244th engineers hammer out repairs
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/Zqjcekv8LTg?list=PLcMZs7VSVimz8iPBPYgNS_bNbCm52xcUe”][vc_single_image image=”2117″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1500646249631{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]Story by Sgt. Margaret Taylor, 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Photos by Staff Sgt. Nancy Spicer, 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]Soldiers from 2nd platoon, 244th Engineer Company, Maryland Army National Guard, broke out the hammers and circular saws to repair the Leadership Reaction Course at Gunpowder Military Reservation in Glen Arm, Maryland, Aug. 3-11, 2014.
Sgt. 1st Class Charles Brubaker, the platoon sergeant and a Baltimore resident, said work on the LRC allowed his soldiers to practice their carpentry and masonry skills.
“Many of my soldiers don’t have a lot of experience with this kind of work,” Brubaker said. “They do other stuff on the civilian side, and [training] weekends and [annual training] are really the only time they get to focus on this.”
The LRC is a course where soldiers work in teams to navigate physically and mentally challenging obstacles. The wooden course has seen a lot of wear and tear over the years, and 2nd platoon made sure their handiwork would serve future teams well.
They came up with new designs to break larger structural sections into smaller ones, Brubaker said. This relieves tension on the longer beams, prevents warping, and enables easier repair work in the future.
They also tried to reuse as much of the old materials as possible; the 244th managed to recycle more than half.
“We’re trying to be environmentally friendly and fiscally responsible by not buying all brand new materials,” said Brubaker.
Fiscal responsibility was not the only motivator; the engineers also focused their efforts to serve their fellow Soldiers.
“We treat this as if we are building our own house,” said Spc. Dayvone Mason, a carpenter. “We don’t want it to look all
jacked up.”
Mason, who is from Temple Hills, Maryland, said the desire to do a good job meant he and his teammates redid some of their work from earlier in the week when it didn’t meet their high standards.
Renovating the LRC is one of several projects the 244th Engineers are working on right now. Others include repairing plumbing at the 5th Regiment Armory in Baltimore and installing acoustic paneling for the 229th Army Band in Parkville, Maryland.
With a week of hands-on carpentry and masonry training under their belts, the Soldiers in 2nd platoon are confident they can face whatever challenges come their way.
“It’s been a learning experience for some things, a relearning for others,” Brubaker said, “but everyone’s enjoying it [as well as] working together as a team.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]