ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
When most people hear 'Bioenvironmental Engineering,' they think of the office that fit tests their gas mask. But more is involved in the 4B0X1 career field than most people know.
The Andrews Air Force Base Bioenvironmental Engineering team touches many areas of the base. They conduct, on average, 60 occupational and environmental health surveys a year and support a drinking water system serving an installation populace of 16,000.
Epitomizing the ideology of "garrison equals deployed," BE teams optimize combat capabilities by preventing casualties and enhancing performance in the deployed and garrison environments through full spectrum threat health risk reduction. This is accomplished by providing comprehensive health risk assessments to shop supervisors up to installation commanders at home station as well as downrange. BE provides commanders with decision making advice on a variety of topics to include water quality and the availability and employment of adequate protection from industrial hazards. Additionally, special surveys such as air sampling of contaminants to determine potential personnel exposure, assessing industrial and infection control ventilation systems and assessment of radiation producing equipment are performed to identify health risks to the industrial population.
BE also plays an important role in the preparation for and mitigation of an emergency situation. They perform surveillance of vulnerabilities to the base drinking water system and protection from possible toxic industrial chemicals/materials that could affect air and water quality. Acting as emergency responders, BE serves on the AF District of Washington's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High-yield Explosive Response Force. This team partners BE with 316th Civil Engineer Readiness and Emergency Management, Andrews AFB Fire and Emergency Services, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, and reciprocal teams from Bolling AFB.
From gas mask fit testing, to identifying hazards, to validating water quality, the BE team is well diversified in multiple areas. They may not be in the forefront when people think of emergency response and preventive medicine, but they play a critical role in maintaining the health and safety of all who live, work and transit through Andrews AFB.