New Horizons projects continue to show progress at schools, clinics

Photo By Capt. Michael Frye | Senior Airman Adam Brannon, a structures apprentice with the 556th Red Horse Squadron, cuts perlins into 8 foot sections for securing the roof trusses at the Neiuw Amsterdam Clinic here July 5. Construction of the Nieuw Amsterdam and Alkmaar Clinics are part of Exercise New Horizons 2011, an annual partnership between the United States Southern Command and Suriname. Airmen, soldiers, Marines and sailors are constructing playgrounds, schools, clinics, participating in humanitarian events, and training of security forces as part of the exercise, which runs from June 2 to Sept. 2.  

PARAMARIBO, SURINAME

07.09.2011

Story by Michael Frye 

114th Fighter Wing

PARAMARIBO, Suriname – Construction of the schools, playgrounds and clinics continues throughout Suriname as the sixth week comes to a close for the New Horizons exercise.

Marines from the 472nd Marine Support Squadron, Detachment Bravo, put the final touches to the paint, prepared surfaces for the next layer of paint, and began electrical work at the Lelydorp School. Airmen from the Red Horse Squadron worked alongside Surinamese engineers to assemble the playground equipment for the school, while Airmen from the South Dakota Air National Guard painted the interior and exterior walls, installed soffits and poured a concrete pad to hold water tanks outside the Alkmaar Clinic.

Lance Corp. Miguel Vargas is an electrician with the Marines and a factory order processor with Hallmark Cards. Within a week the Marines were able to get the roof finished and the building painted. He said the work was hard but they worked together to get it accomplished.

“This is very different from my civilian job. I get to work with my hands and be outside instead of searching a warehouse for cards and shipping them out,” said Vargas. “Working on the school has been hard but I really enjoy the experience. The civilian people are very different and it’s great to see everything throughout Suriname.”

The heavy equipment operators with the 820th Red Horse Squadron have finished two playgrounds and hope to have the Lelydorp playground finished soon. Staff Sgt. Brice Martin from the 820th Red Horse Squadron said working with the Surinamese has been very positive.

“The Surinamese have been telling us about their culture, teaching some of their language. It’s been great talking to them and working alongside them,” said Martin. “It’s also very rewarding to see the kids come out and play on the playground and have a good time.”

Senior Airman Adam Brannon works as a civil engineer structures apprentice while drilling with the Air Force Reserves at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and works for the Veteran’s Administration assisting with educational benefits for veterans in his civilian job. He said working in structures is different from his civilian job in every way.

“Since I don’t do this type of work in my civilian job and we don’t really get to do a lot of structures work during a normal Unit Training Assembly, coming out here to construct an entire clinic has been a wonderful training experience,” said Brannon.

The crews at the Neiuw Amsterdam and Alkmaar Clinics will complete their rotations soon as a new group of airmen prepare for the journey to Suriname for the next phase of construction at the clinics.

More than 600 airmen, soldiers, Marines and sailors are constructing playgrounds, schools, clinics, participating in humanitarian events, and training security forces as part of the New Horizons exercise, which runs from June 2 to Sept. 2.

• Date Taken: 07.09.2011
• Date Posted: 07.09.2011 11:55
• Story ID: 73480
• Location: PARAMARIBO, SR