EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Kodiak is a small island located off the coast of Alaska, a place where the wilderness is abundant, roads aren’t paved and people are scarce.
This summer members of the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron spent 74 days in the town of Old Harbor on Kodiak completing various projects to help improve their quality of life.
“We were expanding the runway for the Old Harbor IRT (innovative readiness training),” said Staff Sgt. Johnathan Lee, a 354th CES structural craftsman. “It is mainly a reserve-led project, so we were there to provide continuity for the units revolving in-and-out.”
The Old Harbor IRT has been going on for approximately, five years and includes participants from across the Department of Defense.
“Getting to work with all the services was a good experience,” said Lee. “It was an environment you don’t get many opportunities to work in.”
As one of the only Active Duty Air Force units to participate since the projects inception, the members of the 354th CES had a much needed impact on the success of the mission.
“We showed up about two weeks before everyone else, set the camp up, and got everything ready for the units that would be arriving,” said Lee. “Once everyone got there, we would train them and start working on the runway.”
During their time in Kodiak the 354th CES engineers and the team they trained were able to add more than 350 feet to the runway, allowing the town the capability of landing an aircraft the size of a C-130 on the island.
IRT projects are designed to simultaneously serve American communities in need while delivering service members realistic training.
“The village’s goal is to eventually get the runway finished and build a cannery so they can get more money for their products,” said Senior Airman Carlos Aleman, a 354th CES heavy equipment operator. “Right now they’re not getting much money for their fish, but by expanding the runway, they’ll be able to start boosting the economy.”
While on the secluded island, the Airmen from the 354th CES also did other projects, such as building greenhouses and roads, putting a roof on the town’s water treatment facility and more.
“The Old Harbor IRT is a win-win situation,” said Lee. “We were able to help this community as well as get some invaluable training.”