434th CES project provides training, helps SFS Published June 28, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Andrew McLaughlin 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- With the striking of hammers and the buzzing of saws, Grissom civil engineers added a towering new structure and capability to the base. Members of the 434th Civil Engineer Squadron finished a new observation tower overlooking the M203 grenade launcher range earlier this year. "It's a proficiency range to get people trained up," said Master Sgt. Kevin Stath, 434th CES structural craftsman. The tower allows 434th Security Force Squadron instructors to watch over and observe their Airmen training on the range, said Stath. The civil engineers finished up the tower by installing protective outer layers to the observation room as well as gutters with down spouts and floor tiling. "This makes it all-weather proof," Stath explained. Some Airmen at Grissom may not be aware of the grenade launcher range on base due to a lack of explosive sounds one might expect to hear from such training, and Stath said that's because live grenade rounds are not used on the range. Instead SFS members use dummy rounds filled with powder. Besides fulfilling the requirement of having such a tower, the project provided the 434th CES practice for many of the construction processes that Grissom civil engineers need to know. "It gave us a lot of hands-on training for our careerfield," said Stath. In all, the tower project provided valuable experience for Grissom's civil engineers by allowing them to put their skills to work, and it will also help facilitate training for security forces who are charged with keeping the base safe. Grissom is home to the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.
