MacDill NCO manages bioenvironmental support for Afghanistan base

Published Aug. 23, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Tech. Sgt. James Glickman bioenvironmental engineering craftsman assigned to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing clinic at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

Sergeant Glickman is deployed from Air Mobility Command's 6th Aeromedical Dental Squadron, 6th Air Mobility Wing, at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

As a bioenvironmental engineering craftsman, Sergeant Glickman performs and manages bioenvironmental engineering activities in the fields of industrial hygiene, occupational health, radiological health and environmental protection to ensure healthful working conditions are maintained at his deployed base, and that the environment is not adversely affected by Air Force operations. He also supervises and performs bioenvironmental engineering medical readiness activities.

According to his official Air Force job description, Sergeant Glickman is trained in a diverse set of capabilities and subject matter areas. In managing bioenvironmental engineering programs, he prepares and reviews reports and consults with supervisors for corrective steps to be taken where health violations or deficiencies exist. He also ensures that programs are being carried out and that control measures are adequate and conducts internal inspections to ensure coverage of activities assigned to bioenvironmental engineering. He provides guidance and supervision in selecting protective equipment, and monitors its use in the industrial environment.

Trained bioenvironmental engineering Airmen like Sergeant Glickman also review plans, work orders, contracts and specifications for compliance with environmental and occupational health directives, the job description states. They serve as a member on committees for occupational health, environmental protection and medical readiness matters and they review environmental assessments and statements.

Bioenvironmental engineering Airmen also evaluate drinking water quality, swimming pools and public bathing areas. They evaluate domestic waste treatment and solid waste disposal systems and procedures and identify and evaluate potential pollution sources. They develop, implement, and conduct water pollution surveillance programs, investigate chemical spills and other environmental releases, collect samples and coordinates necessary corrective actions with state, federal, and local officials, and they review supply issue documents for hazardous and toxic substances, assign issue exception codes and monitor issue, use and disposal of such materials.

Furthermore, the job description shows Airmen like Sergeant Glickman collect industrial hygiene data on noise, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, illumination, ventilation, air quality, ergonomics and thermal stress to assess degree of hazard and worker exposure. They also perform and direct surveys to detect and identify chemical, biological and radiological contaminants and provide technical assistance and guidance to base disaster preparedness personnel in detecting warfare agents.

To complete his deployed duties, Sergeant Glickman has to maintain a high level of mandatory job knowledge. This includes basic and applied mathematics, basic chemistry, physics and computer usage, industrial hygiene, community environmental surveillance, occupational health, radiological health, environmental protection, medical administration and bioenvironmental engineering aspects of medical readiness.

According to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Web site, the wing provides a "persistent and powerful airpower presence" in the Afghanistan area of operations. 451st AEW Airmen provide "world-class tactical airlift, close air support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, command and control, airborne datalink, combat search and rescue, casualty evacuation and aeromedical evacuation capabilities whenever and wherever needed."