Patriot Wing Airmen construct local operational RADR training pad

Official Statements

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “Airmen assigned to the 439th Civil Engineer Squadron held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Westover Air Reserve Base to recognize the completion of a new Rapid Airfield Damage Repair training pad, establishing a dedicated home-station capability to prepare civil engineers to restore damaged airfields and sustain military operations in contested environments.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “The new facility supports the Department of War’s emphasis on strengthening warfighting capabilities and preparing forces to operate against evolving threats. As potential adversaries develop increasingly sophisticated methods to disrupt military installations, the ability to rapidly restore airfield operations remains essential to sustaining airpower. For the Air Force, that capability depends on civil engineer teams trained to assess damage, repair critical infrastructure and return airfields to operational status. RADR enables those teams to restore aircraft operating surfaces following attacks or other damage that could interrupt sortie generation.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “For Reserve civil engineers, maintaining these capabilities requires regular opportunities to practice the specialized skills needed to restore damaged airfields. Accessible, realistic training helps ensure those skills remain available to the Total Force when operational demands arise.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “At Westover, the new 250-foot-by-75-foot concrete training pad gives the 439th CES a dedicated location to develop and sustain those capabilities without relying exclusively on off-site training opportunities or deployment-specific instruction. “Now more than ever, our Airmen need to recover warfighting skills once thought to be obsolete and adapt to new environments and develop new capabilities,” said Maj. Daniel Higgins, 439th CES commander.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “The facility allows Airmen to practice repairing craters and smaller areas of pavement damage, known as spalls, while training on the equipment, materials and coordination required to restore damaged airfields. It also provides opportunities to integrate skills across civil engineering specialties and reinforce the Air Force’s Multi-Capable Airman concept.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “In previous years, RADR training was often treated as a deployment-specific requirement, with opportunities for specialized instruction dependent on available school slots. Establishing a dedicated training asset at Westover allows the squadron to incorporate practical repair exercises into its recurring training program.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “This RADR pad will provide a practical, hands-on training asset to prepare our Airmen for what they might encounter downrange and throughout their careers,” Higgins said. The project itself demonstrated the squadron’s ability to coordinate resources and execute a large-scale construction effort using its own personnel and technical expertise.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “More than 25 military and civilian Airmen contributed to the project, completing construction in about 35 days at an equipment and materials cost of approximately $140,000. Crews moved more than 8,000 tons of material and poured 595 cubic yards of concrete to establish the training surface.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “Master Sgt. David Viertel, 439th CES pavements and construction apprentice, and Senior Master Sgt. Stephan DaCosta, also a member of the 439th CES, managed equipment, resources and construction efforts. Airmen from the squadron’s structures shop built and installed concrete formwork, while engineering assistants conducted surveying to support the project.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “Senior Master Sgt. Nicole Talaia, 439th CES operations superintendent, coordinated with the base civil engineer office and a contractor to obtain construction materials. The construction effort brought together capabilities from across the installation, demonstrating how coordinated support from civil engineering, security forces, logistics readiness and maintenance can turn available resources into a lasting training capability.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “The 439th Security Forces Squadron facilitated access for more than 60 concrete trucks entering the installation, often during extended construction hours. The 439th Logistics Readiness Squadron helped secure vehicles and heavy equipment, while the 439th Maintenance Group provided lighting equipment that enabled crews to continue construction during nighttime operations.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “The coordinated effort was recognized as a best practice by Fourth Air Force during a staff assistance visit, highlighting the value of collaboration between Reserve civil engineers and Westover’s installation support organizations. The RADR facility is among several recent infrastructure improvements at Westover aimed at strengthening training capabilities and supporting mission readiness. Speaking about the broader significance of recent ribbon-cutting events across Westover, Lt. Col. Leslie Kastrop, 439th Operations Group commander, emphasized the importance of investing in the installation’s people and infrastructure.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “Every single project is a vital investment in our Airmen, infrastructure and readiness,” Kastrop said. “These efforts build the agile, resilient war fighters we need.” The squadron plans to use the facility for recurring crater and spall repair training, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives surveillance training, unexploded ordnance surveillance training, and other civil engineering readiness activities.”

• 439th Airlift Wing, November 13: “The pad is also expected to serve as a central training location during Westover’s planned Eastern Nexus exercise in 2027, providing Airmen with opportunities to apply their skills in a broader operational training environment. With a dedicated airfield repair training capability now available at home station, the 439th CES can provide more consistent, hands-on preparation for the Airmen responsible for restoring critical airfield infrastructure and supporting continued air operations.”