Military

39th Wing Public Affairs

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (USAFENS) -- 39th Civil Engineer Squadron Prime BEEF and 39th Services Squadron airmen were recently tasked to tear down tents in the 1100 area of Hodja Village here to make room for hardened shelters.

The tents, originally erected for troops deployed here in support of Operations Northern Watch and Enduring Freedom and other contingency operations for more than 12 years, are being replaced with pre-engineered buildings to serve as lodging for troops.

Prime BEEF is placing eight of the facilities, which contain 16 rooms and can house 128 people in the area. Each building has a bathroom complex attached as well, said Capt. Jason Bordas, 39th CES Expeditionary Flight commander.

"We have about 50 civil engineer people as well as a base detail of 20 people who are helping in this effort," he said "Services got the ball rolling by relocating everyone out of the area. Contracting also played an integral part by acquiring tent boxes, tools, dumpsters and anything else we needed for the project."

To tear down a tent, the team must first disconnect the electricity and remove the air conditioning units. Then they tear down the interior lining and remove the skin from the tent frame. The tent frame is then disconnected and the walls, which were built in the tent, are torn down.

According to Bordas, the advantage of replacing the tents with the hardened shelters is that there will be better insulation to keep troops cool or warm depending on the weather.

"Also, the bathrooms are connected so troops don't have to walk outdoors to use the facilities," he said.  "Another advantage is that the buildings won't need nearly the amount of maintenance the tents need. These building will serve Incirlik for the long term by providing suitable lodging for contingency or training surge operations."

The teardown project is scheduled to be complete April 30, and the buildings should be erected by the end of May.

-- USAFENS --