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Yokota Airmen practice rapid runway repair

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brooklyn Golightly
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Airmen from the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron cleared debris and performed rapid runway repairs in response to a simulated air attack as part of a Samurai Readiness Inspection exercise Oct. 25, 2021.

The 374th CES Airmen train as they fight, and took advantage of the exercise scenario by Practicing repair techniques that enable the base to quickly resume performing agile airlift and support operations in the event of an enemy attack.

“The CES is responsible for surveying damage, repairing facilities and utilities, and ensuring the runway is available to launch and recover aircraft,” said Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Miller, 374th CES engineering flight superintendent. “Any damage is prioritized in order to ensure the most critical facilities or utilities are given priority in the event of an airfield strike. Yokota engineers utilize rapid repair methods to get the airfield open.”

Base engineers use certain techniques to apply ‘quick fixes’ until they’re able to perform a more extensive repair during times where there’s an imminent threat.

“We’re training for a legitimate threat situation to get faster at the job,” said 2nd Lt. Ryan Stancil, 374th CES airfield damage officer in charge. “It's quicker to do the old method of using fiber reinforced polymer matting for any crater that's relatively large. We call it legacy crater repair, as it’s a method dating back to the 1980s.”

Yokota, a vital aircraft hub, is essential to protect and execute airlift operations within the Pacific region and engineers are key to keeping aircraft flying in the event of a contingency.

The 374th CES Airmen train to provide an essential rapid recovery repair, a part of the base’s warfighting readiness posture, enabling uninterrupted airlift operations and support of our mission partners.