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 | Sept. 22, 2008

Second-graders high-five Soldiers helping hands

By Staff Sgt. Lacy L. Brown 415th Military Intelligence Battalion Unit Public Affairs

Napoleonville Primary School shows thanks to National Guard


CARVILLE, La. - With smiles and cheers all around, no one would suspect the seemingly care-free students of Napoleonville Primary School had spent the last three weeks recovering from the two largest hurricanes to hit Louisiana since Katrina and Rita in 2005.

On Thursday, Sept. 18, the overjoyed second-grade class visited with Soldiers of the 928th Sapper Company of the 769th Engineer Battalion. The students were determined to show their appreciation for the Soldier's hard work around the community. 

Napoleonville is a small-town community tucked away in the south end of Louisiana's boot. It received significant damage from the winds of Hurricane's Gustav and Ike, with nearly all main supply routes and secondary roads becoming impassable due to downed power lines and trees. Life in this small community was temporarily put on hold, including school, work, and daily routines, until roads could be cleared and power restored.

With the help of the 928th Sapper Company, conveniently located in Napoleonville, there was hope for the citizens here to move forward from devastation a little sooner.

The company of "combat engineers" that are trained in clearing obstacles during combat with mines, wires, and explosives had a new task on their hands. There was a definite shift in the services the engineers provided after the storm, but they got the job done just the same.

"Flexibility is something that we had to practice from the beginning of the storms in order to help our neighbors," said 1st Sgt. Shayne M. Bellina, native of Napoleonville, La., and senior enlisted advisor for the 928th. "If there was a need that we had to fulfill, we gained on-the-job-training so that our Soldiers could provide the needed services to the community," he added.

Days before the first storm, the combat engineers were called to help with evacuation missions to move citizens out of impact areas. Although driving buses is not a common skill practiced by the engineers, they successfully evacuated citizens from Thibodaux and St. James areas to higher ground. Special needs patients were also placed in the care of the 928th and they were safely evacuated as far west as Dallas, Texas.

"Having the chance to work with some of this equipment taught me skills that I can use in my civilian career, said Spc. Jasmond L. Jones, native of Donaldsonville, La., and Soldier of the 928th.

"This is our unit, this is our community, and our parish and whether it was our responsibility or not, we are going to have Soldiers there to help the people," said Capt. William W. Saint, Napoleonville native and commander of the 928th.

In the initial days after Hurricane Gustav, his Soldiers were vital to the success of distributing food, water, and ice to citizens at supply distribution points.

"The people were very grateful. When they realized the efforts and long hours the Soldiers were working, they began showing up to help. There were times that five or six civilians would work hand-in-hand next to the Soldiers to help the community," said Saint.

"Rarely did our Soldiers have to eat MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) because there was a constant flow of home-cooked meals and cakes that the citizens provided us," Saint said. "We even had meals brought to us from Danny's Cajun Catering to keep us fed. We are very grateful; this is a very rewarding mission."

While still providing necessities to citizens at distribution points, the secondary effort of the engineers was debris removal. Before contracts were set in place by the parish, the Soldiers were heavily engaged in removing debris along secondary roads by working non-stop to bring normalcy back to the city.

After roads began to clear, Soldiers continued debris removal at local schools and churches. "We really appreciate the effort and the job the Guard did to get us back into school," said Jessica B. Thibodeaux, principal of Napoleonville Primary School.

"It is very important for these students to have a sense of structure and to feel safe and loved. When the students return to class, it also gives the parents a chance to continue recovery at their homes. The efforts of the Guard helped the 420 students return to a place they understand," she added.

The second grade class at Napoleonville Primary sent cards and letters to the 928th Sapper Company to thank them for a job well done. After seeing all the heart touching cards hanging on the walls of the armory, the Soldier's of the 928th wanted to visit the students and thank them for being outstanding citizens. The Soldiers stood at the front of the class in a "show and tell" fashion and finished the day with high-fives and pictures with the youth of Napoleonville.

 

 

Related Articles
Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana, discusses briefing details with Col. Augusto Villalaz, director of the Joint Staff for the Louisiana National Guard, during the annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, May 21, 2025. The drill helps synchronize plans and strengthen coordination across LANG’s senior leadership ahead of hurricane season.
Louisiana Guard Rehearses Emergency Plans for Hurricane Season
By Capt. Peter Drasutis, | May 28, 2025
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard conducted its annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge May 21, uniting key personnel across multiple commands to refine...

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire Army National Guard, sling load a reduced range practice rocket to a Moroccan CH-47 Chinook during a multinational sling load operation at African Lion 2025 (AL25), May 17, 2025, in TanTan, Morocco. AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF,) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations - preparing forces to deploy, fight, and win.
New Hampshire Guard Teams with Morocco for Sling Load Training at African Lion 2025
By Sgt. 1st Class Jessica Forester, | May 28, 2025
TAN TAN, Morocco – Soldiers assigned to the 744th Forward Support Company (744TH FSC), 3rd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire Army National Guard partnered with the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR), for...

From left, Sgt. Edward Acda, Lt. Col. Vern Perez, Sgt. 1st Class Celine Taitano, Capt. Ryan Arellano, Staff Sgt. Jovencio Mortera, and Sgt. Avery Tyquiengco of the Guam National Guard participate in Balikatan Cyber Defense Exercise, Manila, April 27, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the U.S. and Philippine armed forces designed to strengthen the alliance, showcase the capable combined force, and demonstrate the commitment to regional security and stability. (Courtesy asset)
Guam Guard Participates in Balikatan 2025 Cyber Defense Exercise
By Mark Scott, | May 28, 2025
MANILA, Philippines – A team of cyber professionals and an intelligence analyst from the Guam National Guard attended Balikatan 2025, participating in the three-week Cyber Defense Exercise alongside teams from various...