KINGSLEY FIELD, Ore. -- The 173rd Civil Engineer Flight conducted an Expedient Airfield Damage Repair (EADR) exercise during the SENTRY EAGLE 25-1 large-scale air-to-air combat training, testing the unit’s ability to rapidly respond to simulated runway damage while supporting ongoing flight operations, August 5, 2025.
The exercise served as a proof of concept to determine if the civil engineers could inject realistic scenarios into the larger wing-level event, aligning with Agile Combat Employment (ACE) principles.
Engineers staged the training on a recently vacated construction laydown yard adjacent to the airfield. The site—once home to a concrete production plant—features multiple 20-foot-wide, 16-inch-thick concrete slabs originally built as test lanes, now repurposed as simulated taxiways and runway sections.
To simulate an enemy missile strike, the team cut a 13-foot-wide, 3-foot-deep crater into the concrete. The Unit Control Center (UCC) then dispatched an Airfield Damage Assessment Team (ADAT), followed by a full Airfield Damage Repair Team (ADRT), to complete repairs before aircraft returned from their morning sorties.
“This unit doesn’t have the official UTC or training course for Rapid Airfield Damage Repair,” said Maj. Joe Young, 173rd Civil Engineering Commander. “So the question was: what would we do if this was real—right now, right here?”
Working with only essential equipment; a dump truck, Bobcat skid steer, plate compactor, fire truck, and hand tools, the team cleared debris, filled the crater, and compacted the material in just two and a half hours.
Master Sgt. Michael McCormick,173rd Civil Engineering Operations Superintendent, supervised the drill while maintaining coordination with a simulated Emergency Operations Center, all during live flightline activity.
“The team performed a contingency response, in a training environment, with only the tools and materials available on hand,” said McCormick.
Despite the exercise’s success, it revealed key logistical constraints. Engineers cited limited availability of proper fill and capping materials, unexpected fuel consumption, and insufficient water supply for compactions.
1st Lt. Jack Mathes, 173rd Civil Engineering Operations Officer, praised the team for following command direction and minimizing delays caused by execution debates.
“Now that we’ve completed a baseline ‘crawl phase’ exercise, we can refine the process,” Mathes said. “That includes acquiring better base course and quick-set concrete for future repairs.”
Tech. Sgt. Michael Snodgrass, 173rd Civil Engineering Construction Superintendent, said the event proved the team’s readiness to act without waiting for perfect conditions.
“It was a concise crawl phase—and now it’s time to walk,” said Snodgrass.
The repaired surface won’t support aircraft landings, but could easily support towing operations, according to officials. The training validated the 173rd’s ability to operate under pressure and reinforced the unit’s commitment to innovation and mission readiness.