332nd ECES Airmen save State Dept. $175 million
by Senior Airman Amber R. Kelly-Herard
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
6/17/2011 - JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- Last February, Department of State officials gave 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Airmen a unique mission to prepare 3,500 containerized housing units for relocation throughout Iraq.
Four months later, their mission is mostly completed, and they have saved the State Department $175 million.
"It feels great that we were able to accomplish our task," said Staff Sgt. Matthew West, a 332nd ECES water systems fuel maintainer. "It makes us really feel like we are making a difference."
The team of 16 Airmen, each with different specialties ranging from plumbers to an emergency management Airman, originally deployed to support force protection.
"This has been a great learning experience for me because we get to multitask into different jobs that I would not have been able to do at my home unit, and we have a good team which helps," said Senior Airman Rafael Sanchez, a 332nd ECES electrician.
Every site was different, but their tasks were similar, he said. The team had to disconnect all the power lines and air conditioning units, remove water to include toilets, showers, sinks, water heaters, sanitation disposal pipes and communication wire.
"We estimate that we will have removed more than 60,000 bolts and about 2.3 tons of communication wire when we are finished," said Master Sgt. John Becquer, the 332nd ECES team lead.
On an average, the team prepared 40 to 60 wet CHUs per day and 80 dry CHUs per day, he said. The team's record was 104 wet CHUs in one day.
A wet CHU is one that contains water, such as a bathroom, and a dry CHU does not.
In addition, to preparing CHUs, the team still had to perform their normal civil engineer responsibilities.
"We conducted demolition and site preparation all around the base, as well as, electrical and plumbing work," said Sergeant Becquer.
"On top of all that, we prepared 360 other CHUs that will be turned over to the Iraqi government," he said.
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