If the walls of Hangar 79 at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum could talk, only they could narrate the 85 minutes of utter chaos that reigned on Dec. 7, 1941. Though no witnesses remain to the events of that day, the bullet holes peppered the countless panes of glass are a stark reminder of how fragile life can be.
Keeping the memory of the 2,403 Pearl Harbor victims alive are dozens of museum employees, including people like Ronald Montgomery, a Navy veteran who spent 28 years as an aircraft mechanic and still uses his skills to keep the historic aircraft on display in pristine condition.
Five civil engineer Airmen selected by Air Force Reserve Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) will join their ranks for 10 weeks. Their goal is to ensure the hangar receives the repairs it needs.
“Our building is historic and old, so it needs a ton of renovation work,” said Navy veteran Mark Hauff, capital projects liaison for Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. “We thought the IRT was a unique opportunity because it gives us an opportunity to engage with the military. It’s a big cost savings for us, and they get the benefit of the training, so it’s a win-win.”
By the time the project is complete, the museum will have received $750,000 in fair market value construction costs at no cost, and more than 150 Airmen will have received valuable real-world training.
“This mission specifically aligns with the IRT program by providing hands-on training that you might not get on base,” said Capt. Jeremiah Wiltron, IRT officer at Ford Island. “For guys like plumbers and electricians, they always have a hard time finding training off base.”
But there’s a lot of work to be done on this mission.
“We had to do a complete gutting and remodeling of the bathrooms,” Wiltron said, “before we got here, they were only about 40 percent of what they are now. We knocked down some walls, so we have more space and can accommodate almost three times as much.”
There will also be a refurbishment of the mezzanine level, adding three new staircases and a balcony extension. Finally, an electrification renovation of the hangar will be carried out, adding numerous new outlets that will support the vision for future interactive museum exhibits.
Civil engineering is not the only service provided by Air Force Reserve Command’s IRT team. They also provide medical, cybersecurity and aerial spraying services in support of communities across the United States.
For more information about the IRT or to apply for a mission, visit irt.defense.gov.
Date taken: July 18, 2024 Date posted: July 18, 2024 15:08 Story ID: 476548 Location: United States Web views: 5 Downloads: 0 Public domain
This piece, “Talking walls & bullet spaces: Civil engineers preserve history,” by MSgt Rachelle Morris, identified by DVIDS, is subject to the restrictions set out at https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
