JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – It’s Mission Monday! Jianren “JR” Lei is a pavements engineer with the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center’s Detachment 2 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
He is responsible for reviewing and responding to pavement questions, challenges and engineering solutions supporting Pacific Air Forces, its installations and, on occasion, combatant command engineers as well. As the “one stop shop” pavement subject matter expert, he supports military construction, operations and maintenance, expeditionary readiness construction design reviews to make power projection platforms more lethal and enhances Agile Combat Employment operations.
Here’s a little more about Lei and how his work contributes to the lethality and readiness of the Department of the Air Force (DAF):
What do you love about your job?
Every day is a new day. You never know what questions people are going to ask or need help with.
When it comes to your job, what keeps you motivated?
My job is like a mini technical support desk. It gives me great satisfaction when questions are answered and problems are solved. Sometimes the questions are complex and complicated, forcing me to do research and reach out to other people or my counterparts throughout the Air Force. The opportunity to interact and learn from so many people in this job and thus improving myself technically is absolutely amazing. Lastly, knowing that there are things I don’t know is sheer motivation.
Why are you and your team important to the Air Force enterprise/your customers?
We deal with real-life situations and help solve problems. We make other people’s lives a little easier and their days a little brighter.
Describe a project/event you and your team worked on recently that gave you a great sense of accomplishment:
We were recently at a high temperature climate airfield where a repair crew was performing a partial depth concrete repair. Previously, we heard extra water was sometimes added to the ready-mix package so that concrete could flow better and be easier to work with. This wasn’t good because the extra water can increase the water/cement ratio and decrease the concrete strength. We noted in the ready-mix package that retardants for this particular product are sold separately and discussed with the shop leadership to make the combined ready-mix and retardant acquisition a top priority. This encounter doesn’t seem significant, but it should make life a little easier for the repair crew. That’s what our team try to do.
AFIMSC has three strategic priorities -- increase lethality and readiness, strengthen Airmen, Guardians and families, and pursue organizational excellence. Tell us how these priorities best fits what you do and why?
My job deals with pavement issues that can impact day-to day flight operations and future flight activities.
Is there anything else you’d like to add which might help people understand the importance of what you do for the Air Force?
In my PACAF area of responsibility there is a lack of engineers whose primary duties are airfield and roadway pavements, and there are many times people would seek technical advice on various pavement issues, frequently in short notices. My role fills that important gap, hopefully adequately. Another unique aspect of this position is knowledge sharing. I am able to learn many different things and then able to share with others what I learn. Finally, my position is a testimony to people at the base that we (Det 2) are here to help; if we cannot, we can direct you to someone or an organization that can help.