In March, members of the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 145th Civil Engineer Squadron have been hosting civil engineers from Total Force units in Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Carolina for a mission essential equipment training course at the North Carolina ANG regional training site in New London. The class is geared toward training civil engineers to use specialized mission-essential equipment typically used in wartime or contingency scenarios, according to a March 22 New London release. Such gear includes electrical airfield lighting systems, mobile aircraft arresting systems, and water purification units, states the release. Airmen in the civil engineering career field must re-certify every 24 months by attending the 40-hour MEET course. However, “due to cost and complexity, mission-essential equipment and trainer expertise are not commonly found at installations in the continental US,” states the release. In fact, the regional training site in New London is one of only four sites in the country that provides this training, according to the release. (New London report by TSgt Patricia Findley)
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.