Photo By Staff Sgt. James Kennedy Benjamin | Two Guam-based U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers, with the 797th Engineer Company (Vertical),...... read more read more
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ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam – The 797th Engineer Company (vertical) participates in a joint recovery operation between U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers and airmen of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, after Typhoon Dolphin lashed the island with wind gusts up to 84 mph sending debris and knocking over trees all around the island.
What was scheduled to be a three-day recovery operation, turned out to be a two-day operation thanks to the team effort between Army Reserve Soldiers and Air Force airmen.
“We are conducting recovery operations after the passing of Typhoon Dolphin,” said 1st Lt. George Sablan, the company commander for 797th Engineers. “What we are doing here is hauling debris and miscellaneous materials that have been displaced as a result of the heavy winds.”
Coordinating a recovery operation that involves multiple branches of the military to help in different areas affected is never an easy task.
“This process was not an easy process,” said Senior Master Sgt. Roderick Vega, the installation deputy fire chief and overall lead for base camp at AAFB, referring to the late nights during initial planning phase of the recovery mission. “This is a simultaneous event. The airfield was affected, several buildings were torn up, and there is a lot off flooding,” he said.
The recovery mission is divided into several sections of the base, Vega said. It included the housing areas, the airfield and the recreational beaches.
According to Vega, the most impacted areas on Andersen were the beaches.
“This area right here in Tarague took a pretty substantial hit,” Vega said, pointing out the mass piles of debris on the access road. “We have this effort down here in Tarague Beach, where we have approximately 480 personnel.”
Airmen gathered debris from Tarague Beach and made stack piles, easily accessible for the engineers and dump truck drivers. The engineers used Skid Steer Loaders (SSL), a smaller version of a bulldozer, to collect large piles of debris and dispose of it onto Army 10-ton dump trucks.
To facilitate the speedy recovery of Andersen Air Force Base, the engineers provided more than a dozen Soldiers armed with heavy-duty engineering equipment.
“It is an opportunity for my Soldiers to train, as well as for our equipment to be exercised and operated the way they are meant to be,” said Sablan.
Jesse Quinata, a sergeant with the 797th and the noncommissioned-officer-in-charge for the recovery mission echoed the same sentiment.
“We rarely use this equipment,” said Quinata. “So to have the younger Soldiers out here operating them is a good experience.”
Working in a joint effort with other branches of the military was a first time experience for many.
“This is the first time we conduct a recovery aid operation with another component,” Sablan said. “I think it’s great. We get to see each other’s capabilities and understand how each other operate.”
Getting Tarague Beach fully operational was a priority, Vega said.
“This is a home away from home,” said Vega. “It’s a morale booster to come down here and enjoy the environment. Whether you are Navy, Army Marine … it doesn’t matter. It’s for everybody.”
With hundreds of personnel and many assets moving around in one area, the scene could have seemed overwhelming. But the Army Reserve and Air Force made it work with one day to spare.
“It is a fantastic thing to see how all the services are interacting and how we are working together in a joint-team environment,” Vega said.
As a leader, Sablan said the operation is invaluable.
“I think this is something that any commander would welcome because not only do we get to provide valuable training to our Soldiers,” Sablan said, “but we are able to assist, whether it be a community on Guam or a military facility. It just gives us a good sense of accomplishment all around.”
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2015 18:43 |
| Story ID: | 164345 |
| Location: | ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GU |
| Web Views: | 307 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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