56th CES’s Annual Boat Regatta tests mission-ready engineering concepts

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron compete in the annual 56th CES Boat Regatta at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, May 20, 2026. The event fostered a collaborative and resilient culture through creative design and team-building, enhancing unit cohesion while testing improvised engineering concepts to prepare the squadron to advance the mission through infrastructure and innovation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Belinda Guachun-Chichay)

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56th CES’s Annual Boat Regatta tests mission-ready engineering concepts

U.S. Air Force Airmen 1st Class Kyran Houston, left, and Charles George, 56th Civil Engineer Squadron heavy equipment and pavements technicians, swim toward the finish line during the annual 56th CES Boat Regatta, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, May 20, 2026. The team persisted through resource limitations to complete the race after their cardboard vessel became submerged by utilizing techniques including analyzing structural failure and manual propulsion, reinforcing the adaptive mindset necessary to sustain mission infrastructure and innovation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Belinda Guachun-Chichay)

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56th CES’s Annual Boat Regatta tests mission-ready engineering concepts

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Mary Ramos, 56th Civil Engineer Squadron operations management journeyman, propels her cardboard craft toward the end of the course during the annual 56th CES Boat Regatta at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, May 20, 2026. Airmen navigated physical limitations of non-standard materials by using rapid problem-solving principles while under competitive pressure which prepares service members to maintain operational readiness through technical agility and proficiency as well as adaptive engineering. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Belinda Guachun-Chichay)

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56th CES’s Annual Boat Regatta tests mission-ready engineering concepts

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Mary Ramos, 56th Civil Engineer Squadron operations management journeyman, paddles toward the finish line during the annual 56th CES Boat Regatta at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, May 20, 2026. The squadron’s capability to deploy innovative infrastructure solutions in any operational environment was tested during the event through the durability of non-traditional engineering while completing the course under time constraints. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Belinda Guachun-Chichay)

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56th CES’s Annual Boat Regatta tests mission-ready engineering concepts

U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen Elias Saavedra, left, and Jessey McLain, 56th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance technicians, navigate the base pool in a cardboard boat during the annual 56th CES Boat Regatta Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, May 20, 2026. Teams engineered buoyant vessels made from non-traditional materials to test practical applications of structural integrity and physics, developing technical adaptability to advance the mission through infrastructure and innovation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Belinda Guachun-Chichay)

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56th CES’s Annual Boat Regatta tests mission-ready engineering concepts

U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen Angelina Bibbee, left, and Nick Castillo, 56th Civil Engineer Squadron power production technicians, compete in the annual 56th CES Boat Regatta at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, May 20, 2026. Airmen made functional vessels with non-traditional materials by applying improvised engineering concepts in resource-constrained environments, mirroring the technical adaptability required to advance the mission through infrastructure and innovation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Belinda Guachun-Chichay)

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56th CES’s Annual Boat Regatta tests mission-ready engineering concepts

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing prepare boats to begin racing in the annual 56th Civil Engineer Squadron Boat Regatta at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, May 20, 2026. The collaborative event built unit cohesion and reinforced critical problem-solving skills necessary for operational readiness by having teams finalize structural designs before testing the improvised cardboard watercrafts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Belinda Guachun-Chichay)

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56th CES’s Annual Boat Regatta tests mission-ready engineering concepts

Published May 26, 2026
56th Fighter Wing

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron compete in the annual 56th CES Boat Regatta at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, May 20, 2026. The event fostered a collaborative and resilient culture through creative design and team-building, enhancing unit cohesion while testing improvised engineering concepts to prepare the squadron to advance the mission through infrastructure and innovation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Belinda Guachun-Chichay)