In August my shop was tasked with a project located on the Minneapolis/ St. Paul Air Reserve Station. This project consisted of the construction of a new 14’ wide asphalt pavement running track to replace the existing one. All of the construction was performed by REDHORSE. The completion of this project provided all associated MSP-ARS personnel with a safe adequate running track within the AFMAN 32-1084 standard. For background information I am currently a reservist under the 556 RHS squadron enlisted under 3E551 which is an engineering journeyman. This AFSC deals mainly in the range of civil engineering and since it’s a REDHORSE squadron we are tasked with contingency responsibilities in regards to airfields and bare base planning. Going into this project the 556 was the last rotation so our scope of work was supposed to mainly consist of as-built topographic and blue top surveys. Upon arrival; however, it was evident that the contract progress schedule was behind. A trait that I believe is a key component for any engineer is versatility and it was at this point on the first day that it took effect. As a team we had to reconfigure our plan of action. It was essentially ground zero. We were now tasked with bringing the infield and the track up to rough grade and then subgrade. This sounds relatively easy but, there was a lot of trouble shooting involved. Some of the snags I ran into was figuring out what offsets to use where, how to check the digital terrain model in the controller, and day to day setup issues. There were two setups total station and GPS at all times. Our shop is relatively small so I was chosen to work alone. Deductive reasoning played a major part for me during this exercise considering how for future sites there’s usually only one or two EA’s on hand. With that said our supervisor won’t be there to help guide us so I used him as a last resort. Curiosity killed the cat, but in this field it’s deemed as a shining quality. Whenever there was a lull in work instead of sitting under the pavilion and resting I chose to learn how to operate the heavy machinery our dirt boys encounter every day. Machinery like the grader, roller, and skid-steer are all vehicles that I now know how to utilize. For future job sites I can lend a helping hand or at the very least have a general understanding of how and why my counterparts move and do what they do. The biggest take away for me personally with this project was how vital communication is to accomplish any task. Upon arrival it felt like we were running around with our heads cut off and everyone was easily irritated. For instance, the EA’s and dirt boys weren’t on the same page with what took precedent. After a while I took a step back and approached their lead to get into his head and grasp his thought process. In doing so it bridged the riff that was forming and we were able to come to terms and again have a general understanding of the why. For the sake of progression at 1600 when the electricians and dirt boys left I chose to stay late with my supervisor to try and complete items of work that would get us ahead for the next day. This happened at least eight out of the fourteen days we were on site. In the moment sacrificing free time really sucked, but I knew that seeing that final product would make it all worth it. During that time we placed blue tops along the South side, reference markers and verified they were the correct offset from the outside edges of the track. All of these actions exemplifies the initiative and teamwork someone in any engineer field must portray. This was my first jobsite and practical application of the skills I’ve acquired. So for the outcome I believe it more than demonstrates my ability as an engineer. In short the task that were completed consisted of placing blue top stakes, marking numerous elevation shots, as-built and topographical surveys, laying asphalt, density ratio test, and routine CAD processes among other things. My work ethic didn’t go unnoticed for my tenacity I was gifted the top notch award. For success in any endeavor certain characteristics are required and I can assure you that I encompass those deemed necessary. To conclude this brief anecdote satisfaction brought back the cat.