Grissom civil engineers provide support to Navajo families Published Dec. 15, 2005 By Technical Sgt. Doug Hays 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind -- It’s called Operation Footprint, but the mark left by members of the 434th Civil Engineers Squadron will forever change the lives of some Navajo families. Forty-nine members of the 434th CES deployed to Gallup, N.M. for a month of life altering work for the families receiving the homes, and a month of valuable training for themselves. During unit training assemblies we have so many requirements that it’s difficult to get good training done, said Chief Master Sgt. William Border, operations superintendent. “Everyone is going in different directions within their groups or specialties. “Here we get a period of time where there are no interruptions,” he said. “We get actual projects that people can see from a start to a finished point.” These projects also allow for broad area training — people get to work on a bit of everything. “This is good because in a real world environment people may need to help out in areas other than their own to get the job done.” In addition, with having lots of new troops in the unit it’s important to get them the training they need, and for them to get the feeling they are important to the unit. “This type of project really is a win-win situation,” Chief Border said. “We’re helping people and getting valuable training at the same time.” “Everyone has been eager to learn,” said Staff Sgt. Mike McCool, a structural journeyman pulling his first deployment with the 434th CES since joining the unit four months ago. “We’ve got a very experienced crew training people on their craft.” One of those receiving training is Airman 1st Class Dan Harshman, a utilities systems apprentice from Mexico, Ind. “I’ve been learning a lot,” he said, “I’ve gained experience in plumbing and structures with actual hands-on training.” The poorest of the poor are the ones that benefit the most from the project, said Joe Esparza, director of the Southwest Indian Foundations project office. They are the recipients of the houses. Under the Innovative Readiness Training Program, military units can work anywhere there is a Native American population. The SWIF has built nearly 110 houses since the foundation began in 1998. Grissom’s CE members had hands-on construction of four of those. They started two of the houses and saw them to a point of 80-90 percent completion. The houses and materials are donated to the families that need them the most, Mr. Esparza said. The small two or three bedroom houses are built in two pieces, and bolted together on site. All the new owners have to do is to provide power to the house, and run the sewage and water lines. Without the military’s help, we would be forced to hire more people, and we don’t have money to pay for that kind of manpower, Mr. Esparza said. By coming here, they get the training they need, and we meet the needs of families in the Navajo community.
