153rd Civil Engineers train, maintain flexibility

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Natalie Stanley
  • 153rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Oberammergau, Germany --  'Semper Gumby', or 'always flexible', is the motto Master Sgt. Lee Najera, power production shop supervisor, lives by when it comes to his job with the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron, power production shop.

"You have to remain flexible because you never know what you'll be doing next," said Najera.

Deployment training at Oberammergau, Germany, is no exception. Najera and his four-member group assist where needed: readying plastic grids for recycling, helping with NATO School roofing projects, operating heavy equipment and laying asphalt.

"The benefit of being a 'Jack of All Trades' is always getting to learn something new," said Staff Sgt. C.J. Ostrander, 153 CES power production specialist.

With only one generator that needed servicing this trip, Airmen of the power production shop didn't get to use their primary job training which includes: providing generator power services to electricians, maintaining generators and servicing aircraft arresting systems.

However, a lack of generator jobs didn't stop the team from using this training opportunity to learn new trades and brush up on skills not always available to them at home station.

"Everyone has pitched in and learned a lot this trip," said Najera. "It takes a lot of cooperation and coordination on everyone's part and they have all done very well."