Washington Engineers Lend a Hand in New Mexico

Story & Photos by SSG David Strobel, NM Army National Guard - Posted Nov, 2005

Thunderstorms lashed the desert near Columbus, New Mexico. Some of the rain released by the towering clouds made it to the ground; most evaporated before it touched the earth. None reached the National Guard engineers, laboring on the US-Mexican border. "A little drizzle would be nice," said SPC Brian Corneal, as he watched the passing storms.

As the sun sets, activity on the border increases. Border Patrol agents keep a close eye on people trying to illegally cross into the US from Mexico.

SPC Corneal was one of about a dozen soldiers from Seattle's 803rd Engineer Detachment. The unit traveled to New Mexico for their annual training, intending to add a mile to the anti-vehicle barricade the National Guard has been building for the US Border Patrol. But the soldiers were running into problems.

"When it hits the rocks, hydraulic fluid just spurts out," said drill operator SGT Kyle Kalous, trying with limited success to bore holes for the barrier. He shook his head with frustration. "I don't mind losing fluid, but I just don't have the power to break up the rocks."

The Washington state engineers came to New Mexico to participate in the state's Innovative Readiness Training program. The program draws National Guard engineers from around the country to work on projects during their annual training that provide unusual engineering opportunities.

SPC Troy Edwards examined a faulty plasma cutter in the last light of the day. "I think it's the regulator. I don't think I can fix this," he said. The soldiers would have to wait until morning for the rental company's field service specialist. Until then, the soldiers would use the acetylene torch to cut the steel beams, plus use this as an opportunity to train engineers who didn't yet know how to dial in the right combination of gasses for the best effect.

"We had a backhoe that broke on us, we have a bobcat that's going down," said section sergeant SSG R. A. Darby. "But we overcome. We try different things. And we use whatever down time we have to train. There's no wasted time."

Senior construction supervisor SFC Marc Jolicoeur wasn't surprised by either the malfunctions or the soldier's efforts to get the job done despite the challenges. "When you deal with construction equipment, you expect it to break. But remember our motto; "Essay On." That means let us try." SFC Jolicoeur looked at the 50 meters of fence his engineers had been able to construct in the team's first full day on the job. "We're trying to lay a mile of fence here. I don't know if we can get it done, but we'll try."

 SPC Sherry Bradshaw maneuvers a steel beam with her 6K forklift. Her Washington National Guard team, the 803rd Engineering Detachment, spent their annual training in New Mexico, constructing a steel anti-vehicle barrier for the US Border patrol.

The man responsible for bringing the Washington engineers to New Mexico was on the scene, helping get replacements for the broken equipment. "We have a unique mission, in a unique location," said CPT Scott Weaver, commander of Innovative Readiness Training.

Putting into practice "measure twice, cut once," (L-R) PV2 Michael Egger and SPC Brian Corneal mark exactly where to cut a steel post destined to protect the US from vehicles illegally entering the US.

"Out here on the border, we're not around any military post, so it gives the soldiers an opportunity to work in an austere environment, to really work their skill sets. Our customer for this project, the US Border Patrol, they have a serious need," said CPT Weaver.

Many of the National Guard soldiers hold one military skill but have other civilian skills that help the team complete its mission. SGT Patrick Mann, a diver and expert underwater welder, used his talents to construct the barrier. "Officially, I'm a heavy equipment operator," said SGT Mann, shrugging his shoulders after welding the upright steel beams to the horizontal sections. "But here I am anyway."

"What's cool about the Guard is that we're civilians in our Monday through Friday life, and we bring in a variety of experience to draw on," said SPC Edwards. "That helps us come up with innovative ways to do things."

The engineers work past sunset and into the night, setting up portable generators with lights. "We're behind, so we really want to get it done. These guys are motivated. As long as there are no more equipment failures," said SFC Jolicoeur. Besides being off schedule because of the gear problems, the soldiers work at night to avoid the desert heat, laboring on the barrier fence until midnight or later.

The soldiers were recently told they would soon head to Iraq, and are now on stop-loss orders. SPC Edwards: "We're just waiting for mobilization orders," said SPC Edwards. "I was supposed to get out in September."

 SGT Patrick Mann welds horizontal tubular steel to vertical posts. SGT Mann and his fellow Washington National Guard soldiers spend almost two weeks, working night and day, just feet from the US-Mexican border. Their project was to construct this anti-vehicle barrier as part of New Mexico's "Innovative Readiness Training Program."

"This is good, realistic training," said SFC Jolicoeur. "For AT, we go to a lot of different countries and we run into a lot of different kinds of problems. What we're encountering here on the border I think trains us more for what we'll probably encounter in Iraq. Plus, this is great heat training."

SGT Mann is a soldier who already has a lot of experience with Iraq's heat. He served in Desert Storm, that time not as an engineer, but as a tanker. "I figure it's karma," said SGT Mann. "Fifteen years ago, I blew stuff up in Iraq. Now, I'm going back to build stuff."

SPC Robert Blouch sets a block of FlexCrete into place while building homes on the Navajo reservation near Crownpoint, NM.

The Washington Army National Guardsmen also lent a hand building homes alongside Native American construction workers for the Navajo nation near Crownpoint, New Mexico.

"These are three bedroom and four bedroom rental homes for low income families, they tell me," said SSG Marc Jolicoer, the senior construction supervisor for the soldiers."

Navajo Housing Authority foreman Jonathan Shirley said he enjoyed working with the National Guard engineers. "They learn. They picked it up. And they hustle! So far, we got three homes that are framed and ready to go," said Shirley. "If something needs to get done, they get it done."