Dobbins civil engineers gear up for Silver Flag

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Elizabeth Van Patten
  • 94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. --  Twenty-eight Airmen from the 94th Civil Engineering Squadron departed Jan. 11 from Dobbins Air Reserve Base for a Silver Flag exercise at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

The Dobbins civil engineers were joined by over 40 Airmen from McConnell Air Force Base for the trip to Florida via C-17.

"Silver Flag is the Air Force's training site for all civil engineers," said Lt Col Scott Carlin, 94th Civil Engineering Squadron commander. "It is the premier training site for all civil engineers - active, Reserve and guard - simulating real-world, combat scenarios."

The 94 CES participates in Silver Flag every two years, last biennium attending Silver Flag at Ramstein AFB, Germany during the winter months.

The training will consist of several days of advanced classroom training, followed by several days of hands-on field training exercise. Airmen from several different bases and air force specialty codes will work together to set up and sustain a base.

Staff Sgt. Mark Spivey, 94th CES heating, ventilation and air conditioning specialist, is attending the Silver Flag exercise and will be receiving specialized training using equipment pertinent to his AFSC.

"We have a lot of contingency equipment," said Spivey. "I'll be using portable heating and air conditioning units and water boilers for sanitation and showers. We will be responsible for maintaining these things for a base. We're all looking forward to this and applying what we've been trained to do."

The Silver Flag training environment will serve as an example of what Airmen will experience in a deployed environment.

"We are prepared," said Carlin. "We are well prepared for the hands on training we will receive at Silver Flag. Then, we will exercise and see how well our training is. We trained, we will continue to train then, we will get tested on our training. Some of our folks will be deploying soon. They are ready, but after Silver Flag they will definitely be ready."