An official website of the United States government
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 27, 2018

New York Guard Soldiers will assist home build in Puerto Rico

By Col. Richard Goldenberg New York National Guard

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - The New York Army National Guard will deploy 45 Soldiers to Puerto Rico on Saturday who will assist in the construction of housing near San Juan.

The Soldiers are members of the 204th Engineer Battalion, headquartered in Binghamton, New York, and will work with Habitat for Humanity on the project as part of the Department of Defense innovative readiness training program.

In the wake of Hurricane Maria, which caused massive destruction on Puerto Rico, the New York National Guard deployed 300 Soldiers to help. Soldiers from the 152nd Engineer Company, the 442nd Military Police Company and the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment were sent to the island.

The 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, flew four UH-60 Black Hawks on relief missions.

The New York Air National Guard also flew missions bringing supplies to the island.

The innovative readiness training program uses Soldiers’ skills in civic engagement missions.

The Soldiers are trained in the skills needed to build houses, including pouring concrete frames and other construction tasks frequently underutilized in military training.

"This project will improve individual Soldier skills within each of their MOSs (military occupational skills)," said Maj. Dan Colomb, the 204th Engineer Battalion operations officer and detachment leader for the deployment.

The mission will draw on engineer specialties such as plumbing, carpentry, masonry, electricians and quarry specialists for the project.

The military engineers will conduct "mostly concrete work to include rebar, building and framing forms, pouring, and finishing rough walls, ceiling and floors," Colomb, from Niskayuna, New York, said.

The project, a three-family structure with concrete walls, built to withstand hurricane force winds, will be worked on from July 30 through August 10 before turning the project over to the next military rotation of engineers.

"We will most likely also be doing electrical and plumbing work as the plans have those utilities built inside the concrete walls," Colomb said.

The Individual Readiness Training event is an opportunity to leverage federal training resources that benefit local communities. The program benefits military units through unique training that contributes directly to military readiness and provides support to underserved communities.

Military unit rotations to Puerto Rico support the construction efforts started in late spring and are expected to continue through the summer. The New York engineers will be the fourth rotation of military personnel to support the housing site.

The Soldiers will work in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, providing the engineering labor and expertise on the job site while sharpening the individual Soldier civil engineering skills. Habitat for Humanity owns the jobsite, the construction plans and provides local project managers, supply deliveries and coordinates for necessary building inspections to finish the site.

Colomb said the Soldiers are looking forward to their opportunity to practice their construction skills in such a worthwhile recovery project that will benefit multiple families.

"It is a truly wonderful and rewarding experience," Colomb said. "You can certainly see the devastation almost a year later, and knowing that we can meet some of our training objectives while at the same time, give back to one of our communities is terrific."

The unit will return to New York August 11.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Braylon McCoy,  pavements and heavy equipment operator assigned to the 200th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer (RED HORSE) Squadron Detachment, Mansfield, Ohio, operates heavy equipment used in brush removal at Northwest Field, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, April 4, 2025. The 200th RED HORSE Squadron is on a deployment for training working for the 513th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron as part of the 356 Expeditionary Civil Engineering Group in Pacific Air Force’s efforts to set the theaters.
Ohio Airman Helps to Set the Theater in Deployment for Training
By Tech. Sgt. Alexis Wade, | May 5, 2025
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam – The 200th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer (RED HORSE) Squadron based out of Camp Perry and its detachment in Mansfield, Ohio, is on a deployment for...

U.S. Army Spc. Caitlyn Morrison, left, and Spc. Maria Diaz, combat medics with the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania National Guard practice medical skills during an exercise at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, May 3, 2025. The 108th MCAS spent time in the field to remain capable and adaptable while improving their medical and basic Soldier skills.
Pennsylvania Guard Medical Unit Gains Vital Experience During Field Exercise
By 1st Sgt. HollyAnn Nicom, | May 5, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers with the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, trained on setting up an aid station during a May 2-3 field exercise.The 108th MCAS...

New Jersey and New York Officer Candidates conduct Situational Tactical Exercise lanes with cadets from Albania and Kosovo. The New Jersey National Guard and Albanian have been partners for over 20 years in the U.S. Department of Defense State Partnership Program.
New Jersey, New York Officer Candidates Train with Albanian, Kosovar Cadets
By Capt. Kyle Marr, | May 5, 2025
RRETH-GRETH, Albania – Officer candidates from the New Jersey and New York Army National Guard traveled to Albania for the fifth consecutive year to conduct a field training exercise with cadets from the Albanian Military...