Protecting the base one sip at a time

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Micaiah Anthony
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  From ensuring safe drinking water at the fitness center to donning a gas mask down range, Bioenvironmental Airmen have Airmen covered.

The 2nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron Bioenvironmental Flight mission consists of three parts; occupational health, mission readiness and environmental protection.

As a part of occupational health, Bioenvironmental Airmen ensure all units are up to safety and health standards by conducting tests and performing inspections.

"We visit different units and inspect their files to ensure they are accomplishing their proper protective equipment training, along with other safety guidelines," said Staff Sgt. Alex Quinones, 2nd AMDS special surveillance program manager. "We also conduct air sampling, noise dissymmetry and sound level surveys to monitor areas Airmen work in to make sure their PPE will protect them."

Along with keeping Airmen safe at work, the Bioenvironmental office helps ensure the rest of the base populace is safe by conducting water tests.

"We test different water sources around base along with the base pools," said Staff Sgt. Mario Falcone, 2nd AMDS environmental protection program manager. "We check the water to make sure chlorine and potential hydrogen levels are correct and the water is safe to drink to prevent people from getting sick."

The Bioenvironmental office also conducts an annual report of sampling findings from the water sources on base. The annual Consumer Confidence Report is scheduled for release in June and will be available in the base paper and on the Barksdale public website. A copy of the CCR will also be distributed to all base residents.

"We will be sending out the new CCR in a few weeks," said Falcone. "The report reveals the worst of what people are exposed to throughout the year; however, the worst that we find is still very safe for consumption."

The water on base not only gets tested by Barksdale's Bioenvionmental lab but by the Shreveport Water Purification lab, as well. The Bioenvironmental office also monitors water sources during exercises and changes in force protection conditions by testing them periodically, added Falcone.

One of the unit's other mission objectives is readiness ensuring Airmen are prepared to respond to chemical, biological or radiological incidents.

"In the event of an aircraft accident or a major chemical spill, we can be called out to identify certain chemicals," said Falcone. "We also ensure emergency responders have the appropriate PPE to handle chemicals and inform them of the proper clean up measures."

Another aspect of readiness is fit testing Airmen for their gas masks.

"We fit test Airmen to verify they can don their mask correctly and ensure they are fitted for the correct gas mask size," said Falcone.

At the end of the day, Bioenvironmental Airmen ensure the water for the base populace is safe and Airmen are protected at work, while staying vigilant to respond to biological, radiological and chemical mishaps.