18th CES brings power to the people

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. John Becquer
  • 18th Civil Engineer Squadron
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Picture this -- you're at home enjoying the comfortable air -conditioned temperature, getting ready to watch your favorite AFN program, when all of a sudden everything shuts down. Your lights go out, along with your beloved wide-screen TV, as the heat and humidity quickly set in.

Unfortunately, for many families on Okinawa, this is an all-too familiar situation. The first thing most people think is "CE can't do anything right" and call housing maintenance.

What many people don't realize is that when power goes down on base, the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron's electrical section goes into action. It does not matter if the weather is good or bad, the electric shop works diligently to maintain and restore power on Kadena and eight other housing areas around the entire island.

On average, the electrical section handles about 120 scheduled and unscheduled power outages around Okinawa per year. So far this year there have been more than 100 scheduled outages and 40 unscheduled outages. The two main causes of unscheduled power outages here are fruit bats and corrosion.

The bats on Okinawa have wing spans up to 90 centimeters and seem to think that the high voltage lines are the perfect location to perch. Unfortunately, this often results in the bats wings touching the power lines, causing a short circuit on the lines and "tripping out" the power at the main substation.

Corrosion, caused by the salt in the air and corrosive soil, is another major issue affecting power on the island. Metal transformers and switch gear, which usually last 15 years in the United States, only last three to five years in this environment despite an aggressive preventive maintenance schedule.

The good news is there are plans to correct these problems. First of all, insulators are being installed by 18th CES in the munitions area and housing circuits. This is an ongoing project that has been very successful in the areas that have been completed.

The second part of the solution is placing power lines underground. This phased Government of Japan project has been ongoing for several years in conjunction with housing renovations.

The most recent underground conversion was completed in the Beason Housing area. The next area, Sebille Manor, is scheduled to begin in 2012.