FARGO, N.D. — The 119th Civil Engineer Squadron (CES), of the 119th Wing, was presented the Colonel William L. Deneke Outstanding Civil Engineer Unit Award for excellence, at the North Dakota Air National Guard base Saturday June 8, 2019.
The Deneke Award is given to the Air National Guard (ANG) outstanding civil engineer unit of the year, which is chosen from nearly 100 civil engineer units throughout the 54 states and territories. This award is for the time period spanning Oct. 1, 2017 – Sept. 30, 2018.
Among the many accomplishments that led to the recognition: the 119th CES spearheaded, supervised and accomplished multiple construction projects on the North Dakota Air National Guard base; successfully deployed 63 members for Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) participation and was recognized as the 332nd Wing’s top unit at its deployed AFCENT location; and rapidly mobilized disaster relief beddown set (DRBS) equipment to be airlifted to the U.S. Virgin Islands in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The DRBS is a portable ‘tent city’ designed to house 150 people (disaster relief personnel), that includes; showers, laundry facilities, latrines, water purification, generators and power distribution.
"You have built a community of excellence here (at the 119th Wing), a community of problem solvers and mission enablers who have proven to be the best in the Air National Guard," said Col. Scott Chambers, Deputy Director, Installations and the Air National Guard Civil Engineer at National Guard Bureau. Chambers presented the award on behalf of the National Guard Bureau.
ANG civil engineers are tasked with duties involving construction and maintenance of all facilities; maintaining utility systems such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems; maintaining pavements, roads and runways; operating heavy equipment; fire protection; explosive ordnance disposal (EOD); and emergency management.
The North Dakota ANG base is host to one of only four civil engineer regional training sites in the country, with unique facilities and highly trained and qualified unit members who instruct visiting civil engineer personnel from across the Air Force enterprise. The training site provides hands-on instruction and implements equipment practice used for real-world, home-station activities and wartime taskings at deployed locations.
This is the second time the 119th CES has received the Deneke Award. The first was in 1997.
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The North Dakota National Guard is a trained and highly motivated force of about 4,000 Citizen-Soldiers and Citizen-Airmen. We are always prepared to provide ready units, individuals and equipment in support of our communities, state and nation. Always ready, always there.
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High-resolution photos at Flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard/albums/72157709001541483/with/480…