The initiation of Joint Base Lewis-McChord means more than the changing of a few signs.

Soldiers donned Air Force blue coveralls last week as part of an ongoing personnel swap between the 555th Engineer Brigade and the 62nd Civil Engineer Squadron.

The exchange aims to provide valuable training to junior enlisted Soldiers and bolster the cooperation between Army and Air Force engineers.

Staff Sergeant Adam Stadler, section leader in the 62nd CES electrical shop, said the swap has been mutually beneficial.

"The last couple of days, they have been shown a lot," Stadler said. "It's definitely different having them here, but it's been good."

In one example of the work being done, the Soldiers helped replace fault indicators on high-voltage power transmission lines near access gates on JBLM McChord Field.

To ensure their safety, Soldiers wore protective blue coveralls during the indicator installation.

Safety is the main priority, whether they are training or responding to an actual service call, he said.

Air Force NCOs team up with Soldiers and mentor them during on-the- job training. Specialist Juan Cardoso and Stadler were hoisted in buckets up to the high-power lines.

With 13,800 volts flowing through the line, every step must be done carefully, Stadler said.

Cardoso watched as Stadler attached the indicator to a pole and set its spring- loaded latching mechanism.

While Cardoso held the live line steady, Stadler placed the indicator.

The indicators show a bright orange circle when a line loses power, helping crews locate the source of an outage much quicker than without them.

"In about three minutes, it'll turn black," Stadler said.

Cardoso placed the next indicator while Stadler steadied the line. On the first try, the indicator failed to latch on properly, and Cardoso had to reset it.

With a resounding click, the small box latched firmly in place.

"There was a little difficulty with the first one," Cardoso said, "but it's beautiful now."

On the ground, Spc. Keith Schleis, who has been in the Army for two and a half years, said the experience gained by working alongside the Airmen was invaluable.

"It's been great to be able to get out and do my job," Schleis said. "We don't get to work on these kinds of projects when we're not deployed."

Because Army engineers have a substantial tactical role downrange, their time in garrison is spent conducting combat training, he said.

"You start to lose all the little things you get if you don't do it all of the time," Schleis said.

Stadler said that productivity for the electrical shop has skyrocketed with the extra hands.

"It has nearly doubled our workforce," Stadler said.

In the 62nd CES utility shop, Soldiers have been tackling work orders from replacing toilets to fixing a break in an eight-inch water line.

Shop foreman Tech Sgt. Jason Norberg said the Soldiers were eager to get to work.

"They really hit the ground running," Norberg said. "It's been going great."

Soldiers and their Airmen mentors have responded to urgent calls for important tasks and everyday minor maintenance, completing them well, he said.

"They've done a really good job for us," Norberg said. "It's good to see the other side of the coin."

While installing a new toilet bowl in a C-17 Globemaster hangar rest room, Spc. Nicholas Engel said the different experiences were challenging and enjoyable.

"It's been extremely beneficial," Engel said. "I don't really get to do this part of my job a whole lot."

Engel said he's gained skills that he didn't have before the swap.

"I think coming over here has helped on both sides," Engel said.