319th Civil Engineer Squadron builds, protects, sustains > Grand Forks Air Force Base > News

Whether it’s the harsh winters that seem to last forever or the short-lived summers that pass by at a glance, the members of the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron are always ready to tackle whatever comes their way.

The 319th CES mission is, “to provide Grand Forks Air Force Base with emergency response and multifaceted engineering capabilities to build, sustain and protect the people, infrastructure and environment.”

Its vision is “to provide world class engineering support to help accomplish the mission.” Prioritizing that, airmen at the squadron are professionals who support Grand Forks AFB and its mission partners.

The 319th CES is organized into five flights:

installation management provides oversight for financial management support, information technology support, real property, cultural and natural resources, and environmental compliance. It also provides housing, dormitories and furnishing management on Grand Forks AFB.

“We act as the people of the flight,” said David McCullough, the installation management flight chief with the 319th CES. “Being able to actively learn from the past helps us embrace the change and engage for the future.”

Readiness and Emergency Management prepares for, responds to, and recovers from direct and indirect consequences of chemical, biological, nuclear or conventional weapon attacks, incidents, and natural disasters on Grand Forks AFB.

“Our job is to provide manpower and resources to the incident commander where he sees fit,” said Stephen Hickman, an emergency management specialist with the 319th CES. “He has a mission that he has to do, and it all comes from here, the Emergency Operations Center.”

the fire department provides qualified, certified and credential firefighters to conduct comprehensive fire prevention. It also provides emergency response services to protect the human life, property and the environment on Grand Forks AFB and the local community.

“All the flights in the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron work in concert in order to construct, protect, and maintain the wing facilities, infrastructure, aircraft and, most importantly, the people at Grand Forks Air Force Base,” said Master Sgt. Jared Dudden assistant chief of fire prevention with the 319th CES.

operations operates and maintains the infrastructure and preserves the environment on Grand Forks AFB.

“The Civil Engineer Squadron plays a vital role in numerous support services across the installation, including power & water distribution, snow & ice removal, mosquito fogging, dormitory and housing management and oversight, emergency management, CBRN training, firefighting, facility and road repairs and maintenance, tribal relations, environmental compliance and contingency response,” said Lt. Col. Benjamin Simon, the commander of the 319th CES.

Engineering provides multifaceted engineering capabilities to build infrastructure and protect the environment of Grand Forks AFB.

“Civil Engineering has a robust training program for both upgrade training and contingency training,” Simon said. “The combination of hands-on experience and classroom training allows the (319th) Civil Engineer Squadron to maximize its readiness potential.”

The 319th CES executes its mission by providing its capabilities to the 5.7-thousand-acre installation and sustaining 416 facilities, 547 military family housing units and 394 dormitory rooms.

The 319th CES also ensures its airmen are mission ready and ready to deploy 24/7. Sections like the Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force, also known as Prime BEEF, a part of the 319th CES readiness and emergency management flight, conduct training and operations to ensure squadron members duties are Multi-Capable Airmen capable of accomplishing tasks outside their primary career field , bringing much need flexibility to the flight.

“The wing’s reconnaissance mission creates a unique dynamic in that it is less visible and requires high security, which leads to a higher portion of our normal maintenance operations having to be escorted than at other bases,” Simon said. “The extreme cold weather in the winter creates an additional challenge that only a handful of other bases deal with, and this drives a compressed and busier maintenance schedule during the limited construction season. Overall, the level of connectedness within each section is a hallmark of the career field and is alive and thriving at Grand Forks.”

Along with both the mission and the vision, the 319th CES priority is to invest in airmen and their families, preparing Grand Forks AFB for the future.

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