It takes a WFSM engineer to make a village

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Robert McIlrath
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  

Before the fight can be taken to the enemy, certain amenities are required for American warriors to push forward. One of those necessary resources is water.

 

The Water and Fuels Systems Maintenance apprentice course at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, teaches more than just basic plumbing to its airmen, sailor and soldier students.

 

“It would be like adding armor and weaponry to a plumber,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel O’Fallon, 366th Training Squadron WFSM instructor. “The skills we teach can be used down range in combat zones supporting the war on terror as well as in the continental U.S. working on projects or facility maintenance.”

 

Aside from mobile training teams, all WFSM training happens at Sheppard, including four advanced courses.

 

“Our apprentice course is broken into three courses,” said Tech. Sgt. Justin Cruz, 366th TRS WFSM section chief. “The first course is approximately 29 academic days which converts to 229 training hours.”

 

During the first portion of the course, students from the Army, Navy and Air Force learn how to do interior and exterior piping, grading, soldering, flare in, cut pipe, ring pipe, thread pipe and actually build a plumbing booth from scratch.

 

The Army students graduate after the first portion of the course, leaving only Navy and Air Force students to complete the second stage, which is only four days.

 

“They will learn about wells, water treatment, waste water treatment, how to tap pipe so they can add on to existing pipe,” Cruz continued. “Then the Navy students graduate and it’s on to the Air Force specific portion.”

 

Upon completion of the 53-day Air Force specific course, students will have earned 21 credits towards their Community College of the Air Force Associates Degree.

 

“Airmen in the final portion will learn everything from technical orders to getting into fuel systems,” Cruz said. “They are going to learn about automatic valves and how to maintain our fuel systems. They will take apart pumps and learn about mechanical seals, and learn more about the contingency aspect of our job, which is to actually go in and build a base from scratch.”

In a deployed environment, WFSM engineers, along with other members of civil engineering, will put up tents, establish water points, run water lines and make potable water out of whatever source is there, whether underground or above.

“I’ve always told the students I feel like we have one of the most important career fields in the Air Force,” Cruz said. “Because people can’t live without water, and our planes can’t fly without fuel, and that’s our job, water and fuel.”

O’Fallon reflects on why he considers his job and instructing to be the best job in the Navy.

“My favorite part of this duty is to train and inspire Airmen, Soldiers, and constructionmen,” O’Fallon said. “In time all of these young students will replace us in the field and down range. They are the future in defending this nation and supporting the fight against terror. If we inspire them to do great things they will. We can’t fall short of that mission.”