief.

"[The old building] lacked storage for the $5 million in medical equipment the AE missions required. It inadequately supported training, and required 40 space heaters and 35 window air conditioners due to malfunctioning heating, cooling and roofing," she said.

The new building represents where the Air Force is headed with new construction, meaning that it's designed under a LEED certification process, which stands for Leadership, Energy and Environmental Design. This provides a framework for designers to work toward sustainable buildings that uses less energy and is eco-friendly. The Air Force designs toward a "silver" certification--one of four ratings--but with this building it's hoping to score a "gold" certification.

The demolition will take place during the next 45 days.