Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Matthew White | 180810-N-WR252-088 KOROR, Palau (Aug. 10, 2018) 1st Lt. Keven Hadden, Civic Action...... read more read more
KOROR, Republic of Palau - Dozens of dignitaries, village chiefs, and well-wishers packed the Palau National Gym as the 12 Soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 84th Engineer Battalion Civic Action Team (CAT) Palau 84-05 were recognized for their accomplishments during a change of charge ceremony, Aug. 10.
During the ceremony, CAT 84-05 was relieved by The U.S. Air Force 36th Civil Engineer Squadron CAT 36-03, which will continue to carry out the U.S. mission to assist and support the development of the Republic of Palau through the Compact of Free Association between the two nations.
“The U.S. Embassy is proud to have the civic action team as an integral part of our mission. They are a wonderful symbol of our country, our people and our values” said Jennifer Nehez, mission deputy, U.S. Embassy Palau. ”The important work they do enhances our bilateral relationship and makes vital contributions to the people of Palau.”
During their six-month tenure in Palau, CAT 84-05 completed 11 construction projects, provided medical assistance to more than 1,000 patients, supported community service projects totaling nearly 2,000 hours, and trained 12 Palauan apprentices in a variety of construction, administrative, heavy equipment operations and carpentry disciplines, with seven successfully completing their training and graduating from the program.
“It has been an amazing six-months for the CAT team here in Palau,” said 1st Lt. Kevin Hadden, CAT 84-05 officer in charge. “I am deeply proud of the work that this team has done.”
Vice President of Palau Honorable Raynold Oilouch remarked during the ceremony that the presence of the CAT in Palau shows Palauans the U.S. is committed to the safety and defense of Palau and its people. He continued by adding that he is looking forward to making the friendship and partnership even stronger in the future.
The Soldiers formed many strong bonds with the people of Palau during their mission in the country and benefited from those friendships.
“Palau has become a home away from home … we learned a lot while living here,” Hadden said. “We learned that the generosity and acceptance of the Palauan people extends far beyond what we expected.”
The U.S. Air Force team is eager to take on the CAT mission and carry on the high standards set by the outgoing Army team.
“We have been welcomed with open arms over the past few weeks as we transitioned in and have felt nothing but positivity and support from the community,” said 2nd Lt. Colin Quitta, CAT 36-03 officer in charge. “We greatly look forward to working hand in hand with the people here in this beautiful country along with building off the incredible legacy of CAT 84-05.”
The Civic Action Team Palau provides construction support to the host nation, assists and trains apprentices with general engineering skills, facilitates a medical outreach program and conducts community service projects.
| Date Taken: | 08.10.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2018 05:20 |
| Story ID: | 288159 |
| Location: | KOROR, PW |
| Web Views: | 379 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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