Photo By Senior Airman Kylie Barrow | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert McIntosh, 4th Civil Engineer Squadron pavement and...... read more read more
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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE - - The afternoon sun shines through settling dust at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, while a symphony of machinery and power tools come to a stop. A team of Airmen with damp shirts and sticky skin, raise calloused hands to wipe the sweat from their faces, smearing dirt like war paint. As they return to their shop, an unspoken message is conveyed between them: “it’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it.”
That message can be attributed to the men and women of the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron’s pavement and equipment shop, commonly referred to as “Dirt Boyz”, a nickname earned during the Vietnam War, as the Airmen were always covered in dirt, mud and concrete.
The Dirt Boyz are responsible for any project that involves construction and repair of runways, buildings, roads, sidewalks, dirt work or any other horizontal construction and maintenance on the installation.
“We are responsible for the foundation and safety of the base,” said U.S. Air Force Airman Cross Kidder, 4th CES pavement and equipment apprentice. “From keeping the airfields and roadways safe and serviceable, to performing tasks like laying asphalt or removing snow.”
The 4th CES pavement and equipment shop is essential to the 4th Fighter Wing’s mission, which is to produce and project agile combat airpower for the Air Force. The Dirt Boyz accomplish this by keeping the runways clear of foreign objects, continuously monitoring for cracks or potholes in the runway’s concrete and providing quick damage repair if a discrepancy is discovered to ensure the airfield remains operational.
The Dirt Boyz construction abilities reach far beyond just airfield and road repairs. It also includes cleaning and clearing debris caused by storms, demolitions that clear the way for future personnel accommodation and infrastructure needs, performing quality inspections of work to ensure compliance, and detonating explosives in order to create facilities or runways for aircraft.
Additionally, the team conducts routine checks around the entire perimeter of the base to ensure there are no faults present in the fences or barriers, which is a vital component of perimeter security. They also accept work orders submitted by the 4th Security Forces Squadron and other units that notice something in need of repair.
“Our shop consists of maintaining, repairing, digging and paving,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jimmy Noriega, 4th CES pavement and equipment craftsman. “Whether it's on the airfield or the roads of the base, there’s a reason they say ‘Dirt Boyz pave the way’.”
From the sweat of a summer's day, to the freeze of a winter's eve, the Airmen from the 4 CES pavement and equipment shop are the unsung heroes. Working long hours year round to ensure that Seymour Johnson AFB and personnel remain an adaptive and combat ready force.
| Date Taken: | 06.21.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.07.2023 08:36 |
| Story ID: | 448681 |
| Location: | NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Driven by dirt; defined by diligence, by SrA Kylie Barrow, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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