Fairchild's snow removal crews honored by AF for 6th time

Published Feb. 9, 2012
By Master Sgt. Jennifer Buzanowski
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- The 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron Operations Flight was named The Balchen-Post Award winners for the 2010-2011 winter, an honor bestowed on them for the sixth time.

To battle record snowfall in November 2010 and more than 58 inches of seasonal snow, an arsenal of 12 different types of equipment, 35 machines, 40 seasonal employees and 28 full-time squadron members kept helicopters flying at Fairchild, aircraft at Moses Lake and the Spokane International Airport operational.

Even more impressive, there was only one safety mishap involving a piece of equipment - no injuries.

Mr. Brian Donley, 92nd CES deputy operations flight chief, said "We definitely have challenges day to day, but last year was especially challenging because we were operating out of three different locations. Not one sortie was cancelled because of runway conditions. We kept the alert mission going and kept the aircraft flying."

The squadron relies heavily on the 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Vehicle Operations Flight to keep their equipment maintained. They also rely on the 92nd Operations Support Squadron Airfield Management to ensure they know when aircraft are taking off and landing - and which taxiways and ramps are priorities.

Air Force veteran Ted Strom, the foreman of horizontal construction, said his team has a lot of experience. "Our civilians, Airmen and NCOs take on a lot of responsibility."

From snow removal to ice control, he said "Our operators feel a lot of pride in seeing a KC-135 take off, land or taxi during snow on the runway. Ultimately, this award is about our guys and the pride they have for what they do," said Strom.

He describes his team as the most diverse group of people one could imagine. "Our civilian seasonal workers are a combination of construction workers and farmers - some are veterans." Gaining the full experience necessary usually takes more than one season.

One of these civilians is Jim Prather. Also an Air Force veteran with winter experience in Alaska, Prather said his favorite piece of equipment to operate is the blower. "When it's done right, the blower makes it easier for everyone else driving snow brooms."

But you won't see him in the blower nearly as often as you'd see him in the six-passenger, 4-wheel drive, heavy duty pickup truck adorned with the name 'snowman.' It's here he has tactical command of every snow equipment operator on the flightline.

Mention a blizzard, "Those are my favorite days," said Prather. "When visibility is so bad you can hardly see out the windows - it's when I do my best work."

Kirsten Pugh, a controller working out of the snowbarn, says last year's record-breaking snowfall in November was memorable. "I remember keeping track of the phone and radio calls," she said pointing at two radios - one for the flightline with the handle 'snowman,' the other for the base side with the handle 'frosty.' Airfield Management has their own dedicated phone line that rings straight to her desk.

"It felt like we were a 9-1-1 call center. I logged 220 calls that first day of the blizzard."
Kirsten, who was an operator for seven years before being a controller for the last seven years, said she wouldn't trade this job. "I love it. The team knows what they're doing. They know it's an important job. I live in the tanker's flight path and when I look up, it makes me feel good to know our boys are taking care of them."

Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Henson, 92nd CES pavement and equipment operator, said learning how the system worked of coordinating the snow removal from the flightline was harder than learning how to operate any one piece of equipment. Drawing a sketch of a staggered line of five snow brooms he explains "if there's two inches of snow on the ground the first snow broom moves it into the path of the snow broom behind it so that broom is pushing four inches, then the next broom is pushing six inches and so on."

Henson described how the snow brooms will eventually make a pile of snow it can't move. "And that's when the blower comes in. It clears the snow to about 150 feet away."

Last winter there were only nine military members assigned to the snow barn including Henson and Tech. Sgt. John Massad, the shop's NCO in charge.

"Keeping planes in the air is our mission," said Massad. "If a flying mission is lost because of the snow, I take it personally. Our leadership knows we'll get the job done - from Colonel Guemmer to Colonel Hill to our commander at the time Lt. Colonel Hitchcock - they let us do our jobs. They trust us so they don't have to run snow removal operations from their offices."