Engineers Week 2022: Meet Ned Harshbarger
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – It’s Engineers Week and we wanted to spotlight a few of our engineer teammates at AFIMSC.
Meet Ned Harshbarger with the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center’s Detachment 4 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Harshbarger is a European Defense Initiative (EDI) Program Manager in the civil engineering office.
What is your engineering area of expertise?
I’m a civil engineer.
What are the main things you are working on now?
I am a design and construction manager for all of the EDI Deployable Air Base System Facility.
What do you enjoy the most about being an Air Force CE?
I like the diversity of opportunities. I started as a project manager for pavements and I am now a project manager for the design and construction for large warehouse and vehicle maintenance facilities which includes site visits to other nation’s air bases and partnering with their engineers on projects.
How do you contribute to the lethality and readiness of the Air Force?
The projects that I’m working gives the Air Force the capability to store/stage war reserve material assets all over Europe. This will greatly increase readiness through forward deployed assets and also provide increased joint nation training capabilities.
What has been your favorite, most successful or most rewarding project in your career with the Air Force so far and why?
My favorite project was designing a roundabout at a major intersection on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. This was going to be the first roundabout on the base but, unfortunately, it was built after I left the base for my current position.
What motivates and inspires you the most?
To know that I am making a difference in the readiness of the military. With current events and never knowing what could happen, I know I have assisted in the military readiness to fight future conflicts that I hope never happen.
Is there anything you would like to add?
My current position has been a great learning opportunity and allowed me to grow as an individual. I have loved living in Europe, especially the history that I get to expose my children to and the fun travel opportunities to other countries.