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NEWS | July 30, 2021

Civil Engineer Squadron performs first Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Prime BEEF training

By Senior Airman Kevin Tanenbaum 11th Wing Public Affairs

The 11th Civil Engineer Squadron performed their first monthly Prime BEEF training to prepare its Airmen for deployed situations on June 17 at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.
 
The Prime BEEF training, or Base Engineer Emergency Force training, focuses on base sustainment and comprises joint training on defensive fighting positions with the 11th Security Forces Squadron, as well as a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear course.
 
This training is critical for the young civil engineer squadron who stood up less than a year ago when the Air Force took control of JBAB from the U.S. Navy during the lead service transfer on October 1, 2020.
 
“As leaders, our goal is to present highly skilled engineers when called upon,” said Chief Master Sgt. Ismail Taylor-Kamara, 11th CES squadron superintendent. “The Prime BEEF program is critical in developing and maintaining highly skilled civil engineer forces capable of reacting to requirements in support of any world-wide contingency, wartime mobility and installation sustainment mission.”
 
During the training, participants learned how to don protective gear, prepare for an attack and steps to take during an attack, said Master Sgt. William Cox, 11th CES Prime BEEF manager.
 
“Prime BEEF training and field exercises present our emergency managers, first responders, and command and control elements with a variety of scenarios to help refine our processes during base recovery after an attack, while enhancing our ability to survive and operate in a CBRN environment,” said Taylor-Kamara.
 
The primary mission of Prime BEEF is to provide civil engineer support for the beddown of service members and aircraft. Capabilities include airbase site surveys, establishing bare base camps and operations and utility system installation.
 
“This prepares you for deployments, and I can give firsthand knowledge since I’ve experienced going in and setting up a barebones base,” said Staff Sgt. Adam Monoski, 11th CES structural supervisor. “It is helpful for us to have Airmen with that experience who know what they are doing.”
 
Prime BEEF forces also have the necessary command, control and communications to support fire emergency services, emergency management, explosive ordnance disposal, expedient construction explosive incident response and other specialized teams that provide unique engineering capabilities.
 
Prime BEEF teams are also called on to support recovery operations after a natural or man-made disaster to assess damage, fight fires, mitigate hazards, provide emergency utilities, beddown military forces and disaster victims, repair facility damage, and control and monitor contamination.
 
 “Younger members may not realize how important training is,” said Cox. “But from my experience, when you are deployed and you have trained, it amazes me how quickly your training pops in your head and you immediately remember the correct procedures you are supposed to take.”
 
At its core, Prime BEEF is a preparation tool for Airmen so they can fulfill their mission regardless of the situation in a given area of responsibility.
 
“Prime BEEF began back in 1964, and our members have carried on the tradition of civil engineering excellence in every major conflict or contingency, and that tradition of excellence continues today with the Air Force’s newest civil engineer squadron,” said Taylor-Kamara