8th CES HVAC-R works on condenser at Dining Facility.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Browning, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration shop craftsman, sets up the condenser for the Dining Facility, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, September 4, 2015. HVAC-R Airmen are responsible for installing, and repairing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration units. (U.S. Air Force photo by SrA Dustin King/Released)

8th CES HVAC-R works on condenser at Dining Facility.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Browning, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration shop craftsman, measures out copper to bend and form to the condenser, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, September 4, 2015. HVAC-R Airmen are responsible for installing, and repairing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration units. (U.S. Air Force photo by SrA Dustin King/Released)

Devils Do More Than Beat the Heat

Published Sept. 3, 2015
By Senior Airman Dustin King
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea-- -- We all know the temperatures change drastically here, at Kunsan AB. It can be nice and cool one day, then hot and humid the next. The average temperature during the summer is between 78 to 86 degrees-with humidity in the 80th percentile. The Wolf Pack relies on the individuals from the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron Heating, Ventilation, Air Condition and Refrigeration shop to keep the mission going.

"A lot of people on base just think that we work on their Air Conditioner units," said Master Sgt. Alejandro Gonzalez 8th CES HVAC-R NCO in charge. "The truth is we work on a lot of different units; boilers, ventilation, ice machines, people just don't notice it because it's not affecting their immediate life."

The Airmen at the 8th CES HVAC-R work around the clock to make sure that things stay up and running.

According to Gonzalez, big problem with working with some of the units here at Kunsan is availability. If the parts needed are on the peninsula it might only take 3-5 days to get them, otherwise it could take up to 3-6 months to get the correct part.

"I've worked on a lot of different machines in my time in the Air Force, but sometimes we get tasked to do an installation project that I have never done before," said Staff Sgt. Adam Harney, 8th CES HVAC-R craftsman.

Another issue that occurs while working at Kunsan is that some of the machines might be foreign, old, or not traditionally used by America.

The Airmen are only given theory training during their tech school to complete their job. They then have to take those basic skills learned, and apply them to a broken machine or to install a new one.

"We are trying to create a legacy. In the past, individuals would just fix machines with a temporary fix, creating a bigger problem in the future. Our goal is to fix things the right way the first time, so it doesn't cause problems later," Gonzalez said.