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Members of the 631st Engineer Company, Virgin Islands National Guard, performed construction projects on St. Croix during their annual training, July 12 to 19.
Assisted by the Department of Public Works with equipment loans, the unit conducted various infrastructural repairs at the Army Aviation Operation Facility and started construction on the roadway leading to the Lagoon in Christiansted.
“We are over for dual missions, get our aircraft hangar up to speed, and participate in a community project down at the Lagoon area at Little Bay Road leading to the beach just east of Christiansted,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jason Lewis, 1st sergeant of the 631st Engineer Company.
“We got a roller from Public Works, and a bucket truck at the hangar to reach the ceiling. It was an interagency project where they assisted in us getting over our equipment shortcomings,” he added.
The unit accomplished a lot in the week that they were here for training. The members were split up to complete the mission at both sites.
Spc. Denby Dumas, an electrician with the unit was stationed at the aviation hangar for the week.
“I did a little bit of everything from chipping tiles to painting to grinding rusted metal”, he said. “I try to do more than my assigned job.”
Although they did not complete the projects, they got the ball rolling so others could complete the project as planned. “We improved on the road 100 percent. Our counterparts, the 662nd Engineer Company, will conduct a training in August to finish up the project,” Lewis stated.
The teams worked diligently during the week that they had to put a dent in the projects. More than 30 unit personnel came over to accomplish this mission. “We came with 32 personnel; 31 engineers and one 610th [Quartermaster Water Supply Company] personnel-a former engineer with extensive knowledge of the equipment and our practices.
“The hangar was also a success, we were able to improve the posture moving the aviation unit that much closer to getting their aircrafts back.”
“At the hangar we conducted renovations- removed tiles, stripped doorframes of old paint and rust, treating and priming surfaces and a lot of painting of the first floor offices.”
“This was good training, I hope to be back next month to finish up,” Dumas added.
According to Lewis a team of engineers will be returning in August to finish up the aviation project. A team of vertical engineers will be back to paint the bay floor where the planes will be and complete the tiling, he said.
“Although we did quite a bit of work, there is still a lot to be done in preparation for the hangar to be approved.”
| Date Taken: | 08.18.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 08.19.2016 16:59 |
| Story ID: | 207733 |
| Location: | ST. CROIX, VI |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 631st Engineer Company Performs Community Service, by SGT Juanita Philip, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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