Courtesy Photo | Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Balbuena (right) discusses the paddock’s sloping with Capt....... read more read more
Subscribe
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa - The engineer platoon is extending the roof of an existing paddock and improving drainage at the SPCA. The 36 Marines from the Marine Wing Support Service, Detachment B, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas, are here in support of Exercise Shared Accord 2011. Shared Accord is a joint exercise between the South African National Defense Forces and the U.S. military.
That is how Koos Croukamp, manager of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Uitenhage, South Africa, enthusiastically describes the work by the U.S. Marine Corps.
The engineer platoon is extending the roof of an existing paddock and improving drainage at the SPCA. The 36 Marines from the Marine Wing Support Service, Detachment B, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas, are here in support of Exercise Shared Accord 2011. Shared Accord is a joint exercise between the South African National Defense Forces and the U.S. military.
“We’ve wanted to do it [refurbish the paddock] for five years,” said Croukamp. “We could never get the money to do it.”
When it rains everything is washed out, said Croukamp, adding that a month ago the cattery was washed out. Any animals in the paddock area would be all muddy.
“Now the animals will be dry,” said Croukamp. “The sheep and cattle will sleep dry.”
“It is a miracle!” exclaimed Croukamp, adding they [SPCA] were fortunate to have the Marines working on the site.
Late last year the SPCA was among three sites examined for feasibility and how much impact it would have on the local community, said Lt. Col. Hermann Greyling, engineer staff officer with the 43rd South African Brigade. “The impact of a project such as this would have on the community will be much greater than any of the other two. That is why we selected this one. As well as, we only have 10 days to complete the project. This one fit in nicely into 10 days.”
As far as the work done by the Marines, Greyling said, “I wish I had these troops.”
Greyling was impressed by the trade skills and professionalism of the Marines.
“I started learning the day we started here,” he said. “It is nice to see it done the right way.
“They’re doing a bloody good job! They are doing a day’s worth of work in half of a day,” said Croukamp, adding the work is just lovely.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2011 09:43 |
| Story ID: | 74615 |
| Location: | PORT ELIZABETH, ZA |
| Web Views: | 162 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 'What they are doing is not worth money – it’s worth gold!', must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
