Once settled at Lajes Air Base, Portugal, the 133rd Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) went to work on their Deployment for Training (DFT), trading traditional drill weekends for hands-on contingency operations and vital morale building. The unique island environment provided essential upgrade training on active military infrastructure that traditional guardsmen rarely encounter at their home station.
"Working on fuel systems is definitely the biggest real-world training opportunity because we don't have a fuel system back at home," said U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Aaron Voelke, 133rd CES. "We are out calibrating meters and looking at hydrant pits, making sure the flow is good and that everything is working the way it is supposed to."
Throughout the DFT, the squadron stepped outside their comfort zones to gain practical experience. Airmen poured concrete for base improvements, wired buildings under unfamiliar foreign construction codes, and navigated joint-shop operations. To maximize this growth, senior leadership intentionally stepped back, empowering junior Airmen and mid-level Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) to take charge of multi-shop projects.
"I don't really see any senior NCOs out here working, and that's by design," said U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Jacob Henderson, 133rd CES. "We have a lot of staff sergeants and senior airmen out here that are going to be leading the work on our next deployment. It's fantastic to see them applying their training to real-world applications."
Beyond the job site, the DFT focused heavily on fostering unit cohesion. For a National Guard unit where members serve side-by-side for up to 20 years, these shared experiences are viewed as the foundation of mission success. Operating on a volcanic island in the Azores allowed the Airmen to bond by exploring local Portuguese culture together, hiking, and experiencing unique community events.
"When you have a whole squadron that has very different jobs, you need that morale and cohesiveness," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Benjamin Terhaar, 133rd CES. "They learn who their people are and where they fit. It's almost always an extremely positive experience for them, and it's huge for retention."