Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio –
Did you ever wonder how the roads, parking lots, and sidewalks get cleared during the winter months or how the grass gets mowed, and the trees trimmed of the over 8,000 acres at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base?
The answer to that question can be found in the 88th Civil Engineer Squadron’s Heavy Repair Branch, led by Heavy Repair Chief Brian Robinson. The branch is located in Area A, Bldg. 29.
“The Heavy Repair Branch consists of 100 or so hardworking and dedicated men and women who work hard day in and day out in support of mission accomplishment and keeping Wright-Patt looking great,” Robinson stated.
The branch is made of a Facility Ops Pavements Clearance/Sustainment Pavements Shop in Area A, a Pavements Maintenance and Pavement Clearance Shop in Area B, a Grounds Services Shop in each area, as well as the Structures Shops that are all located in Area A.
“The Heavy Repair Team consists of eight shops that are manned with skilled engineering equipment operators, tractor operators, small engine mechanics, carpenters, locksmiths, sheet metal mechanics, welders and painters,” Robinson said.
The two Pavement shops are responsible for the maintenance, repair and snow and ice removal of all paved surfaces on Wright-Patterson AFB. This includes roughly 120 miles of roads, 12.5 million square feet of parking lots, 282,764 square feet of sidewalk, and all runways, taxiways and aprons on the airfield, Robinson said. The Pavement Shops are also responsible for maintenance and repair of over 78 miles of perimeter security fencing and the maintenance and upkeep of the entire storm drainage system. They also provide heavy equipment operational support to other Civil Engineering shops, such as material handling, and repair of water, sewer and heating/cooling systems,” Robinson said.
The Grounds Services shops are responsible for maintaining nearly 8,200 acres.
“Almost 5,000 acres are either improved, semi-improved or unimproved and have to be mowed throughout the growing season,” Robinson said. “They also perform tree removal, leaf removal and limited landscaping services. During the winter months, they are active members of snow and ice removal teams.”
The Structures Section includes the Carpenter Shop, Lock Shop, Metal Shop and the Protective Coatings (Paint) Shop. The Carpenter Shop performs maintenance, and minor interior and exterior structural repairs and modifications to over 773 non-housing buildings.
“The Carpenter Shop is also in the process of developing and implementing an extensive preventative maintenance program for the roofing systems,” said Robinson.
“The Lock Shop which operates out of the Carpenter Shop, is responsible for providing locksmith services including troubleshooting, disassembling and maintaining locking devices on all facilities and real property installed equipment,” he said.
The Metal Shop performs maintenance and repair of most metal infrastructure to more than 773 non-housing buildings. The Metal Shop is in the process of developing and implementing a comprehensive preventive maintenance program for overhead doors, handrails, interior and exterior doors, and fixed ladders. They also maintain, fabricate and install all organizational, parking, and traffic signs.
The Protective Coating (Paint) Shop performs paint striping to include parking lots and crosswalks, small scale exterior and large scale interior painting projects, as well as sign fabrication.
These eight shops are instrumental in keeping Wright-Patterson AFB running smoothly and looking great 24 hours a day, year after year.
Editor's note: The original story can be viewed on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base website.