1 00:00:00,349 --> 00:00:03,279 Assateague Island , a national treasure 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:05,679 known for its wild horses and pristine 3 00:00:05,679 --> 00:00:08,359 beaches , recently received a helping 4 00:00:08,359 --> 00:00:11,170 hand from an unexpected source , the 5 00:00:11,170 --> 00:00:14,829 Air National Guard . For 6 00:00:14,829 --> 00:00:17,100 weeks , Air National Guard engineers 7 00:00:17,100 --> 00:00:19,156 from across the country converged on 8 00:00:19,156 --> 00:00:21,850 this coastal barrier island , not for a 9 00:00:21,850 --> 00:00:24,030 traditional military mission , but to 10 00:00:24,030 --> 00:00:26,819 hone their skills and build critical 11 00:00:26,819 --> 00:00:28,597 infrastructure for the Fish and 12 00:00:28,597 --> 00:00:30,860 Wildlife Service . This wasn't just 13 00:00:30,860 --> 00:00:33,193 about building a road and a parking lot . 14 00:00:33,193 --> 00:00:35,500 It was about building proficiency . The 15 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:37,556 project provided invaluable hands-on 16 00:00:37,556 --> 00:00:39,167 experience that is typically 17 00:00:39,167 --> 00:00:41,540 unobtainable at a normal Air National 18 00:00:41,540 --> 00:00:43,830 Guard installation . Like a traditional 19 00:00:43,830 --> 00:00:46,060 drill weekend , you might hop in some 20 00:00:46,060 --> 00:00:48,171 of this equipment you'd start it up , 21 00:00:48,171 --> 00:00:50,759 do your your PMCS's and and maybe . Uh , 22 00:00:51,599 --> 00:00:53,766 drive it a little bit , but you're not 23 00:00:53,766 --> 00:00:55,932 really operating the equipment the way 24 00:00:55,932 --> 00:00:58,043 that it's intended . So this gives an 25 00:00:58,043 --> 00:00:59,821 opportunity for , uh , specific 26 00:00:59,821 --> 00:01:02,043 airfields to come out and get necessary 27 00:01:02,043 --> 00:01:04,266 training on equipment like , you know , 28 00:01:04,266 --> 00:01:06,459 dozers and excavators and graders . On 29 00:01:06,459 --> 00:01:08,220 top of the incredible training 30 00:01:08,220 --> 00:01:10,220 experience the guardsmen received , 31 00:01:10,220 --> 00:01:12,331 this specific deployment for training 32 00:01:12,331 --> 00:01:14,664 provides a substantial financial relief . 33 00:01:14,664 --> 00:01:17,379 The fish and wildlife had a , a large 34 00:01:17,379 --> 00:01:20,230 budget . That um they needed to shrink 35 00:01:20,230 --> 00:01:22,910 down so by reducing the scope of the 36 00:01:22,910 --> 00:01:25,021 project , um , what they're adding to 37 00:01:25,021 --> 00:01:26,799 it and then bringing in the Air 38 00:01:26,799 --> 00:01:28,966 National Guard , they were able to get 39 00:01:28,966 --> 00:01:30,966 it down to a manageable level . The 40 00:01:30,966 --> 00:01:33,029 newly constructed roads will improve 41 00:01:33,029 --> 00:01:35,379 access for park rangers . Emergency 42 00:01:35,379 --> 00:01:37,370 services and visitors alike . 43 00:01:37,620 --> 00:01:39,980 Additionally , this project exemplifies 44 00:01:39,980 --> 00:01:42,147 the Air National Guard's commitment to 45 00:01:42,147 --> 00:01:44,370 developing multi-capable airmen ready 46 00:01:44,370 --> 00:01:47,220 to respond to a variety of challenges 47 00:01:47,220 --> 00:01:50,360 both at home and abroad . I think BLM 48 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,720 will just do a project like this state 49 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,529 side in this kind of area , um , to 50 00:01:55,529 --> 00:01:58,040 this scope also being able to add in 51 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,190 our prime beef brothers and sisters , 52 00:02:00,519 --> 00:02:02,519 letting them operate equipment that 53 00:02:02,519 --> 00:02:04,559 they don't get to use , um , is 54 00:02:04,559 --> 00:02:06,989 invaluable because when we deploy , 55 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:09,680 when you , you fall into that multi 56 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:11,680 capable airmen , and when the job's 57 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:13,902 gotta get done , it doesn't matter what 58 00:02:13,902 --> 00:02:15,791 your career field is , it doesn't 59 00:02:15,791 --> 00:02:18,069 matter what organization you belong to . 60 00:02:18,069 --> 00:02:20,180 If they need somebody to do something 61 00:02:20,180 --> 00:02:22,347 they're gonna ask you to do it so this 62 00:02:22,347 --> 00:02:22,289 provides an opportunity to get training 63 00:02:22,289 --> 00:02:24,960 in that so that when you do get asked , 64 00:02:25,289 --> 00:02:27,289 you're not completely blind to what 65 00:02:27,289 --> 00:02:29,839 you're about to do . The Assatea Island 66 00:02:29,839 --> 00:02:31,839 project is a win-win . The Fish and 67 00:02:31,839 --> 00:02:33,728 Wildlife Service , as well as the 68 00:02:33,728 --> 00:02:35,860 National Park Service receives much 69 00:02:35,860 --> 00:02:38,130 needed infrastructure improvements and 70 00:02:38,130 --> 00:02:40,289 the Air National Guard engineers gain 71 00:02:40,289 --> 00:02:43,690 invaluable experience . This project 72 00:02:43,690 --> 00:02:45,570 also had a minimal impact on the 73 00:02:45,570 --> 00:02:48,410 wildlife refuge and tourism during the 74 00:02:48,410 --> 00:02:51,610 island's busiest time of the year . 1.4 75 00:02:51,610 --> 00:02:53,888 million visitors a year come here . Um , 76 00:02:53,888 --> 00:02:56,720 they spend for this town of 3000 people , 77 00:02:56,830 --> 00:02:59,929 they spend about $45 million . Revenue 78 00:02:59,929 --> 00:03:02,220 is what this town takes in . Obviously 79 00:03:02,220 --> 00:03:04,220 we don't want to take away from the 80 00:03:04,220 --> 00:03:06,331 town as we're constructing all this , 81 00:03:06,331 --> 00:03:08,553 so we work different times of the day . 82 00:03:08,553 --> 00:03:11,059 We minimize our interaction with 83 00:03:11,059 --> 00:03:13,170 getting people in and out of the park 84 00:03:13,170 --> 00:03:15,281 here . The original beach access is , 85 00:03:15,281 --> 00:03:17,503 is staying open throughout the entirety 86 00:03:17,503 --> 00:03:19,670 of this project until it's completed . 87 00:03:19,670 --> 00:03:21,781 Part of the reason they're doing this 88 00:03:21,781 --> 00:03:23,892 is that beach is moving anywhere from 89 00:03:23,892 --> 00:03:26,115 between 10 and 15 ft . Mother Nature is 90 00:03:26,115 --> 00:03:28,281 pushing it inland every year , so it's 91 00:03:28,281 --> 00:03:28,119 costing fish and wildlife roughly 92 00:03:28,119 --> 00:03:31,360 $400,000 to maintain a parking area for 93 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,416 the public . Um , every time a storm 94 00:03:33,416 --> 00:03:35,471 comes in and knocks it out , they've 95 00:03:35,471 --> 00:03:37,304 got to shut down the access that 96 00:03:37,304 --> 00:03:39,416 obviously impacts the town . How many 97 00:03:39,416 --> 00:03:41,471 people can come here and spend their 98 00:03:41,471 --> 00:03:43,582 money and enjoy this area . So , uh , 99 00:03:43,639 --> 00:03:45,770 minimizing that as much as we can is 100 00:03:45,770 --> 00:03:47,937 one of the main goals . Reporting from 101 00:03:47,937 --> 00:03:49,937 Shinkatigue Island , Virginia . I'm 102 00:03:49,937 --> 00:03:50,850 Senior Master Sergeant Brian Hoover .