A team of structural journeymen from the 786th Civil Engineer Squadron installed the first of two biocontainment unit ramps aboard a C-17 Globemaster III at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Air Force Senior Airman Dyllan Greer, Air Force Airman 1st Class Tyler Sellitto, Air Force Airman 1st Class Austen Campbell and local national employee Thomas Spies have been working diligently to calculate and construct ramps fabricated from aluminum diamond-plated metal to smoothly load units such as a negatively pressurized conex for the 10th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight's COVID-19 mission.
The handcrafted ramps improved safety and efficiency. Before they were installed, wood boards were used for the task, creating a tripping hazard with questionable durability. Now, the slip-resistant ramps ensure medics can remove their focus from their feet while working around an infection control unit to better care for their patients
During the week-long construction, the four-member team used six various machines.
''It went pretty smooth,'' Greer said. ''I think we got all the proper measurements the first time due to all the machinery we have in the shop, and we were able to fabricate it without any issue.''
Of the 30 jobs a week the structures metal shop is assigned, this job contrasted from the norm.
''This project is different because it is on an aircraft,'' Campbell said. ''There is more that you have to keep in mind working on a flight line. We have to make sure there’s no metal shavings when we leave the aircraft, and the work has to be completely clean. We had to run back to the shop for anything additional we couldn’t do on the spot. And, since the ramp is so large, it makes it more difficult than normal.''
The team is proud to support the COVID-19 mission and is feeling good about their results.
''I'm confident our next installation will go without any issues,'' Greer said.
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Nesha Stanton is assigned to the 86th Airlift Wing.)