JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
One Reserve squadron here on Joint Base Charleston recently participated in a mission of a different kind.
For the past three months, Airmen from the 560th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers have spent their time aiding the Southwest Indian Foundation in Gallup, New Mexico. Reserve members took part in the daily task of building houses from the bottom up in a little warehouse within the heart of the western city.
The SWIF has grants from various places to obtain building materials, and use their warehouse in Gallup to both store the materials and build the houses. Once the materials are acquired, they then source labor from wherever they can, including the Guard, Reserve and even various Veteran associations.
"Basically, in the warehouse they build houses, starting with the bottom, they put walls up, then add the roof trusses, run plumbing, electric, install insulation, put dry wall up, etc.," said Col. Daniel Leveille, commander of the 560 REDHORSE squadron, "When they're done the SWIF had the pieces of a house ready to assemble."
The finished product is a modular home that can be taken out in two separate pieces designed to fit on a flat bed truck. They are then carted by the SWIF to Navajo Indian Reservations and placed in prepositioned areas where disadvantaged families can afford a home.
"Our object was to have three houses in construction simultaneously, that's what the warehouse could fit," Colonel Leveille said, "And our ultimate goal was to complete four houses."
While some might say they didn't complete their goal, others would say they went above and beyond. House four was 85 percent complete when they left and house five, which was not even planned for, was more than 75 percent finished.
Considering their difficulty ensuring they had the correct materials for building at the right time, this was a substantial accomplishment. Because of the small size of the warehouse, the SWIF can only acquire the material they have allotted space for, thus when a house needs windows, and there are no windows, the builders remain in a stalemate.
"I think we did a really good job, we got five houses, four substantially complete, and three out the door hopefully on the reservation now," Colonel Leveille said, "and as an added benefit, part of our success helped the SWIF win more grants."
The squadron took part in this almost humanitarian mission as part of their "deployment for training" in order to prepare them for actual deployments in the near future.
"Our mission in peacetime is to train to go do that outside the wire mission needed in today's fight," said Colonel Leveille.
This was the first deployment training mission for the 560th, as they are a relatively new REDHORSE squadron, and stood up only a few years ago.
"We are the construction company of choice in theater for both the Army and the Air Force," said Colonel Leveille, "Because of the demand the Air Force stood up new Reserve squadrons both at Charleston and at Seymour Johnson [in North Carolina]."
Despite their young age, it is evident the 560th REDHORSE Squadron is doing great things and will continue to do so. Next year they plan on working in Little Rock, Arkansas building much needed tornado shelters and restroom facilities.
"It's not as robust [as this project], but we will still be building," said Colonel Leveille, "We're in a good position, we have the bodies, we just need the training."