14 AIR FORCE CIVIL ENGINEER

S-Teams (Prime BEEF Staff AugmentationTeams) are an unknown commodity to alot of people in the Air Force— includingtheir fellow civil engineers. But those whohave worked with them or know about themhave nothing but tremendous respect for thetalent and capability of these teams.

S-Teams are senior-level engineering flightswith the primary mission of augmentingcommand staffs during contingency opera-tions such as federal emergencies, humani-tarian relief, and war. Because of ongoingoperations and high demand for S-Teams, The Air Force Civil Engineer authorizedthe creation of several new S-Teams andincreased manning at some existing ones.

There are currently only 13 S-Teams in theAir Force; nine in the Air National Guardand four in the Air Force Reserve (see table).

We are always on the lookout for greatengineering talent,” said Col Mike Flood, commander of the 240th Civil EngineerFlight. “The demand for our services alwaysexceeds our available resources.”

A typical S-Team has 10 engineeringofficers, one senior NCO engineeringsuperintendent, one civil engineer manager, one fire protection manager, and twosenior NCO fire management personnel. As components of the Air NationalGuard and Reserve, S-Teams benefit fromtheir members’ varied backgrounds andcollective experiences: all military servicesare represented, as are the fields of civil,

S-Teams “BEEF Up” the Force

Maj Anne M. Haverhals240th CEF/CEOV

architectural, electrical, mechanical, structural, and environmental engineering.

When augmenting a command staff, S-Team members track, procure, plan, andcoordinate the utilization of theater or area-of-responsibility engineering assets; trackrepairs to damaged airfields and facilities; and brief and coordinate with other militaryfunctional areas. S-Teams are particularlyvaluable during exercises; corporate knowl-edge gained from many years of participa-tion in similar exercises is shared with theiractive duty partners.

Members also often deploy as individuals oras small “ consultant” teams to assist with

various engineering and environmentalprojects. S-Teams can produce a professionalproduct with much less expense than privatecontractors. Projects have included airfieldsurveys and pavement evaluations, facilityprogramming, preliminary site plans andcost estimates, real estate inventories, updatesto natural and cultural resource managementaction plans, environmental and OSHAassistance, and spill plan updates.

Since 9/ 11, S-Teams have been widely used attheir home bases, their major commands, thePentagon, and in Southwest Asia. Althoughsome members did augment command staffs, the majority found their civilian job skillsextensively used to support other militaryengineering teams— designing for Armycombat engineers, overseeing bases’ Bureausof Public Works, creating master plans, man-aging projects, and inspecting facilities.

Unit (# of S-Teams) Unit Location Commands Supported Contact Number

628 CEF (2) Dobbins ARB, Ga. PACAF 770-919-3309

810 CEF (1) Carswell ARS, Texas ACC 817-782-5156/7

904 CEF (1) March ARB, Calif. PACAF 951-655-6607/8

235 CEF (3) Martin State Airport, Md. USAFE, EUCOM, JCS 410-918-6567

231 CEF (3) Lambert-St. Louis Airport, Mo. PACAF, AMC 314-526-6410

240 CEF (3) Buckley AFB, Colo. PACAF 720-847-6395

Reserve

Guard

Vol. 15 • No. 1 • 2007 15

From August 2004 to May2005, members of the231st CEF deployed toAfghanistan. Team memberswere attached to an Armygroup and provided engi-neering design and construc-tion management for bases. Projects included electricalsystems, water distributionand wastewater collection, ahelicopter parking/ refuelingapron, and a C-130–capableairfield. Record snowfallin 2005 caused damage tomany facilities; the runofffrom the thaw damaged ordestroyedroadwaysand bridges. S-Teammembersconductedprompt, accurateevaluationsand repair/replacementdesigns thatwere criticalin sustainingoperations.

In 2005, sev-eral S-Teammembersfrom the810th CEF deployed toIraq, joining engineers fromother units to form the732nd ECES, Det. 14. Thedetachment was responsiblefor base master planning; utility renovation andexpansion; environmentalremediation; base and airfieldsurveys; war damage facili-ties inspection; and repairprogramming. They were thelead design team and project

managers for the new ArmyCorps Distribution Center.

The 240th CEF received acrash course in Army cultureas 19 S-Team members per-formed engineering functionsin Iraq for the U.S. Army; three team members earnedthe Bronze Star for theirefforts. Tasks varied frombase planning, public worksmanagement, engineeringdesign, and facility inspec-tions to decommissioningbases. One member ofthe 240th CEF, Maj Phil

Landeros, found his civilianstructural engineeringexpertise invaluable as heworked to keep critical roadsopen and joined ActiveDuty engineering assistantsfrom Eielson AFB, Alaska, to aid the 372nd CombatEngineering Group withtheir bridging mission.

Ten engineers from the904th CEF S-Team and

eight EAs from the 452ndCES and 624th CEScombined to support Armyengineering facility require-ments in Southwest Asia. The team manned three6-month rotations in sup-port of Operations IRAQIFREEDOM and ENDURINGFREEDOM, working onseveral high-priority engi-neering projects: alternatesupply convoy route siting, design, and specifications; military retention campinspection and review; anddesign and construction of

a border crossing facility. They proved to be a valuedpart of a joint-service teamand continued the traditionof excellence begun by theirpredecessors.

Maj Haverhals is a civilengineering officer with the 240thCEF, Buckley AFB, Colo.

Members of the 240th CEF joinedActive Duty engineering assistants tohelp the U.S. Army build bridges inIraq. These two float bridges give civiliansand coalition forces an important rivercrossing. ( photo by Maj Phil Landeros)