INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Türkiye – U.S. and Turkish military leaders recently joined to celebrate the new fire crash and rescue station serving the airfield here.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team based here oversaw construction of the of the new facility, working in close partnership with the Turkish base team and the U.S. Air Force’s 39th Air Base Wing.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proud to partner with the U.S. Embassy in Türkiye, the U.S. Air Force and our Turkish Allies to deliver projects like this here at Incirlik Air Base and other locations in Türkiye that increase interoperability and readiness of U.S., Turkish and NATO forces along NATO’s southern flank,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District Commander Col. Dan Kent.
The new, modern fire crash rescue station serves traditional firefighters serving the wider base community as well as those responding to airfield emergencies – increasing readiness and emergency response capabilities throughout the base.
The new airfield fire crash rescue station was just the latest project in a long history of partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Türkiye that dates back several decades. In fact, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been delivering projects in Türkiye since just before it officially joined the NATO alliance in 1952. The original USACE office in Türkiye was based in the capital in Ankara and was called “The U.S. Engineer Group,” or TUSEG. Since 1979, TUSEG has become a part of what is now the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District.
“The Corps of Engineers have been in Türkiye since the 1950s. We basically built this base (Incirlik Air Base) and over the decades the Corps of Engineers built several other bases all over the country that are now still used by Turkish forces,” said Europe District Project Engineer and Turkish Local National Orkun Dincer. “We’re really proud of that legacy, of being part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and that partnership between the United States and Türkiye.”
The TUSEG name has stuck and today TUSEG functions as one of Europe District’s project offices. The dedicated team of Turkish local nationals based at Incirlik Air Base manage construction there, as well as at the Ankara Support Facility and other sites throughout Türkiye.
“We provide construction support here in Incirlik Air Base and other sites throughout Türkiye, basically anywhere U.S. forces need our help overseeing construction support we’re there to assist,” said Project Engineer Volkan Tunay, a Turkish local national. “We’re very proud to support the U.S. mission here in Turkey.”
At Incirlik Air Base, Europe District’s design and construction missions primarily support the 39th Air Base Wing’s diverse missions and capabilities as well as the 39th Air Base Wing’s commitment to the quality of life of Airmen and others stationed there at the base.
Facilities and infrastructure delivered over the years at Incirlik Air Base saw a different mission after a powerful earthquake hit southern Türkiye in 2023. Airmen stationed at Incirlik Air Base supported Turkish Air Force counterparts, helping to store and transport supplies and equipment used to support the Turkish government’s recovery efforts.
Outside of Incirlik Air Base, the Ankara Support Facility in the Turkish capital is another focal point for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mission in Türkiye. The ASF is home to the 717th Air Base Squadron and has a base Exchange, Commissary, DoDEA school, fitness center, community center and other facilities you’d expect to see available at an overseas base. Many facilities are dated, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers works with the U.S. Air Force and tenant organizations on a wide range of maintenance and renovation type projects.
Recently completed work includes commissary cold food storage and display renovations and fitness center improvements and overall utility and infrastructure improvements. A team of engineers was also in Ankara earlier this year to scope out significant renovations planned for the Department of Defense Education Activity’s Ankara Elementary High School.