Guam army National Guard
ONGUARD FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GUARNG
30 AUG 2012
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT - CPT KEN OLA W: 735-0409/C: 929-6056 kenneth.ola@ng.army.mil gunatguardpao@yahoo.com
1224TH ESC Helps Improve Vet Cemetery
Needed facility improvements at the Guam Veterans Cemetery in Piti were completed recently by a platoon of Soldiers from the 1224th Engineer Support Company (ESC) of the Guam Army National Guard.
Three projects at the cemetery needed immediate attention based on a request from the Veterans Affairs Office, which oversees the cemetery operations. The first was a flooding problem near the maintenance shop caused by water runoffs from the hill on top of the cemetery. Second, part of a hill needed to be “shaved off” to allow more room to set up funeral tents (needed for shades), next to the crypts behind the administration building. Third, the eroded berms at the ponding basin needed to be reinforced. The mission was both an opportunity for the unit to use the Soldiers, on their two weeks of annual training, to perform work on projects benefitting the community, as well as receive valuable training on skills where they needed to maintain proficiency.
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A variety of heavy engineering equipment was used by the engineers throughout this period, some of which were new to the unit. The project provided an opportunity for the engineers to gain valuable experience, or “stick time”, operating this newer equipment, according to CPT Mel Pilarca, 1224th ESC commander. The unit brought with them two of their High Mobility Engineer Excavators (HMEE), a scoop loader, a tractor trailer, and a skid loader “Bobcat”. The HMEE, an armored backhoe loader designed for high speeds to self-deploy with military convoys and which can carry a two-man crew, is the newest equipment in the 1224th ESC’s fleet. The HMEE can be used to clear roads, lay power lines and create obstacles. The three projects took 10 days to complete, according to Pilarca. Among the challenges the Soldiers had to deal with were the rainy weather which affected the ground, thereby reducing traction for equipment to operate, he added. The tight spaces in between the work sites also tested skills of the heavy equipment
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operators. “But the engineers were able to maneuver and maximize use of the equipment,” Pilarca said. Pilarca also praised his Soldiers for a job well done and for how the different teams in the unit worked together to accomplish the mission. "We were very honored to assist the Veteran's Affairs office and the Veteran's cemetery. I am very proud of the Soldiers that assisted in the completion of this mission to include the admininstration, maintenance, and logistics teams, and, of course, the highly motivated and competent equipment operators. The Soldiers stepped up to the challenge and proved once again that the Engineers lead the way. Essayons!" Pilarca said. “Essayons” is the motto of the U.S. Army engineers, which is French for "Let us try."
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