CES plays role in Honduras exercise, Airmen recount experiences

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Mike McGuire
  • 934th Civil Engineer Squadron
SABA, Honduras (AFPN) --  It was a trip that two sergeants said they will not soon forget. They were among 48 Airmen from the 934th Civil Engineer Squadron who deployed here recently to participate in New Horizons 2004 as part of Joint Command Task Force Orengo.

The main focus of the exercise was to build local schools, medical clinics and provide medical support to the local villages, said Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Tamlyn of the 934th CES, which is based at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The role of the civil engineers was to make numerous improvements to the base camp where exercise participants lived and worked, and provide assistance to projects being done in local villages.

For many in the unit, it was their first trip to Honduras. They said their experiences, from the bus ride to the camp and throughout the two-week deployment, left a lasting impression on them.

"After arriving at La Ceiba, we rode a bus to Saba, a two-hour bus ride,” said Master Sgt. David Sowers of the 934th CES. “As we made our way to the base camp, it was evident that the part of Honduras we were in was a desolate country, with poverty evident everywhere you looked. As we looked out the bus windows along the way, we saw mothers and daughters washing clothes (in) nearby rivers. We saw dogs walking aimlessly about. We didn't see many privately owned vehicles. The vehicles we saw were commercial-related, like taxis, buses and cargo-carrying trucks."

Sergeant Sowers said what he saw made him think about his life back home.

"The level of poverty there was a good example of how we should be thankful for what we have,” he said. “The Honduran locals around us didn't have much. It makes one appreciate the little things in life. It made me think that when things aren't going very well, I can think back to my time there, and maybe we don't have it so bad after all with our cushy lives in the suburbs."

When the Airmen arrived at the camp, they met U.S. Soldiers, as well as Puerto Rican Army National Guard and Honduran soldiers.

"We were also greeted by high heat and humidity,” Sergeant Tamlyn said. “The daily temperatures ranged from the low 70s to upper 90s. Every day brought with it a chance of rain as well."

It rained four times during the first three days of the unit's stay.

"With the roads already in rough shape when we got there, the constant rain made all the roads a muddy mess," Sergeant Sowers said. "Mud was everywhere … . Once our crews got the heavy machinery out and laid down gravel, the roads were greatly improved."

Besides fixing the roads, the Airmen constructed tents, installed airfield and perimeter lighting, and connected water pipes to the portable showers, latrines, water heaters and sinks. They also installed and maintained the site's power-distribution system.

They graded sidewalks and poured concrete pads at locations where humanitarian projects were under way. The Airmen also designed guard shacks, tables and steps, and worked on the air conditioners in the dehydration trailers and refrigeration coolers for the dining tents.

Some of the local Honduran children often watched the Airmen curiously as they stood outside the camp's fence. On occasion, the Airmen gave coloring books, crayons and school supplies to the children.

"We learned that private-school children attended class during the day, while public-school students met at night,” Sergeant Tamlyn said. “That explained why so many kids were around during the day. Kids would stand at the wire and look in at us. If you could see the looks on those kids' faces after receiving something from us, it was priceless."

Sergeants Sowers and Tamlyn said their deployment was a good experience.

"It was a rewarding deployment, and our time in Honduras will leave each of us with many memories," Sergeant Tamlyn said. "We also had a chance to demonstrate how the Air Force, and the Air Force Reserve in particular, contributes to the total-force mission."