374th CES keeps Yokota afloat

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Christopher W. Love
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Amidst torrential showers and the threat of a tropical cyclone nearby, members of the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron worked together July 18-20 to provide storm damage preparation measures at Yokota.

Airmen from the 374th CES operations flight scouted the base for flood-prone areas, positioned sandbags to direct the flow of rainwater run-off, and inspected drains, cleaning those that gave cause for overflow concern.

"We can't catch every single storm drain on base," said Master Sgt. Richard Jameson, 374th CES acting section chief of heavy repair. "But the ones we see that are full we try to clean out as soon as possible, to get that water draining."

Maj. William Pringle, commander of the 374th CES operations flight, compared the drainage system on base with that of a bathtub. It is designed to drain, but only so much at a time, he said. Leave the water running, and you have a problem.

In those areas on base that already began flooding, as was the case with the north and south overruns, Yokota's engineers worked through the rain to grade the troubled spots.

"We came up with a temporary plan to cut back some of the grass and dirt so the water would drain properly," said Sergeant Jameson.

This year to date, Yokota residents have escaped an actual typhoon. Yet many still remember the flooding that accompanied the previous year's storm.

"We don't get those often," said Leander Groover, deputy commander of the 374th CES operations flight, who experienced the 2010 flooding and that of 1998. "Most of this rain here has been coming in bursts. The drains have time to catch it, drain it, and then wait for the next storm. But when it comes all at once, the drains just can't do it."

Airman 1st Class Paul Scheck, 374th CES horizontal flight journeyman from Miles City, Mont., also remembers last year's flooding. It was exciting to help counteract the effects of the storm, he said. For him and his fellow Dirt Boyz, however, the 2010 storm meant two things--long hours and hard work.

As with previous years, managing this storm would not be possible without the effort of Airmen throughout the squadron.

"It's a total effort in the CE," said Major. Pringle. "It's hard work maintaining Yokota, but the airmen in this squadron are ready and motivated for the job."