TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Tyndall held its first-ever Mission Essential Equipment Training course on the new Expeditionary Airfield Lighting System Jan. 27. The 801st RED HORSE Training Squadron operates one of three Silver Flag locations across the Department of Defense lighting the way for new war-fighting capabilities by teaching this course.
Electrical systems Airmen from multiple installations completed this new MEET course. The five-day, 40-hour training taught Airmen the newest Expeditionary Airfield Lighting System (EALS-C) technology, which was designed to light contingency airfields. The EALS-C is described as a revolutionary lighting system that outshines its predecessor in timeliness, safety and efficiency.
“The EALS-B [Legacy system] is very dated, using incandescent lighting for the fixtures and a mobile electric power generator,” explained Staff Sgt. Michael Murillo, 801st RED HORSE electrical contingency training instructor. “The MEP generator is a potentially fatal piece of equipment due to upwards of 2,000 volts present at any time. With the new EALS-C system, all lights are LED and at a maximum, there is 270 volts running through the cable or equipment, making it safer for our Airmen.”
In addition to safety, the EALS-C system can be utilized to support military and civilian aircraft missions in under one hour, much quicker than the legacy system which could take up to nine hours.
“Minimizing the installation time to under an hour to light up an airfield, ensures we can project unrivaled combat power as quickly as possible,” says Murillo. “In a potentially contested environment, time, speed and efficiency are of the essence to saving lives.”
The MEET course will also be taught at Silver Flag locations at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
“Learning better ways to do the job is always rewarding,” explained Tech. Sgt. Keith Ford, 419th Civil Engineer Squadron, MEET course student. “I know my Airmen and I will not only be better supporting the mission by using this equipment, but we’ll be safer operating this system, which is a comforting feeling.”