BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. –
The 940th Civil Engineer Squadron deployed two teams in June to provide support for a humanitarian project on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minn.
The deployment provided an opportunity for 940th CE Airman to hone their skills through the Innovative Readiness Training program. The program gives real world training opportunities for service members to prepare them for wartime missions while supporting the needs of America's lower income communities.
"Participation in this IRT has been a valuable training opportunity while improving the quality of life for residents of the reservation community," said Capt. Jesse Cason from the 940th CES.
The project also brought together squadrons from multiple Air Force units and enabled new Airmen to attain on-the-job training.
"It's a great opportunity for the younger Airmen to gain experience in their line of work," said Staff Sgt. Minh Tran, an electrician with the 940th CES. "Especially skills they don't normally use outside of the Air Force."
At one of the work sites the sound of hammers and saws could be heard in an otherwise silent lot. 940th CE Airmen framed 3 two-bedroom houses, ran wires for the electrical systems and set the pipes for plumbing and utilities.
About 15 miles away, down a long stretch of road with trees on either side was a dig site where a team installed new 12 inch piping to improve the quality of potable drinking water and provide fire hydrants.
Each of the deployed teams worked on-site for two weeks before turning it over to new Airmen, which kept the project running efficiently.
"The training is great," said Senior Airman Adam Bryant, with the 940th CES. "Consistently doing the same work every day really helps in gaining experience, you get used to the work flow easier."
The reservation supplied the materials for the project and Airmen gave their time to help improve the quality of life on the reservation.
The Red Lake Reservation is located 30 miles north of Bemidji, Minn., and is home to members of the Chippewa tribe.