Building tomorrow's leaders

Published July 7, 2014
By Staff Sgt. Matthew Burke
914 Airlift Wing PA

NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. -- The 914th Civil Engineer Squadron traveled to the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado, for annual tour training from June 1 to June 15, 2014. This assignment was to support the Field Engineering & Readiness Laboratory Program located at the USAFA.

The FERL Program is a nationally recognized program that provides an innovative hands-on educational and construction experience. This year, the program provided 62 Air Force Academy cadets with a solid foundation for learning scientific theory and engineering design principles in more advanced courses of the civil and environmental engineering curriculum.
"As a squadron commander, there is no greater thrill than watching my troops showcase their skills," said Maj. Matthew S. Heinsler, commander, 914 CES. "Mentoring the cadets provided our CE troops both the opportunity to train future Air Force leaders and advance our mentorship techniques, which is especially beneficial for our new unit members."

The 914 CES enlisted members, combined with active duty and guard personnel, provided leadership and hands-on experience from specific civil engineer career fields to Air Force Academy students. Cadets were mentored by 17 members of the 914 CES members who, over the 15 day period, provided over 1400 man hours of instruction and hands-on training in various Air Force Specialty Codes including: Engineering Assistants, Heavy Equipment Operations, Utilities, Structures, Electrical, and Power Production.

"The FERL site is a laboratory just like any other college lab," said Senior Master Sgt. Michael Haag, senior Air Reserve Technician with the 914 CES. "It allows for the cadets who are learning to be civil engineers to have hands-on experience to what they will be leading and supervising in the future."

The trip provided an excellent opportunity for all attendees of the 914 CES to showcase Niagara's best, mentor others, complete core tasks needed for upgrade training, and to provide a labor force for projects throughout the Academy that needed to be accomplished.

By being exposed to realistic experiences in surveying, construction methods, and construction materials at the FERL site, the "construct first, design later" approach provides students with a solid foundation for learning scientific theory and engineering design principles in more advanced courses of the civil and environmental engineering curriculum. Cadets "deploy" to the FERL training area to perform real-world assignments in surveying, construction methods, and construction materials under the supervision and guidance of mentors. Students will gain experience working and living under field conditions as they utilize some of the readiness assets used in the operational Air Force.

The program would not be as successful without the contributions of active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian personnel who serve as mentors for the cadets. These leaders provide functional expertise in their specialties and serve as role models in an advisory capacity. During the FERL program, cadets work with experienced personnel on tasks such as concrete placement, roadway construction, surveying, heavy equipment operations, power production, welding, and wood frame construction. These duties were selected to provide cadets with broad exposure to the civil engineer career field.

The FERL program is mandatory for cadets majoring in civil engineering.

During the two-week training period at the FERL site the members of the 914 CES and cadets worked on two Hogan Homes, which are traditional Navajo homes, designed as an eight-sided structure with the main entrance built facing east to greet each day's sunrise.

Once the homes are complete, they are declared surplus property. Via the DOD's Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, the Southwest Indian Foundation takes ownership and eventual possession of the Hogan Homes.

"Our unit member's smiles and overall emotion of the trip said it all," said Heinsler. "They came home happy, had a great sense of purpose and achieved a high level of satisfaction from their work."

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