Basking

A freshwater turtle suns itself on the bank of Turkey Creek deep within the Eglin reservation April 21. The second annual kayak tour, part of four days of trips, took 10 people down Turkey Creek deep within the Eglin range. The scenic tour showed off Eglin’s unique wild and plant life. The tour closed out Eglin’s week-long Earth Day celebration. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Connected kayaks

A line of eight kayakers drift down Turkey Creek April 21. The second annual kayak tour, part of four days of trips, took 10 people down Turkey Creek deep within the Eglin range. The scenic tour showed off Eglin’s unique wild and plant life. The tour closed out Eglin’s week-long Earth Day celebration. The kayaks were donated by Eglin's Outdoor Recreation for each day of the trip. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

A drift

Elisa Rowland admires the tree canopy the surrounds Turkey Creek April 21. The second annual kayak tour, part of four days of trips, took 10 people down Turkey Creek deep within the Eglin range. The scenic tour showed off Eglin’s unique wild and plant life. The tour closed out Eglin’s week-long Earth Day celebration. The kayaks were donated by Eglin's Outdoor Recreation for each day of the trip. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Meat eater

The carnivorous plant Sundew waits for insects on a log along Turkey Creek April 21. The Sundew has sticky droplets on its branches that secure the insect to it. The second annual kayak tour, part of four days of trips, took 10 people down Turkey Creek deep within the Eglin range. The scenic tour showed off Eglin’s unique wild and plant life. The tour closed out Eglin’s week-long Earth Day celebration. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Moccasin out of water

A juvenile water moccasin rests on a tree branch above Turkey Creek April 21. The second annual kayak tour, part of four days of trips, took 10 people down Turkey Creek deep within the Eglin range. The scenic tour showed off Eglin’s unique wild and plant life. The tour closed out Eglin’s week-long Earth Day celebration. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Springtime for Eglin

A bee inspects an Azalea flower in front of the Air Armament Center headquarters. All of the Azalea bushes were in full bloom last week around the building. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Old friends

Terry Yonkers, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics and Col. Sal Nodjomian, 96th Air Base Wing commander hear some facts about the Okaloosa darter March 28 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The small fish, whose habitat is almost exclusively on the Eglin ranges, became the first-ever fish on DoD lands to be reclassified on the endangered species list. It remains in the “threatened” status, but due to major erosion control efforts by 96th Civil Engineer Group’s Natural Resources Management Section and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the population has tripled since 1995, bringing the species back from the brink of extinction. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Samuel King Jr.)

Darter "downlisted"

Rowan Gould, director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, takes a look at a container of Okaloosa darters March 28 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The small fish, whose habitat is almost exclusively on the Eglin ranges, became the first-ever fish on DoD lands to be reclassified on the endangered species list. It remains in the “threatened” status, but due to major erosion control efforts by 96th Civil Engineer Group’s Natural Resources Management Section and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the population has tripled since 1995, bringing the species back from the brink of extinction. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Samuel King Jr.)

Practice bombs shredded

(Courtesy photo)

Practice bombs shredded

The miniature practice bombs are dumped onto a concrete slab at the shredding facility where they are loaded into a hopper that feeds the shredder by a crane, all handling of the items at this point is mechanical and every process is observed by UXO technicians to ensure all items are consumed and they are not handled by unqualified personnel. (Courtesy photo)

Energy Savers

Col. Sal Nodjomian, 96th Air Base Wing commander presents Capt. Adam Guziewicz, Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal commander, and Mineman First Class Troy Reed, with the Quarterly Energy Contest Award. The EOD School posted record savings over the quarter with 37 percent energy savings, primarily by turning off computers when not in use. Other competitors were the 9th Special Operations Squadron and 46th Test Wing Base Operations. The total combined reduction for all three buildings averaged more than13 percent, saving more than $2,000 during a 30-day period. Energy awareness and cultural change are the keys to Team Eglin's success. This year, 13 buildings have participated in four energy contests and have saved more than $16,000. (U.S. Air Force photo/James Reese)

Over the top

Fire spills over the side of the 46th Test Wing’s new air curtain incinerator on a gusty day out on Eglin’s range. The incinerator or air burner helps the wing get rid of test materials used to detect direction and velocity of bomb explosion fragments. The burner, which would consume massive amounts of the wood waste quickly and minimize the amount of pollutants released. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Samuel King Jr.)

Heat wave

Matt O’Conner, Air Burners sales manager, monitors the flame height of the 46th Test Wing’s new air curtain incinerator out on Eglin’s range. Air Burners personnel were on hand during the burner’s test run to ensure the new equipment worked properly and trained base personnel on how to use it. The air burner helps the wing get rid of test materials used to detect direction and velocity of bomb explosion fragments. The burner, which would consume massive amounts of the wood waste quickly and minimize the amount of pollutants released. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Samuel King Jr.)

Paper & fire

Another load of wood waste is dropped into the 46th Test Wing’s new air curtain incinerator out on Eglin’s range. The incinerator or air burner helps the wing get rid of test materials used to detect direction and velocity of bomb explosion fragments. The burner, which would consume massive amounts of the wood waste quickly and minimize the amount of pollutants released. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Samuel King Jr.)

CE trophies

Maj. Gen. C.R. Davis, Air Armament Center Commander, presented Col. David Maharrey, 96th Civil Engineer Group Commander, and his team, with 13 Air Force Materiel Command-level awards. The 96th CEG captured 13 of 27 CE awards at command-level. The awards are: Clifton Wright Award for Best Operations, 796th Civil Engineer Squadron; Harry Reitman Award (Senior Civilian), Vicki Preacher; Community Planner Award, EJ Gomes; Chief Master Sergeant Daniels Superintendent Award, Master Sgt. Christy Skerrett; Maj. Gen. Lupia Award - Company Grade Officer, Capt. Jonathon Herman; Non-Commissioned Officer, Staff Sgt. Michael Pereira; Airman, Senior Airman Brandon Harrell; Military Emergency Manager of the Year Award, Staff Sgt. Kenneth Buchanan; Gen. TD White Natural Resources Conservation - Large Base, Natural Resources Branch; Cultural Team Excellence Award, Cultural Resources Branch; Sustainability Award - Non-Industrial, Compliance Branch; NEPA Award, Environmental Impact Analysis Program Section; Design Agent, Mobile District; Honorable Citation - Plans, 7th Special Forces Group Architectural Compatibility Plan. (U.S, Air Force photo/Mike Spaits)

Energy expo

Mike Vannoy, Eglin Environmental Management office, talks about recycling with an attendee of the annual Energy Expo Oct. 21 at the base exchange. The expo provided visitors a look at the future of energy use here and how to conserve energy. Eglin collaborated with several organizations for the event including Gulf Power, Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative, Okaloosa Gas, Chevron Energy Solutions, the Okaloosa Building Industry Association and Eglin's Recycling Center. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Kevin Gaddie)

Crisp

Smoke rises from the floor of the burnt forest floor on Eglin Air Force Base’s range Sept. 21. The blaze, which occurred along part of the reservation South of Hwy 20 and West of Bayou Basin burned approximately 90 acres. The still smoldering fire was determined to be human-caused and is under investigation. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Rise up

Smoke rises from the floor of the burnt forest floor on Eglin Air Force Base’s range Sept. 21. The blaze, which occurred along part of the reservation South of Hwy 20 and West of Bayou Basin burned approximately 90 acres. The still smoldering fire was determined to be human-caused and is under investigation. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Turtle's dozen

A 96th Civil Engineer Squadron biologist carefully places another sea turtle egg in a cooler at one of Eglin Air Force Base’s beaches Aug. 2. The eggs will be transported to the east coast so the turtles can be released without the threat of encountering oil from the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The group of biologists removed 117 eggs from the nest on this day and more than 300 eggs have been moved so far. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Save the turtles

(Left to right) Errica Laine, Dusty Varble and Kathy Gault, 96th Civil Engineer Squadron biologists, carefully remove sea turtle eggs from their nest on one of Eglin Air Force Base’s beaches Aug. 2. The eggs will be transported to the east coast so the turtles can be released without the threat of encountering oil from the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The group of biologists removed 117 eggs from the nest on this day and more than 300 eggs have been moved so far. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Wall walker

A squirrel stands guard on a wall outside the library at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. It stayed in the shade of building and watched patrons enter and exit the library during lunchtime July 14. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Squirrel watching

A squirrel stands guard on a wall outside the library at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. It stayed in the shade of building and watched patrons enter and exit the library during lunchtime July 14. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Clean up

In an effort to clean up former munitions burial sites, explosive experts have recovered more than 3.6 million pounds of buried munitions on base ranges under the Military Munitions Response Program. The 96th Civil Engineer Group Environmental Restoration Office hosted a tour of the MMRP sites to help Eglin and Hurlburt Field Restoration Advisory Board community members inform the local community about the base’s commitment to a clean environment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott Moorman.)

Clean up

Eglin and Hurlburt Field Restoration Advisory Board community members toured a former munitions disposal pit here. Explosive experts at the site excavate the munitions, render them safe, and send the scrap metal to a recycling plant. The tour, hosted by the 96th Civil Engineer Group Environmental Restoration Office, was intended to help inform the local community about the base’s commitment to a clean environment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott Moorman.)