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 | Feb. 14, 2011

Illinois Guardmembers improve sand tables at remote operating sites

By Army Sgt. Aleah Castrejon Multinational Force

SINAI, Egypt - The command team consisting of Task Force Sinai and U.S. Battalion, began a project creating 12 sand tables--or terrain models--for remote operating sites and the South Camp Response Team.

The SCRT sand table will be an entire replica of South Camp, and for the remote operating sites, this will include everything on site--from the fence that surrounds the site to the buildings within it--which Army Staff Sgt. Rene De Anda, an Illinois Guardmember with Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 123 Field Artillery Regiment, is constructing.

"It is one of the first items a visitor will see when visiting a remote site; the quality of the sand table itself may set the tone for the rest of the visit," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. James Beckman, the senior enlisted advisor of 2nd Battalion, 123rd FA. "The visitor may get a negative impression in regards to maintenance and upkeep of the remote site as a whole if the first item they see is in a state of disrepair."

The sand tables are essential in presenting a clear-cut view of the operating site and are significant when briefing visitors and distinguished individuals. The project began with choosing a Soldier to create the replicas and the Force Engineering Office to gather the needed material.

"The first step was to ensure a rigid design for the enclosure of the sand table, so they would be able to withstand the elements at the remote [operating] sites for several years, without needing any maintenance," said Beckman.

"First Sgt. Andrew Davis helped ensure this by recommending an initial design which was then constructed by Staff Sgt. De Anda, with a few slight modifications he made during the process of building the enclosure, and De Anda also recommended a major change to replace the lid of the sand table with plywood as opposed to the original design using plexiglass."

The project started December 2010, and Davis, the senior enlisted advisor of Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 123rd FA, volunteered De Anda to take on the task after he created a detailed unit crest in the sand. On top of his daily duties, De Anda will spend approximately 40 hours on each sand table.

"The old sand tables were not dependable, so I am making the new ones out of strong, long-lasting materials," said De Anda.

Three sand tables have been completed with the plywood lid which has made the replica firm, durable and cost effective.

"I am currently building the fourth sand table, which is almost complete," said De Anda. "I have been using blue prints and satellite images, as well as getting help from the Soldiers at the sites to create the more detail oriented models for the buildings, fences and barriers."

De Anda uses most of his daylight hours to work on the sand tables.

"I have never done anything like this before and I am happy that I have been given the chance to do this," said De Anda.

The goal is to have all 12 newly constructed sand tables complete for the USBATT remote sites and the SCRT cage on South Camp before the FA Battalion returns home in May.

 

 

Related Articles
Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, joins Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili, chief of general staff, Saudi Arabian Armed Forces; Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Mancino, Oklahoma’s adjutant general; Army Brig. Gen. Lawrence Muennich, Indiana’s adjutant general, and senior enlisted leaders for a ceremony to formalize the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s entry into the 115-nation Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 21, 2025. Under the SPP, Indiana and Oklahoma National Guardsmen will train with Saudi Arabian Armed Forces counterparts to build collective readiness to enhance regional stability and advance global security.
U.S., Saudi Arabia Strengthen Ties Through State Partnership Program
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | Aug. 22, 2025
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expanded its strategic ties with the United States by formally joining the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, or SPP, during a ceremony...

Staff Sgt. Hannah Bentley, member of the Oklahoma National Guard wildland firefighting program, digs a handline during an operational readiness exercise at Camp Navajo, Arizona, Aug. 14, 2025. The operational readiness exercise tests the OKNG WLFF program members’ ability to activate, deploy and conduct wildland firefighting operations. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Anthony Jones)
Wildfire Response During Training Proves Oklahoma Guard Ready to Fight Fires
By Sgt. Anthony Jones, | Aug. 22, 2025
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Twelve Oklahoma National Guard members training in Arizona proved the Oklahoma National Guard’s wildland firefighting program is ready to respond to wildfires when they were called Aug. 15 to battle a...

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Harry Siegel and Sgt. 1st Class Nikolay Bashko talk with Metropolitan Police Department officers near Nationals Park, Aug. 19, 2025. The President of the United States uniquely commands the D.C. National Guard through the Secretary of Defense. Guard members were activated under the Joint Task Force–District of Columbia as part of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force to support District and federal partners in safeguarding property and ensuring the functions of government.
D.C. National Guard Supports Law Enforcement at Nationals Park
By Spc. Carrol Walter Hughes IV, | Aug. 22, 2025
WASHINGTON – Soldiers and Airmen assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia walked the concourse of Nationals Park Aug. 19 as part of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force with an ongoing mission to support local law...