An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | July 31, 2017

South Carolina National Guard Soldier builds targets in Romania

By Capt. Colin Cutler 926th Engineer Brigade

CINCU, Romania - For Spc. Alvin Stevens, building targets at a tank range in Romania is a far cry from his previous assignment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. "There's a lot more green, and the shepherds here aren't making phone calls to the Taliban."

Stevens of Bonneau, S.C., is currently at Joint National Training Center in Cincu, Romania, serving with the 1223rd Engineer Company, 178th Engineer Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard.

He is a carpentry and masonry specialist whose unit was tasked with completing a moving target system for a tank range. Stevens used his skills as an equipment operator and jumped into the nearest Skidsteer to help load rock into the Gabion baskets that will protect the targetry.

"Digging rocks is better than building," he said, before turning to pour rocks from the loader bucket. "I love getting to work with heavy equipment."

In his four years in the Army Reserve, Stevens has traveled to Afghanistan, Oman, and Romania. In Afghanistan, his unit deconstructed a forward operating base. "They handed us a bunch of sledgehammers and told us to get to work." In Oman, they spent two weeks building an urban operations course out of shipping containers.

In Romania, his unit is part of Resolute Castle 17, a multi-national NATO project building an armor live-fire range, a sniper range, and a demolitions range. Besides building infrastructure, Stevens emphasizes the importance of working together with the NATO allies: "We did a lot of welding with them when it came time to put up the range towers."

With a father in the Marines, a grandfather in the National Guard, and uncles across the services, Stevens is used to military life but enjoys also being a car salesman for Stokes Honda in North Charleston, S.C. "In selling a car, there are always steps. In the military, too, it's organized, and you have to follow the process. But there are opportunities in that."

 

 

Related Articles
West Virginia National Guard personnel used two Black Hawk helicopters and buckets to help battle wildfires in Hardy County, West Virginia, March 22, 2024.
West Virginia Guard Fighting Wildfires From the Air
By Edwin Wriston, | March 22, 2024
CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Two West Virginia National Guard UH60M and HH60M Black Hawk helicopters and personnel helped the West Virginia Division of Forestry and local government and emergency management officials battle...

Soldiers from the Lithuanian Armed Forces conduct training with Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers from the 1-110th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, on the M3 Multi-Role Anti-Armor/Anti-Personnel Weapon System March 15, 2024, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.
Lithuanian Soldiers Train Pennsylvania Guard on Weapon System
By Brad Rhen, | March 22, 2024
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Soldiers from the Lithuanian Armed Forces recently trained Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers on the M3 Multi-Role Anti-Armor/Anti-Personnel Weapon System.Lithuanian soldiers from the Griffin...

A delegation of Serbian Armed Forces cyber professionals visit Airmen of the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio, March 6, 2024. During their visit as part of the State Partnership Program, the Serbians toured a KC-135 Stratotanker and tried a flight simulator.
Ohio Guard, Partner Serbia Share Cybersecurity Expertise
By Senior Airman Ivy Thomas, | March 22, 2024
RICKENBACKER AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ohio - The Ohio National Guard invited Serbian Armed Forces cyber professionals to collaborate with Ohio cyber organizations across the state as part of the State Partnership Program...