JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Members of the 560th Flying Training Squadron visited Seguin Auxiliary Air Field Sept. 30 to view the progress that has been made to ready the air field for use.
Since May, crews from the 820th Rapid Engineers Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., have been working around the clock and are scheduled to finish paving the runway by Oct. 31.
"One of our biggest challenges has been turning an airfield that was built in 1941 into an airfield that can support modern, high-performance, aircraft like the T-38," Capt. Erich Kramer, 820th RED HORSE design engineer said.
So far, more than 3,000 trucks have brought in 73,000 tons of gravel for the base course on the site. Base course is a layer of material in an asphalt roadway that is located directly under the surface layer, providing a foundation.
An estimated 44,000 tons of asphalt are expected to be poured by the team before construction is completed.
Once the airfield is completed at Seguin, there will be less air space congestion at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.
"Pilot instructor students are able to get more training without interference from other aircraft," Maj. Matthew Reynolds, 12th Operations Support Squadron assistant director of operations, said. "Students can perform more flight patterns, more landings and common sight pictures that they will see at their future bases."