DirtBoyz keep Malmstrom safe during winter

  • Published
  • By Airman Collin Schmidt
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  On average, Malmstrom receives 60 inches of snow annually, according to the 341st Civil Engineer Squadron. With this much snowfall, making sure base personnel are safe is a top priority for the installation and preparing for the snow is a year-long process.

"At the end of every year's snow season, we are already thinking ahead and preparing for the next season as well," said Tech. Sgt. Daniel Berner, 341st CES horizontal construction section chief. "In the summer months, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron personnel rebuild all of our equipment and have it operational for us by Oct. 15.

"In our shop, we reconstitute all of our equipment and supplies and conduct annual snow removal training," he continued. "Currently, out of our 30 military personnel, 11 are new to the career field. We spent two weeks of hands-on snow equipment training to ensure our operators are mission ready before the first snow fall."

Berner's shop is responsible for removing snow on 26 miles of roadway, 127 acres of parking lots, 10 miles of sidewalks and the access portions to 150 missile alert and launch facilities.

To accomplish this mission, the shop utilizes 19 pieces of heavy equipment dedicated for snow removal. This equipment consists of road graders, front-end loaders, dump trucks equipped with sanders, a runway plow and multiple small tractors for sidewalk clearing.

"We have 26 military personnel on-station with an additional four currently deployed, 10 civilians and 10 819th Red Horse Squadron augmentees who work together to accomplish this mission," said Berner. "We are very thankful that our Red Horse counterpart gives us continuous support every year."

Without these Team Malmstrom members, the safety of Malmstrom's entire base populace would be at risk during the heavy snow season. In the field, MAFs and LFs would not be able to function properly.

According to Berner, the heavy equipment operators who are also known as DirtBoyz are a tight knit team.

If 341st CES personnel weren't out plowing snow, folks would not be able to get to their work centers safely and accomplish the ongoing mission, he said. For the DirtBoyz, there is a sense of pride knowing the team is an essential cog of the wheel that keeps Malmstrom turning.

"At the end of our shifts, when we are leaving the shop for the day, people can look out and see all of the snow that's been pushed and know the roads are safer because of the job we accomplished," said Berner.

"We motivate each other every day to get the job done, no matter what that job is," he said.