Former Expeditionary Center instructor supports civil engineer ops in Southwest Asia

Published Sept. 29, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- For many years at the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's 421st Combat Training Squadron, Tech. Sgt. Matthew Myers trained students from the Air Force's civil engineering career field to deploy.

Now, Sergeant Myers is deployed himself. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration craftsman, Sergeant Myers is deployed with the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. He is deployed from the 355th Civil Engineer Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

According to its Air Force fact sheet, the USAF Expeditionary Center is the Air Force's "center of excellence" for advanced expeditionary combat support training and education. Located on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., the USAF EC partners with Air Staff, Air Mobility Command, Air Education and Training Command and the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center to provide a disciplined training process that assures the right skills are taught at the right time across the expeditionary enterprise. The USAF EC organizes to maximize Expeditionary Combat Support assets to meet emerging missions, and most importantly, is accountable to provide standardized and ready forces to enable "Airpower...from the ground up!"

During his time with the Expeditionary Center, Sergeant Myers served as an exercise controller for the Air Force civil engineering career field, and as a contingency skills training instructor with the 421st CTS. Sergeant Myers left the Expeditionary Center in 2009.

Since he moved to Davis-Monthan AFB, Sergeant Myers returned to his original career field of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration, or HVACR. The NCO is now leading a deployed civil engineer HVACR team to help "keep it cool" at a Southwest Asia base.

As an HVACR craftsman, Sergeant Myers installs, operates, maintains and repairs heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, combustion equipment and industrial air compressors, his official Air Force job description states. He also maintains and repairs nonelectric kitchen equipment.

To complete his duties and responsibilities as an HVACR Airman, Sergeant Myers is trained to interpret drawings and schematics and install HVACR components, the job description shows. He can also install, repair, fabricate and test piping and tubing systems and install, connect, troubleshoot and maintain HVACR controls. He also tests HVACR equipment for proper operation, balances air and water in HVAC systems, and monitors systems operation to ensure efficiency and compliance technical orders, manufacturer handbooks, local procedures, codes and directives.

HVACR Airmen like Sergeant Myers also ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations for fuels, refrigerants and hazardous materials. They perform recurring maintenance and seasonal overhaul on systems and components and advise on problems installing and repairing HVACR equipment and systems.

To do his job as an HVACR Airman, Sergeant Myers also has to maintain mandatory job knowledge in many areas. Those areas include principles of HVACR systems, controls and components; combustion systems; air and water balancing; nonelectric kitchen equipment; industrial air compressors; interpreting drawings and schematics and fundamentals of HVACR equipment and troubleshooting techniques. He also has to know about industrial water treatment; environmental regulations for fuels, refrigerants, and hazardous materials; and military and commercial publications and environmental regulations.

According to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Web site, the wing's mission is to conduct combat operations directed by the President to provide high-altitude all-weather intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, airborne command and control and air refueling for operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom, and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

To accomplish its mission the wing is equipped with four diverse systems: the U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry (AWACS), RQ-4 Global Hawk and KC-10 Extender. They are a unique combination of aircraft which act as the "eyes and ears," and serve as "guardians of the sky and provide greater range and endurance" for coalition aircraft throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.