Uncovering the Dirt Boyz

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Scott Poe
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark., --  The 19th Civil Engineer Squadron pavements and construction equipment shop has the muscle to maintain 813 facilities, two aerial drop zones, two assault strips and 15.2 million square feet of airfield pavement. They manage this by using more than 40 pieces of heavy equipment at their disposal which includes bull dozers, excavators, dump trucks and other vehicles that push, haul, spread or load construction materials. In the late 1960's, they earned the nickname Dirt Boyz during the Vietnam War because they were always covered in dirt, mud or concrete. The Dirt Boyz keep their hands full when winter arrives. Keeping snow and ice off of all base pavements is no easy task but they take it on head first. Summer time is no vacation either. The Arkansas humidity, mixed with hot-mix-asphalt, makes for a scorching concoction. If not for this shop, the roads and runways would be impassable and unusable. Airmen, retirees, civilians and other base goers would be unable to go to work and aircraft would be grounded and unable to fly. The 19th CES pavements and construction equipment shop keeps Little Rock AFB smoothly expanding and concrete.