Germany: Wyoming Air Guard engineers stay flexible, build experience at NATO School

By Tech. Sgt. Natalie Stanley
153rd Airlift Wing

Air Force Master Sgt. Jesse Johnson, with the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron, cuts pavers for a new walkway at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, Aug. 20, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natalie Stanley)
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OBERAMMERGAU, Germany (8/28/12)  - "Semper Gumby," or "always flexible," is the motto that Air Force Master Sgt. Lee Najera, the  power production shop supervisor with the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineering Squadron, lives by when it comes to his job.

“You have to remain flexible because you never know what you’ll be doing next,” said Najera.

Deployment training at Oberammergau, Germany, is no exception. Najera and his four-member group assisedt where needed: readying plastic grids for recycling, helping with NATO School roofing projects, operating heavy equipment and laying asphalt.

“The benefit of being a ‘Jack of all trades’ is always getting to learn something new,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. C.J. Ostrander, a power production specialist with the 153rd CES.

With only one generator that needed servicing this trip, Airmen of the power production shop didn’t use their primary job training which includes providing generator power services to electricians, maintaining generators and servicing aircraft arresting systems.

However, a lack of generator jobs didn’t stop the team from using this training opportunity to learn new trades and brush up on skills not always available to them at home station.

“Everyone has pitched in and learned a lot this trip,” said Najera. “It takes a lot of cooperation and coordination on everyone’s part and they have all done very well.”

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