Dirtboyz Clear the Snow

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Trevor Saylor
  • 934th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL AIR RESERVE STATION, Minn. --  If there is anything that Minnesotans love to talk--and by extension, complain--about, it's the weather. There is a bit of personal and regional pride associated with the harsh conditions that we all live through each winter.  For the Minnesota-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, winter can be especially trying considering that flights and missions continue, regardless of most weather conditions.

Inside the 934th Airlift Wing Civil Engineering Squadron is a shop that affectionately self-identifies as the "Dirtboyz", but is more commonly known around base as the "Pavements & Equipment" section.

During the winter months, the twelve traditional reservists that comprise the shop are responsible for plowing, snow-blowing, shoveling, scraping, sanding, and salting the roads and sidewalks on the installation.  While the official supervisor is deployed, Tech. Sgt. Adam Ruter serves as the acting supervisor.  In this capacity he coordinates all of the unseen work that goes into creating safe paths for motorists and pedestrians on base.  "We have to make sure people have safe roadways and sidewalks", Ruter said.  During the summer, the Pavements & Equipment section patches concrete and attends to any other repairs needed on sidewalks and roads across the base.

There is an astonishing variety of equipment that is used to clear snow.  From truck-mounted snowblowers to snowbrooms, and even the occasional low-tech snow shovel, the Dirtboyz have it all and keep it all running smoothly.  Civilians work during the month, too, providing uninterrupted snow-clearing.

The flightline is cleared by independent contractors through the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, but from the parking apron for the C-130s to the front gate, and back to the Air National Guard side of the installation, the Dirtboyz are responsible for all of it.  After the sudden arrival of winter this Unit Training Assembly weekend, all of us are more aware of the dangers that come with winter weather; the generous use of sand across the sidewalks and roadways helps prevent falls (though pedestrians should still take care when walking on ice).  Salt, and other corrosives can damage aircraft, and so they are used sparingly.

Ruter said that for his section, the harsh conditions are something they are proud of.  "For a Dirtboy, the difficult things are immediate.  It's the impossible that may cause a slight delay."