LAKEHURST, NJ - - The Naval Air Engineering Station is hosting the 421st Combat Training Squadron (CTS) from the Air Mobility Warfare Center at Fort Dix for the next two weeks as they provide civil engineer airfield operations training.

According to Staff Sgt. Norman Williams, instructor with the 421st CTS, the course is scheduled at various times throughout the year for airmen from all over the Air Force, both active duty and reservist, in the electrical and power production career fields.

The course is divided into two areas of study. One part features the installation and certification of the mobile aircraft arresting system (MAAS) while the other is dedicated to the expeditionary airfield lighting systems (EALS). Combined the training provides Air Force personnel with the necessary equipment expertise to ultimately catch fighter aircraft in a short airfield.

“This course provides real-world training for when these students deploy,” said Williams, adding that alumni from this particular course have found themselves in deployed locations within Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan to name a few.
Navy Lakehurst is being used to conduct the training because it provides an ideal training site with an actual operable runway.

“Training such as this at Lakehurst by the Air Force is just another example of the joint cooperation among the services within the Department of Defense,” according to Pattie Odoardo, Lakehurst spokesperson “Because of the one-of-a-kind facilities we have here at Lakehurst, many other agencies have found it advantageous to work with the Navy on their various projects,” she added.