Ramp revamp

SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq -- Tech. Sgt. Freddie Garrette pours freshly mixed concrete into a 100 square foot spall repair area Oct. 6 while Tech. Sgt. Jeff Jones, center, smoothes the edges and Senior Airman Wilson Quinante brushes the surface of a smoothed section to give it an anti-skid surface. The 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Heavy Equipment Operations “Dirt Boys” repair damaged surface areas on the airfield here each Saturday morning. The team gets an early start, often working before sunrise, to beat the daytime high temperatures, which helps ensure a proper mixture cure time and a stronger slab. The team must also work quickly to limit the amount of time airfield operations are affected while repairs are done. Sather AB is the busiest airfield in Iraq, averaging 4,000 transient aircraft activities each month. Sergeant Garrette is deployed from the Tennessee Air National Guard. Sergeant Jones is deployed from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. Airman Quinante is deployed from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey)