MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Every year Misawa gets struck with heavy snow from mid-November to the end of March, totaling approximately 160 inches, making the base one of the snowiest in the Air Force.

Whether you forgot to start your car a few minutes early or you didn't give yourself enough time to get to work, there is one variable you cannot prevent or avoid - snow on the roads and sidewalks. So who clears these inevitably snowy areas?

Airmen from the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron ensure the flying mission can be carried out and the base populous is able to safely commute from point A to point B during the winter.

"From Nov. 15 to March 31, our primary mission is snow removal on the flightline and around the base," said Master Sgt. Christopher Pierce, the 35th CES pavement and equipment NCO in charge. "As soon as snow begins to fall, we are on the flightline plowing until the pavement is as bare as possible, enabling the jets to carry out the mission."

Their job can often be a difficult task due to whiteouts and trying to clear parking lots with cars parked idly on the snow covered blacktop.

"A bad day out in the snow is when [I'm] clearing a parking lot and all of a sudden [I] get hit by a whiteout. [I] can't even move because [I] can't see anything around [me]," said Senior Airman Blake Watkins, a 35th CES pavement and construction operator - commonly referred to as "The Dirt Boyz." "This can cause my job to get repetitive and frustrating because [I] can be plowing and have to redo the whole thing due to the amount of snow continuing to fall."

The Dirt Boyz have to be ready at a moment's notice to ensure the roads and runways are clear. Even though the work can be time consuming the Dirt Boyz always seem to have fun.

"Although snow removal is at times tedious and time consuming, I still really enjoy it," said Watkins. "Instead of sitting around and waiting for something, we'll be in equipment for eight hours of our day. I mean who wouldn't want to be able to operate a life-size Tonka truck?"

On-call 24/7, the Dirt Boyz continually perform their duties and do their part to ensure the Misawa mission goes on.

"Without us, the mission can't go on in the winter," said Pierce. "No matter what scenario is thrown at us, we work together to find the best way to get the job done."