PORT FOURCHON, La., - Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard’s 225th Engineer Brigade are continuing to construct a sand-filled basket barrier begun on May 21 on the beach in Port Fourchon, La.
To date, the engineers have built about 2.5 miles of the Hesco basket barrier wall.
“Our expectation for this barrier wall is for it to protect the marshlands directly behind it,” said 2nd Lt. Paul D. Mounts, platoon leader with the 928th Sapper Company, 769th Engineer Battalion. “The marshlands are a home to nesting grounds for many different bird and animal species.”
The wall consists of approximately 1,000 Hesco Concertainer sections, each consisting of five linked baskets that are then filled with sand. The engineers have been assembling an average of 300 sections a day, according to Mounts.
“We’ve been working very hard, filling each basket with as much sand as we can every day,” said Spc. Thomas G. Webb, a heavy equipment operator with the 922nd Horizontal Engineer Company. “We’ve had good training, good operating, and I believe we’ve accomplished a lot since we began working.”
The National Guard has been receiving help and support from BP and other civilian contract workers.
“The operations have been pretty smooth, especially with the help we’ve been getting,” said Mounts. “They’ve been spot on with our needs, whether it be billeting, food, or supplies.”
“As long as we get missions, we will continue to work hard to get them done,” said Webb.