HUEHUETENANGO, Guatemala –Nevada Army National Guard Soldiers are providing purified water to Task Force Rise during exercise Beyond the Horizon 2019 at the 5th Infantry Brigade, here, May 15, 2019.
Beyond the Horizon is an annual exercise that combines medical, dental, veterinary and engineering missions to improve the operational readiness of U.S. Forces, reinforce region stability and interoperability with ally forces, which also results in tangible benefits to the people of Guatemala.
The Soldiers assigned to 100th Quartermaster Company are providing clean water to Task Force Rise at the forward operating site, as well as the various construction sites.
Sgt. Edgar Vega, a water purification specialist assigned to the 100th QM Co., said, “Our system, the Tactical Water Purification System can provide cleaner water than any city.” He said the system can be deployed in any environment and can purify water from any source.
To ensure that water is of the highest standard, it is first tested for harmful substances by a water purification specialist who asses what chemicals are needed to purify the water, Vega said. Afterward, it is drawn from the water source into the Tactical Water Purification System, which separates and disposes of waste before treating the water. The water is then stored for transportation and taste tested by a water purification specialist.
The water that these units produce ensure that the mission is carried out.
“What we do has a big impact on the mission,” said Pfc. Nancy Galla, a water purification specialist assigned to the 100th QM Co. “Having the water is important. The medics, the laundry and shower, the cooks and the soldiers working on site need our water so that they can finish the mission.”