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BEE flight promotes safe environment

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Destinee Sweeney
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  On a typical day, 20th Aerospace Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental engineers are busy bees, monitoring environmental factors such as the installation’s water and air quality to identify and evaluate any potential hazards and ensure the safety of Airmen and families who make the 20th Fighter Wing mission happen.

Airman 1st Class Jackson Gordon, 20th AMDS bioenvironmental apprentice, said the BEE flight mission is to protect Airmen so they can continue to support the 20th Fighter Wing mission.

Bioenvironmental engineers monitor Airmen with jobs that might expose them to various chemicals and radiation, such as x-ray technicians or nondestructive inspection technicians, to verify they receive proper equipment and safety training.

By assuring their health is not affected by workplace hazards, the BEE flight keeps Airmen fit to fight and ready to deploy, said Susan McCutchen, 20th AMDS bioenvironmental engineering technician.

Not only does the BEE flight take care of Airmen, they also work to maintain a healthy environment for Airmen and families at home.

“For families who live on base, drinking water is probably the biggest thing,” said Gordon.

The BEE flight maintains several environmental programs, including a drinking water program where technicians test water from various parts of the installation for chemicals and bacteria and respond to incidents such as waterline breaks. Additionally, they are responsible for releasing an annual water quality report for the base.

Bioenvironmental engineers monitor the safety training of various workplaces, such as decontamination practices, and can recommend training if the shop introduces any new hazards into the work routine.

“We make sure workers aren’t taking home some kind of chemical to their families,” said Gordon. “There are procedures they have to learn to decontaminate after they’ve been exposed to chemicals.”

Furthermore, Airmen undergo a gas mask fit test accomplished by the BEE flight to make certain when they deploy, they have the proper equipment to protect them in a potential hazardous chemical environment.

By promoting and sustaining a safe and healthy environment, the 20th AMDS BEE flight ensures Airmen and families are taken care of and ready to support the 20th FW mission.