Hill reservists home after six-month deployment

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- A group of reservists from the 419th Civil Engineer Squadron returned home this week after a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia.

While overseas, about 20 Airmen from the CES performed base maintenance and ensured the troops had quality living and work areas.

"We responded to service calls for broken A/C units, doors, locks, clogged pipes, and broken lift stations," said Senior Master Sgt. James Thomas, operations manager for the deployed Airmen.

Larger projects included routing utility lines to newly constructed buildings, setting up portable bathrooms and showers, repairing runways, and surveying the area to ensure maps were up to date.

When they weren't working, Airmen could be found near the Wi-Fi hotspots.

"We worked eight- to ten-hour days, but when the work day was done we spent a lot of time Skyping or calling back home to talk to our families," Thomas said.

The last group of CES personnel is due home next week.