PETERSBURG, Va - Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen demolished abandoned, decrepit and drug-trade related houses recently in Petersburg, Virginia, as part of Operation Renew, a program that provides National Guard engineer assets to assist local authorities in reclaiming control of known drug trafficking areas by destroying structures with connections to the local drug trade. Approximately 25 Soldiers from the Virginia Army National Guard’s 180th Engineer Company and Airmen from the Virginia Air Guard’s 203rd RED HORSE Squadron participated in this year’s demolition of seven structures.
“This is certainly a great day for the city of Petersburg,” said Army Brig. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the adjutant general of the Virginia National Guard. “We have 25 Soldiers and Airmen that are part of this event and they’ve moved over one million pounds of debris and are getting wonderful training that can’t be beat in terms of providing military skills in support of our community here.”
This year’s event marks the third consecutive year Virginia Guard Soldiers and Airmen have worked with the city of Petersburg on Operation Renew, knocking down 12 structures in 2012 and 15 in 2013.
“Operation Renew will help the city make progress in our efforts to reduce the large number of dilapidated structures,” said Petersburg mayor, Brian Moore. “Sometimes, to make something new, you’ve got to take out a few things to clear the way.”
During the time spent in Petersburg, the engineers received kudos from members of the community who stopped by to thank them for their service and for taking down the oftentimes-dangerous structures where criminal activity sometimes flourished.
“We’ve had people come by and tell us that we rock, and that this is one of the best things that’ve been done for the city,” Staff Sgt. Harry Stretz, an engineer with the 203rd RED HORSE Sqdrn.
Operation Renew operates under the Virginia National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force and enhances military readiness by allowing Army and Air Guard members to use their equipment and exercise their military specialties in a real world environment, with real world hazards.
“These guys are all engineers in their National Guard positions,” said Warrant Officer 1 Andrew H. Owen. “This gives them an opportunity to hone their engineering skills in a real world mission and helps them to accomplish their mission, whether stateside during a natural disaster situation or overseas in combat.”
The joint nature of the operation allowed Army and Air engineers to work side-by-side knocking down derelict structures, trading knowledge and gaining experience on each other’s equipment, making for more well-rounded engineers.
“We train on their stuff, they train on our stuff and it gives us a lot of variety, to work with different equipment that we’re not used to,” explained Stretz.
In order to participate in Operation Renew, the City of Petersburg submitted a written request that included a description of the drug problems affecting the area. They city also ensured utilities had been turned off at each of the potential demolition sites, provided a police escort for the Soldiers and Airmen as they moved their equipment through Petersburg and while they worked on site, as well as provided additional personnel from the city to ensure the mission was completed safely and successfully.
“Whatever I can do with my team, as a whole, to help out the city, is a wonderful feeling,” said Staff Sgt. Devoe Coke, the safety noncommissioned officer and an engineer with the 180th Eng. Co. Devoe lives in Petersburg and said making an impact in his local community through his work with the Guard was particularly fulfilling.
This also isn’t the first time Soldiers from the 180th Engineer Company has taken part in community-based engineer projects. Recently, they took part in an effort to replace culverts and improve road conditions at Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center near Blackstone, Virginia. In 2012 and 2011 they also took part in projects in Richmond and Stafford County, Virginia, where they cleared land for a bike and pedestrian trail and Civil War park.