Photo By Staff Sgt. Kyle Richardson | Spc. Batts, Spc. Lamb, Sgt. Neuens, and Sgt. Riddick pour gravel into well for...... read more read more
Subscribe
CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti - Soldiers of the North Carolina National Guard's 1131st and 1132nd Engineering Teams, known as the Army Well Drillers, had a busy 4 months since their deployment to the Djibouti along the Horn of Africa.
At work and at play the team has excelled.
In more than four months, they have completed six missions across the region including deconstructing eight wells on Camp Lemonnier, helping build a helicopter landing zone here and drilling water wells with the Navy Seabees in neighboring Ethiopia.
"Drilling wells is easy. It is handling everything else that is hard," said Army 1st Lt. Lauren Johnson, the 1131st team commander.
This work benefits both the soldiers and the local population it serves, but also it creates a "one team, one fight" mentality among the respective military branches on duty here.
Well drilling is not the unit's only talent. Spc. Andrew Batts won the title of Karaoke King his first week in Camp Lemonnier and now reigns as the male Djibouti Idol. The unit's athleticism earned second place at the "Captain's Cup," an Olympics-style event held every 6 months to promote fitness and morale; no small feat for one of the smallest units at the camp.
Working far from home as an Army unit on a Navy base has its challenges.
Johnson said that this is a sink or swim setting but this unit appears to freestyle with the best.
| Date Taken: | 01.15.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 01.16.2013 19:45 |
| Story ID: | 100616 |
| Location: | CAMP LEMONNIER, DJ |
| Web Views: | 122 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NC soldiers start Africa mission, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
