JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Team Andrews emergency personnel, select contractors and key leaders diligently worked non-stop throughout the week to ensure the base stayed mission capable as another storm Tuesday and Wednesday piled even more snow onto the 20 inches the base was blanketed with Friday and Saturday.
The 'round-the-clock efforts of personnel from various professions helped ensured the runways were clear and that aircraft could still come and go, and that the base was a safe, secure and functioning community.
The 316th Civil Engineering Squadron, which falls under the 316th Mission Support Group, is doing most of the heavy lifting - conducting and managing the majority of snow operations on the installation. However, this is truly a team effort with many units involved.
"We have a team of tireless heroes that kept Andrews Air Force Base safe and operating through this historic "snowpocalypse" and sustained presidential-level support and contingency response to the National Capital Region," said Col. Steven M. Shepro, 316th Wing and Joint Base Andrews commander. "Aviators, maintainers, engineers, logisticians, security forces, contracting, services, airfield personnel and many other Team Andrews superstars worked 24/7 to assure roads, transportation, power, heat, food, security and the safe operation of this best-known and busiest of Department of Defense continental U.S. flightlines. Our folks consistently prove themselves champions in the face of challenge."
Maintaining flightline operations and enabling flying missions, along with emergency response, are Andrews' number one priorities when faced with this level of snowfall, according to Lt. Col. David Murphy, 316 MSG deputy commander. Facilitating the base's support functions, such as security forces, is the next priority, followed by removing snow from housing streets and around facilities used by the 316 WG and mission partners. Snow is then removed from support facilities such as the commissary and fitness centers.
However, with inclement weather like this many unique situations arise.
"Security Forces have been very busy digging folks out of snow, checking and resetting alarms that were triggered by weather, and dealing with gates that keep freezing," said Colonel Murphy. "Force Support is housing snow crews and mission essential people such as flight crews from the 89th Airlift Wing who are staying on base. The dining facility has remained open throughout this ordeal, and that continues to be a huge workload."
Of course, the obvious challenge is dealing with the great volume of snow. Again, it's more than a one-man, or in this case one-office, job.
Three centers are working snow removal on the base. The 316th Operations Support Squadron's flightline snow control manages and executes the "in-house" snow ops, which are dedicated to clearing the flightline and runway, and maintaining the capability for flight operations. It monitors snow projections and the flight schedule, focusing work so that operations can continue. Flightline snow control works closely with a second player, the 316 CES snow barn, which keeps track of all snow removal equipment used on the flightline.
The third center is the 316 CES unit control center, which controls snow removal around the base, with the exception of Liberty Park housing areas. Liberty Park has its own snow removal mechanism. The 316 CE UCC devises and manages the "snow plan," which is the priority schedule for what units and places get snow removal in what order. The 316 CE UCC also takes calls on cold- or snow-related items from pipes bursting to power outages.
"This is an incredible, combined effort by both the 316 MSG and base operations," said Colonel Murphy. "Many folks have been working for the last three weeks straight with some never leaving the base, instead working shifts and staying in the dorms or lodging."
"We never close," said Airman 1st Class Mariah Grant from 316 OSS airfield management. "Many other places did like the major airports in the area, but not us." Like many from the 316 OSS, she remained working on base over the weekend, pulling rotating shifts of well over 12 hours to make sure things kept running.
When it was finally time for Airman Grant and her team to rest, they found refuge on couches and chairs. "They weren't the most comfortable, but they did the job" she said. "Events like this are the reasons I joined the military. It's like an adventure, so I didn't mind being here."
Many in Airman Grant's team felt the same way, feeding off each other's energy and drive to keep going. "It really boosted my morale being able to count on people staying here with me during the weekend storm. Although we lost out on our own personal time we all felt good about being here to make sure we were open," said Airman Grant.
An organization very much a part of flightline operations that must remain open regardless of weather is 316th Wing Protocol. The day after the last major snowfall, teams worked very hard to allow for the arrival of several DVs to the flightline Sunday.
"The phones were ringing off the hooks for hours with people needing to know if we were still open," said Captain Lara Kalin-Christofori, 316 CCP chief. "I knew this storm was going to be bad and I'd be working long hours, so I brought everything with me, even my family!"