Tech Orders,

File: aacep_14.txt
Page: 14
Total Pages: 59

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       generators. The MEP-12s were about the size of a van and had four
       wheels to permit towing. Most Air Force power production personnel
       were unfamiliar with the MEP-12A diesel generator and more than a
       little wary of the high voltage system. Their training had been
       little more than familiarization on the equipment and its
       operation. This was exacerbated by the absence of TOs accompanying
       the equipment. With guidance from CENTAF/DE/DE and ingenuity, the
       established power grids at the sites and provided electricity.
       The shortage of Primary Distribution Centers (PDCs)
       complicated the establishment of an efficient power distribution
       system at the sites. These were an important element of the
       Harvest Falcon bare base electrical system. PECK distributed the
       power from the MEP-12 750KW generators to the Secondary
       Distribution Centers (SDCs) which in turn sent power to the users.
       Operation Desert Shield caught the Air Force in the midst of a
       transition from Contractor Control Cubicles to PDCs. Only three
       PDCs were available in SWA, and the likelihood of meeting the power
       requirements at a growing number of sites was problematic. Acting
       upon a CENTAF/DE/DE requirement for additional PDCs, Civil Engineering
       Maintenance, Inspection, Repair, and Training (CEMIRT) teams went
       to work. In just a matter of days, CEMIRT technicians designed a
       simple and reliable PDC using off-the-shelf components. They began
       constructing the new PDCs at Kelly AFB' Texas' at the rate of
       better than one per day. By 26 September' CEMIRT had constructed
       and shipped thirty-five PDCs to Desert Shield sites' enabling Air
       Force technicians to provide critical power to the bases more
       efficiently.
      Water availability' storage and distribution were critical
      elements of the base beddown phase. Air Force planning factors
      called for water usage in an arid environment at the rate of twenty
      gallons per person per day. This could be a combination of potable
      and nonpotable water. Drinking water was initially supplied as
      bottled water' which was readily  available. However, water was
      also needed for personal hygiene, latrines, dining halls, laundry,
      etc. Some sites could use existing water distribution systems by
      simply connecting into a nearby line to supply their water. Other
      sites such as Cairo West had to truck their water from a well seven
      miles from the camp and store it in bladders. The Air Force used
      various size bladders for water storage at the sites. The 20~000
      and 50~000 gallon bladders were the most common. If the available
      water did not meet Air Force standards for purity' the engineers
      sometimes added purification chemicals to the water storage
      bladders and/or used (ROWPU). These units were capable of
      producing up to 600 gallons of potable water per hour from either
      seawater or freshwater. Sixteen of the sites had ROWPUs on hand
      for daily or emergency use. Secure water storage was a major
      concern for engineers. CENTAF/DE set the minimum secure water
      storage requirement at 100 gallons per person to meet five days of
      usage in case they were cut off from their water source.
      The Harvest Falcon water distribution system was a collection
      of PVC pipes, connectors, storage bladders, and pumps. The system
      had not been assembled until 1989 at HoIloman AFB and at Bright