U.S. Air Force

Civil Engineering

The squadrons that build, repair, and sustain every Air Force installation. From runway repair under fire to EOD bomb disposal, Civil Engineering keeps the base operational no matter what hits it.

Build It. Fix It. Defend It. Est. 1941

PRIME BEEF / RED HORSE

Civil Engineering Squadrons

Construction / EOD / Fire / HVAC

Engineering AFSCs

Explosive Ord Disp

BASE ENG ASSET RECOV

Civil Engineering squadrons handle everything that keeps an air base physically operational. Structures, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, heavy equipment, pavements, water systems, EOD, fire protection, and emergency management. When a runway takes a hit, CE repairs it. When an IED is found, EOD handles it. When a building catches fire, CE firefighters respond. The mission is base operability. If the base cannot generate sorties, the war stops. CE makes sure it does not stop. Read more

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Expeditionary Engineering 1990 - Present

MINUTES, NOT HOURS

Rapid Runway Repair

Getting Sorties Back in the Air

Rapid Runway Repair

Foreign Object Damage

Rapid Runway Repair is the CE capability that keeps aircraft flying after an airfield attack. CE teams assess damage, fill craters, lay AM-2 aluminum matting, and return the runway to minimum operating standards in hours. During exercises, CE teams practice repairing multiple crater hits while under simulated chemical attack. In the Pacific theater, RRR is a critical warfighting capability against the ballistic missile threat. Read more

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INITIAL SUCCESS OR TOTAL FAILURE

EOD - Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Explosive Ord Disp

Counter-IED Ops

Unexploded Ordnance

Air Force EOD technicians render safe explosive threats from conventional bombs to nuclear weapons. During OIF and OEF, Air Force EOD teams worked alongside Army and Marine units on counter-IED missions, clearing routes and disarming devices that were killing troops daily. The EOD motto is Initial Success or Total Failure. There is no second chance when you are hands-on with a live bomb. Read more

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Building Bases in Combat Zones

Base Construction

FIGHT / SURVIVE

CE squadrons built and sustained every major air base in Iraq and Afghanistan. At Balad, CE constructed hardened aircraft shelters, improved runways, and built force protection barriers while the base took regular mortar and rocket fire. At Bagram, they managed an installation that grew from a bombed-out Soviet airfield into a city of 30,000. CE firefighters, EOD techs, electricians, and heavy equipment operators deployed on six-month rotations throughout the war. Read more

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3E

Engineering AFSCs

EOD

Explosive Ord Disposal

RRR

Rapid Runway Repair

Build

Fix / Defend