Pros of con… crete make runway safe for landing

Maj. Kreg Arnold, 494th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations, presents a coin to Airman 1st Class Jake Puzzuto, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron heavy equipment operator, Feb. 25, 2015, at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. The achievement coin is given as a reward for outstanding service or performance of duty. Puzzuoto along with other crew members made an emergency repair to the RAF Lakenheath runway so pilots could land safely. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dawn M. Weber/Released)

Pros of con… crete make runway safe for landing

Lt. Col. Connor Blackwood, 48th Mission Support Group deputy commander, explains the importance of a repair on the flightline Feb. 25, 2015 at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. Airmen from the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron responded rapidly to repair the pothole, saving the 48th Fighter Wing millions of dollars in costs from diverting air traffic. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dawn M. Weber/Released)

Pros of con… crete make runway safe for landing

Pilots from the 494th Fighter Squadron coined Airmen from the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron for their hard work repairing a pothole on the flightline Feb. 25, 2015, at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. The achievement coin is given as a reward for outstanding service or performance of duty. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dawn M. Weber/Released)

Pros of con… crete make runway safe for landing

Airman 1st Class Jake Puzzuto, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron heavy equipment operator, shows his achievement coin to Lt. Col. Connor Blackwood, 48th Mission Support Group deputy commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Brian Kentta, 48th MSG superintendent, Feb. 25, 2015 at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. He was coined for his hard work repairing a pothole on the flightline that could have cost the 48th Fighter Wing millions of dollars by diverting air traffic. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dawn M. Weber/Released)

Pros of con... crete make runway safe for landing

Published Feb. 27, 2015
By Airman 1st Class Dawn M. Weber
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --

Airmen of the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron ensure buildings and infrastructure around the 48th Fighter Wing are properly maintained at all times.

Sometimes that means responding at a moment's notice.

According to Tech. Sgt. Christopher Fisher, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron NCO in charge of pavements and equipment, when pilots from the 494th Fighter Squadron, also known as Panthers, were preparing to land after training in Scotland, they noticed a pothole on the runway.

Fisher tasked the 48th CES repair crew, Airman 1st Class Jake Puzzuto, heavy equipment operator, and Ministry of Defence civilians Christopher Gunn, Alan Wheeler and Lee Endean, who responded within minutes of being notified.

The crew repaired the pothole immediately upon arrival, allowing the Panthers to land safely. This quick response also potentially saved millions of dollars by avoiding diverting aircraft to other locations.

"I'm really proud of my guys for stepping up and getting the job done," Fisher said.

Maj. Kreg Arnold, 494th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations, echoed that sentiment.

"They definitely saved hours of work for several people: the crews that would've landed somewhere else and the maintainers that would've had to go catch and/or launch us again," Arnold said. "I'm happy to present coins to the Airmen that fixed the runway."