SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Rough terrains and dirty materials, working day and night through brutal weather, sacrificing sleep and limited time off, encompass what it means to be a “Dirt Boy.”
“Dirt Boyz,” a nickname given to Airmen working in equipment and pavement shops across the U.S. Air Force, are trained to work with all types of machinery, such as bulldozers, excavators, dump trucks, front-end loaders, street sweepers and crane lifts, and that is only a part of everything they do.
“Something to live by as a pavement equipment operator is to be flexible and to be prepared for anything,” said U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Joshua Roysden, 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron. “Our job is to fix anything on a horizontal plane.”
At the beginning of their day pavement equipment operators are given a schedule that dictates what they will be doing that day.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicolas McMillan, 52nd CES pavement equipment supervisor, is in charge of the assignments, with over 60 Airmen to task McMillan says there is still always something new for the Airmen to do.
“People would be amazed at everything we actually do,” said McMillan. “We fix road signs, fix potholes, we take care of all drainage on base to prevent flooding, keep the streets clear of snow and trash, we keep up maintenance on the fence to secure the base, as well as asphalt the roads when needed. We keep the air strip clean and clear, perform upkeep on the grass and trees on base and we get the softball and soccer fields prepared every year. In our job we are always doing something.”
Each job is done by a team consisting of four to five Airmen. Teams are assigned to ensure everyone is proficiently trained doing each job.
“It takes about a year on average for an Airman to feel comfortable doing everything that encompasses our job,” said McMillan. “Our Airmen are supportive when it comes to helping newer Airmen learn a new job and they take pride in being able to do tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
Assignments can vary from one hour to taking a few months to complete depending on how large the job is.
Recently the base was hit by a series of snow days requiring only essential personnel to report to work; to include the pavement and equipment shop Airmen.
The “Dirt Boyz” worked day and night clearing the roads to make it possible for the base to return to normal operations. According to Airman 1st Class Lucas Garver, 52nd CES pavement equipment operator, it’s quite fulfilling to see.
“Knowing that you played a part in helping others get to work and complete the mission is awesome,” said Garver. “I love this job because I can see my work every day all around base and many years from now I will be able to look back at the bases I’ve been to and see the impact my work has made.”