LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- For most, one of the first few factors that determines if a location is livable would be availability of clean air and water; however, does one factor in the process required to ensure these expectations are met?
Airmen at the 47th Medical Operations Squadron bioenvironmental flight survey and record potential environmental hazards to make recommendations about how to either proactively remove hazards, or reactively respond to a disaster.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Jeremy Miniter, bioenvironmental flight commander, says their mission is to identify and mitigate potential hazards to Airmen and the environment around them.
“We ensure that the work and home environment for Airmen [at] Laughlin are not going to cause them any problems,” Miniter said. “We give them this reassurance so our pilots and warriors can do what they do best.”
The team, according to Senior Airman Frank Balba, bioenvironmental engineering journeyman, conducts more than 200 inspections annually, 15 of which are considered highest risk for exposure or spillage of hazardous materials.
“The inspections consist of surface and air checks for mold and allergens,” said Balba. “We also evaluate storage and use of hazardous materials, like oil or grease for example.”
Bio has a wide array of hazards on their radar. However, the focus is put on dust and mold. Senior Airman Christopher McCloud, also a bio journeyman, says the high volume of dust and mold is from the desert climate Laughlin is exposed to.
“Being here [at] Laughlin we have older buildings and a harsh climate that make us susceptible to dust and mold,” said McCloud.
Once the data is collected, the bio team makes recommendations to leadership and other squadrons based on their findings. This can be from outdoor activity restrictions based on current temperatures to emergencies like oil tanker train derailments.
“We always make recommendations,” said Miniter. “We aren’t the authority to execute plans, but we give our data and findings to leadership and appropriate parties who make informed decisions on how to proceed with a given case.”
One of the advantages of bioenvironmental is how available to the public their work is. From base leadership to dependents on base housing, anyone with questions about air or water quality can call and ask directly.
“We always encourage people to call with questions about the tap water or air quality,” said Miniter. “Unlike other providers, we have no problem with taking phone calls and telling people what they want to know.”
The Bioenvironmental flight, located inside the Laughlin clinic, can be reached at 830-289-6859.