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“As BEEF, we provide a wide variety of engineering specialties to include: structural, electric, power production, civil, heavy equipment and even vehicle maintenance,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Anthony B. Richard, the operation’s manager for BEEF 18.
The BEEF does not just work together during normal duty hours but off duty as well by volunteering their skills and abilities to better the JTF and NAVSTA communities here.
The BEEF’s motto is “Engineers lead the way,” Richard said. Each rotation tries to set the bar for the next, to continue their legacy of skilled engineering capabilities and willingness to better each community they encounter.
The previous BEEF unit set the bar high by completing 800 volunteer hours during their time here, but BEEF 18 is only halfway through their tour and closing in on their predecessor’s total hours.
“We have a little bit of a rivalry amongst the BEEF units,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Dwight A. Jones, an engineering technician and volunteer coordinator for BEEF 18. “Every BEEF is better than the last. I don’t know what BEEF 19 is going to do to beat what BEEF 18 is doing today.”
BEEF 18 has already logged 750 volunteer hours for the duration of their deployment, on top of doing their day-to-day jobs, said Jones. Their goal is to complete 1,000 volunteer hours, and they are on track to do so.
BEEF 18 has completed several volunteer projects on island, with the most recent volunteer accomplishment: Renovating the Morale, Welfare & Recreation Putters mini golf course here.
They have 150 to 200 volunteer hours invested in the mini golf course project, volunteering after work throughout the week and into weekends to make sure it was completed by the April 22 deadline, said Jones.
For this volunteer project, MWR supplied all the materials, and BEEF 18 used their knowledge of engineering to add new obstacles to the course.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kenneth D. Wright, the vehicle maintenance noncommissioned officer-in-charge for BEEF 18, added his creative touch by incorporating the MWR Putters logo with a hand-cut shape of the island of Cuba into the greens on the first hole and the BEEF 18 logo into the greens at the 18th hole.
“It’s one of those projects where you honestly get a sense of accomplishment at the end,” said Wright. “The fact that we can actually sign the unit’s name to it so everyone will know we did this is nice because it is a legacy thing to us.”
MWR sponsored a recognition event for BEEF 18 by playing a round together on the course to test it out before opening, said Elizabeth Leonard, the MWR fitness facility manager here. Leonard looks forward to working on many more projects with the BEEF and thanks them for their hard work.
Members of BEEF 18 plan to utilize the putt-putt course here during their free time, and hope other members from the community will enjoy it as well.
“I like mini golf and this is something I feel like will really benefit a lot of people,” said Jones. “I would go pay to come out here, but when you hear that it is free, how can you beat that? I hope it is a booster shot to the community and adds to the quality of life here at Guantanamo.”
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2016 07:36 |
| Story ID: | 207539 |
| Location: | CU |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, BUILDING A PRIME PUTT-PUTT LEGACY, by SFC Shannon Ball, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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