Twitter
Facebook
Airman First Class Brandon Slagle, 786th Civil Engineer Squadron structural journeyman, welds metal plates together on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 6, 2014. Welding is the joining of two or more metals to repair or build structures by melting two materials together and forming a solid joint. The 786th CES builds and maintains structures and utilities on and off Ramstein.
When not conducting a breaking and entering, the 786th CES builds, repairs and maintains structures all around Ramstein. Depending on the job, they could be working in their own shop or on-location.
Everyone has a job to do on base, but they can’t complete their jobs successfully if they don’t have the facilities and buildings to work out of. The 786th CES ensures every Airman on base has an adequate structure to work out of.
“I think my job greatly impacts the mission here at Ramstein,” said Senior Airman Kyle Lahtinen, 786th CES structural journeyman. “No one can do their job unless they have a facility where they can work.”
“Here in the metal shop, we install a lot of doors, windows, safety handrails and a lot of fixed ladders and stairs,” said Lahtinen. “We work on anything structural.”
With Ramstein being such a large base with lots of construction, the welding shop, along with the rest of 786th CES, keeps busy.
“We usually receive about 30 to 40 work orders a month,” said Tech. Sgt. James Johnson, 786th CES lock shop NCO in charge.
According to Lahtinen, a work order generally requires the 786th CES shop to go out and improve the safety of certain structures. Despite the shop consisting of just Lahtinen and a younger Airman, they work together to get the job done.
“I feel satisfied when I get a full day’s worth of work in,” said Lahtinen. “Being able to get hands on, seeing and fixing things with my bare hands and being able to teach someone else is gratifying.”
