216th Engineering Installation Squadron Alumni Association

                                               OPERATION DESERT SHIFT
                                       Information compiled by Jack Davis, CMSGT retired

This project installed cable infrastructure and equipment in 3 new buildings at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The 216th had personnel working on this project from 10 September 2000 until 15 February 2001.  At the time this project started, the Joint Task Force mission (Southern Watch) was being run from Eskan Village in Riyadh. The Combined Air Operation Center was located in tents. This completed facility allowed the operations to move to PSAB. The project continued after the 216th left and was not completed for another couple of months. Over 200 EI personnel were involved in this project. All ranks indicated are at the time of the project.

Left to right in the back row of the above picture: SSGT Taylor (216th), MSGT Hefner (216th), MSGT Romero (215th), SSGT Peer (215th), MSGT Collett (215th), TSGT Giordano (216th), TSGT Freemon (216th), SMSGT Davis (216th), MSGT Parton (205th)

Second Row Standing: TSGT Said (216th), MSGT Young (130th), TSGT Prince (216th), TSGT Messman (216th), SSGT Paderanga (216th), MSGT Vavrock (216th), SSGT Smuin (216th), MSGT Quen (216th), MSGT Specht (216th), MSGT Fonseca (216th), TSGT Gaddy (215th), SSGT Barros (216th), SSGT Mueller (216th), MSGT Gill (216th), TSGT Araya (216th)

Front Row Kneeling: SSGT Bennett (216th), TSGT Ko (216th), SSGT Repetto (216th), SSGT Eaton (216th), SSGT Roberts (215th)

Ron Prince (216 EIS)

Al and I worked in the project management office as the senor enlisted project managers.

SMSGT AL Moran 243 EIS (Engineer)

SMSGT Jack Davis and TSGT Mark Maddox (Comm Squadron SCX) Mark is an associate member of the 216th Alumni Association

This is Mark Maddox (middle) along with personnel from the 212 EIS and 243 EIS. This picture was taken in Sept and the buildings were not completed. We had cable installers scheduled to show up in less than two months. Needless to say we were a little nervous about the project at this time.

MSGT Dorene Gerry. This was one of the first of many projects that Dorene worked with us on. She is an associate member of the 216th Alumni Association

These guys had it the toughest. They were trenchng and installing duct. It was so hot you could not work outside more than about an hour without resting. We had two teams working every project so they could take turns in the sun.

Randy Young (130 EIS). Randy ran an outside plant crew that was pulling copper and fiber from the main base to the desert shift site.

MSGT Beth Hernandez. She was our outstanding supply troop from the 212 EIS. She was also the full time supply tech at the 212th. Beth saved us several times by getting us parts downtown. That was not an easy task in Saudi.

Cindy Chagnon, drafting troop from the 212 EIS. Cindy had the humongous task of keeping the drawings up to date.

Curtis Craigle (270 EIS) Outstanding Team Chief

From left: MSGT Mark Fieds (215 EIS), Cindy Moser (215 EIS) and Jason Sidsworth from the 241 EIS. They arrived ahead of the inside fiber pullng teams. Here they are building the pulling racks for the fiber.

We all know how EI hates doing allied support but sometimes we have no choice. No provisions were made to hang cable tray above the drop ceiling in the buildings. Red Horse was in a hurry to get out of there by Thanksgiving and there was no way they would let us install the tray before they installed the drop ceiling. They at least let us hang the threaded rod in the ceiling before they installed the drop panels. After they left we had to remove the panels and install the cable tray. Craigle and his team are posing with the hated threaded rod.

Once again EI doing allied support. The buildings were designed with one power plug every 4 feet on the exterior walls and no conduit planned at all for cable. Soo here is EI installing conduit and boxes before the sheet rock goes up. When this facility is operational there are about 300 computers on each floor. So, a box every 4 feet on the outer walls just wouldn't cut it. We really do love Red Horse. Just ask SMS Moran, pictured on the right.