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Face of Defense: Civil Engineering Airman Builds Military, Civilian Careers

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Though Air Force Senior Airman Samantha Ghareeb's military occupation involves excavators and bulldozers, one of her more memorable experiences in uniform -- helping to renovate an orphanage in Latvia -- required only hand tools.

Air Force Senior Airman Samantha Ghareeb, a heavy equipment operator with the Kansas Air National Guard’s 190th Civil Engineer Squadron, applies mortar to a building in Daugavpils, Latvia, in June 2015. Ghareeb was part of a humanitarian project between her unit and Latvian military engineers. Kansas Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Allen Pickert
Air Force Senior Airman Samantha Ghareeb, a heavy equipment operator with the Kansas Air National Guard’s 190th Civil Engineer Squadron, applies mortar to a building in Daugavpils, Latvia, in June 2015. Ghareeb was part of a humanitarian project between her unit and Latvian military engineers. Kansas Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Allen Pickert
Air Force Senior Airman Samantha Ghareeb, a heavy equipment operator with the Kansas Air National Guard’s 190th Civil Engineer Squadron, applies mortar to a building in Daugavpils, Latvia, in June 2015. Ghareeb was part of a humanitarian project between her unit and Latvian military engineers. Kansas Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Allen Pickert
Construction Project
Air Force Senior Airman Samantha Ghareeb, a heavy equipment operator with the Kansas Air National Guard’s 190th Civil Engineer Squadron, applies mortar to a building in Daugavpils, Latvia, in June 2015. Ghareeb was part of a humanitarian project between her unit and Latvian military engineers. Kansas Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Allen Pickert
Photo By: Master Sgt. Allen Pickert
VIRIN: 150602-Z-YG824-004

"I was tasked with putting what felt like 50 layers of stucco on the outside of the building," she said. "It was a great experience to help those kids."

Ghareeb, a heavy equipment operator with the Kansas Air National Guard's 190th Civil Engineer Squadron, is a site safety coordinator for an energy company on the civilian side. Her entry into the construction world began in a warehouse.

"I was a fork lift operator and I actually enjoyed it -- besides the fact that it was a dead-end job that had no future," she said.

Relishes Outside Work

When Ghareeb was in the process of choosing her Air Force career path, she said she wanted to do something "hands-on that allowed me to be outside."

Nearly four years after enlisting, Ghareeb plans on staying in civil engineering -- a career field that plays a crucial role of sustaining solid air power from the ground, she said.

“Basically, we fit into the mission by maintaining aircraft runways and parking aprons," Ghareeb said. "Some of the highlights of our job involve operating, transporting and maintaining equipment while ensuring compliance with environmental and safety regulations."

She said her military experience helps her communicate better with civilian equipment operators by identifying what tasks and responsibilities they have on a job site.

"I can understand what they need from me and what I need from them," Ghareeb said, adding that improved organizational and planning skills can be attributed to the hours she spends in uniform.

"[Construction is] all very precise. It's not just about pushing dirt around," she said.

Employing Air Force-Acquired Skills

Ghareeb said the skills she's acquired from the Air National Guard have paved her way for high-quality civilian job opportunities.

"Employers see the value in the ability to operate various pieces of equipment, which can help me get a better job," she said.

Her ambition on the civilian side parallels her obligation to her squadron, said Ghareeb's supervisor, Air Force Master Sgt. Michael Martin, who described her as a "vital asset."

Air Force Senior Airman Samantha Ghareeb relishes everything about construction -- both in and out of uniform. In her civilian career she works as a site safety supervisor for an energy company. Courtesy photo
Air Force Senior Airman Samantha Ghareeb relishes everything about construction -- both in and out of uniform. In her civilian career she works as a site safety supervisor for an energy company. Courtesy photo
Air Force Senior Airman Samantha Ghareeb relishes everything about construction -- both in and out of uniform. In her civilian career she works as a site safety supervisor for an energy company. Courtesy photo
Construction Airman
Air Force Senior Airman Samantha Ghareeb relishes everything about construction -- both in and out of uniform. In her civilian career she works as a site safety supervisor for an energy company. Courtesy photo
Photo By: Courtesy photo
VIRIN: 170602-O-ZZ999-003

"She's always the first to volunteer," he said, adding that Ghareeb is "almost looking for the hardest job there is to do."

Variety, Ghareeb said, keeps her maneuvering equipment, interpreting blueprints and wearing hard hats.

"I like working on different projects in different locations," she said. Her past fieldwork has ranged from building zoo facilities to restoring living spaces for members of her community.

Values Classroom Learning

While she said her work is aligned with her outdoorsy spirit, Ghareeb doesn't discount the value of the classroom. She begins her senior year at Pittsburg State University in Kansas this fall, continuing her studies in construction and safety management.

"The classroom does have its strong points when it comes to problem-solving and general knowledge that is specific to the [construction] industry," Ghareeb said. "Having a degree is a helping hand to get you where you want to be in life."

For now, she said, she is focused on absorbing as much experience as possible -- both in and out of uniform -- before pursuing positions of greater responsibility, such as a field engineer or project manager for a commercial construction company.

"She has a strong sense of who she is as an airman," Martin said, adding Ghareeb brings the qualities of a top-notch airman to the civilian world.

Regardless of what capacity she fills on the job site, Ghareeb said construction provides a purpose-filled professional life.

"Hands down,” she said, “my favorite feeling about construction would have to be the moment when I can drive by a project -- or look at it in pictures -- that has been completed and tell people that I helped build that."

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