100th CES explains snow, ice removal operations Published Nov. 21, 2011 By Master Sgt. Jerry Ruiz 100th Civil Engineer Squadron RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Britain's snow season will soon be upon RAF Mildenhall. Bases in East Anglia typically average about six days of heavy snow a year. Still, when conditions are right and the ground becomes blanketed with snow, the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron snow operations will take action. Utilizing snow plows, snow brooms, deicing chemical sprayers for the airfield and salt spreaders for the roads, 100th CES snow and ice recovery team paves a safer way for vehicle traffic and helps ensure the airfield, and maintenance and operations areas are mission ready. The snow and ice recovery team is comprised of 10 personnel who are permanently assigned, as well as about 30 more people who go through classes and hands-on training, and when called upon, augment the 100th CES snow and ice recovery team. These 40 team members work 12-hour shifts and are divided between day and night shifts. RAF Mildenhall is prioritized into three main categories for snow removal. Priority one is the airfield due to mission requirements, priority two is the main base streets and essential service areas, and priority three consists of base parking lots. Leadership makes every effort to get to all areas of the base as quickly as priorities allow, and the speed of these operations vastly depends on the amount of snow and ice accumulated. The 100th CES understands everyone wants their areas cleared first, and great service to customers is always the main focus of their mission, but Team Mildenhall should remember that mission priorities and requirements dictate response efforts. Below are a few tips from the 100th CES snow and ice recovery team: Facility managers are responsible for areas within 50 feet of their facility, including sidewalks, driveways, loading docks, porches and fire hydrants. Facility managers should acquire rock salt from the Self Help store, Building 605, prior to any actual snow and ice accumulation. Team Mildenhall should always give way to snow and ice removal equipment; heavy machinery requires a lot of power to accelerate and if allowed to continue at a constant speed, snow removal procedures go quicker and run more smoothly. The snow and ice recovery team sands all roads, intersections and sharp corners, so everyone should maintain a minimum distance of 30 feet behind the sand spreader to avoid any material coming off the truck, hitting a member's vehicle and causing damage. For more safety related information, visit the RAF Mildenhall safety website at www.mildenhall.af.mil/units/safety/index.asp.