5OSS Airfield Management Published May 3, 2016 By Airman 1st Class Jessica Weissman Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- As an excavator transfers freshly-broken pavement from the airfield to an 18-wheeler, Airman 1st Class Benjamin Soto Garcia, airfield management operations shift lead assigned to the 5th Operations Support Squadron, inspects the construction area to ensure a high-level of safety is maintained. Currently, construction is underway on Taxiway Delta and the associated hammerhead of Minot Air Force Base's flightline in North Dakota. Contractors are milling and overlaying pavement due to the deteriorated condition of the area. "If this pavement fails, we cannot park aircraft on the hammerhead," said Senior Master Sgt. Sherri Knotts, 5th OSS airfield manager. Airfield management Airmen place barricades to define the limits of hazardous areas, and lights are checked daily to ensure they are positioned and working properly. "The responsibilities [of airfield management Airmen] increase when we have construction on the airfield," said Knotts, who added that even though the construction isn't on the runway, it still affects runway operations. The runway had to be temporarily displaced to provide a required safety distance to protect the approach and departure paths of aircraft and maintain the identified clear zone of the runway. Day-to-day tasks for airfield management Airmen include inspection of airfield markings, airfield signs, runway surface conditions and checking for obstacles and obstructions. "During an airfield sweep, we check the entire airfield for foreign objects or debris, such as bolts or rocks," said Soto Garcia. "We also have to frequently check for any wildlife on the airfield. If we find any wildlife, we have to scare them away and move them out of the area." Depending on the mission, flightline traffic and weather, Airmen from airfield management monitor the airfield every two hours or less. "These Airmen go out daily to ensure everyone is safe," said Knotts. "With our mission, it is a necessity to sustain aircraft operations even during construction."