Getting an Airport Runway Repaired on the Hopi Rez
I know there are a lot of sharp military guys on this board that are up on current units.
My lady was up visiting this weekend and got to talking about how the runway at the airstrip near the hospital she works at is in such disrepair that the visiting specialty doctors will no longer fly to the Hopi Reservation. Also, the condition of the runway is so bad the hospital can no longer use fixed wing medical evacuation. They have to use slower helicopters.
Apparently the air strip is asphault but has become very pot holed over the years of high desert winters and summers.
I know the Navy has SeaBees and the Army has combat engineers...but not sure if the later is the right unit for repairing damaged air strips.
Since the Hopi Hospital is Indian Health Service run they can't spend funds to repair the Hopi Tribe's runway. While the Hopi Tribe is strong and has lived in the same area for over 1,000 years they only number about 7,000 and don't have the funds to make the repairs.
Our idea was maybe somewhere there's a military reserve unit who specializes in repairing combat damaged runways that would want to come to Hopi and train by repairing a damaged desert runway. I just don't know the current names for that type of unit and which services have them.
Any terminology help appreciated then maybe we could see if that's a realistic possibility. The military engineering unit would win getting practice. The Hopi Tribe would win be getting their old level of medical specialty service back, and the hospital would win by getting the fixed wing medical evacuation option back.
Thanks for any info or ideas.
Ron
Ol' Macdonald himself, a proud son of Skye and Cape Breton Island
Lifetime Member STA. Two time winner of Utilikiltarian of the Month.
"I'll have a kilt please, a nice hand sewn tartan, 16 ounce Strome. Oh, and a sporran on the side, with a strap please."
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