ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. – The Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force challenge kicked off at Ellsworth AFB July 22 with more than 130 participants.
Prime BEEF teams consist of 28th Civil Engineer Squadron personnel who are organized, equipped and trained to respond within hours to worldwide emergencies and to support the Air Force's mission with base build-up, sustainment and recovery operations.
The challenge they underwent consisted of endurance events such as Self Aid Buddy Care, a realistic simulation of providing medical care to victims in a Humvee accident, and the M4 relay, which simulated a weapon system being down and bringing it back up to an operational level.
“The purpose of the Prime BEEF challenge is a way to put field experience to the test in a competitive environment,” said Master Sgt. Mitchell Meis, 28th CES emergency readiness chief.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, during events such as the Berlin Crisis, Lebanon Crisis and Cuban Missile Crisis, aircraft and support personnel were being deployed without runways, water supply, electricity, housing and other facilities necessary to support them. Civil engineer personnel we needed to rapidly respond and provide basing facilities. The Air Force's answer was the Prime BEEF program.
Members of Prime BEEF have proven it to be one of the Air Force’s most versatile and productive programs by providing bed-down of small structures and sustainment resources in a deployed environment. In 2014, the Prime BEEF challenge at Ellsworth was created by Robert Cronan, retired Chief Master Sgt., as a way to train 28th CES personnel on various disaster scenarios.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to experience front-line emergencies,” said Airman 1st Class Willie Lyons, 28th CES customer service technician.
Lyons also mentioned it helps Airmen prepare for deployment, and helps prevent them from being thrown into something unexpected.
“It started in 2014 as a way to challenge shops within the squadron on scenarios that may happen in a battlefield environment,” Meis said.
Meis explained the challenges’ importance, stating it also builds morale and promotes esprit de corps for the Airmen through healthy competition.
“I feel the challenge builds confidence in our personnel by coming together and doing a field day that is challenging, morale building, and also serves to educate our civil engineers on expeditionary war time tasks,” Meis said.